Whether you are an environmentalist, an animal lover, a wellness enthusiast or an athlete, adopting a plant-based vegan or vegetarian diet is one of the best things you can do this year. The science has spoken and eating a plant based diet has come out the all-round winner, with the dietary choice proving better for health, pocket and planet!

And if you can’t imagine giving up that weekend Souvla or mum’s famous lamb kleftiko yet, even just reducing your meat and dairy intake as much as you can is a great first step. Need some extra motivation? Here are Prinos’ seven top reasons why eating a plant based diet is a good idea.

1. A Plant-Based Diet is Better for Your Health

Studies show that a mass adoption of the vegan diet would prevent some 1.8 million deaths per year. The reason is that as well as plants bursting with beneficial nutrients, antioxidants and vitamins, human beings are not genetically made to eat meat. We just don’t have the digestive system to handle the stress of it. So, eliminating meat and meat products from our diets is one of the best things you can do for overall health and wellness. Here’s some reasons why: Red meat and processed meat are known carcinogens, meaning a vegan or vegetarian diet will reduce the risk cancer and even prevent and reverse the disease. It also prevents heart disease and strokes thanks to reducing plaque build-up in the arteries and helps combat diabetes and arthritis. Plant-based diets can also help you loose weight and stops obesity.

2. Going Plant-Based is the Best Thing for the Environment

It is common knowledge these days that adopting a vegan or vegetarian diet is the number one thing you can do if you want to reduce your personal carbon footprint, help protect the environment and save the planet.  Several studies show that our eating habits have a huge impact on the environment, with animal agriculture the main contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. And that’s not to mention its contribution to water consumption, land usage and pollution. Did you know around 80% of the world’s water goes to agriculture, and one of the main reasons that the forests and jungles of the world are being cut down is to provide space for agricultural animals to graze.

3. The Human Body Does Not Actually Need Meat

Before all the meat lovers start asking: “but where will I get my protein and iron if I don’t eat meat”, there have been countless scientific studies that all prove that the human body does not need meat to survive and thrive. The only nutrient not found in plants is Vitamin B12, otherwise all those health boosters, including protein and iron, can be found in plants in equal – if not higher – quantities than in meat. How do you think cows and bulls get so strong? All they eat is grass. To ensure you are getting enough nutrients in your plant-based diet, opt for plenty and protein packed legumes such as peas and beans.

4. Eating Less Meat Will Help You Save Money

Yes – you read it right. Eating a plant based diet is a great way to save that hard earned cash. One common misconception is that a plant-based diet is more expensive. But, in fact vegetarians have been found to save around €700 a year. At the end of the day, it all boils down to what you actually buy. A pork chop or a chicken breast is more expensive than a   or a Another money saving tip is to make sure you buy the local seasonal and that usually have a lower price tag (and lower environmental footprint). Lastly, eating plant-based is better for your health so you’ll get sick less often, meaning money saved on expensive doctor’s bills.

5. Going Vegan or Vegetarian is better for Animal Welfare

Who doesn’t love animals right? Well by simply removing animals and animal products from your diet, you’d be saving around 200 of them per year. And if that doesn’t sound appealing, just take a second to think about the fact that farm animals such as pigs and cows are just as intelligent and sensitive as your dog. They feel pain, fear, sadness and suffering. But it’s not just about slaughtering sentient living creatures, it’s also about the vast scale of industrialised mass farming that results in the inhumane treatment of these animals and unimaginable cruelty. And even though much of what is produced already goes to waste, the industry is only expected to grow more. So if you truly care about animals, eating less of them is a good way to show it.

6. A Plant-Based Diet Offers Great Variety

You might not think it, but actually shifting over to a plant-based or more plant-based diet actually opens up a whole world of opportunity in the kitchen. Instead of relying on those staple classics you’ve been making for decades, adopting new dietary habits forces you to look at new recipes, experiment with new flavours and tastes, and coming up with new ways to get the essential nutrients you might need. Get out of your comfort zone, try foods you’ve never tried before, travel the world from the comfort of your kitchen.

Prinos Tip: Use to create a sauce or spread that is both creamy and cheesy? Trust us, it is delicious.

7. A Plant Based Diet Will Help You Look and Feel Younger

When it comes to healthy, youthful, glowing skin it’s as much about what we put inside our bodies as what we apply to our faces and bodies. And as fruit, vegetables and leafy greens are amongst the most potent antioxidants out there, eating plenty of these foods will ensure you are getting the vitamins and minerals you need to fight free radicals, keeping your skin radiant and delaying the signs of premature aging. Eating a colourful plate of different fruits and vegetables – as well as plant-based products such as – can also helps improve your energy levels, mood, stress levels and even productivity.

At Prinos we take pride in providing you with the best fresh local seasonal produce, as well as a wide range of healthy vegan, vegetarian and plant-based alternatives for culinary exploration. So head down to our stores today or visit our to start your plant-based journey with Prinos.

Find your nearest Prinos shop in Nicosia and Larnaca.

Don’t forget that you can always put your order online at dev.prinos.eu.

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