Hey there #YugenCommunity !
Thank you so much to those of you who have joined us so far, i'm really excited about the conversations we are going to have and the solutions we are going to find in this forum!!
In honour of Veganuary, my most recent blog post looked at the topics of animal agriculture, veganism, vegetarianism and flexitarianism.... (head over to the blog if you haven't read it yet!)
This prompted an interesting comment by one of our site members @popeianstar - as seen below:
"Today's blog was really good and very insightful. I think that in terms of diet people will struggle to shift/change diet because 1) its difficult to adjust to considering you eating macaroni pie and stew chicken since childhood. 2) sometime the cost of getting items to make a proper meal is above their budget. 3) People do not take the time to assess food option(s) and therefore stick to what they know. Unless you going to the gym or have a medical condition or some other reason meat will forever be a mainstay or rather will be primarily what is consumed in our diet."
I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on this, especially the thoughts of our vegan/vegetarian site members!
Tell us:
- Why did you choose to (or choose not to) go vegan/vegetarian?
- If you are vegan/vegetarianism: What was the most difficult part & what was easiest? Any advice for persons considering trying these diets?
Personally, I still eat meat but i am working towards flexitarianism.....however, I did choose to completely cut out beef from my diet in 2017 and i'm really happy to have made that decision. It was a bit difficult as first, but honestly after a couple months I stopped missing it, and no longer crave it.
Anyways, that's enough about me...share your stories with us below!
- Jamala
Hey Kirina, it can be quite costly at first making the vegan switch, but I'd say that you require two main things. 1. The tools and equipment eg. food processor, blender, baking dishes etc. 2. The ability and patience to make your own stuff from scratch.
It can be very empowering preparing your own meals and you may not need to invest as much time as you think.
I've only been vegan for a solid 2 months now and after making some investments, I can safely say that my food budget hovers around 500-600 dollars a month. Thats how much some people spend on lunch or even less.
I do agree that there is a shortage of options here in Trinidad when compared to other countries but we have enough, and note that almost any dish can be made vegan.
Pick up Limes is definitely one of my favourite youtubers to follow(watched the channel even before I made the switch) and there are many others who offer easy and delicious recipes and tips. Without the internet this wouldn't be as fun, that's for sure.
Cheers
I chose to be vegan from 2017-2018 due to ethical reasons. I watched a chilling documentary on the holistic industrial ills attached to meat-eating called, "What the Health" and that immediately converted me to a vegan. Never mind it was extremely difficult to source substantial affordable ingredients for a new all plant-based balanced diet, I committed to this lifestyle from my 2nd to 3rd and final year of my undergrad degree. The diversity in affordable options is lacking in Trinidad and coupled with financial constraints, committing to the diet proved quite difficult.
The vegan run was more short-lived than expected and flexitarianism became the route before I even knew there was a word to describe that diet. Nevertheless, ethical and all, it is a hard diet to maintain if you've been raised on meat and enjoy it like me, are not able to financially sustain it due to un/underemployment and the vehement fundamentalist activism attached to the lifestyle can turn people off.
Props to anyone who enjoys it genuinely and has good recipes. I used to follow Pick up Limes on Youtube.
So I’ve been vegan a little over a year and a half now. I came across a video on YT about the meat and dairy industry and was not comfortable supporting those industries anymore. The hardest thing about going vegan would have to be the fact that a lot of foods and most snacks have dairy so it was a big adjustment. My go to breakfast used to be eggs and that had to change. Also at the time, there weren’t many vegan alternatives available but thankfully that’s changed.
Hi, I've always heard rumblings about veganism being much better for the environment and personal health...but i never really thought I'd be able to fully make the transition. I've been on a meatless diet (with the exception of fish) for years now and I didnt think I could give up eggs entirely. Loved those scrambled eggs. Back in November someone on YouTube recommended the documentary 'Cowspiracy' on Netflix. After watching that it was like a switch just flipped in my head and I decided I was going vegan and phased out all the dairy and eggs before December. I also would recommend 'What The Health' , 'The Game Changers' and 'Dominion'. That last one is on YouTube and by far the most grueling so beware of that. Since I was already pretty conscious of what I ate, I imagine my transition was a lot easier than most. It has been quite the journey so far, the internet has so many recipes and resources for vegans now and there's a substitute for almost everything. For anyone considering making the switch I suggest doing it gradually. Less meat at first, then no meat, then no dairy or eggs. Going vegan is not just about cutting the animal products out of what you already eat but discovering new and wholesome foods to add to your diet. The best thing to do is learn a handful of recipes first or make what you already eat vegan. Eg. Fry bake, pelau, roti
There are also many vegan cheese recipes available if you're missing that tang (made with cashews or almonds primarily)
Good luck!