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16 Reasons to Eat Vegan in 2016

1. Protect Animals From Abuse and Neglect Animals on modern factory farms are subjected to extreme confinement, mutilations without painkillers, and a merciless slaughter.

2. Battle Climate Change

Climate change is easily one of the biggest issues threatening our very existence on the planet. By ditching meat and other animal products, you’ll significantly reduce your carbon footprint.

3. Save Money

A vegan diet is loaded with inexpensive fruits, veggies, grains, legumes, beans, nuts, and more! Click here for seven tips for eating vegan on a budget.

4. Protect Endangered Species According to the Center for Biological Diversity, reducing meat consumption is one of the best ways to save wildlife, including endangered species.

5. Prevent Disease Many of today’s top killers are directly related to what’s on our plates. A vegan diet has proven helpful in preventing diabetes and cancer.

6. Help Feed the Hungry To put it simply, there are over 800 million people who do not have enough to eat, while 90 million acres of land are currently used to grow corn to feed factory-farmed animals.

7. Save Water It takes 576 gallons of water to produce one pound of pork, 880 gallons of water to produce one gallon of milk, and a whopping 1,799 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef.

8. Lose Weight Last year, a study conducted by the University of South Carolina found that a vegan diet is best for weight loss.

9. Stave Off Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs The practice of cramming animals together on factory farms while pumping them full of antibiotics creates a breeding ground for dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

10. Protect Workers From Unsafe Conditions Factory farm workers are exposed to countless workplace hazards, including injuries, respiratory illness, PTSD, and exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In fact, the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that 10 out of 22 workers who were tested carried potentially deadly bacteria.

11. Prevent Pollution Animal excrement and other agricultural runoff from large-scale farms has polluted nearly one-third of rivers in the U.S.

12. Preserve the Rainforest The World Bank reports that the majority of Amazon deforestation has been to clear land for cattle grazing and growing feed for farmed animals.

13. Respect Farmed Animal Intelligence According to Christine Nicol, a professor of animal welfare at Bristol University, chickens are capable of mathematical reasoning and logic, including numeracy, self-control, and even basic structural engineering. These traits are not seen in children until the age of four.

14. Live Longer According to a report published in Men’s Journal, a large-scale study of 73,000 Americans shows that eating a vegetarian diet promotes longevity.

15. Enjoy Delicious New Foods With the wide array of delicious plant-based foods on the market, there’s never been a better time to ditch meat, dairy, and eggs. For a list of meat and dairy alternatives, click here.

16. Create a Better World Factory farms, and the widespread problems they create, are simply out of step with the values of the majority of Americans. We can all work towards a less violent, more compassionate (and sustainable) world just by eating vegan versions of our favorite foods.

So there you have it! 16 great reasons to eat vegan in 2016!

Click here to take the pledge to go veg in 2016, and we’ll send you a FREE Vegetarian Starter Guide along with a bunch of tips and tricks to make the transition easy!