I have just stumbled upon the sweetest creation: an entire site dedicated to making marvelous vegan waffles and celebrating! This makes me want to warm up the waffle iron and whip out some pine nuts and banana slices! Mmm…
I’ve noticed the usual “let’s make this year better than the last one” theme everywhere this month. From Rubbermaid sales that will keep you organized without breaking the bank, to diet shakes and exercise machines to keep you from breaking the park bench, January is the number one month for making promises.
Following that logic, February must be the number one month to break those promises. I mean, who doesn’t go a little crazy on Valentine’s Day (whether you have a sweetie or a plain ol’ sweet tooth) and Fat Tuesday (regardless of your religious beliefs the other 364 days a year)?
The past few days, I’ve seen more old stationary bikes and weight benches sitting by the curb than typical for this time of year. Has everyone given up on their health, or do they have a newer, shinier model of their old equipment sitting in their living room? My hope is they gave up on the expensive accessories and just started walking or doing yoga. My hope beyond that would be that they went vegan – well, at least vegetarian…
This got me to thinking about how I might encourage folks to go meatless as painlessly as possible. The thought occurred to me that giving up meat (for most omnivores) is like giving up cigarettes (for most smokers): terrifying.
I would expect to hear things like, “I can’t just stop eating meatloaf on Thursday – it’s a tradition!” To that I would reply, “No need to give it up cold turkey – pun intended.”
Anyone can ease into a vegan lifestyle – allowing your body time to adjust to such a radical (yet natural) change is only fair. We must be kind to our bodies if we want them to respond favorably after all.
Very simply outlined below is my ‘One Year to Vegetarian/Vegan Plan’…I encourage you to try it. Take things at your own pace, do what feels comfortable and natural for you. I’ll bet you feel better with each passing day.
I suppose I should also note the distinction between vegetarian and vegan as it tends to confuse. Straight from the Vegetarian Resource Group:
Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or poultry. Vegans, in addition to being vegetarian, do not use other animal products and by-products such as eggs, dairy products, honey, leather, fur, silk, wool, cosmetics, and soaps derived from animal products.
Months 1 through 4 – Eliminate all Mammal Flesh & Products
Depending upon your current diet this may or may not be a big change for you. Try eliminating meats that you don’t eat often (steak for example) first, then move down the line to your favorite (bacon!)…easing into change sometimes helps.
Common American Foods: steak, ribs, veal, ground meat (i.e. burgers, meatloaf, meatballs), jerky, ham, sausage, bacon, and lunch/deli meats.
Read the Label: gelatin (jell-o, marshmallows) and lard are only a few of the hidden ingredients to lookout for.
Months 5 through 8 – Eliminate all Bird Flesh & Products
If you’re like the majority of omnivores, this elimination will be the most obvious.
Common American Foods: breast, thighs (drumsticks), wings, ground flesh (i.e. turkey burger),and foie gras.
Read the Label: There are hidden ingredients to lookout for. Among them, you should be especially mindful of the stocks/bases used in your favorite soups and stews.
Months 9 through 12 – Eliminate all Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish & Invertebrate Animals
Here’s where your journey might get a little tricky…no more tuna fish sandwiches or sushi bars.
Common American Foods: fish, snake, turtle soup, frog legs, lobsters, shrimp, scallops, crabs, clams, mussels, and calamari.
Read the Label: There are hidden ingredients to lookout for – especially in flavoring and coloring. Also, your favorite beer or wine may need to be replaced due to the use of animal products during filtration.
This is similar to the above, with swift progression, a few more things to cross off your grocery list, and a lot less suffering for the animals.
Months 1 through 3 – Eliminate all Mammal Flesh & Products
Depending upon your current diet this may or may not be a big change for you. Try eliminating meats that you don’t eat often (steak for example) first, then move down the line to your favorite (bacon!)…easing into change sometimes helps.
Common American Foods: steak, ribs, veal, ground meat (i.e. burgers, meatloaf, meatballs), jerky, ham, sausage, bacon, and lunch/deli meats.
Read the Label: gelatin (jell-o, marshmallows) and lard are only a few of the hidden ingredients to lookout for.
Months 4 through 6 – Eliminate all Bird Flesh & Products
If you’re like the majority of omnivores, this elimination will be the most obvious.
Common American Foods: breast, thighs (drumsticks), wings, ground flesh (i.e. turkey burger),and foie gras.
Read the Label: There are hidden ingredients to lookout for. Among them, you should be especially mindful of the stocks/bases used in your favorite soups and stews.
Months 7 through 9 – Eliminate all Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish & Invertebrate Animals
Here’s where your journey might get a little tricky…no more tuna fish sandwiches or sushi bars.
Common American Foods: fish, snake, turtle soup, frog legs, lobsters, shrimp, scallops, crabs, clams, mussels, and calamari.
Read the Label: There are hidden ingredients to lookout for – especially in flavoring and coloring. Also, your favorite beer or wine may need to be replaced due to the use of animal products during filtration.
Months 10 through 12 – Eliminate all Eggs & Dairy Products
At this point you’ll be pretty good at checking labels, but nothing will prepare you for the number of hidden ingredients found in everyday foods.
Common American Foods: eggs, cream, milk, cheese, milk chocolate, ice cream.
Read the Label: There are hidden ingredients to lookout for, specifically egg whites and whey. These aren’t necessarily ‘hidden’ but they certainly don’t seem like obvious ingredients. I can’t stress enough – read those labels.
Once you’ve gone through the transition, pat yourself on the back and get a Vegetar-I-Am T-shirt!
