Are you still sticking to your resolutions for the New Year? One of my resolutions last year was to go vegetarian – and I’ve only accidentally eaten meat four times since! That’s actually not too bad considering how meat-centered our culture is. Think about all the food ads you see, with juicy steaks and flavorful chicken. In the words of my cousin “if someone’s hungry, they’re gonna go to Wendy’s to get that four for $4.” I can see why people are attracted to these deals; the food is fast, cheap, and tasty. It’s easy to get caught up in the “meals for deals” culture that we live in.

But do you ever consider where your meat comes from? Do you think about the pain and suffering that an animal must endure in order for you to enjoy that juicy steak? What about the effects on your body? The environmental costs of your food? Don’t be ashamed if your answer to these questions is no. In our culture, we prefer to blind ourselves to the gruesome realities of the meat industry. We hide behind the meaty masks we’ve created for ourselves, desensitized to the pain and suffering of the beings we feast on.

The meat industry is gruesome, corrupt, and more interested in profits than the welfare of human consumers, much less the animals it’s serving us. With so many exposés in the media uncovering the horrors of the meat industry, why haven’t more people decided to take the ethical high road and give up meat, or at least advocate for changes in the meat, egg, and dairy industries?

When I talk to others about giving up meat, I am bombarded with excuses about why a meat-free diet just isn’t right for them. I’ve heard them all – from iron deficiencies to soy allergies – but the excuse I hear the most is that a vegetarian diet is expensive.

I am by no means rich. I, like many of my peers, am a child of immigrants who make just enough for us to live in semi-comfort. And so I was concerned that my new diet would put a financial strain on my family. I was pleasantly surprised when I found that eating vegetarian costs the same – if not less – than an omnivorous diet. Eating properly required some research, but a simple Google search was all that was needed to get rolling.

Going vegetarian was not an overnight change for me. I spent weeks delaying and creating excuses. After a while, I decided that enough was enough; I needed to be the change I wished to see in the world.

I know that vegetarianism seems impossible to many people. I won’t lie and say I don’t miss meat, because at times I do. But when I consider the meat industry’s unabashed cruelty, hazardous effects on human and animal health, and negative environmental impact, I feel fully devoted to the cause. A meat-free diet is only as hard as you make it, and excuses only perpetuate the flawed status quo.

I am not a perfect person, but I am always on the quest to make myself a better citizen of my local, national, and international communities. The world is wide enough for humans and animals to coexist respectfully and humanely, but this will only happen if more of us demand change.

One person going vegetarian will not have an immense global impact, but by becoming an activist and sharing the movement with others, you have the potential to start a revolution. I have sparked a small revolution in the lives of my family members. My once meat-loving mother has been eating less and less animal products in the year since my switch to vegetarianism. I’ve also had an impact on my cousins.

Coming from a big, meat-loving family, I was concerned about not being able to fully participate in my cultures and traditions. I am still in the process of creating meat-free versions of my favorite cultural dishes, but appreciating and celebrating your culture through a vegetarian diet is possible.

Our lives are finite. But the environmental impact of our existence on this planet will remain long after we are gone. Please consider your personal effect on this planet. We only get one Earth, and taking care of it must be a priority for all. Join the movement today, and make the change to a more ethical and earth-friendly lifestyle.