If you watched Cowspiracy, What The Health, The Game Changers or Forks Over Knives and subsequently decided to change your diet by reducing your meat consumption, you've come to the right place!
Perhaps you've chosen to eat less meat for your health, for the well-being of animals, or simply to help save our beautiful planet. Whatever your reasons, in this short article you will find 5 tips aimed at guiding you in your transition!
At first, it's not always easy to cook meals with unfamiliar ingredients. The ideal approach is a gradual one that makes it easy to continue having fun in the kitchen. Try using your favorite recipes by simply replacing the meat with a source of plant-based protein. This will give you a sense of comfort and instill you with the confidence needed to eventually try new recipes!
Many online sites offer wonderful ideas for both vegetarian and vegan recipes. Here's a list of essentials to add to your favorites and consult regularly: The Buddhist Chef, It doesn't taste like chicken, Marilou and Ricardo. They all offer quality vegan options!
Specialty grocery stores sell a wide variety of plant-based foods. You can easily find ideas there to replace meat with tofu, tempeh, seitan, vegetables, or even fauxmage (vegan cheese).
In the Montreal area, the most well known of these stores include Avril Supermarché Santé, Rachelle Béry, and Les Marchés TAU. Otherwise, there are now several small online stores offering home delivery, and Le Panier Bleu is a helpful resource which can provide you with an overview of the natural and organic food stores in your area.
There is nothing better than reading a good book to improve your knowledge on a subject! Whenever we change a habit, confusion is commonplace, but practical tools can go a long way toward enlightening us and ultimately helping us change our daily lives with clarity.
Here are some truly fascinating books to kickstart your adventure: Eating Animals, How to Go Vegan, How Not to Die and The China Study.
It's very normal to feel lonely or misunderstood when you change your eating habits. Often, family or close friends do not understand our choices, and they can be judgmental about it. Regardless of what your experience may be, there's nothing like joining a truly committed group to help you feel 100% understood! In addition to boosting your confidence, groups also present the perfect opportunity to ask a ton of questions.
Whether you join to exchange info, get inspired, or simply to satisfy your curiosity, the following Facebook groups are definitely worth a look: Devenir et vivre vegétarien/végétalien, Véganes, végétaliens, végétariens et tous les curieux, Vers->Végétaliens/Véganes/Québec and Végane Montréal.
Throughout Quebec, exhibitions are regularly organized to introduce you to new products and services or to provide opportunities to talk to health experts. The main idea is to meet like-minded, motivated people whose eating habits you can learn from. You can also attend online workshops or conferences associated with these events. Bottom line, these fairs and exhibitions are perfect for newbies!
Be sure to check out the following not-to-be-missed events: Expo manger santé et vivre vert (Montréal, Sherbrooke and Québec), Expo Yoga & bien-être, and the Montreal Vegan Festival.
Finally, remind yourself regularly that the key to achieving your goals is patience-not pressure! The important thing is the journey, not the destination! So enjoy the adventure and savour every moment you spend in your kitchen, because these are the things that really matter.
We hope this article has given you a nudge in the right direction! :)
The SETA team
Comments will be approved before showing up.
