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It's not too late to add one last New Year's resolution onto that crowded list of self-improvement guidelines you've already half-forgotten about, is it? Nay! And if you've ever been curious about vegetarianism, what better time to give it a go than now, while the spirit of self-betterment is still fresh in the air? (It'll all clear out come February, you can be sure).
Vegetarianism is healthy and green—and if you try it out now for 30 days, PETA will make a donation to a really cool nonprofit on your behalf.
That may sound a bit like a pitch from a late night infomercial, but the difference between this and a new set of super sharp steak knives is that this is for a genuinely good cause, and there'll be no drowsy phone operator standing by to take your credit card number when you sign up.
PETA's Pitch for Vegetarianism
And they make a pretty strong case—according to PETA, "15 million animals are slaughtered for food in the US alone" each year. By not eating meat products, the reasoning goes, we can help lower the demand for killing animals. To encourage more folks onto the path of vegetarianism, PETA's devised a sort of pledge deal: if you agree to give up meat for at least 30 days, they'll make a donation to the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, a charity that strategically plants fruit trees in poor areas where locals are undernourished. The trees will then provide fresh, healthy food for numerous harvests.
Why Go Vegetarian?
If the entire US were to become vegetarians, we could feed 1.3 billion people with the grain and soybeans that instead goes to livestock. And being vegetarian helps cut global warming. That's just for starters.
Want more tangible benefits (besides the fruit trees)? How about this: it's been proven that vegetarians live longer on average. It can even help your dating life. And it can be surprisingly inexpensive, along with being healthy: for instance, here are 7 cheap and easy vegetarian meals that anyone can make.
So go ahead, add "become a vegetarian" to your list of New Year's resolutions. At least for a 30 day trial period.
More on Vegetarianism:
How to Become a Vegetarian
Emeril's Vegetarian Pad Thai
Vegetarian Options Increasing in Kebabistan



























