The cost-of-living crisis is real, and it will see many households struggle to feed, cloth, and home their families. So, what can be done to help in this fight against the cost-of-living crisis?
Many consumers have chosen to act in response to this crisis by ditching meat for cheaper alternatives. It has been reported that around 10.5 million families now substitute meat-based dinners with vegan or vegetarian substitutes at least once a week.
The main switch to a dairy-free or vegan lifestyle used to be due to an allergy or after receiving results of a food intolerance test UK. However, with costs continuing to rise, many people have said they would be interested in experimenting with a plant-based diet if it proved more lucrative than a conventional one. These days, fish and beef are the most expensive products, whilst plant foods are now proving to be more affordable.
Will the cost-of-living crisis benefit people in the long run if they make this lifestyle change?
Although the cost-of-living crisis is having a crushing impact on individuals and families, if it encourages people to reduce their meat and dairy intake, it could see health benefits increase, and mortality rates decrease. Therefore, not only is this a cheaper alternative, but it is also proven to be better for our health and for the planet.
It has been proven that a vegan diet could help to promote weight loss and lower cholesterol levels. Furthermore, it could lower the chances of getting certain types of cancer and help manage diabetes by lowering A1C levels.
As well as having many health benefits, leading a vegan lifestyle could also help reduce greenhouse gasses caused by food production, as the production of plant-based meat emits up to 90% fewer greenhouse gasses than conventional meats. This lifestyle is also kinder to the animals as each vegan will save around two hundred animals a year! It is clear that by becoming vegan, we can make a massive improvement not only in our own health and our family’s health but also in our worrying climate crisis.
Should I make the switch?
As well as the current cost of living crisis, climate change, and global warming is at the forefront of our discussions. Climate change is an extremely worrying issue that we must act on before sea levels rise even more and natural disasters occur more frequently, putting hundreds of thousands of lives in danger. So, this change in diet could drastically reduce the damage we are doing to our environment and help combat climate change.
Furthermore, with food costs increasing and obesity and cancer rates rising, I would say it’s certainly worth discovering how a plant-based diet could help save you money and your life.
