The five top reasons to have a vegan Diwali, contributed by Mahima Purohit, founder of The Vegan Wagon
Diwali symbolises the spiritual triumph of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. So this year, why not think outside the box for ways we can help ourselves, the animals and the planet?
Going vegan is one way to tick all of those boxes. If you’ve toyed with the idea but need some motivation, read on for our top five reasons to try vegan this Diwali.
1. Feel happier and healthier
Avoiding meat and dairy frees our system from digesting proteins that aren’t optimal for the human gut in the first place. A vegan transformation saves us this energy, which can make us feel more active.
It also helps beat the lethargy from dairy and meat consumption, and we may feel a lot more lively as a result. In fact, half of Veganuary participants from 2022 reported various health benefits such as more energy, better skin and improved mood.
Making vegan choices is easier on the conscience, as we’re reminded of the positive impact it has on our fellow beings, our health and the planet. And a clear conscience is the first step to a happy mind, don’t you agree?
2. Vegan food is delicious
“But vegan food is boring, right?” This is one of our favourite vegan myths to bust! Diwali is a great opportunity to step into the kitchen and challenge yourself to prepare vegan meals for the whole family.
And the cherry on top is the bragging rights you claim for serving a fully vegan spread to your guests. We love to hear people’s surprise that they can’t believe it’s all vegan and yet so delicious! Check out our tips on veganising traditional Indian dishes.
3. Save the animals
The milk, butter, and ghee used in our traditional dishes are not voluntarily given to us by happy animals. Sadly, the process of obtaining dairy products, whether from an industrial farm or a backyard farm, is inherently cruel.
It involves lifelong suffering and deprivation for countless animals. But it doesn’t need to be that way. We can enjoy all our traditional dishes this Diwali, with equally delicious vegan alternatives to dairy.
Knowing that your actions are actually making the world a kinder place brings peace of mind and satisfaction that few other things can. And isn’t that a good-over-evil win we can all do with this Diwali?
4. Help feed the hungry
Raising animals for food uses 83% of global farmland to produce only 18% of the world’s supply of calories. This disproportionate use of land is one of the reasons why nearly 6.9 million people in the world go hungry every year.
This highly resource-intensive industry deploys essentials like agricultural land and water in an inefficient manner. The land that can be used to grow food for humans is being used to grow food for animals, who in turn are used for meat and dairy.
By adopting a vegan diet, you’ll contribute to eliminating world hunger, which helps to solve this basic, yet widespread problem faced by many nations.
5. Save the planet
Been going green for the last few Diwalis by saying no to crackers? Here’s how you can bump it up a notch this time.
Going vegan is the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact. Just by cutting meat and dairy from our diet, we can reduce our individual carbon footprint from food by up to 50%!
It helps save more water and emit lower amounts of greenhouse gases, which are known to advance global warming. As more people adopt a vegan lifestyle, wild land that has been lost to agriculture can be freed up to restore forests and habitats of many species on the verge of extinction.
Don’t miss the opportunity to try vegan this Diwali. Veganuary is here to make the switch easy for you. Sign up today for free meal plans, recipes and support.
