More people are going vegan every year, and it’s not hard to see why. The cruelty to animals raised for food and the unsustainability associated with traditional omnivorous diets is enough reason for anyone to make the choice. Our selection of vegan quotes are here to share others' journeys to veganism and inspire your choice to eat less meat.
For personal benefits, there’s also the famed health advantage associated with vegan diets. In a recent study by a group of researchers from Oxford University, the vegan group presented a lower rate of heart disease than meat-eaters.
While, in general, trying to select things you use with compassion for animals in mind can be tricky, the benefits of going vegan to both you and the planet are worth it. Here are a few quotes from people that have taken to the vegan lifestyle.
Being vegan keeps my body fueled and running smoothly.
Madelaine Grobbelaar Petsch is an American actress known for playing Cheryl Blossom on the TV show Riverdale (amazon) and Marissa in F the Prom, who, at 14, started speaking out about being a vegan. She had been a vegan all her life, after being raised vegetarian. She also participated in PETA's (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) awareness campaign.
About being vegan, she says it has kept her body fueled and running smoothly. The vegan diet could offer more nutrients when compared to a non-vegan diet. Needless to say, our bodies need all the extra nutrients they can get.
I want to try to live my own values as consciously and purposefully as I can. Being vegan for me is a cleaner way of not participating in practices that don't align with my values.
Cory Anthony Booker is an American politician, lawyer, and author who has been New Jersey's junior senator since 2013. A DP member, Booker is New Jersey's first African-American U.S. Senator and was Newark's 36th Mayor from 2006 to 2013. Booker has been a vegetarian since 1992, when he was a student at Oxford University, UK.
He doesn’t consume alcohol and has "no known vices or addictions" except coffee. Booker started a vegan diet in 2014, sharing his vegan ethical philosophy and animal advocacy.
In his vegan quote, he said non-vegan practices don’t align with his values. And being vegan is a cleaner way of avoiding such practices. Veganism is going against cruelty to animals, while at the same time having a better diet. People who have compassion for animals should be vegan.
I became vegan because I saw footage of what really goes on in the slaughterhouses and on the dairy farms.
Ellen DeGeneres was a stand-up comedian on her sitcom, Ellen. She has hosted her award-winning talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, since 2003. Ellen described herself as a vegan and "big animal lover" and coordinated the vegan website 'Going Vegan with Ellen'.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show website contains a section called "Going Vegan with Ellen," which promotes "Meatless Mondays" and features vegan recipes. She has invited U.S. CEO Wayne Pacelle's Humane Society to speak on her show about the organization's efforts in animal protection legislation. In 2009, PETA named her "Year Woman."
DeGeneres stated that she became vegan after seeing what happens to animals in slaughterhouses, as animals are being subjected to massive cruelty in slaughterhouses. This is one of the drives for Veganism; animals should not have to undergo that degree of cruelty.
I feel like most people know that I'm a vegan, and I'm a pretty vocal animal activist. Everything and anything I do, I just kind of use it as a vehicle to be able to send out the message.
Katherine Von Drachenberg is a Mexican tattoo artist, model, singer, poet, entrepreneur, and TV personality. She is best known for her work as a tattoo artist on the TLC reality TV show LA Ink, which premiered in the U.S. on August 7, 2007, and ran for four seasons.
Kat is vegan and promotes a cruelty-free makeup line (related: check out our guide to the best zero-waste makeup brands). In 2016, she received Farm Sanctuary's "Compassion in Action Award" for her work on behalf of animal rights.
As a vegan, she makes sure she sends out a message about veganism with everything she does. Veganism should be a way of life that we don’t hide. We should also share the message with all, to draw public attention to animal cruelty.
For me, going vegan was an ethical and environmental decision. I'm doing the right thing by the animals.
Alexandra Elizabeth Paul is an American actress, activist, health coach, and former model. After reading Frances Moore Lappé's book Diet for a Small Planet (amazon) at the age of fourteen, she became a vegetarian and then became a vegan in 2010. She received Last Chance for Animals' 2014 Year Vegan.
To her, being vegan is about trying to be ethical and conscious of her environment. Every person that is conscious of the environment and is trying to be ethical should look into Veganism. After all, being less cruel to animals is a plus to the environment.
Every person I have met who has gone vegan says it is the best decision they have ever made.
Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton is a British Formula One driver for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. In 2017, Hamilton told the BBC that he had become a vegan because, "as a human race, what we're doing to the world...the pollution [in terms of global warming gas emissions] from the number of cows being produced is incredible. The cruelty is horrible, and I don't necessarily want to support that, and I want to live a healthier life”.
Lewis, while talking about veganism, said all the vegans he has met confessed that being vegan is the best decision they have ever made. There are a lot of advantages to being vegan. Apart from reducing animal cruelty, it also helps combat certain illnesses, meaning not only the animals benefit from Veganism.
I have been following a vegan diet now since the 1980s, and find it not only healthier, but also much more attractive than the chunks of meat that were on my plate as a child.
Neal D. Barnard (amazon) is an American author, clinical researcher, and chairman of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine who grew up in Fargo, ND. He completed his medical training at George Washington University School of Psychiatry Medicine, where he began exploring vegan diets.
Veganism, as he opined in his vegan quote, is healthier and much more attractive than the non-vegan dishes he had as a child. Not only are vegan dishes healthier, but they also look better than non-vegan dishes. Vegan dishes consist of a lot of beautiful vegetables, fruits, and others, which can be attractive.
I became a vegetarian out of compassion for animals and to live as healthy as possible. I realized soon after that I was truly concerned with nonviolent consumption and my own health, a vegan diet was the best decision.
Davey Havok, lead vocalist of alternative rock band AFI, synthpop band Blaqk Audio (amazon), hardcore punk band XTRMST, new wave band Dreamcar, and Harvey Girls Forever's fictional rock band My Purple Agony. Havok promotes a straight-edge lifestyle and veganism. Havok is a vegan and won the 2007 PETA annual World's Sexiest Vegetarian contest whilst also appearing on Vegan Health and Fitness' cover for their March/April 2015 issue.
If you are concerned about violence and cruelty to animals, then being vegan will be a good decision. Most vegans have confessed that being vegan is the best decision they took. You not only get to live healthily, but you also get to save animals from cruelty.
I'm vegan, though not completely religious about it. While writing 'Sapiens,' I became familiar with how we treat animals in the meat and dairy industries. I was so horrified that I didn't want to be a part of it anymore.
Yuval Noah Harari is Sapiens' historian, philosopher, and bestseller of A Brief History of Civilization, Homo Deus, A Brief History of Tomorrow, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century (all on Amazon). Harari is a vegan and says this is the result of his research, including his view that the dairy industry's foundation breaks the bond between mother cow and calf.
In his vegan quote, Harari stated that compassion for animals fueled his decision to become vegan. Going vegan can be a daunting decision to take, but the thought of the cruelty animals face is enough motivation to make the decision.
I've been vegan for over a year now, about 15 months. I changed to the vegan diet, and I feel fabulous; it's great. I wish I'd done it earlier.
Karen Julia Carney is a former English professional footballer who played as a winger for Chelsea and England national teams.
Veganism takes care of your health while saving animals from being cruelly killed for food. It also makes you feel good about yourself. Knowing you're contributing your quota to stop animal cruelty is a really good feeling.
Almost as soon as I went vegan, people started telling me that my skin looked great, and that I appeared younger, slimmer, and healthier. I'm convinced that of all the changes I've made to my lifestyle, it's the adoption of a vegan diet that has been best for me - physically, mentally, and certainly spiritually.
Stephen Gilchrist Glover is a British-American television personality, stunt artist, director, journalist, producer, stand-up comedian, and musician. Steve-O is now a compassionate vegan. He said he follows only a strict vegan diet and is one of many celebrities involved in the NOH8 project. He won Nanci Alexander's PETA award for his "voice against cruelty."
Of all lifestyle changes, going vegan might be the best to adopt. Cutting out non-vegan dishes can be just what you need to have an overall health turnaround. Your skin starts looking better, and you feel healthier and look healthier.
I thought a vegan diet would be too difficult, being on the road so much, but it's been far easier than I thought.
Michelle Renee Forbes Guajardo is an American actress on TV and in independent films. As a teenager, Forbes has been a vegetarian and became a vegan in 2011.
For someone who is constantly on the road, Forbes realized that being vegan is not as difficult as she thought. According to her, after going vegan, you barely even miss non-vegan dishes.
Many vegans have shared that going vegan was the best decision they have ever made. Apart from reducing animal cruelty, this decision has been known to help people lose excess weight. A proper vegan diet is richer in nutrients, lowers blood sugar levels, and also helps kidney function.
Once they went vegan, many also shared that finding vegan meals they love wasn’t as hard as anticipated. This choice is one of the ultimate choices anyone can make to improve the life of animals and the planet as a whole.
Being a vegan is pretty easy these days, as almost every town and city has health food stores and vegetarian-friendly restaurants.
A couple of my mechanics have become vegan because I've done it. One of my barbers, too.
I do have my cheat days, but I prefer to follow this vegan diet because it keeps my body and mind both happy.
I'm all in favor of animal rights, but I'd like to see the food movement take a much stronger stand in defense of basic human rights. If you're a vegan or a vegetarian, you should care about the people who are picking your fruits and vegetables by hand.
I believe everything is about balance. I'm not 100% vegan, and obviously my fiance and my friends are not vegan, so I have to come up with a menu that will satisfy everybody.
At first, people think about vegetarian food like, 'Here's some veggies. Here's some pasta.' But there's so much more you can do in the vegetarian and vegan world.
I was raised by vegan parents, and we ate out of my backyard garden for my whole life.
The hardest part about being vegan is shoes. I mean, really, that's the only difficult part, finding shoes that don't have leather on them.
It's totally natural to me to be vegan.
We need radical dietary improvement, and the earlier in life that change is made, the better. Just following a vegan diet or eating a few more vegetables is not enough.
I'm vegan in my fashion and vegetarian in my food.
A lot of people thought you couldn't be a top-level athlete as a vegan, but people like Mac Danzig and Jake Shields are proving that's wrong. And it's better for me as a performer.
I am stronger as a vegan than I ever was with meat and dairy.
Clearly, nutrition is great. I was a vegan, so being an athlete and a vegan certainly sounds like it would be the right thing to prevent something like heart disease, but it's highly genetic.
I'm about 90 percent vegan. I think veganism is really well suited for training, at least for me anyway.
As far as skincare goes, I'm from the school of 'you are what you eat.' I always promote a vegan lifestyle, not just because it's great for our environment and for humanity, but because if you cut out dairy, for example, there's scientific proof that it can actually help your complexion.
For the hip-hop community, for us to get ahead and go the vegan route or just reducing how much meat you eat, I think it's great for hip-hop, the youth, and the future, everybody.
I try to be vegan... I really, really try. I don't eat any red meat, and the whole animal thing really upsets me, so I've tried.
I'm a vegan now, and I've never felt better in my life. In my life.
Mainly I'm a vegan because I like animals, and I don't want to be involved in their suffering. Also, it's better for my health and for the environment.
My own view is that being a vegetarian or vegan is not an end in itself, but a means towards reducing both human and animal suffering and leaving a habitable planet to future generations.
I actually went on a vegan diet. So I was nagging myself there. I don't nag other people about it. It was sort of an interesting experiment, and I found it wasn't that hard at all.
I don't eat meat. I've been a vegetarian since 1971. I've gradually become increasingly vegan. I am largely vegan, but I'm a flexible vegan. I don't go to the supermarket and buy non-vegan stuff for myself. But when I'm traveling or going to other people's places, I will be quite happy to eat vegetarian rather than vegan.
Natacha Marro has always been a favorite shoe designer, and now she has started offering vegan options in her collection, which is brilliant! As for clothing, I have discovered tons of great vegan independent designers on Etsy!
There's some really good vegan protein shakes you can get, and I'm a big fan of matcha lattes instead of having espresso.
I'm not completely vegan - my diet's probably about 80 percent plant based, but I do eat some meat. I try to know where everything comes from, though. And all bets are off if my husband and I go to a really great restaurant.
My biggest vice? Vegan cupcakes, which are delicious.
I'm killing two birds at once, so to speak. Animal-based food kills people. This way, by going vegan... we get healthy and save animals. I'm being selfish, too, because if I can get my employees healthier, we cut down on sick days and gain more productivity.
Is it hard to be vegan? Absolutely not. It would be hard to not be vegan.
Going vegetarian - and then vegan - has calmed me down, and it has also made me physically and emotionally strong. I do crave meat once in a while, but I find that spiritually, non-vegetarian food works against my emotional health.
A vegan diet takes care of most of what we need to do. But you'll also want to minimize the use of oils generally, because while olive oil and other vegetable oils are better for your heart than chicken fat, they are as fattening as animal fats.
I think the purpose of veganism is an appreciation for plants and veggies and fruit and to just eating cleaner... If you're going to go vegan, then really learn how to be.
That's one of the reasons I'm vegan. Death terrifies me. I don't want to impose death on anyone else.
I don't think you can fully call yourself a vegan if you wear leathers.
If the whole world went vegan, there would be less war. How you eat determines your mood and your outlook on life.
I mostly eat healthy. I just do. I'm not a vegan for health reasons - although obviously I'm 20 pounds lighter than when I started. I stayed 20 pounds lighter. I feel better. My friends say I look better. All that's true. But I'm a vegan for compassionate reasons.
I love cooking vegan. Anybody can come in any time to any of our restaurants and get a vegan meal or a gluten-free meal as well.
Being vegan for me is a cleaner way of not participating in practices that don't align with my values.
My comedy career aside, I am a father of three, a husband, a son, a brother and a vegan.
It is easy to go vegan in Palestine, which is where I quit eating food with a face. The vegetables and spices are one of a kind, and you don't even miss the meat.
I'm not a vegetarian, but while I don't want to defend it, I try to be mindful about the amount of animal products I consume. I eat a lot of vegan meals at home, and I'm okay with paying more for higher quality meat and eggs as a tax.
The best part of being a vegan is the purity and peace of mind one experiences and the strong connection I feel to the animal kingdom.
I've been vegan for 15 years, and it turns out it makes a very big impact on the environment to eat fewer animal products, which cause more greenhouse gases than all of transportation combined.
I wasn't a vegan when I came to Congress. It was a decision I made soon after I got here, and it's had such a positive impact on my life that I decided to try to help others as well.
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