I’m often asked why my husband Max and I chose not to have children. Most people have kids, just as most people enjoy a Thanksgiving turkey, pizza with cheese and perhaps pepperoni, and, on a hot summer night, a barbecue with hot dogs, burgers and chicken. We are not among those people. Opting out of cultural defaults; e.g., deciding not to have kids and not eat animals, raises eyebrows and demands explanations.

There’s no single reason Max and I stopped eating animal products. And over time, the reasons have changed. (The same is true for not having kids).

Preaching belongs in church, not here. So I won’t preach you our reasons, I’ll inform. Succinctly. And I won’t bring it up again. I promise.

Top 4 Reasons to Eat Fewer (or No) Animal Products:

  1. Live a longer, healthier life.  (This Barron’s piece appears to have a paywall, but if you click the x in the upper-right, you can access it).
  2. Decrease animal suffering. This beautiful essay convinced me to take the final step, and stop using cream in my coffee. It appeared in Best American Food Writing 2021.
  3. Slow down environmental destruction. An M.I.T. scientist answers, “Why is Eating Meat Bad for the Environment?” Short and to the point.
  4. These celebrities say so. I rarely take cues from celebrities, but some of the names on this list, and what they had to say, were happy surprises.