There are lots of reasons people go plant-based. In my case, when it came down to it, my motivation was really an emotional one. It wasn’t so much about the environmental benefits or and certainly not my health (my favourite food group is deep-fried). No, for me, I just wasn’t okay with eating animals. This doesn’t mean that my path to being plant-based was straight-forward, or even that I’m strictly vegan now, and that’s kind of the point of this article. In fact, I should make the disclaimer right now that I’m not here to guilt anyone into cutting out meat. Instead, this article is about what we can all do to make the world a little friendlier for animals, no matter where you are on the journey to becoming plant-based.
Slow and Steady
One of the mistakes I made early on was thinking I needed to do a complete 180 and eliminate all animal products from my diet. It was an easy line of thinking to fall into; if I truly cared about animals, I thought, how could I consume any meat at all? In retrospect, this hindered my ability to shift my diet more than it helped. I set an unrealistic goal for myself, frequently lapsing, leaving me feeling guilty and giving up on my goal for long periods. I think this might hint at a more universal stumbling block to reducing meat consumption in society. Because the switch appears drastic and difficult, we resign ourselves to the situation, and our apathy turns into inaction. Yet, the evidence is clear that we absolutely do not have to take dramatic action to effect real change. Here are 4 practical things we can do instead:
1. Cut meat consumption as little or as much as you are comfortable doing
Living in the Caribbean, we don’t yet have much of a culture of vegetarianism or veganism. It can be challenging to find plant-based alternatives at social gatherings, restaurants, or by way of a theoretical example, at 3 am with reduced faculties and dwindling culinary options. Luckily, what we do the rest of the time in our day to day food choices can still help. Even a modest reduction in our intake of animal products means lower demand, and fewer animals reared and killed for food. As an example, if 10% of the global population reduced their meat consumption by, say 15%, this would correspond to over 1 billion fewer land animals killed each year. And this number doesn’t even include the wild animals saved as a result of less land being utilized for livestock. Simply swapping out one meal a day, or one day a week for plant-based alternatives puts a huge dent in your meat consumption, without a drastic lifestyle change. If you are determined to get to 100% plant-based or close to 100%, you may want to try starting with a modest reduction and working your way down. As you get a feel for the lifestyle you will find it getting easy and easier, perhaps even to 100% plant-based without really noticing it. On the other hand, you may reach a point where you are mostly plant-based, but make an exception for your family barbecues or your favourite restaurant, and that's okay. In practical terms, you are making close to the same impact of being fully plant-based and don’t let anyone (including yourself) guilt you into thinking otherwise. Check out this guide to becoming a mostly plant-based flexitarian.
2. Reduce food waste
Reducing the wastage of animal products can also reduce the demand for livestock farming, saving animals. Only cook or portion out a quantity of meat that you know you can comfortably finish, or recycling leftovers into a different meal or the diets of your pets. Globally, the pet-food industry contributes 25% of the environmental impact of livestock farming. Feeding leftovers to animals, therefore, reduces our own food waste as well as the amount of pet-food our pets get through in a given period of time. This is an overall fantastic way to cut your environmental impact as well as your pet-food budget. We should issue a warning though, food scraps should be used in moderation, alongside other vet-approved foods to ensure your animals get all the nutrients they need.
3. Swap out endangered ocean species for less threatened options
An alarming 70% of the planet’s fish stocks are either fully used, overused or in crisis. One way we can help is to make different choices about which species we eat. Some species, such as sharks, have few young and take a long time to mature, and so are particularly vulnerable. Others, such as shrimp, are caught by trawling the seabed destroying the seafloor ecosystem, including slow-growing corals, in the process. On the other hand, species like mahi-mahi and flying fish grow and reproduce quickly and are more resistant to overfishing. Better still are the invasive lionfish, as well as squid, which appear to be increasing in numbers, possibly due to climate change or from filling environmental niches that were once filled by species we have overfished. We highly recommend you check out this article which gives a shortlist of seafood species which you can feel good about consuming, and which you should avoid.
4. Expand your horizons to delicious plant-based options
Now that we’ve covered all the things not to eat, it’s worth highlighting how plant-based options can actually help you expand your culinary horizons. Incorporating more plant-based meals doesn’t have to mean missing out, but rather gaining new foodie experiences. As someone who loves cooking and eating, my move to becoming plant-based has helped me explore many ingenious ways of utilizing fresh local produce and finding new combinations and new ways of building depth of flavour into my favourite dishes. Get inspired by testing out new cuisines, new combinations of spices and methods of preparation with local fruit, vegetables, pulse, herbs, sauces and more. Check out here, here, here and here for great tips and inspiration for creating flavourful, satisfying plant-based meals. If you’re out and about in Northern Trinidad, check out Van’s Vegan Delights for amazing innovative and flavourful vegan dishes, or near St. Augustine, Veg Out in the UWI Campus for a quick vegan lunch. This list from TriniChow gives options in other parts of Trinidad.
Closing thought: don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good
It seems to me that one of the challenges to getting people to embrace plant-based options is our all-or-nothing attitude and the way that our identities seem to become wrapped up with our dietary choices. Any discussion of veganism is fraught with controversy, with some in the community vilifying all meat-eaters, and on the other side, individuals sidestepping valid animal rights concerns to attack and discredit vegans on personal grounds. Unfortunately, the ones that lose out in these attacks are the animals themselves. I would like to see the plant-based community move towards being more inclusive, acknowledging the challenges of eliminating animals from our diets, and welcoming those who want to work towards becoming more plant-based with understanding and advice. I would also implore anyone who feels animosity towards the community not to let some bad actors close you off from looking for ways to make a positive impact wit your own diet choices.
If being vegan helps you feel motivated, part of a community or you are simply passionate about leading a cruelty-free lifestyle, I think that’s amazing and certainly, I can identify with those sentiments. However, for anyone who’s not there yet, or who doesn’t want to give up animal products completely, I want you to remember that you don’t need the label of “vegan” to change your diet in a way that benefits animals. In practical terms, many people making a small change in their diet could be equally or more powerful than a few individuals making a drastic change. If we want to make the world a safer place for our furry, feathery and scaly friends we should put aside our own egos, be less afraid of the grey area and look for practical ways to get there.
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