Every New Year’s resolution these days seem to be the same, most are to lose weight or save money. Occasionally you will hear something more original like wanting to travel more or be happier or find a new job you don’t hate. This year, I challenge you to embark on a New Year’s resolution better than them all, one that can help not only you, but the planet, the animals and everything in between. As someone who’s made a New Year’s resolution to go vegan, and stuck with it for eleven months until delicious holiday food made me return to vegetarianism for the month of December (sorry), I can tell you it’s the best decision I ever made. Here are eleven of my best reasons and tips to go vegan for the New Year!

1. It can help you with your other resolutions!

If you still want to lose weight, going vegan can help! When you give up foods like cheese, butter and meat, you are kicking many calorie dense foods out of your diet! Yay!! Not to mention you will be consuming more fruits and veggies, which are calorie dilute foods that you can eat more of while not consuming as many calories, which is how you stay full while eating less calories and reaching your weight loss goals! For more information on health and going vegan, watch the documentary Forks Over Knives!

2. You will have more energy for the New Year!

With your increased consumption of foods that are vitamin rich like fruits and veggies, you will have more energy! You will have enough energy to embark on your adventures in the New Year like hiking, biking or traveling without getting fatigue as fast as you would on a standard American diet.

3. You will be saving the planet!

The meat and dairy industry in America is very unsustainable and awful for the planet; even dairy and meat farmers agree. For more information on this, watch the documentary Cowspiracy!

4. You will be saving countless animals!

The average vegan saves over 160 animals a year! So if you love cuddly cows as much as I do, you’ll want to switch to the lifestyle that saves them! If you need more convincing, watch the documentary Earthlings!

5. You will be more hydrated!

Another common resolution, going vegan will help you consume more water. You will be drinking more water because it’s the main pillar of the vegan food pyramid. Not to mention you will be eating more fruits and veggies which have more water than any other food!

6. Your skin will clear up!

Along with your increased consumption of water, without harmful carcinogens commonly found in meat and cheese clogging up your pores, you will have new skin for the New Year! Your new diet will clear up your skin better than any scrub or three-step program! As someone who has struggled with acne for the majority of my adolescence, I can honestly say nothing works better than going vegan!

7. You will be joining something bigger than yourself!

If you want to feel a part of something in the New Year, going vegan will help you join a super awesome community! At BGSU, you can join the veg club for some support on your vegan journey, and to meet some really cool people here on campus! Not to mention there is a worldwide community of veg-heads who are always supportive of new comers!

8. It's not as hard as you think!

Going vegan is not that much of a challenge, at first I thought I would be eating seeds and lettuce until I eventually died of protein deficiency, but that’s not the case at all! Especially at BGSU, there are plenty of choices for veg-heads, whether you’re dining at the Union or the Carillon, you are always never too far away from some good vegan food. If you live off campus or at home, cheap and nutritious vegan food is never too far away. Foods like spaghetti, salad and potatoes are staples of any food establishment, and will help you stay on track with your New Year’s resolution!

9. If you're worried about protein, don't be!

Every single fruit and vegetable has some amount of protein in it, so eat away! Foods like beans, broccoli and green beans are stacked with protein and easily accessible! To stay dietarily on track, get a food tracking app like MyFitnessPal or FitBit to track your food and make sure you’re getting your daily value of protein and other nutrients like Vitamin D and Calcium that you might be worried about!

10. It's delicious!

Come on, who doesn’t like spaghetti? Everyone can find their favorite food in a vegan diet, from beans and rice to vegan mashed potatoes, there’s something for everybody! Not to mention there are vegan substitutes for almost everything like cream cheese and even chicken nuggets, most of which can be found at any grocery store! I promise you won’t even miss steak when you’re stocking up on all of these cruelty-free foods!

11. There's tons of support and sources online!

From in-depth YouTube video tutorials and recipe videos to websites complete with resources for going vegan in any religion or culture, there’s no excuse to not try this lifestyle! If you only do it for a week or a month or a lifetime, you will be making a difference, and even if you only vegetarian, you will be making a difference! Start the New Year off right by changing your lifestyle for the better by going vegan!