This one goes out to all of the haters that have told me time and time again that my choice to not eat meat does not make a difference. Well, I've done my research so you can think again, meat heads.
1. Switching to a diet free of meat, dairy, and eggs takes out more carbon emissions out of the atmosphere than driving a Prius. How much more? 50 percent more.
Boom. I'm more efficient than a Prius.
2. A recent British study found that switching to a vegetarian diet may cut your chances of developing heart disease by 32 percent!
Animal foods tend to be high in cholesterol and saturated fat, major contributors to artery-clogging plaque. Eat your words.
3. Skipping meat and cheese one day a week with your family, would be the equivalent of taking your car off the road for five weeks.
I've been a vegetarian for two years now, so at this point, I'm essentially "Captain Planet." You're welcome.
4. Approximately 1,850 gallons of water are needed to produce a single pound of beef while approximately 39 gallons of water are needed to produce a pound of vegetables.
So yeah, I'm making a difference. You've just been owned.
5. Which takes me to my next fact: Annually, a vegetarian saves approximately 162,486 Gallons of water. That's enough for 445 people.
You can look for me on Time Magazine's cover for their next person of the year award.6. Evidence suggests that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and a limited amount of red meat can increase longevity.
So what I'm getting at is that vegetarians win in life. You lose.
7. A Vegetarian saves 100 animals per year, compared to the average meat eater.
Just call me Sarah McLachlan.
8. Being a vegetarian alleviates world hunger.
"About 70 percent of all grain produced in the United States is fed to animals raised for slaughter. The 7 billion animals in the U.S. consume five times as much grain as is consumed directly by the American population. �If all the grain currently fed to livestock were consumed directly by people, the number of people who could be fed would be nearly 800 million"...How about that?!
9. The land a vegetarian saves from deforestation, over-grazing, and pesticide and fertilizer pollution amounts to about 24 square feet for every meal eaten with no meat involved.
Do you feel the flower power now?
Now I hope I have disproved all of the popular opinions with these hard facts about Vegetarianism. I also hope I have urged some to try and lay off the meat, because you can in fact, make a difference! Even simply cutting meat out of your diet one day a week can severely cut down on your carbon footprint, make you healthier, and save a cute cow or two.
For some great Vegetarian recipes and inspiration, check out my Gnarly Nibs Pinterest Board!
