Industrial meat is destroying our planet. As one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas production and climate change, modern agriculture is guilty of following the path to highest profits rather than most ethical production.
Agriculture production is responsible for contributing to deforestation, animal extinction, overconsumption of water, an increase of greenhouse gasses, human health issues and more, according to a report from the University of British Columbia.
Even if you don’t care about animals, nature, climate change, your own health or the lives of future generations, maybe you’ll care about not having another pandemic like the coronavirus. According to the environmental advocacy network GreenPeace, deforestation for agriculture is a major contributor to the spread of infectious diseases. Since a large majority of human diseases start in animals, destroying forests and factory farming allows for easier transmission between animals and humans.
After learning just a few of the endless advantages of eating less meat, I decided to start my own journey of minimizing my meat consumption. As a sustainability minor and long-time lover of nature, my main reason for this decision was to lessen my contribution to climate change and species extinction. However, there are plenty of other significant reasons, including helping mistreated factory/farm workers, conserving Earth’s precious resources and fighting hunger, according to World Animal Protection. Not to mention there are numerous health benefits of eating plant-based, including lower risks of cancer and increased life span.
Alexandra Van Hoy, a Missouri State University sophomore, has been a vegan for eight months. After trying the plant-based diet with her diabetic cousin, she decided to stick with it because of the numerous health benefits. She gave advice to those who want to lessen their meat consumption.
“Expect people to judge you; it happens,” Van Hoy said. “You have to understand why you want to be vegan before you can fully transition into it. So figure out why first!”
I definitely had some concerns about reducing the amount of meat in my diet. For starters, it’s difficult to quickly change habits, and I’m a picky eater. Despite these concerns, I decided to look at changing my diet as more of a journey rather than a drastic transformation. I still eat meat sometimes, but I’m still at the beginning of my journey.
My first step to lowering my meat consumption was to replace the foods I normally eat with plant-based alternatives. As a broke and busy college student, I consume a lot of cheap, frozen foods. After searching through the aisles of Walmart, I realized there are a ton of replacements for the meals I like. Many people are skeptical of the taste of fake meat, so I’ve rated these plant-based products for you, all found at your local Walmart:
- MorningStar Farms Meatless Corn Dogs – 10/10, no taste difference from regular corn dogs
- MorningStar Farms Meatless Chicken Nuggets – 8/10, crispy and quite tasty for frozen nuggets
- MorningStar Farms Pizza Bites, Meatless Sausage – 4/10, I personally did not enjoy these
- Daring Plant-Based Chicken Pieces – 7/10, a little small but I would still recommend
- Gardein Plant-Based Chick’n Florentino – 8/10, very tasty but needed to be salted
- Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Chick’n Filets – 9/10 take a while to cook but great taste
When I do have time, I like to try making easy, plant-based, vegan recipes. This week I tried an easy kale chips recipe. I had some leftover kale from when I made meatless chicken caesar wraps last week and didn’t want it to go to waste. This recipe was the perfect solution! Eating plant-based does not mean complicated, time-consuming cooking. There are plenty of simple, delicious vegan recipes.
“Banana pancakes are one of my favorites,” Van Hoy said. “Just oats, bananas and almond milk!”
Finding plant-based options at restaurants and fast-food chains is also not a difficult task. Next time you’re looking for plant-based food on the go, try Burger King’s Impossible Whopper, Starbuck’s Beyond Meat breakfast sandwich or Chipotle’s vegan or vegetarian Lifestyle Bowls.
“Taco Bell is one of my favorites because they have a lot of vegan options,” Van Hoy said. “My go-to is a bean burrito fresco-style with added rice.”
You can eat sustainably without going full vegan! It’s a process, not an immediate transition. I am nowhere near being completely plant-based and vegan, but even slightly reducing your meat consumption can make a difference. Stick with it.
Follow Jenna Murray on Twitter, @Jenna_Murray5
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