The founders of SoyBoy ruled meat out a long time ago and have been sharing the benefits (and their love) of a vegan diet ever since. But everyone here realizes that what someone chooses to eat is a very personal and complex choice. Whether you eat tofu and tempeh as a protein replacement for meat or just because you like the taste of veggie bacon, your choices are likely making a positive impact on the world. Meatout, coming up on March 20^th, is an opportunity to crystalize your always-and-forever or just-once-a-week meat-free meal plan into an effort to improve health, protect the environment, and save animals.

What’s a Meatout?

The Great American Meatout was launched by The Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) in 1985 to promote a national conversation that questions our consumption of animal products. It was held on the first day of Spring as a symbol of renewal. Today, ‘Meatout’ is the world’s largest grassroots diet education campaign. With 96 countries around the world taking part in 2017, we’re sure to see even more of the planet participating in 2018.

What about protein?

The number-one most common questions vegans and vegetarians hear from their meat-eating friends and family members is, “How will you get enough protein?” A whole lot of people are seriously worried about this, and it deters plenty of veggie-curious individuals from ever making the leap. The truth is, there are lots of non-animal sources of protein. More importantly, there are several plant sources of complete protein – meaning they contain all nine of the essential amino acids that the body can’t make on its own. One of those sources happens to be soybeans, which provide all the protein in our organic tofu and tempeh products.

Turn over a new leaf!

It might be fun if you replaced pork chops and chicken breasts with kale and collards, but that’s not what we mean. When we talk about the reasons for going veg or vegan, it can be easy to get stuck deep in the weeds of negativity. We certainly can’t ignore the inhumane treatment of animals, the potential dangers of GMO crops, or the role of our food production systems in climate change. But the Meatout, in particular, is meant to be a positive, inspiring event. It’s an opportunity for vegans and vegetarians all over the world to tell their friends about how great they feel and how much they love the food they eat. It’s also a chance for omnivores to try a new diet on for size and see how it fits. The meat-free lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but you can’t know whether it will work for you until you’ve tried. So, celebrate the first day of Spring by turning over that new leaf.

Learn from those who’ve gone before.

There’s no reason to go on a vegetarian adventure without a guidebook. We’ve got an enormous body of research on plant-based diets, not to mention centuries of human experience, to guide modern diet modification. As it turns out, it’s just as easy to eat in an unhealthy way when you’re vegan as it is when you’re an omnivore. For that reason, it’s essential that any meatout effort is informed by sound advice. Read up on common mistakes, and make sure you understand what eating vegetarian does to your body. Then grab your handy-dandy vegan grocery list and a handful of healthy vegan recipes to keep you on track. With the right tools, you’ll have a blast during your meatout experience, and your body will thank you, too.

Sign up and get support.

If you’re serious and want to share the news that you’ll be taking meat off your plate, you can make the Veg Pledge at MeatOut.org. There you can sign up to receive emails during VegWeek (April 16 – 22) with recipes, tips, and more! With approximately six to eight million adults in the United States not eating meat, fish, or poultry, you’ll be in great company!