If Slaughterhouses Had Glass Walls We Would All Be Vegetarian

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Paul McCartney once said, “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, we would all be vegetarian.” Approximately 107 to 190 billion animals are farmed and killed for food each year. (“Altruism, Numbers”) Not only is this devastating to the animals themselves, but it also negatively affects the environment. Becoming a vegan can help combat these issues. Plant-based diets reduce the impact of climate change, deforestation, and pollution, while saving water and other valuable resources.
Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or poultry. This includes chickens, pigs, cows, sea animals, and any other animal. In addition to not consuming animals, a vegan (strict vegetarian) does not use other animal products and by-products such as eggs, dairy products, honey, …show more content…

The most important thing to do is to make your best effort to eliminate the obvious animal-derived ingredients from your shopping cart. This includes eating a bunch of fruits, vegetables, plenty of leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Almost all foods except for alcohol, sugar, and fats provide some protein. Nutritionists recommend that women should consume about 46 grams of protein each day, and men need about 56 grams. Proteins are known as the building blocks of life. In the body, they break down into amino acids that promote cell growth and repair. They also take longer to digest than carbohydrates, helping you feel full for a longer amount of time and they have fewer calories—which is a plus for anyone trying to lose some weight. It is quite easy for a vegan diet to meet the recommendations for protein. The key is a varied diet. Foods in the legume family are good sources of vegan protein, and peas are no exception: “One cup of green peas contains 7.9 grams—about the same as a cup of milk.” (MacMillan) There are also other foods rich in protein such as peanut butter, lentils, black beans, veggie burgers, and …show more content…

Calcium is needed for strong bones and vegans must eat foods that are high in calcium. Also, “Calcium is needed for other tasks including nerve and muscle function and blood clotting. These tasks are so important for survival, that when dietary calcium is too low, calcium will be lost from bone and used for other critical functions.” (Mangels) The majority of people believe that cow’s milk is the sole source of calcium. However, there are many other excellent sources of calcium that exist. These sources of calcium include soy milk, tofu, soybeans and soynuts, bok choy, broccoli, collards, Chinese cabbage, kale, mustard greens, and okra. Other foods containing minimal amounts of calcium are as following: Grains, beans (other than soybeans), fruits, and vegetables. These are great sources of calcium intake, but they cannot top the key foods listed

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