Over the summer I decided to go completely plant-based. This decision was very daunting at first. Thinking of vegetarian and vegan alternatives for everything felt like a battle I was most certainly going to lose. Fast forward to 3 months later, I have never been happier with a decision. What inspired me to make this journey was my love for animals. I have always considered myself to be an animal person, however, over the summer that feeling intensified and I felt like I was in a place where I could no longer consume animal products. This is what led me to start this journey.
Going plant-based has had many pros. For instance, it has made me fall in love with cooking. I have cooked dozens of new recipes and have learned how to substitute meat products in some of my favourite dishes. I will admit, many of the recipes require a certain degree of effort and creativity but that is what has made it so much fun. I have found so much freedom in the kitchen; all I do is think about the next recipe I want to try. Intially, I was worried I would have to give up my favourite foods, however, this was not the case at all. I have found a ton of online resources that have provided me with vegan recipes for my cultural Afro-Caribbean foods. There are endless brands out there with numerous meat replacements that taste and feel just like the real thing. There is a plant-based recipe for literally every dish you can possibly imagine. There is also a number of online resources – even TikTok has tons of recipes that are easy to follow along, which is incredibly helpful in the beginning.Â
An additional pro is that many of the ingredients are very cost-effective. The majority of my meals cost less than $10 to make! Incorporating plant-based products such as tofu can be a great way to help lower the grocery bill. In today’s day and age, plant-based products are at essentially every grocery store, making it relatively accessible. Many of the substitutions can also be made at home with basic veggies, spices, etc. Some of my current go-to brands include Beyond Meat, Notco, Yves, and Gardein, which you can find at all your major grocery stores. If you want to focus on creating your own substitutes, stores like Bulk Barn are the place to go. You can get products such as texturized vegetable protein which is an amazing substitute for ground beef or products like nutritional yeast, which adds a nice cheesy flavour to recipes.
Going plant-based has made me feel better about my eating habits and has strengthened my relationship with food and cooking. A plant-based diet is not a realistic option for everyone and that is more than okay. My goal is not to convince everyone to go vegan or vegetarian – my goal is to help reduce the intimidation of a plant-based diet for those who may be on the fence about changing up their diet. Going plant-based does not have to happen all at once, my best advice is to start small, slowly incorporate more plant-based meals, and go from there.