5 Advantages of Vegan Cooking

I've discussed my recent decision to eat vegan 98% of the time on here before.  I have experienced many health benefits from altering my diet this way, but I want to expand on that.  Below are the advantages I've discovered by cooking vegan the majority of the time.

1. Decreased Risk of Getting Sick
I'm starting off with my favorite benefit because I feel it's so important.  When you're cooking with all vegan ingredients, you decrease your risk of getting sick from tainted meat or spoiled dairy.  I have been the victim of food poisoning before and it is absolutely miserable.  It feels good to no longer have to be concerned with this.

2. Easier Food Prep
I no longer have to wait for meat to thaw.  Now, I plan my meals around fresh veggies and other sources of protein, such as tempeh.  It's so much easier to slice it and fry it up within minutes, rather than having to touch slimy chicken and wait for it to be fully cooked.  I've found that in general, it's much faster to throw together a vegan meal.

3. Discover New Foods and Culinary Creativity
Ever since I started making vegan recipes, I've discovered many new delicious foods I would have never thought to try before.  I just tried tofu for the first time, and it's not bad.  I also get to play around with my cooking skills.  I'm amazed at the delectable creations I can make with alternative ingredients.  I've been living this way for about a year and I don't feel I'm missing out on anything because of all the amazing options out there.

4. Improve Your Health
Eliminating animal protein and dairy from your diet will significantly improve your health.  I've felt the benefits in my own body.  Dairy is extremely acidic, is difficult to digest, and causes our bodies to create excess mucus.  High amounts of animal protein are also hard to digest and our bodies can't even use most of the protein.  Not to mention that when combined with starches, as in typical meals such as spaghetti and meatballs, a large burden is put on our digestive system.  This results in all our energy going to our bellies and we feel heavy and sluggish.  The bottom line is, reducing consumption of meat and dairy can have significant improvements to many aspects of your health, including reducing aging, improved skin health, weight loss, increased energy, and so much more!

5. Spend Money on Life
When you go vegan, you're no longer keeping slaughter houses in business.  The less meat you consume, the better it is for animals and where your money goes.  I'd rather spend my grocery money on fruits and vegetables than putting it towards contributing to greenhouse gas.

My goal is not to make anyone feel guilty about what they eat.  I used to believe I needed meat and dairy to survive.  That ended up not being true, as I'm thriving on a plant-based diet today.  My hope is that you will think about these advantages and maybe try a vegan meal to see how you feel afterwards.  You may be surprised by how light and energetic your body feels and I'd encourage everyone to try it, at least once!

I have all the recipes pictured here, so if you're interested I'd be happy to share.  Just leave me a comment!