We all have opinions about the fast-food industry, but one thing is virtually undeniable: vegan fast food has the potential to help animals, the environment, and human health. Here’s how:
Demand for animal products is declining
According to a 2019 study by market research firm The NPD Group, nearly 90 percent of people who consume plant-based meat and dairy products are vegetarian or not even vegetarian. Drawing from these insights and restaurant sales data, World Animal Protection estimates that 90 percent of menu items at fast-food restaurants made with Impossible Foods or Beyond Meat products would be purchased by people who might order animal-based items if the plant were. -Based on not found, more than half a million animals were spared from the food system in 2021:
Crunching the numbers, we estimate that in 2021 more than 211,000 pigs, 77,000 cows, and 350,000 chickens—or a total of more than 630,000 animals—will exit the U.S. food system as a result of prominent chains with their Beyond or Impossible products.
The actual number of surviving animals may be higher. World Animal Protection’s estimate does not include restaurant-made plant-based products or products from brands other than Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods.
Increasing access to plant-based foods in low-food-access communities
Low-food-access communities, often referred to as “food deserts,” are areas where residents lack convenient options to secure affordable fresh, healthy foods. Often lacking a grocery store, these communities are full of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores.
For many Americans, plant-based options on fast-food menus are the only convenient opportunity to try vegan food. When mainstream fast-food eateries add vegetarian options to their permanent menus, more people gain access to healthier, more compassionate plant-based foods, which in turn helps more animals.
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Providing healthy options
Vegan options are undoubtedly better for animals than traditional meat and dairy products, but did you know they’re also healthier?
Eating at fast-food restaurants in general is not the best choice for our health, but choosing a plant-based alternative can be healthier than its animal-based counterpart. In a research paper published in the journal Dr food of the futureScientists reviewed 43 studies on the healthiness of plant-based alternatives to animal products and concluded that plant-based products (such as vegan burger patties and sausages) have a better nutritional profile, support weight loss and muscle synthesis, and meet certain health conditions. .
These products make it easier for people to reduce or eliminate their consumption of animals by providing the convenience, taste and eating experience consumers are accustomed to.
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Providing more sustainable options
Providing more plant-based options at fast-food restaurants enables customers to choose foods that are not only better for farmed animals, but also better for our environment and wildlife harmed by animal agriculture’s habitat destruction.
Much more land must be made available to grow crops to feed our farm animals than is needed to grow food for humans. In fact, cattle ranching deforests nearly 70 percent of the Amazon, and a global shift toward a plant-based diet would significantly help prevent biodiversity loss.
But land use is not the only problem. Studies comparing Beyond Meat Patties, Impossible Foods Patties, and Beef Patties determined that beef patties were worse. all Measurement of stability. A ZME Science article about the research says:
The meat industry is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions on the planet, so much so that a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that shifting to a plant-based diet is an important way to combat climate change, and that simply reducing emissions from cars and factories will be enough to avert a crisis. no
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Even if you’re not a fan of fast food, it’s more important than ever to increase vegan options on fast-food menus to help animals harmed in factory farms and reduce the harm animal agriculture does to our planet and public health.
Please speak up and tell restaurant chains that you want more plant-based options. Visit NewYearNewChoices.com to request restaurant chains to offer new, exciting plant-based menu items.
Let’s make 2023 the year of more plant-based alternatives!