Transforming Animals into Food

Many people think that the meat, milk, and eggs they buy come from animals who have lived happy, healthy lives. As revealed in the video above, this is not the case.

On modern farms, the vast majority of animals live in horrible conditions. If someone were to treat a cat or dog the same way, they would be charged with felony cruelty charges. Yet farmed animals with the same depth of complex emotions, the same capacity to suffer, do not share those legal protections.

Instead, the growing demand for inexpensive meat, milk, and eggs, has turned animals into commodities. Animals are confined so they can barely move, and some can’t even turn around. When they become sick or injured, they are denied individualized care. Due to selective breeding and growth-promoting drugs, they grow so quickly that their limbs cannot support their added weight. They are also mutilated and castrated without anesthesia.

In the end, all animals raised for meat, milk, and eggs are crammed into trucks and transported to slaughterhouses, where they are killed for our consumption.

Making a Difference

Every time we sit down to eat, we are faced with a powerful choice that has real-life consequences. We can choose a compassionate plant-based diet, or we can choose to support an industry that profits from abusing animals.

Simply put, removing meat, milk, and eggs from our diets can help spare animals from suffering. The less demand for animal products, the fewer animals will be killed for food.

Choosing Compassion

Good news! With a growing variety of plant-based options available, reducing our consumption of animal products has never been easier.

Here are some tips for cutting animal products out of your diet:

• Becoming vegan doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing endeavor. Every time you choose plant-based, you are helping animals.
• Love the taste and texture of meat? No need to do without! Try the Impossible Burger, the Beyond Burger, Tofurky deli slices, or Field Roast sausage, available at natural food stores and a growing number of supermarkets. If you’re in the Twin Cities, be sure to check out The Herbivorous Butcher‘s meat-free meats and cheese-free cheeses. You might have to try out a few brands to find the ones you like the best.
• Think you can’t live without cheese? There are an ever-increasing variety of dairy-free cheeses on the market. You might be surprised at how well they mimic the taste and texture of cheese. We recommend Chao, Mikoyo’s, Daiya, and Kite Hill among others.
• Most restaurants have vegan options. Just ask your server which dishes can be made vegan. For online directories, check out VegGuide.org. or Happy Cow.
• Want to learn more? Check out our Veg Resources page for recipes, links to other useful sites, and more.