Going veg is the number one way to reduce the pain and suffering of animals—but what about making the switch as painless for yourself as well? Don’t sweat it, we have time tested tips to start your tasty transition! Try this:
Most of us are hit with some pretty common (and sometimes silly) questions about being veg. Luckily, they are all super easy to answer. Keep your cool, and answer questions thoughtfully, because even though it might seem obvious to you, it may not be to others! Click the questions below for snappy responses to:
You can get all the protein you need on a vegetarian or vegan diet—and without the saturated fats and cholesterol, not to mention no animals having to die for your food. If you eat a mix of soy products, nuts, legumes, grains and tasty mock meats you’re more than sorted. Variety is the key and that’s what makes veggie food fun!
In actual fact, we in the West usually eat too much protein. We’re a country of meat-a-holics and the dead animals on people’s plates aren’t doing their health any favours.
(For more information on nutrition click here.)
Leafy green vegetables are a great source of iron. Eating plenty of leafy greens and combining that with foods rich in vitamin C, such as oranges, lemons and tomatoes will keep you in tip top shape. In fact, studies have shown that vegans on average have higher levels of iron absorption than meat-eaters!
(For more information on nutrition click here.)
Some people kick the meat habit cold tofurkey, but others find it easier to take it one step at a time. There’s no right or wrong way to do it—the most important thing is to find what works for you. Here’s some ways to get started:
Being vegetarian or vegan is about helping animals—not about being ‘perfect’. Each meal is an important choice between cruelty and kindness, and it’s important not to throw in the towel if you cave in to a craving! Most of us ate meat at some stage, but it’s the kind choices we make today which determine how many lives will be saved tomorrow. If you don’t eat meat for a week, you’ll save two animals’ lives. The next week it will be four. In a year, 100—and over a lifetime, thousands!
For the animals’ sake, it's vitally important not to spit the dummy if you discover that the satay sauce in the vegetarian meal you ordered had traces of an animal by-product! In reality, small amounts of animal products are impossible to avoid; they’re in our cars, in our computers, even paints! By not eating meat you will break the killing cycle which underpins these by-products. Fussing over micro-ingredients makes being vegetarian look very difficult and complicated to meat-eaters—and that can cost lives if it turns people off thinking about going veg for themselves. So, chillax, know that you’re helping animals, and take it easy!
We know that being veg is easy, and you know how simple it is to find and create delicious meat-free meals, but does your family? Catering for a new diet in the family can be a headache for even the most accomplished cook, but you can make it easy! Offer to help with the shopping, and load up the trolley with cruelty-free goodies including mock-meats—which can be used in all the same meaty recipes your family will be used to. But don’t stop there. Get your hands dirty in the kitchen and help prepare some delicious cruelty-free meals for the whole family to enjoy. They will be glad for the help, and will learn first-hand how tasty meat-free meals can be!
Ditching meat, dairy and eggs can do wonders for your health. But as with any diet, if you don't eat well, you'll get sick. So be smart and make sure you're getting all the fuel your body needs to stay in tip top shape. Click here for same basic tips on nutrition. After all, we owe it to the animals to be lean mean veggie machines, so that we can show others how great cruelty-free living can be.
Next: What to Eat »
