Nowadays, it seems everyone has decided they're vegan.
Vegans argue that the advantages of going vegan contribute to both the environment and their bodies.
As far as the environment goes, vegans argue that meat and dairy place the most damage on nature. According to The Vegan Society, the amount of grain feed needed for meat production has a major impact on deforestation, habitat loss, and species extinction.
There are a number of vegan companies and researchers who believe that many meat and dairy sources are genetically modified, making it more dangerous for humans to consume and digest them. Vegans also argue that converting to a vegan lifestyle can help "mitigate some of the modern world's biggest health issues like obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer" that many meat lovers suffer from.
And not to sound unsympathetic in any way or form, but none of this has been enough to convince me to completely cut meat or dairy out of my life.
One of my best friends is a pescatarian, which means you do not eat meat but you still eat fish and other dairy products. Even that sounds like a struggle to me.
Last Fourth of July she almost slipped and ate a burger at a BBQ we were at. I could actually never sacrifice my mom's hamburgers or bolognese sauce.
And I understand there are several alternatives to meat and dairy products. But in reality, what college student has the time or money for a vegan lifestyle?
It requires a lot of meal prep, careful grocery shopping, and tons of money to shop for vegan products, which are usually organic. Even more, money that I definitely don't have.
I personally lead a very healthy lifestyle. I am very conscious of what I put into my body 95% of the time because I have discovered that a healthy lifestyle makes me look and feel good as well.
Before any vegans, vegetarians, or pescatarians read this and call me ignorant, know that I have tried numerous vegan options before.
For example, at Coachella, I voluntarily tried a vegan breakfast burrito. In place of eggs, a tofu scramble was used and mixed with avocados, beans, and salsa. It was definitely delicious, but in reality, I don't have the time or money to prepare something like that on the reg.
One of my friends and I always try different vegan restaurants. He even tried a vegan omelet and couldn't get over the texture.
I give vegans, vegetarians, and pescatarians a lot of credit for what they have chosen to do. While I'm sure it has many benefits both for your body and our environment, I don't see myself trying it out anytime soon. But maybe I will in the future, who knows?