By now, I’m sure everyone has heard that swine flu has sickened a number of people in New York, Ohio, Kansas, Texas, California, and Illinois, and more illnesses are suspected in other states. The same strain of swine flu killed at least 149 people in Mexico and sickened about 2,000 more. Experts suspect that the outbreak originated on a pig farm operated by Granjas Carroll, a Mexican subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, the largest pork producer in the United States.

Unfortunately, vegans aren’t immune to swine flu. From what I understand, the disease can spread from person to person, just like the common cold. Health authorities have been quick to point out that people can’t get swine flu from eating pork anyway (something I’m skeptical about).

But the disease came about because pigs are intensively farmed so that people can have pork. Factory farms are total disease reservoirs. The filthy, crowded conditions and deplorable practices have not only given rise to swine flu, but also to bird flu, mad cow disease, and MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus bacterium that kills more Americans than AIDS.

People don’t “just” hurt animals, the environment, and their own health by eating meat—which can cause heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer—they put other people’s health at risk too. This really irks me. Much like smokers harm people who are forced to breathe secondhand smoke, meat-eaters endanger others by creating an environment that is rife with bacteria and disease.

Meat producers share in the blame, of course. But while I have no sympathy for the meat industry, I do acknowledge that they are producing meat because there is a demand for it. (Fortunately, the demand is falling every day, with each new vegetarian.) Cleaning up the filth in animal factories will help slow the spread of animal-borne diseases, but the sheer number of farmed animals raised—more than 10 billion a year in the U.S. alone—to satisfy people’s taste for meat makes this difficult to do. After all, if each meat-eater bought their meat from a small, clean(ish), organic family farm, the family farms would quickly be forced to employ factory farm practices just to keep up with the demand.

No swine, no swine flu

dying and diseased pigs

Now that the swine flu outbreak has invaded our shores, I’m hoping more people will have second thoughts about raising animals for food. Everyone—humans and animals— will be better off when people trade in their hot dogs and pork sausage for veggie dogs and soy sausage.

I’m just not sure what else it will take to convince people to go vegetarian. The suffering of animals alone should be enough to make people swear off meat. When you add in environmental and humanitarian issues and personal health concerns, you have an ironclad case that should convince everyone to go vegetarian. Now that the laundry list of animal-borne diseases—bird flu, mad cow, MRSA, even SARS—has grown by one, I can’t help but wonder: If the “emergence” of swine flu, on top of everything else, won’t prompt people to stop eating meat, what will?

lovely vegan fridge packed with goodies!

Whether the class will be re-instated or not remains to be seen, but here’s a crash course in vegan nutrition for anyone who wants information on vegan sources of protein, calcium, iron, vitamin B12, and other nutrients. Don’t worry; you won’t be tested on this information. There’s no homework either, but it can’t hurt to take notes anyway.

How Do Vegans get their Protein?

Every vegan has heard this question at least once. Some people still seem to think that meat is the only “food” that contains protein. Actually, almost every food contains protein, so it’s nearly impossible not to get enough if you’re consuming an adequate amount of calories. Soybeans are packed with protein and essential amino acids. Other beans as well as nuts, seeds, mushrooms, broccoli, walnuts, quinoa, whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, and corn are also good protein sources.

Calcium Without Cruelty

Cows don’t have to suffer in order for people to get calcium. It’s abundant in collard greens, kale, broccoli, beans, sesame tahini, and almonds. It can also be found in calcium-fortified soy or rice milk, orange juice, and tofu.

Fish-Free Omega-3s

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for heart, brain, skin, and joint health. Fortunately, you can get them without all the cholesterol and toxins found in fish. Flaxseeds, walnuts, and canola oil are good vegan sources of omega-3s. Flaxseeds should be ground up since some of their nutritional value is lost if they’re eaten whole.

Iron for Vegans

Iron-rich foods include spinach, beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, chickpeas, oatmeal, dried fruits, nuts, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, molasses, quinoa, and millet. Vitamin C helps increase iron absorption, so for optimal health, consume foods that are rich in both nutrients, such as dark-green, leafy vegetables.

Vitamin B12 for Vegans

Leading health experts encourage everyone to take a multivitamin or supplement to get ample amounts of vitamin B12. It’s also found in fortified nutritional yeast, cereals, and soy milks as well as in some meat analogues. See PCRM.org for more information about vitamin B12.

Vegan Superfoods!

To get an array of nutrients, include vegan “super foods” like avocados, carrots, sweet potatoes, mangos, orange melons, berries, and tomatoes in your diet on a regular basis. They’re high in various vitamins and minerals and benefit our bodies in a multitude of ways.

Vegan Vitamins

Most health experts encourage people—vegans and meat-eaters alike—to take a multivitamin to ensure that they get all the nutrients they need. Some vitamins are made with gelatin—which is animal bones, skin, hooves, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage, boiled together—but many health food stores and vegan companies like Pangea sell vegan supplements and multivitamins.

No one can live on potato chips, unfrosted pop tarts, Goldberg Peanut Chews, and ramen noodles alone. A healthy vegan diet should include a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and other wholesome plant-based foods. Whenever I start to eat too many sugary snacks and processed foods, I remind myself that I’m a “representative” of a vegan diet and that I should set a healthy example for future vegans. A balanced vegan diet gives me all the energy I need to tackle meat-eaters who want to argue about vegan nutrition.

Vegans are sprouting up

With all the cruelty, environmental problems, and diet-related diseases in the world, it can be easy for vegans to get discouraged. Trying to convince people to go vegetarian can be like banging your head against a brick wall. Just the other day, I wrote a blog proposing, perish the thought, an excise tax on meat to help offset skyrocketing healthcare costs and environmental degradation. Some meat-eaters didn’t take kindly to this idea, calling me a socialist or making hostile, defensive comments. It’s frustrating, to say the least. Sometimes I wonder what it will take to get through to some people and if things will ever change. But then, I think back to when I went vegan—17 years ago—and I realize how far we’ve come. It may not always seem like it, but we’re making progress every day.

I was 19 when I stopped eating eggs and dairy products. 36 may seem ancient to some of you, so I’ll try to keep my “I remember when’s” to a minimum. But I do remember my first trip to the small vegetarian food store in my neighborhood, and how astounded I was to see vegetarian Not Dogs, Phony Baloney, Tofutti Cuties, and other foods that I never even knew existed. Even in the mid to late-90′s, vegan foods weren’t available in many mainstream places. Vegans had to go to “special” health food stores just to buy veggie burgers and soy milk, which was once brownish and grainy tasting.

Not anymore! Tasty vegan foods like Boca burgers, Gardenburger sausages, Morningstar Farms Meal Starters, and Silk soy milk are not only sold in “conventional” grocery stores, they’re advertised in well-known magazines like Shape, Fitness, Self, Family Circle, and Woman’s Day. A Mintel survey showed that U.S. sales of vegetarian and vegan food increased by 64 percent from 2000 to 2005 and that the vegetarian food market was forecast to grow to over $1.7 billion in sales by 2010.

An April 2008 survey conducted by Harris Interactive Service Bureau indicated that a whopping 11.9 million people are “definitely interested” in following a vegetarian-based diet in the future. Restaurants are scrambling to meet the ever-growing demand for meatless meals. Popular chains, including P.F. Changs, Johnny Rockets, Moe’s, and even Denny’s, home of the 55-course meal, offer vegetarian and vegan options. Burger King has a veggie burger, KFCs in Canada offer vegetarian chicken, and Silk soy milk is available at Starbucks.

Most colleges have vegetarian options, as you’ve probably discovered. A number of public school districts across the country serve vegetarian meals. All 110 Gwinnett County public schools in Atlanta, for example, offer tofu-based corn dogs, veggie burgers, soy milk, and other vegetarian options. Grady High School, also in Atlanta, even has a separate lunch line for students who want vegetarian meals. The list goes on and on. Times and minds have changed dramatically since I was a child. Mystery meats, egg salad, and cheese pizza were the only options I had when I was in school.

Now, just about anyplace that serves food serves vegetarian options. Just the other week, I enjoyed a veggie burger and a veggie dog at Harbor Park, a minor league baseball stadium in Norfolk, Va. Most major league ballparks offer an array of vegetarian foods, as do most resorts and cruise lines. One cruise line, a Taste of Health Holistic Cruises, even caters to vegetarians and vegans.

Not long ago, Mark Bittman, the author of the popular How to Cook Everything books, released How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. Even the U.S. military now provides vegetarian MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) for soldiers who want meat-free meals.

We’ve still got a long way to go, no doubt. Many people remain resistant to change, often for no other reason than they like the taste of meat and are unwilling to give tasty mock meats and other vegetarian foods a chance. There’s not a whole lot we can do about them, other than to keep plugging away. I prefer to focus more on the fence-sitters who are willing to give veganism a try. Our efforts to promote a healthy, humane lifestyle are paying off and will continue to do so. If we continue to convince friends and family members to go vegetarian, and to ask stores, restaurants, and college campuses to serve vegetarian foods, we will eventually have a very vegetarian-friendly society.

please don't eat lobsters

Other studies have suggested that crabs, lobsters, and prawns (which are similar to shrimp) can feel pain, yet as researcher Bob Elwood points out, the millions of crustaceans used by the fishing and food industries each day have little to no legal protection. Professor Ellwood feels that a potentially very large problem is being ignored, and although he doesn’t come right out and say that people shouldn’t eat crabs, lobsters, or prawns, one can infer that from his comments. “With vertebrates we are asked to err on the side of caution,” he says, “and I believe this is the approach to take with these crustaceans.”

Crustaceans Deserve Compassion

Now there’s a novel idea, one that relatively few people embrace. Even some “vegetarians,” or pesco-vegetarians, eat fish and other sea animals, presumably believing that these beings are somehow less capable of suffering than cows, pigs, chickens, or turkeys. Sea animals (mainly shrimp and scallops) were the last animals I gave up when I went vegetarian too—a simple lack of thought on my part.

It shouldn’t really take a study to make people realize that crabs, prawns, lobsters, and other sea animals feel pain when they’re boiled, steamed, or killed in other cruel ways. Even people who aren’t entirely convinced should err on the side of compassion, as Prof. Ellwood suggests.

I think if people knew more about crustaceans, they’d understand why we shouldn’t eat them. Not only do these animals feel pain like people do, they’re similar to us in other significant ways as well. Lobsters carry their young for nine months and can live to be more than 100 years old. They use complex signals to establish social, lasting relationships. They take long seasonal journeys each year, often traveling for hundreds of miles. Crabs are capable of learning from their mistakes and retaining information so that they don’t make the same mistake again in the future. They learn to avoid foods that make them ill and they adapt to changing cues in their environment.

Hmmm. Actually, I can’t say all of these things for some people—it seems crustaceans may be more evolved than humans in many respects!

“I’ll Have A Plate Full of Bodies, Please”

What’s really unsettling—and infuriating—is that when people eat a crab, lobster, or shrimp, they’re devouring an entire body. I mean, they can form cow or pig flesh into a patty and call it a “hamburger” or “sausage,” and it distances them from what they’re eating, but when they eat a crab, lobster, or shrimp, they are biting into an entire being. Yikes!

How is it that people can obliviously pound on a corpse with a mallet, rip off animals’ legs, and suck the flesh from his or her skeleton? It’s gruesome, really. With shrimp or prawns, people often eat dozens of whole bodies in one sitting. I guess I never thought about it when I ate shrimp either, but it’s really quite disturbing, and it shows how disconnected many people are from their “food.”

Faux “Seafood”

If you like the taste of seafood, but don’t want to eat sea life, try the seafood alternatives available from vegieworld.com (I’ve only tried a few of the products and some of them are better than others, so please let me know if you have any recommendations!).

For those of you who like to cook, Nancy Berkoff’s cookbook Vegan Seafood: Beyond the Fish Shtick for Vegetarians includes recipes for “Fish” Tacos, “Crab” Enchiladas, and much more. If you were (or are) a scallop fan, try Worthington’s Vegetable Skallops, which are sold in many grocery stores or by Pangea, the vegan superstore.

If you have other recommendations, please share them. Now repeat after me: “fish, and crustaceans, are friends, not food!”

Happy National Soy Foods Month everyone!! Have you begun celebrating yet? Okay, yeah, I’m not surprised. Few people even know that April is soy foods month, much less “celebrate” it, but since soy is such a big part of many vegans’ diets, I think it’s worth a shout out. Soy is cholesterol-free and low in saturated fat. Studies show that women who eat soy have a lower risk of breast cancer, and that soy may also help prevent prostate and colon cancers. Research also suggests that soy can help your heart, protect against osteoporosis, and even benefit asthma sufferers.

There are lots of other healthy reasons to eat soy, too. But I enjoy soy simply because it’s animal-friendly, super-delicious, and ultra-versatile. It can be used in everything from veggie burgers to soy milks to cheesecakes. A block of tofu may not be too appetizing on its own, but since it acts as a sponge and absorbs the flavors of anything it’s prepared with, you can use it to make Kung Pau tofu, chocolate pudding pie, eggless egg salad, and much more.

My Top Ten Fave Soy-Based Foods

While a healthy vegan diet should include a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, it’s good to squeeze in some soy products too—and there are plenty of products to choose from. Whole soy foods like tofu, edamame (soybeans), and tempeh are generally the healthiest, but other soy foods are good options too. Here are ten of my (current) favorite soy foods:

1. Tofurky Sweet Italian Sausages: With baseball season approaching, I’m eager to eat these spicy vegan sausages while watching the Orioles play. They’re the perfect warm-weather food. They’re great grilled or fried and tucked in a bun with ketchup. The manufacturer, Turtle Island Foods, also makes tasty vegan beer brats and kielbasa, but the sweet Italian sausages are the best if you ask me.
2. Sheese Soy Cheese: I like other soy cheeses okay enough (Tofutti makes a decent vegan cream cheese and passable American soy cheese singles) but this Swedish brand is my favorite, hands down. I especially recommend the smoked cheddar style. Sheesh is a little pricey though, and not too many stores carry it yet. But thanks to Pangea, the vegan superstore, everyone can enjoy it.
3. Westsoy Chocolate Soy Shake: Mmmm. Thick and creamy. It’s like melted chocolate ice cream in a glass.
4. Morningstar Farms Grillers Recipe Crumbles: A great alternative to ground beef, with only 80 calories and 2.5 grams of fat per serving. It can be used in everything from tacos to chili to spaghetti sauce to shepherd’s pie. Carnivores can’t even tell the difference!
5. Silk Vanilla Soy Yogurt: It may not sound all that exciting, but if you throw in some defrosted frozen berries or other fruit, it makes a nutritious and delicious breakfast. The family-size container is more economical than single-serving soy yogurts too (less packaging too).
6. White Wave Sesame Peanut Thai-Style Baked Tofu: Toss it with some linguini, peanut butter satay, broccoli, carrots, onions, and you’ve got a simple Thai-style meal without going to a Thai restaurant.
7. Purely Decadent Turtle Trails Ice Cream: Just about every flavor of Purely Decadent or So Delicious dairy-free ice cream is, well, delicious, but I’m partial to anything with chocolate, pralines, and caramel!
8. Boca Burgers: Need I say more? Just about everybody loves these vegan veggie burgers—even meat-eaters. The chik’n patties are tasty too.
9. Gardenburger Meatless Breakfast Sausage: Another food for both vegans and meat-eaters to enjoy together. These savory soy-based sausages have only 60 calories per patty too.
10. Worthington Chic-ketts: Tastes just like chicken! You can pull apart the “log” of mock chicken and eat it straight, or use it in chicken-free salads, sandwiches, soups, and casseroles.

Hmmm, I guess I should have made it a top 100 list since I can still think of many more great soy-based foods.

Which ones are your favorites?

hearts of processed meat - yum...

I recently read a woman’s magazine article about “mixed relationships” and ways for a couple to stay together even if they have seemingly irreconcilable differences. The writer interviewed a vegetarian woman and her meat-eating husband and asked them how they managed to get along even though they had different fundamental beliefs. The couple gave some simple tips about not nagging one another, preaching, making demands, or flaunting your food choices in your partner’s face.

They found “common ground” on certain foods and mostly ate vegetarian meals together at home. Their suggestions were reasonable enough and may work well for many couples, but I wasn’t quite convinced. It may be a bit easier for someone who’s vegan for health reasons to overlook a partner’s “indiscretions,” but how can an ethical vegan stay with someone if they don’t condone or respect their choices?

Imagine the introductions: “Mom, this is Rob. He’s a kind, compassionate man—oh, except that he ate a chicken’s leg for lunch and he really doesn’t care if his food has a face or not.”

“Within A Week With Me You’ll Be Eating Chicken”…Not

I met a seemingly nice guy in the book buyback line at my college once. A few nights later, we were sitting in a movie theater making small talk when out of the blue he said, matter-of-factly, “Within a week with me, you’ll be eating chicken.” He said it without malice or even outright arrogance, so it didn’t really dawn on me what he had said until later. In retrospect, I wish I had walked out of the theater, but I was nervous, and a relatively new vegan, so I suppose that’s why it didn’t infuriate me immediately. (We weren’t going to have a second date regardless of his comment, so I suppose there’s no point dwelling on it anyway.)

But what if your potential partner doesn’t try to convert you? How could you not try to convert him or her? There’s a big difference between shoving a steak in someone’s face and just wanting your boyfriend or girlfriend to eat ethically. It’s not about being judgmental, but it is a judgment call. If your partner’s values conflict with your own, can you ever truly get along? You may not fight, but wouldn’t it cause you heartache every time he or she bit into a cheeseburger or an egg McMuffin?

You can “separate” the kitchen so you have your own “veggie shelves” but maybe that just makes your differences more glaringly obvious? You can avoid the issue and focus on his or her good qualities, but eventually you may notice the elephant in the room.

Finding Mr. or Ms. Right Vegan

The thing is though, unless you’re at a vegan gathering or a popular vegan hangout, there’s a good chance that the cute, smart, and funny guy or gal you’ve got your eye on is not a vegan. Does that mean that he or she is not really worth pursuing? Upon meeting someone for the first time, should we inquire if they’re vegan or not, and reject the possibility of a relationship if not? Or should we just cross our fingers and hope that our love interests will pick up kinder, healthier habits because of our influence? That’s a good possibility, of course, but it’s never wise to enter into a relationship thinking you can change your partner.

What if “the one” for you is not a vegan? Does that mean that he or she is not really “the one” for you? Than where does that leave you? Maybe joining a local vegetarian group and going to vegetarian meetings and conferences, or possibly on VegConnect, Vegetarian Passions, or one of the many other vegetarian personal ad sites. (Whether they’re safe or worthwhile or not is up to you decide.) But that’s still no guarantee that you will you meet “the one” for you.

The point is that I don’t think co-existing with a meat-eating partner is as cut and dry as the article made it seem, and I also don’t think it’s so simple to reject all non-vegans. Compromise and tolerance are part of any relationship, but ethical principles are a major part of many vegans’ lives. The trick is getting them all to mesh.

don't eat me for -- at least -- one day of the year. please!

The 25th annual Great American Meatout, a nationwide event orchestrated by the Farm Animal Reform Movement (FARM), is Friday, March 20. Similar in premise to the Great American Smokeout, the Meatout is a day for people to kick their unhealthy addiction to meat. Various festivities are being held around the world on and around the 20th, but here are five simple ways you can commemorate the Meatout:

1. Go Vegan. The first one’s a no-brainer. If you still eat meat (that includes beef, chicken, turkey, fish, and other animal flesh), give it up for at least one day. Choose beans instead of beef, soy sausage rather than pork sausage, faux chicken over chicken flesh, and carrot sticks, not fish sticks. If you’re already a vegetarian—but not a vegan—make the 20th the day you make the switch from cow’s milk to soy milk and eggs to egg replacer. See VegCooking.com for tips on making the transition to a vegan diet.
2. Teach Your Classmates—And Your Teachers—About Veganism. Homework isn’t all bad if you’re a “vocal vegan.” If you have to write a report, make a presentation, or do any other type of school project, use the opportunity to incorporate information on factory farming, diet-related diseases, world hunger, or environmental issues in your assignment. PETA’s youth division, peta2, has a number of resources to help students spread the word.
3. Promote Veganism on Campus And In The Community. Leave leaflets about vegetarianism around campus, ask a local coffee shop to carry soy milk, set up an information table at a mall, library, or in the campus bookstore, or simply wear a shirt or button with a pro-vegetarian message.
4. Fight KFC’s Cruelty. Help convince meat-eaters to kick the KFC bucket. Organize a protest, write a letter to the editor of your school paper, display factory farm footage on your blog, or simply sign PETA’s anti-KFC petition. See KentuckyFriedCruelty.com for more information about KFC’s cruelty to chickens and what you can do to stop it.
5. Adopt A Farmed Animal. I know; money’s tight, but if you can spare a small donation to help care for a rescued farmed animal at Animal Place or another sanctuary, it would be meaningful way to honor the Meatout.

Whatever you do, please don’t let the day pass without encouraging at least one other person to go meatless. Have a happy Great American Meatout!

The “Freshman 15,” as the dreaded first-year student “spread” is known, is not an inevitable part of college life. You can beat the “Freshman 15” (or 20 or 30) simply by making healthy lifestyle choices— namely, by eating a vegan diet.

Unlike meat, eggs, and dairy products, vegan foods are low in fat and calories and high in fiber and complex carbohydrates, which help you feel full without getting fat. On average, vegans are 10 to 20 pounds lighter than meat-eaters. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) has even acknowledged that “vegetarians, especially vegans, have weights that are closer to desirable weights than do non-vegetarians.”

Of course, Oreos and Goldberg peanut chews are vegan, but that doesn’t mean they’re particularly low in calories—or nutritious. If you eat too many cookies, candies, and potato chips—vegan or otherwise—you’ll likely still pack on a few pounds. A healthy diet should consist mostly of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, soy products, and other wholesome vegan foods.

Studies show that a low-fat vegan diet can help prevent—and even reverse—obesity-related diseases like diabetes and certain cancers. As Andrea Giancoli, a spokeswoman for the ADA, says, “People who follow more plant-based diets have better health outcomes—lower rates of chronic disease and lower rates of obesity. We all need to be moving more toward a plant-based diet.”

To help students make healthier choices, many campus foodservice providers—including Sodexho Campus Services, ARAMARK, and Associated Students Food Service, have been offering students more vegan options. Check out tips on “veganizing” your school cafeteria.

Instead of reaching for fatty, cholesterol-laden foods like cheese pizza and chicken nuggets, opt for the vegan selections and stay slim and healthy for your freshman year and beyond.

Good news. Several environmental, vegetarian, and animal advocacy groups have just joined forces to form the Veg Climate Alliance. Their goal is to teach people that “a global shift to vegetarianism is necessary to avoid rapidly approaching catastrophic climatic conditions and other environmental threats.”

Amen to that. There is overwhelming evidence linking meat and other animal products to climate change. Of course, the alliance is facing an uphill battle regardless. Global warming has been a hot topic (pun intended) for more than three years now, yet many people—including noted “environmentalists” like Al Gore—still largely ignore the “inconvenient truth” about meat and climate change. The fact is: you have to stop eating animal products if you want to combat climate change and have a livable planet. Here’s why:

• A United Nations report revealed that raising animals for food generates more greenhouse-gas emissions than all the cars, trucks, trains, ships, and planes in the world combined. The “livestock sector” is one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide and the single largest source of both methane and nitrous oxide emissions—all potent greenhouse gasses.
• In a February 2009 Canwest News Service article, Chris Weber, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Pennsylvania’s Carnegie Mellon University, said, “Switching to no red meat and no dairy products is the equivalent of (cutting out) 8,100 miles driven in a car … that gets 25 miles to the gallon.”
• The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook by David de Rothschild states that “refusing meat” is “the single most effective thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.”
• Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, the chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, urges people to have at least one meat-free day a week to help halt global warming but ultimately to go vegetarian.
• When responding to criticism that measures to tackle climate change are partly to blame for the rise in food and energy costs, Yvo de Boer, the head of the United Nations climate agency, said, “The best solution would be for us all to become vegetarians.”
• An American Journal of Clinical Nutrition report by David Pimentel and Marcia Pimentel indicates that it takes more than 11 times as much fossil fuel to make a calorie of animal protein as it does to make a calorie of plant protein. When you think about all the energy-intensive stages it takes to produce meat, eggs, and dairy products, you’ll understand why going vegan makes sense.
• Researchers at the University of Chicago have even found that switching to a vegan diet is more effective in combating climate change than switching from a standard American car to a Prius.

To learn more about climate change and the other ways in which meat, egg, and dairy production degrades the environment, see GoVeg.com.