A vegetarian is usually defined as one who does not consume animal flesh, including fish and other seafood. Most people who refer to themselves as vegetarian do eat eggs and dairy products, and may still wear animal products such as fur, leather, and wool. Those who take their stance against cruelty to animals a step further and avoid all animal products, including meat, eggs, dairy, and honey are called vegans.

In many cases, this lifestyle choice does not apply only to food but is also reflected in their choice of clothing, makeup, and household products. In most cases, vegans try to live a 100 percent cruelty-free lifestyle.

Vegetarianism and veganism are rapidly gaining in popularity across the United States, but the reason for going meat-free varies greatly from person to person. For some, the decision is reached after watching graphic footage of how animals are housed and then slaughtered on modern factory farms and in slaughterhouses. Some people realize that they can no longer contribute to the routine cruelty they've witnessed.

The decision may be based on the many health benefits of choosing a meat-free diet, or the desire to try to undo the environmental harm caused by the meat industry. For others, the decision may be based on religion, upbringing, or other personal factors.

If you are considering making the switch to a vegetarian or vegan diet, there are three compelling reasons to do so now:

1. Cruelty to animals

2. Health

3. Environment

Cruelty to Animals

Imagine spending your entire life stuffed into a cramped shed or cage, with barely enough room to turn around, and being fed to grow so large your legs cannot withstand the weight of your body. The only escape from this suffering is when you are en route to being slaughtered using a cruel and outdated method that does not allow you to quickly escape the painful world in which you live, but often prolongs the agony. This is the life of millions of animals, such as chickens, cows, and pigs, on today's modern factory farms and in slaughterhouses.

Most animals are not kept in the sunny pastures or on quaint family farms you see on television or in ads. Instead, they are treated as objects so that companies can maximize their profits at the expense of an animal's well-being. The conditions are no better for dairy cows and egg-laying hens. They too suffer on factory farms, and when they can no longer produce as expected, are slaughtered.

Several animal rights groups have released undercover video exposés that show what really happens to animals when people think no one else is looking. Visit PETA.org to watch video footage online and to learn more about these issues.

The only way to avoid contributing to the cruelty to animals described here is by not eating animals. Choosing a vegetarian diet will alleviate some of the suffering experienced by chickens, pigs, cows, and fish every day, but the only way to be sure that you are not contributing to any cruelty to farmed animals is by going vegan.

Health

Eating meat is not only contributing to cruelty to animals, but it may be harming your health. Meat and dairy products contain unhealthy saturated fat and cholesterol, and by eliminating them from your diet you are one step closer to a healthy heart and trim waistline. Cholesterol is known to clog arteries, and this buildup can lead to heart disease. But did you know that plant-based foods (vegan foods) contain no cholesterol?

Research has shown that those who eat a cholesterol- and cruelty-free diet are 50 percent less likely to develop heart disease than meat-eaters. In addition, meat-free diets are also higher in fiber and can be lower in fat, which helps keep vegetarians and vegans slimmer, on average, than their meat-eating counterparts.

Environment

When thinking of ways to help the environment, many people decide to recycle, carry reusable bags to the grocery store, or drive a hybrid car, but the most effective way to help may be by changing what's on your dinner plate. A United Nations report states that “the livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.” Eating meat leads to land degradation, climate change and air pollution, and water shortage and water pollution; but by choosing a vegetarian diet instead you can help stop this environmental harm.

Finding the ingredients to help you fuel your vegetarian or vegan diet is now easier than ever before. Many national grocery store chains carry popular mock meats, such as the Boca and Morningstar Farms brands. Several even have health food sections that are stocked with vegan mayonnaise, tofu, and soymilk.

Better yet, many of the products sitting in your cupboards right now might be “accidentally vegan.” Popular items such as Bisquick, some Duncan Hines cake mixes, and even some flavors of Jell-O brand instant pudding are all vegan if you prepare them with vegan products. For those items that aren't quite as easy to find, refer to a list of online vegan retailers.

In addition to online vegan specialty stores that sell food products, there are a multitude of other resources online that will help with your transition to a vegetarian or vegan diet. Groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) offer free vegetarian starter kits, recipes, lists of “accidentally vegan” food items, information on animal rights, and much more. Refer to Appendix C for a list of additional online resources.