How (and why) to reduce your meat consumption?

In honor of Veganuary, I'm sharing some tips for reducing your meat consumption if you want to help keep our beautiful planet healthy. I often tell people that the goal isn't for everyone to go vegan, but rather, for everyone to reduce their meat consumption to allow for a large-scale impact. But before we talk about tips, let's take a look at the reasons why it's good to reduce our consumption of animal products.

We often blame big business and politicians for environmental problems. I heard the following quote a few years ago, and it really stuck with me: "We vote 3 times a day." Every time we consume a product, it's a way of voting for what matters to us. This is especially important when it comes to food, because everyone has to eat every day, and the agricultural sector is one of the top 5 polluters in Canada. Think about it; if we consume less meat, farmers will have no choice but to reduce their production to avoid losses.

I won't go into all the details about pollution in the food industry, but if you're interested in learning more, here's a 4-minute video that perfectly explains all the sometimes little-known aspects of the meat industry.

Same thing with plastic packaging; companies invest tons of money to find out what factors influence consumers' purchasing decisions; if we choose products that have less packaging, believe me, industries will follow the trend!

Finally, animal welfare is one of the main reasons many people choose to reduce their meat consumption. Video testimonials are difficult to watch, as the conditions in which farm animals are kept are often worse than you might imagine. I always advise people who eat meat to try to buy from organic farms (like Fermes Valens); the animals are treated well and they're not pumped full of antibiotics and chemicals to fatten them up.

Okay, now here are my tips if you want to dip your little toe into the world of veganism!

1. Find your motivation

As with anything in life, if you want to create long-term habits, you need to know why you're doing it so you can remind yourself when motivation wanes. If you're just doing it for the sake of it, chances are you'll fall back into your old habits after a week or two!

Tip: Educate yourself! Watch movies, TV shows, and read books about the food industry. You'll be able to get a sense of all the impacts and factors, and it will be easier to make changes (if you want to) if you're better informed.

2. Avoid eliminating anything from your diet for the time being.

Instead, add vegan recipes and dishes, and eventually, you'll likely naturally decrease your meat consumption as you add more vegan recipes to your menu. It's always easier to add than to eliminate or restrict!

Tip: If you don't like a recipe: next, next ! There are tons of vegan recipes, don't try to like foods or dishes, you'll create a negative relationship with eating vegan!

3. Makes “incognito” replacements

Swap regular mayo for the vegan version, butter for plant-based butter, cow's milk for oat milk... often, especially when it's food you use to cook with, you won't even notice the difference!

The same goes for cleaning and beauty products; opt for vegan and cruelty-free products. They are just as effective and gentler on our furry friends.

4. Avoid meat substitutes

It seems easy to say that we're going to replace a meat burger with the veggie option; but, in my experience, many people don't like meat substitutes because they compare them to the taste of real meat, and they don't really taste the same. You'll have more success with a recipe with tofu, beans, or quinoa, for example, than veggie hot dogs or a sandwich with imitation deli meats. For me, these products serve me when nostalgia strikes and I really want to eat a food that I used to like, without the consequences that I don't want to assume (but it's a very personal choice and unique to each person :)).

And there you have it! Hope this helps. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the box below, I'll be more than happy to answer them!

- Christine