Would you ever voluntarily give up burgers, pizza, or ice cream? How about all three? 

This is what seniors Kelly Mackiw, Wren Murray, junior Weronika Malinowska, and countless other vegans around the world have done in an effort to be more healthy, ethical, and eco-conscious.

“I decided to become vegan because I personally cannot justify enslaving other living beings when there are other food options that I can choose,” Mackiw said.

Many people may know that, as far as their diets, vegans do not eat meat or consume any animal products including eggs, dairy, and honey. However, many people may not know the beneficial environmental effects of this choice. According to Malinowska, everyday a vegan saves 1,100 gallons of water, 20 pounds of carbon dioxide, 30 square feet of forests, 45 pounds of grain, and one animal’s life.

“The most rewarding thing is knowing that you’re not only saving lives of many innocent beings, but also saving our planet,” Malinowska said.

Fairly new to the lifestyle, Mackiw and Murray transitioned to veganism two and five months ago, respectively, while Malinowska has been vegan for 14 months.

“I’d been toying with the idea of going vegan for less than a year before I finally decided to do it, mostly for health reasons,” Malinowska said. “Over time, I learned about animal abuse and now the ethical aspect of it is the most important to me.”

Before making the transition, all three conducted many hours of research, watching documentaries such as “Earthlings” and “Cowspiracy,” Ted Talks such as ‘“Beyond Carnism and toward Rational, Authentic Food Choices,” and even through browsing social media.

“Before being vegan, I was vegetarian,” Murray said. “I became vegan after seeing a post on Instagram about animal cruelty in the dairy industry.”

The girls are vegan not only in an effort to help animals and the environment, but also to improve their own health and outlook.

“Since I became vegan, I generally just feel better,” Mackiw said. “Physically, I feel stronger and have more energy everyday because of the foods I’m eating. Mentally, I feel that I consider my choices more. I’ve become more compassionate as a whole towards all living beings.”

Despite these compelling reasons to transition to veganism, many are still skeptical of the lifestyle.

“[The hardest part about being vegan is] listening to people who don’t know their information assume things that are not true or make fun of vegans,” Murray said.

Many fear such a drastic change in eating habits, or do not want to give up their favorite foods like pizza and ice cream. Yet each states that the transition was not a difficult one for them.

“After seeing the truth behind agribusiness and its environmental impact, I never want to eat another living thing again,” Murray said.

As vegans, the girls have found many food options that allow them to get all of the nutrients their bodies need. They consume a lot of fruits, vegetables, and grains such as rice to make up for the calories they would have been consuming in animal products. Some of their favorite vegan foods include smoothies, sushi, rice with vegetables, cheeseless pizza, and even tofu from Chipotle.

Though they no longer consume ice cream, the girls have discovered a healthier alternative–“nice cream”–which is made by blending frozen fruit like bananas to an ice cream consistency and adding toppings such as peanut butter, coconut, or granola. Even foods like Oreos are coincidentally vegan.

However, even if after reading all of this, you are still unwilling to give up your ice cream, burgers, or pizza, that is okay. Everyone is entitled to make his or her own decisions about what he or she chooses to feed their body.

“I would absolutely love it if the whole world could be vegan,” Mackiw said. “However, I won’t criticize or attack other people’s choices, and I just ask for that same respect from others.”