If you’ve already said sayonara to steak but are tired of defending your decision, check out our favorite reasons—from serious to silly—for going veg.

1. Never having to wear leather pants.
2. Lärabars.
3. Lowered chances of contracting animal-borne diseases.
4. Planning veg vacations.
5. Never having to eat Spam.
6. Compassion tastes great!
7. The joy of “veganizing” a recipe.
8. Chinese-style potstickers.
9. Vegan marshmallows.
10. Helping put an end to global famine.
11. Morningstar Farms Riblets.
12. A lower rate of sexual impotence.
13. Resisting cruel fashion trends without a second thought.
14. Lactose intolerance is a non-issue.
15. Being a part of something that matters.
16. Having clean arteries that aren’t clogged with dead-animal goo.
17. Not having to worry about getting blood stains on the tablecloth.
18. Looking good and feeling great!
19. The cinnamon buns at Sticky Fingers Bakery.
20. Getting to bow out of in-laws’ barbecues.
21. Not having to look at the gross materials handed out by animal-rights activists!
22. Greater spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical strength.
23. Not contributing as much to global warming.
24. Being the change that you want to see in the world.
25. Setting a good example for younger generations.
26. Rina Shah shoes.
27. Helping Grandma learn new words like “vegan.”
28. Watching loved ones and strangers slowly evolve toward vegetarianism.
29. Saving an average of 200 animals a year just by not eating them.
30. Having a low cholesterol count.
31. Looking into the faces of animal companions without guilt.
32. Vegan guys are hot!
33. No dead bodies in my refrigerator.
34. Being an activist at every meal.
35. Juicy, sun-ripened tomatoes.
36. Mexican, Ethiopian, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese food.
37. Meeting brilliant, compassionate, creative people who advocate for the voiceless.
38. Cooking is easier and more fun.
39. Feeling instantly at home in veg restaurants anywhere in the world.
41. Tater Tots.
42. Having food scraps that are always readily compostable.
43. Eating food that’s less prone to incubating bacteria.
44. The automatic leg-up on those eco-footprint quizzes.
45. Bean and guacamole burritos.
46. Vegetarians taste better.
47. Belonging to a higher-IQ demographic.
48. The chickens, turkeys, and ducks in the backyard.
49. It’s fashionable! (Green is the new black, right?)
50. Being the voice for the voiceless.
51. Sandwiches at Ike’s Place in San Francisco.
52. The 3-to-1 ratio of female to male vegetarians.
53. A lowered risk of osteoporosis.
54. $3 Vietnamese tofu sandwiches.
55. Parma!
56. Being leaner than most omnivores.
57. Lower amounts of pesticides, PCBs, and other chemicals in vegetarians’ breastmilk.
58. One needn’t be an Einstein to choose vegetarianism (although Einstein was veg).
59. Being consistent. (Claim to love animals? Prove it!)
60. Good karma.
61. Better skin and fewer zits.
62. Getting to wear pleather in a non-weird way.
63. Cheaper groceries.
64. All those amazing vegetables!
65. Reducing the risk of acquiring many chronic diseases.
66. Being veg is intellectual! (Thoreau, Gandhi, and many great thinkers were pro-veg.)
67. Adhering to ahimsa.
68. Becoming a conscious consumer.
69. Indulging guiltlessly in rich, delicious vegan desserts.
70. Eating fewer trans-fatty foods, without even having to think about it.
71. Not enslaving animals just to eat them.
72. Never having to cut and prepare blood-soaked food.
73. Idli and Uttapam.
74. Discovering the unknown-but-delicious greens at the Asian grocery store.
75. Fake meat.