Living More Ethically and Veganism

I don't think it is any secret that veganism is on the rise. Many people seem to find vegans as intrusive or as 'bully's' and I can often see why. But honestly veganism isn't about that. It is about leading a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle for both you, the animals and the planet. I see a lot of vegan's online being bullied for putting their message across and I do see why, because it can be often seen as 'forcing' it onto people, but all I want to do is open your eyes to ways you can live more ethically. I recently made the change to become vegan after looking into many documentary's and videos on the benefits of veganism and the truths behind the meat and dairy industry's, which shocked me to say the least. Many people believe that veganism has to be all or nothing, but that really isn't the case and there are so many small steps you can take to living more ethically that doesn't have to be a full of pledge to veganism straight away.

Research
Even if you aren't considering becoming vegan I recommend that you at least do some research on the topic because then you know both sides of the argument and can make a decision seeing it from everyone's angle.

I recommend using YouTube as a resource as well as documentary's such as Cowspiracy and Earthlings. Looking deeper into these industry's may spark something in you into wanting to become vegan when you learn about the harsh truths of industrial farming

Did you know? That male baby chicks are often ground up/killed as they are no use to the egg industry.

Switch out certain products
You don't have to cut everything out immediately to make a difference. By simply switching out your normal milk for soy or nut variety's you will already be spreading a message to the producers. In todays world your money really is your voice. Where you choose to spend your money can really make a difference as by purchasing a product you are showing you support the industry behind it. So by changing to cruelty free alternatives you are showing that you no longer support the other industry's and therefore maybe in the long run there will be less cruelty if enough people take the same approach as the producers come to realise their current approach is not working.

Things you can switch out
Milk // Soy or nut milks (alrpo is a good brand)
Yogurt // Soy or other dairy free alternatives (alpro is a good brand)
Meat // Meat free alternatives such as Linda Mccartneys vegan options or Quorn vegan options
Egg // Egg substitutes such as flax egg of flax seed mixed into water or try a tofu scramble
Makeup tested on animals // Switch to cruelty free brands and look up vegan lists. I have a post on cruelty free brands here
Chocolate // There are endless options of dairy free chocolates
Cakes // Get baking and creative!
Bread // Make sure bread is free from egg, milk or whey. (Hovis label which breads are vegan)

Did you know? Female cows are impregnated or 'raped' for them to produce milk and then immediately/shortly after birth the calf is taken off the mother to insure ultimate milk production for the producers

Simple Meal Plan
Veganism is far from living off salads these days and you don't worry about protein because you get plenty from green vegetables and beans. Everyone is different when it comes to a vegan lifestyle and there are so many different ways of eating, but what is important is to do what is right for you. Whether it be raw, normal or HCLF you can eat pretty much anything as a vegan. Just because you see one trend of veganism doesn't mean you have to follow it. I myself stick to a normal vegan diet eating what I want whether that be chips one day and fruit the next. One thing you need to consider hwoever is you do need to eat slightly more if you are vegan as larger portions of rice and vegetables can equate to the same in calories as a small meal of meat. Therefore you need more to fill your stomach and get the nurtients you need.

Breakfast
Porridge (and all the toppings)
Banana Nice Cream
Smoothies
Cereal

Lunch
Sandwiches
Avocado on toast (or anything you like)
Roasted potatoes/chips

Dinner
Stuffed vegetables
Vegan burgers etc
Rice and beans
Pasta/pizza
Stir Fry's

Snacks
Fruit
Dried Fruit
Nuts

It really is as easy as that, you can pretty much veganize anything and it isn't as hard as you think to get a balanced diet being vegan.


Choose the Vegetarian Options When Eating Out
Start off with small steps. When you are eating out rather than choosing the burger, choose the vegetarian option on the menu instead, because again you are voicing an opinion with your wallet. If the restaurant offers vegan options, then great choose that. Even better would be try out that vegan restaurant in your town and you will quickly see that you can still eat delicious food as a vegan.

Small Steps are Ok
Like I said earlier with veganism it does not have to be all or nothing. There are so many small things you can do to make a difference. Maybe at first try out being pescatarian, then move onto vegetarian and lastly you could take the step to be vegan, that was how I did it. Try out No Meat Mondays or Vegan Thursdays, whatever step you can, try it or maybe just switch out products for alternatives that I suggested above.

I hope this has helped you realise you can live more ethically quite easily today and maybe even made you consider trying out a vegan lifestyle. I have heard many people say that veganism is a privilege, when in reality being vegan can be cheap as chips, literally! Beans, nuts, rice and wholefoods are often some of the cheapest items you can purchase in the supermarket. This post isn't to force you to become vegan it is to simply make you consider the benefits and maybe learn a bit more why the vegan community is growing so quickly today.


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