Taiwan’s vegetarian population exceeds 3 million, and Flexitarian is increasing year by year

In Taiwan, the number of vegetarians continues to increase. So far it has exceeded 3 million. In Taiwan, people think that eating vegetarian food is healthier, and there are various vegetarian dishes.

Taipei, Taiwan (Periodical News) – Although the global vegan population is still a minority, according to Euromonitor International’s “Going Plant-Based: The Rise of Vegan and Vegetarian Food,” released in March 2021, flexitarians will already account for 42% of the global population in 2020. Most people pay attention to not only health but also the environmental damage of eating meat. Compared with animal products, they prefer to eat vegetables and fruits.

Taiwan is a vegetarian-friendly city

More than 3 million people in Taiwan eat vegetarian food, accounting for 13% of the local population, which means that at least one in every ten people eats vegetarian food. The proportion of vegetarians in the total population is second only to Mexico (20%) and India (40%). In Taiwan’s vegetarian population, flexitarian accounts for the majority.

The number of people eating vegetarian food in Taiwan is increasing. Religion is only one of the reasons. The main reason is that most people believe that vegetarian food is relatively healthy and respect animal life. CNN has also selected Taiwan Taipei as “One of the Vegetarian-Friendly Cities.” There are a variety of vegetarian restaurants and buffets.

Is vegetarianism really healthy?

In the past, people thought that eating a vegetarian diet could not get enough nutrients. Although a vegetarian diet based on vegetables and fruits has many benefits, it is easy to lack protein, iron, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and other nutrients without eating meat. This is indeed a problem, but with the development of nutritional knowledge, people can supplement these nutrients from other foods.

For example, flexitarians can eat eggs or drink milk to supplement protein and calcium, while vegans can get protein through beans or nuts. Eat vitamin B12 supplements, eat green vegetables to add calcium, eat red vegetables to add iron, and moderate exposure to the sun can add vitamin D.

The impact of diet on the environment

England’s National Food Strategy warns that the food that humans eat and how it is produced is causing damage to the environment and health. Meat consumption releases greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide. These gases cause global warming.

In order to produce meat, our forests are constantly shrinking. As the land was reused to raise animals and grow soybeans, many habitats were destroyed or affected. It is estimated that more than half of the habitable land on the planet is used for agriculture, of which about 77% is used for raising cattle, sheep, goats, and other livestock.

People’s eating habits not only directly affect health but also affect the environment. A balanced diet is very important to health. We need to get the nutrients our body needs from a variety of foods every day. How to strike a balance between taking in nutrition, protecting the environment, and respecting animal life are issues that people need to think about.