A plate without meat?

For much of the Western world, it’s difficult to envisage a mealtime without meat.

Overcoming this culturally ingrained hurdle and finding tasty and convenient solutions is one of the toughest tests to going vegan. Fear not, the world wide web has an infinite number of recipes for the novice to the master chef, as well as nutritional advice and FAQs.

Here are 3 of our favorite go to vegan websites; VeganHealth, VeganKitchen, and HappyCow. Alternatively, read our Being Vegan guide for additional meal ideas.

Vitamin & Mineral Deficiencies

Vitamin B12 (essential for cell production), Selenium (an antioxidant to fight disease), Iodine (important for the metabolism and healthy functioning of the thyroid gland) and Zinc (vital for a strong immune system) are vitamins and minerals that vegans are more prone to be deficient in.

However, a regular intake of leafy greens, wholegrains (barley, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgur, rye, cous-cous, millet) and yeast extract for B12, will easily keep you in check. There are also some cool supplements out there designed specifically for vegans such as Athletic Greens, which is a daily all in one supplement with 75 proven, whole food sourced ingredients.

Going Vegan and Climate Change

Animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution, and contributes to 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions. – The stats speak for themselves!

If you are in doubt about how much impact going vegan could have on the environment, then take heed from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In their 2019 report on Land Use, the Panel’s 107 scientists concluded that dietary choices can play a major role in the adaptation and mitigation of Climate Change. The report states “the largest potential for reducing AFOLU (agriculture, forestry and other land use) emissions are through reduced deforestation and forest degradation, a shift towards plant-based diets and reduced food and agriculture waste.”

To give you an idea of the distinct differences in food-related emissions, a portion of the highest-impact vegetable proteins emits less than the lowest-impact animal proteins. With animal agriculture being the leading cause of deforestation, more people adopting a vegan diet would mean using less land but getting more out of it.

The scale of the challenge is on a global level, although until policymakers implement change, you can empower yourself to combat climate change immediately by consciously choosing what you eat every day. There’s plenty of power on your plate!

If you’re able to kick the habit by going vegan, you’ll significantly lower your carbon footprint while helping preserve the environment. However, if veganism is still a step too far, consider a Flexitarian or Pescatarian Diet.