Understanding
Why people go vegan, vegetarian & pescatarian — the real reasons, kindly
Ask ten plant-based people why they started and you'll often hear ten slightly different stories. That variety isn't confusion — it's the quiet strength of a movement many doors lead into.
Many reasons, one table
Large surveys back this up. In a Faunalytics study, current vegetarians and vegans most often named health (69%), animal protection (68%), disgust at meat (63%), the environment (59%) and taste (52%) — and most people hold several of these at once. Among Veganuary 2025 participants, animals came first (47%), then health (20%) and the environment (14%). In India, by contrast, around 39% are vegetarian, largely for religious and cultural reasons (Pew Research). There is no single 'correct' reason — only honest ones.
The spectrum is a feature, not a flaw
Vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, flexitarian — these aren't a ladder where one rung is better than another. A pescatarian keeping fish for omega-3, a vegetarian who loves eggs from a neighbour, a vegan avoiding all animal products: all are walking the same direction, at the pace that fits their life. Progress, not perfection, is what adds up. If you eat plant-based even some of the time, you are part of this — fully.
Japan's quiet plant-based heritage
Long before 'plant-based' was a marketing word, Japan had shojin ryori — the Buddhist temple cuisine refined over centuries, plant-based by philosophy. Tofu, yuba, miso, seaweed, seasonal vegetables: proof that food without meat can be among the most refined and satisfying in the world. Choosing plants here isn't foreign; it's a homecoming to something old.
You're part of something growing
Across 28 countries, roughly 5% identify as vegetarian and 3% as vegan (Ipsos), and the numbers skew younger. Veganuary grew from a few thousand sign-ups to an estimated 25 million people trying vegan in January 2024. You are not alone, and you are not late.
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Sources
FAQ
- What is the most common reason people go vegan or vegetarian?
- It varies by group, but in Western surveys health, animal protection and the environment lead — and most people hold several reasons at once (Faunalytics; Veganuary). In India, religion and culture dominate (Pew). There's no single 'right' reason.
- Is being pescatarian or flexitarian 'less valid' than vegan?
- No. These are different paces on the same path, not a hierarchy. Eating plant-based even part of the time meaningfully helps animals, the planet and often your health. Progress, not perfection.