A month without meat
Hi everyone,
it's been a while!
You've probably heard the phrase "New year, new me" a lot this month (like every past year, really.), but trust me this is not going to be another one of those soppy posts in which the writer's self-hatred magically turns into unicorn dust the minute the clock strikes twelve on New Year's Eve.
As most of you know, I have never hated myself or wanted to change much about myself, au contraire I love myself so much that it is even too much for certain people to handle (#sorrynotsorry). As you also know, I am a huge foodie and have eaten embarrassing amounts of meat in the past (all you can eat wings? Sign me the f up). So it is perfectly understandable for you guys to wonder now "Why did Anne decide to go veggie for a month?" because I am sure a lot of you do.
Let me explain you why as that's the reason we're all here, am I right?
First of all, like every straight thinking human being I am worried about the planet we live on and the destructive lifestyle we are leading. I have already been recycling, using public transport as much as possible and avoiding certain ingredients such as palm oil for example but I wanted to take things further and continue reducing my carbon footprint to help save the planet. The next logical step I could think of taking was cutting out meat out of my diet. The meat industry is the world's largest user of land resources (which means deforestation and the destruction of a lot species and their homes) and pollutes the planet with greenhouse gases and chemicals which end up in our water supplies. This is something I do not want to excessively contribute to.
I also wanted to appreciate meat more and acknowledge the fact that we are taking a being's life for it to end up in a supermarket fridge sharing a plastic pack with 9 other sausages. Sounds pretty sad now, doesn't it? Meat being sold as something so cheap and basic started to repulse me as eating meat should be something to be truly grateful for.
Last but not least, I LOVE vegetables and always have. As a foodie, I wanted to challenge myself and wondered if I really needed meat to be part of my meal for it to be a culinary experience. The answer is: No. In the past month I have eaten some truly delightful vegetarian dishes, like this avocado toast I had in a coffee shop in Brussels:
As this month is now almost over, here are my conclusions:
- I didn't weigh myself before or after this challenge so I can't tell you how it affected my body (because this wasn't the point of my challenge). I still have the same energy as before and feel just as happy as before.
- It is sometimes hard to live a veggie life in Western Europe and options are limited. Sometimes all you can choose from is a salad, a soup or some quinoa thing. It also took me longer to find a suitable restaurant when I decided to eat out. Canteen food at work was a disappointment so I tried to meal prep as much as possible.
- I spent less money on grocery shopping. (Which I can now spend on overpriced Starbucks drinks)
- Going to the gym twice a week and doing yoga showed me that protein is important! In this whole month I have only felt weaker at the gym, once, and that was the day I had a salad and a few nuts for lunch. Research your plant based protein options and don't go to the gym without eating properly.
But most importantly, what will happen to my diet after January?
I have loved being a vegetarian but I don't want to deprive myself from anything entirely. I will continue adhering to my meatless diet during the week but will maybe treat myself to a meaty dish on a weekend or for a special occasion. It is important to always remember that we don't all have to become vegans to live a more sustainable life, we just need to reduce our meat consumption and see it as a luxury rather than a necessity.
Love always,
Anne
it's been a while!
You've probably heard the phrase "New year, new me" a lot this month (like every past year, really.), but trust me this is not going to be another one of those soppy posts in which the writer's self-hatred magically turns into unicorn dust the minute the clock strikes twelve on New Year's Eve.
As most of you know, I have never hated myself or wanted to change much about myself, au contraire I love myself so much that it is even too much for certain people to handle (#sorrynotsorry). As you also know, I am a huge foodie and have eaten embarrassing amounts of meat in the past (all you can eat wings? Sign me the f up). So it is perfectly understandable for you guys to wonder now "Why did Anne decide to go veggie for a month?" because I am sure a lot of you do.
Let me explain you why as that's the reason we're all here, am I right?
First of all, like every straight thinking human being I am worried about the planet we live on and the destructive lifestyle we are leading. I have already been recycling, using public transport as much as possible and avoiding certain ingredients such as palm oil for example but I wanted to take things further and continue reducing my carbon footprint to help save the planet. The next logical step I could think of taking was cutting out meat out of my diet. The meat industry is the world's largest user of land resources (which means deforestation and the destruction of a lot species and their homes) and pollutes the planet with greenhouse gases and chemicals which end up in our water supplies. This is something I do not want to excessively contribute to.
I also wanted to appreciate meat more and acknowledge the fact that we are taking a being's life for it to end up in a supermarket fridge sharing a plastic pack with 9 other sausages. Sounds pretty sad now, doesn't it? Meat being sold as something so cheap and basic started to repulse me as eating meat should be something to be truly grateful for.
Last but not least, I LOVE vegetables and always have. As a foodie, I wanted to challenge myself and wondered if I really needed meat to be part of my meal for it to be a culinary experience. The answer is: No. In the past month I have eaten some truly delightful vegetarian dishes, like this avocado toast I had in a coffee shop in Brussels:
As this month is now almost over, here are my conclusions:
- I didn't weigh myself before or after this challenge so I can't tell you how it affected my body (because this wasn't the point of my challenge). I still have the same energy as before and feel just as happy as before.
- It is sometimes hard to live a veggie life in Western Europe and options are limited. Sometimes all you can choose from is a salad, a soup or some quinoa thing. It also took me longer to find a suitable restaurant when I decided to eat out. Canteen food at work was a disappointment so I tried to meal prep as much as possible.
- I spent less money on grocery shopping. (Which I can now spend on overpriced Starbucks drinks)
- Going to the gym twice a week and doing yoga showed me that protein is important! In this whole month I have only felt weaker at the gym, once, and that was the day I had a salad and a few nuts for lunch. Research your plant based protein options and don't go to the gym without eating properly.
But most importantly, what will happen to my diet after January?
I have loved being a vegetarian but I don't want to deprive myself from anything entirely. I will continue adhering to my meatless diet during the week but will maybe treat myself to a meaty dish on a weekend or for a special occasion. It is important to always remember that we don't all have to become vegans to live a more sustainable life, we just need to reduce our meat consumption and see it as a luxury rather than a necessity.
Love always,
Anne
Comments
Post a Comment