For anyone wanting to live a healthy, more ethical and sustainable life in 2026, I would recommend that you consider veganism. I made the switch in January 14 years ago, and can honestly say it is one of the most unequivocally positive decisions I have ever made. It could be for you, too.
Going vegan and advocating for the rights of animals is an act of protest against a corporate system that treats sentient beings as mere objects, commodities to be bought and sold as property. Animal agriculture industries breed animals into unhealthy bodies, exploit them for profit then slaughter them at a tiny fraction of their life expectancy. Most animals are killed when they’re little more than infants.
Adopting a plant-based diet is the single biggest dietary change you can make to reduce your carbon footprint by up to 73%. Eating plant-based requires less land, less water, fewer crops and can be up to 1/3 cheaper. There is a broad scientific consensus that plant-based diets can be perfectly healthy, with organisations like the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the NHS in agreement. Those who still think that vegans cannot be healthy in 2026 are denying decades of nutritional research, and must find it hard to explain how committed vegan athletes are competing at the highest levels of sport.
There are significant barriers that prevent some people from adopting a 100% plant-based diet, whether that is because of health issues, a difficult living situation or limited food availability. But veganism is about avoiding animal exploitation as far as is possible and practicable. It’s about doing your best, whatever that looks like. Just honestly ask yourself; if you can be healthy while living a more humane, more sustainable lifestyle, why not give it a try?
