If you are making the switch to vegan protein sources, congratulations! There are many health benefits to a vegan lifestyle, and veganism is good for the environment too. You can source your vegan meat substitutes in a lot of different places, but one of the best ways to get them is online.
Why Veganism?
A vegan lifestyle is beneficial in many ways. Modern food production techniques are really bad for the environment. Growing crops for feed, then shipping that feed, then providing water for the animals, then shipping the animals to the slaughterhouse creates a large environmental impact. Many people are choosing veganism to lessen their impact on the world around them.
Veganism is also a rejection of the inherent cruelty in raising animals to slaughter and consume them or to keep them as slaves for milk and eggs. Animals raised for slaughter live less than 20 percent of their natural life expectancy and spend the majority of it in relative confinement.
Veganism also is just better for your body. Avoiding animal by-products has been shown to lead to lower BMI, better cholesterol, and reduced risk of certain cancers. A plant-based diet is low residue in your digestive system and keeps your gut flora in check.
Why Buy Online
If you live in a major metropolitan area, you probably have access to plenty of specialty grocers that have a wide array of vegan meal options. If you live in a more rural area, you aren’t so lucky. Either way, Purchasing online allows you the ability to find exactly what you are looking for, rather than relying on whatever happens to be stocked. This is an extremely effective way to research ingredients, compare manufacturers, and comparison shop for the best prices and value. There are a few different ways to shop online, so let’s look at the differences.
Google Search
This is the most obvious, and it can be extremely effective, but it is a bit of a shot in the dark. You might get the best results, or you might get the result that sponsored the search. If you are willing to click through links and find secondary sites that don’t come up on the first search, then you might have satisfying results this way.
Retailer Search
If you have a decent grocery store chain near you, especially health food stores which are common vegan meat retailers, you can search their site. Many of them offer personal shopping and delivery now, so this is the fastest option if your local store has the brands you like, and you don’t mind paying the delivery fee.
Manufacturer Search
If you have a brand of vegan meat substitute that you like in particular or one you learned about on that Google search, you should try a visit directly to the manufacturer’s website. There are a few benefits to this. Going straight to the source can often save you money that they don’t have to pay middlemen. It also allows you to learn about new product lines that they might have or anything that is coming soon. Manufacturer’s sites also often offer special sizing that might save you money or work better for your particular needs.
No matter how you choose to purchase your vegan meat substitutes, there are hundreds of options on the market, so you should at least use the internet to learn more about what you are buying, and compare details with other comparable products. You can often find dirty little secrets like meat-free chicken nuggets with egg white and milk powder in them. You have the whole world of information at your fingertips. Use it to find the perfect vegan meat substitute!