October 1st was World Vegetarian Day and November 1st is World Vegan Day – so what better time to celebrate the benefits of switching to a meat-free diet?

With increasing numbers of people becoming vegetarian or vegan – or at the very least cutting back on the amount of meat they eat, there’s a lot of focus on eating differently – and how to do it well. People choose vegetarian and vegan diets for a wide variety of reasons – including animal rights and environmental concerns and, provided you choose a healthy meat-free diet, there are lots of ways you can benefit.

The Benefits to You

If you follow a healthy vegetarian or vegan diet, you could end up healthier, and less at risk of diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes or poor heart health. Reducing your consumption of heavily processed food – particularly those in meat-based products – will make a difference to your health. Just make sure that your diet is balanced, with the right amounts of protein and fibre, so that you are replacing the nutrients that you get from a diet that includes meat.

Plant-based foods tend to be lower in fat and sodium and they have natural sugars rather than artificial sugars, so a broad plant diet is good for your body in general. Of course, you still have to watch out for things like caffeine and alcohol and, if you’re vegetarian, try to keep a balanced amount of dairy products in your diet, but there’s plenty of evidence that a balanced vegetarian or vegan diet is a good way to eat.

The Benefits to the Planet

It’s widely understood that reducing or stopping meat-eating is one of the most positive things you can do for the planet. It’s estimated that livestock farming is responsible for around 15% of greenhouse gas emissions. So the more we cut down on meat production, the better it is for the planet. Large livestock operations also come with the risk of groundwater contamination from manure or chemicals. And finally, thousands of acres of forests are being cleared to make way for livestock grazing areas, and those trees could be absorbing carbon dioxide, helping to slow climate change.

You can also support sustainable plant-based brands, where their food is not only good for you, but good for the planet. This includes brands that produce their food sustainably, use sustainable packaging and work with charities and community groups to help do things better.

How to Get Started?

If you’re thinking about vegetarianism or veganism, you can just dive straight in, or you can take things step by step. It’s always worth reading round the principles of going meat free so that you know what to expect – particularly around how you replace some of the nutrients that you would normally get from meat and fish. Here are some quick steps to get you started:

• Allocate one meatless day per week
• Reduce serving sizes of meat
• Eliminate red and processed meats

To find out more about our sustainable, plant-based brands, or if you are a food or drinks brand that thinks we could help, contact us today.