Diet Change Guide

Small shifts, massive impact for animals.

Diet Change Guide: How What You Eat Affects Animals

Your daily choices shape demand in the food system. The most powerful starting point is simply eating fewer animals.

~2,000 Animals consumed by the average American over a lifetime

If that number feels abstract, think of each meal as a vote for how animals are treated.

Why Diet Matters

Factory farming dominates global food production, affecting billions of sentient animals every year.

80B land animals/year

Roughly 80 billion land animals are raised and slaughtered annually in factory farm systems worldwide.

Fish are sentient

The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness recognizes that many animals, including fish, have the neurological substrates for consciousness.

Chickens are most farmed

Chickens are the most farmed animal, with roughly 70 billion killed for food each year.

Impact by Food Choice

Estimated animals spared per person per year by common diet shifts.

100+ Going vegan
90+ Going vegetarian
25+ Removing chicken
15+ Removing eggs
2–3 Removing beef

Because chickens are small and numerous, reducing chicken has one of the highest impacts per meal.

4 Steps to Eating More Humanely

1. Start with chicken

Chicken is the highest-impact meat per meal. Swapping chicken first spares the most individual animals.

2. Try plant-based alternatives

Easy swaps exist at most grocery stores. Popular brands include Beyond Meat, Impossible, and Oatly.

3. Use a flexitarian approach

Meatless Mondays are a proven entry point. Consistency matters more than perfection.

4. Find local veg-friendly spots

Build a short list of go-to restaurants so eating out stays simple and satisfying.

Nutrition Made Easy

Protein

Beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, and seitan make it easy to meet protein needs without animal products.

B12

B12 is simple to cover with a small supplement or fortified foods like plant milks and cereals.

Iron

Leafy greens, legumes, and whole grains provide iron. Pair with vitamin C foods to boost absorption.