One can't start looking for plant based recipes online without eventually coming across the animal welfare and environment stories. Eventually, I relented, having watched Earthlings (etc.) and read Peter Singer, and realized how much more serenity I might feel at each meal knowing I wasn't contributing to harm.

I could be perfectly healthy being 98% plant-based, there's no strong scientific evidence that small additions of animal products has much effect on health outcomes. Its the typical conditions of animal agriculture that drove me to 100% plant based at home. I only make minimal exceptions as a house guest or during travel, so as not to inconvenience others.

It's even encompassed parts of my wardrobe. Yes, I have a few leather shoes and belts, and some wool sweaters/jackets I will wear till they fall apart, but I do look for and wear non-animal alternatives when shopping. Alas, I've tried 3 brands of faux-leather belt, and they've all had disappointing durability, but most of the time I've come to wear fabric webbing belts instead.

I like the fact that my simple, and quite traditional diet is more environmentally sustainable. But while I am personally concerned with leaving a better planet for our grandchildren by reducing excess, waste, and unneccessary emissions, I don't think the environmental argument, alone, would have persuaded me to adopt a plant based diet.

They're three legs of a stool. One can come to plant based eating for any of them, but all three make staying plant based a much easier road. I'm happy a lot of vegans are beginning to pay attention to the health arguments too, more vegans taking their B12 means fewer scare stories in the media.