Veganism and Culture: How Different Societies Embrace Plant-Based Living?

We can notice that vegan diet is very popular in recent years. According to many experts, it can lead to many benefits, such as avoiding toxic substances found in meat, especially processed one, securing essential nutrients, and gaining a better hormone balance in your body. Moreover, we have to keep in mind that the large food production today leads to various environmental issues, and that is especially the case with meat production.

It leads to higher levels of CO2 and many other toxic ingredients. That is one of the main reasons why so many countries are not embracing a more sustainable, plant-based diet. Also, it can be a great way to lose weight and feel better. However, starting with a plant-based meal plan can be challenging at the beginning. It is essential to secure all essential nutrients for your plant based diet purge.

Furthermore, you can learn a lot about this type of meal plan if you research different cuisines around the world. There are places where it is much more common for various reasons like available resources, weather condition, and religion. In this article, we will provide more details about countries that are embracing plan based diet for a long time.

Jamaica

There are several factors that lead to increased amount of vegans in this place. First of all, the environment is perfect for growing many types of fruits and vegetables. Therefore, it is natural that people in Jamaica have a lot of recipes only based on plants.

Another factor is the religion. The Rastafari movement is present for almost 100 years, and it embraces natural living. The features related to food are that it must be natural, organic, grown from land, and without any chemicals or other ingredients. Also, they will avoid most types of meat, especially processed one.

Even those people who are not Rastafari are having most of their meals in the same way since that is simply part of their culture. There are some great recipes with meat as well, but vegan recipes are perfect for people who want to start with this diet, especially because it consists of various plants that can ensure the right nutrients.

India

The interesting fact is that the third of population in this country are strictly vegan. It is related to their tradition and religion. For example, Hinduism is promoting non-violence, and that is related to animals as well.

If you want to explore the Indian cuisine, the great thing is that there are many regions in this country, with each one offering something unique and delicious. Some of these cultures are following the vegan diet for over 2,000 years.

When it comes to the ingredients, some of the most popular are lentils, various spices, herbs, and vegetables. Lentils are perfect solution for vegans since they provide a lot of protein. Including some popular Indian recipes in your meal plan will help you become a vegan without any problems.

Ethiopia

Even though people in Ethiopia are not strictly vegans, the religion represents a huge factor that is leading to most of dishes to be plant-based. They are following and Orthodox Christian religion, which has a lot of fasting days. However, fasting is quite different when compared to some other religions.

The most important detail is that people are not allowed to eat meat during the fast. With more than 6 months of fast during the year, it is not a surprise that there are so many meals based only on fruits and vegetables.

In that matter, exploring more about this culture is a great way to include more of interesting recipes to your vegan diet. You will find some delicious recipes and ingredients that will provide everything you need to be fit and healthy, such as legumes, vegetables, fermented bread and more.

Israel

This place also has a large amount of vegans, with over 5% of population. Some of the most popular options are hummus and falafel. The best thing about it is that it represents a perfect substitute to meat. The religion also represents a very important factor. For example, they are not allowed to eat many types of meat, and even those that are allowed must be prepared in a special way.

On the other side, hummus and falafel are providing a lot of essential nutrients, and including them in your meal plan will make it easier for you to avoid eating any meat products.

Benefits of This Diet

There are both individual and global advantages of embraced plan-based diet. As we already mentioned, high production of processed meat is especially harmful for the environment. Focusing on various alternatives, like oat milk instead of cow milk, is leading to significantly lower emission of greenhouse gasses.

Furthermore, there are many health benefits especially important for those with various issues like excess weight, diabetes, skin issues, cardiovascular problems, and more. For example, going vegan is one of the most efficient ways to lose weight because you will cut omega 6 fats, and avoid various toxic ingredients found in processed meat.

We also have to mention the fact that producers are using a lot of chemicals during the production, and also implementing various ingredients that will change the taste or make it last longer. The problem with these ingredients is that they can lead to various problems like cancer, higher blood pressure, kidney issues, and more.

Last Words

As you can see, there are many advantages of starting with this meal plan. However, it can be challenging depending on your previous habits. That is the main reason to explore more about cuisines of the countries that we mentioned since they are offering a lot of healthy traditional meals that will provide everything that your body needs.

There are many other countries in the world where you will also find some delicious plant-based recipes, like Japan, China, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Indonesia, and more. In that matter, creating a balanced diet won’t be a problem.