Day 3: Eat Plant-Based

This is the single biggest thing you can do to save the world (and maybe even yourself : )

“Many of us, myself included, engage in painless, performative environmentalism,” Manjoo writes. “We’ll give up plastic straws and tweet passionately that someone should do something about the Amazon, yet few of us make space in our worldview to acknowledge the carcass in the room: the irrefutable evidence that our addiction to meat is killing the planet right before our eyes. ” Manjoo explains that omnivores classify vegans as “preachy” only because their mere existence exposes the cognative dissonance people experience when continuing to support animal cruelty and enviornmental destruction by eating animal products.

Farhad Manjoo, The New York Times

According to a recent study published in The Lancet, one of the most prestigious and oldest peer-reviewed medical journals, eating a plant-based diet has up to 84% less impact than one that includes meat, fish, eggs and dairy.

The new study, led by Nicole Blackstone, assessed six categories of environmental impact:

1. Land use, 
2. Water depletion
3. Climate change
4. Respiratory inorganics
5. Marine water eutrophication
6. Freshwater eutrophication

Nearly all of the categories were affected up to 84 percent less by a plant-based diet when compared to one that included animal products.

Pretty compelling right?

If that’s not enough then do it for your HEALTH.

1. It’s been proven to reduce the risk of many types of cancer and heart disease
2. It lowers blood sugar levels and improves kidney functions
3. Makes you SO regular (super healthy poops!)
4. Reduces pain from arthritis
5. It’s rich in nutrients

From my own experience:

• I feel so energetic 
• I’m fitter, stronger and have more stamina than I’ve ever had (seriously, I run up mountains for fun!)

If going cold turkey (or should that be cold tofu? ; ) is too much of a jump for you, try these initial steps:

1. Order Nude Meals from Nude Foods which are made from scratch by the Nude Foods chef, are always plant-based and take about 5 minutes from jar to table.
   1. Chef’s Choice – something like a riotto / quinoa / buddha bowl with 2 sides
   2. Asian Fusion – curry or Asian-inspired dish with rice / quinoa / noodles and a yummy side
   3. Soup – hearty soup with gluten free bread and a delicious salad
2. Start with plant-based food replacements. Instead of sausages, buy vegan sausages, instead of cheese, buy vegan cheese (like our vegan herbed feta), instead of cow breast milk buy Oat milk, instead of butter buy margarine or vegan butter. This way you don’t have to change your whole mindset of what you’re eating immediately. My faves are:
   1. We love Meati– the vegan version of the classic can-you-hear-that-crunch crispy chicken cutlet.
   2. Oat milk – I love Oatis. It’s all organic and made locally here in Boulder.
   3. Vegan Butter – I’m obsessed with Earth Balance‘s AMAZING vegan butter. Yum. (Find it at Nude Foods Market without any of the packaging : )
3. Use flaxmeal instead of eggs (1 tablespoon of flaxmeal + 3 tablespoons of water = 1 egg in baking). I recommend going for plant-based recipes that already have this built-in as I’ve never tried simply doing a direct replacement
4. Let go of the belief that every meal needs a central ‘thing’ to make it a meal. This was hard (and still is) for me. What do I mean by this? Non-plant-based meals are led by the meat e.g. CHICKEN with mashed potatoes and peas, FISH and chips, STEAK, green beans and potatoes, cheese-based LASAGNE and salad. Instead think of a meal as a more equally balanced plate consisting of things you might traditionally think of as sides.
5. Here are a few of my fave meals and snacks for inspiration plus a WHOLE HEAP MORE HERE complete with links to buy.

Challenge 3:

Plan to eat all plant-based one day this week. Post in the Facebook group about what you’re planning to eat : )

Also let us know if you try any of these recipes and how they are! Bonus points for including a photo.