Why adopting a plant-based diet will change your life – and the planet too

Whether to eat meat or not is a very personal decision. Often, the choice is tied into our beliefs and our relationship with animals, our upbringing, values and identity.

A pro-plant diet addresses four global issues that are increasingly top of mind, particularly for many millennials: human health, climate change, constraints on natural resources, and animal welfare. Public awareness of the impact that our food system is having on these areas is growing as consumers become more mindful about what they put on their plate, whether it’s one day a week or making a permanent lifestyle change.

Although there are a variety of factors influencing the decision to eliminate meat from our diet, we can’t deny that people are increasingly choosing to do so. This shift is raising some important questions: Is a diet without meat truly better for us? And, if so, what is it about plant-based diets that our bodies love?

The answer isn’t as simple as good and bad. What we do know, though, is that plant-based diets are beneficial for the planet, environmentally and economically.

What is a plant-based diet?

There are a variety of plant-based diets, yet the ones that omit meat completely probably get the most attention. This is because they’re relatively uncommon. Only a small percentage of people consider themselves vegetarians, and even a tinier percentage