Little by little we discover that we don't need to eat animal products at all, because there are so many healthier alternatives that taste great. The trick is going easy with yourself so that you can find your way comfortably. Then you'll stick with it.

Hunger and self-control do not go hand in hand.

I missed a tuna-fish sandwich with mayo on toasted wheat bread more than anything. Six months after I went vegan, I snuck into a deli and took one home. And, of course, it wasn't nearly as good as I fantasized. It tasted, well, fishy.

And check this out: If every American had one meat-free day per week, it would be the same as taking eight million cars off American roads in a year.

I was weaned on chicken-fried steak and hominy grits with goopy gravy all over. I loved meat and wore fur.

Animal agriculture takes up an incredible 70% of all agricultural land, and a whopping 30% of the land surface of the planet. As a result, farmed animals are probably the biggest cause of slashing and burning the world's forests.

The goal is progress, not perfection!