Going Plant-Based Has Never Been so Easy
If you’ve ever considered a positive lifestyle change, going plant based has never been so easy. With Impossible burgers and dairy-free ice cream flavors from Ben and Jerry’s and Haagen Dazs it’s a whole new world for plant-based options.
If you want to know how easy it is, why you would care, how to do it, or even what the difference is between “plant-based”, “vegan”, and “vegetarian”, stick around! In just a few minutes I’ll show you how to make a great impact in your life with even just a few changes.
Then, over the next week, I’ll show you some great plant-based alternatives to your favorite foods, and how to make some easy plant-based meals. You’ll never believe how easy it is to live a healthier, more positive life.
A Whole New World
I went completely plant-based a few years ago and it was rough. There were very few options in the stores, and often a night out meant ordering a salad.
Not anymore! Target has all the ingredients you need for making a plant-based pizza (although you’ll want to go somewhere else for the cheese… I’ll tell you why in my next post: the best plant-based alternatives). You can make chocolate chip cookies, brownies, pancakes, and more. They have burgers and sausages, and all kinds of delicious foods. And your local grocery store probably does too.
If you’ve ever thought about trying it out, even just a little, you’re in luck, because going plant-based has never been so easy! Over the next week I’m going to show you some great plant-based alternatives and meals. First, let’s talk about why you might care and the difference between vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based.
Why Would I Care?
Did you know that over a quarter of land is used for livestock according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization? Did you know that according to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers it takes over 16,000 liters of water to produce a kilogram of beef, but less than a thousand to produce an apple, banana, or potato? In a world of billions of people, we can feed more if we consume more plants and less animals.
What’s more, plants are healthier. Now, processed foods like fake meat and cheeses are about as healthy as their real counterparts, but those should only be eaten in moderation anyway. If you look at this and wonder what you can do, you can do a lot! Even small changes can have a big impact and going plant-based has never been so easy!
However, we can do more to feed the world and take care of our big spinning blue home by eating more plant-based food, even the meat and cheese alternatives. Moreover, the more real garden-fresh food we eat, like fruits and vegetables, and plant-based deliciousness like guacamole, salsa, stews, soups, salads, and more, the healthier we will be.
Vegan, Vegetarian, Plant-Based? What’s it all Mean?
So you may be thinking “okay, I can see how this is good, but I don’t want to go crazy with it.” Who says you have to? You can just try to eat more fruits and vegetables and less meat. You can try to eat healthier. You can try plant-based alternatives and see what you think. If everyone did 10% better, imagine what that would do for our world and our healthcare.
So what’s the difference then? What’s the difference between all these terms: vegan, vegetarian, plant-based, etc. It’s pretty simple really.
When someone says they are vegetarian, that means they don’t eat meat. When someone says they are eating plan’t-based, that means they are avoiding eating animal products of any kind including dairy and eggs. When someone says they are vegan, that means they are avoiding animal products not just for eating, but also for using – such as leather or wool.
Some people do it for health. Some people do it for the animals. Some people do it for the people that would otherwise have less food because of the high demand of land and water that is used to raise livestock that could be used for people instead. Some people do it to put less strain on our natural resources, and some people do it for a combination of these things.
Going plant-based has never been so easy, and chances are you can find what you need at your local grocery store or at Target. If you want to give it a try, be sure to check out my next post on delicious plant-based meat and cheese alternatives as well as ice creams, pizza, and more! I show you where to get it, what’s best, and some sample meals.
Get ready, because it’s a whole new world!
