By Darius Bennett
Well you’ve probably heard of
meatless Monday but how about vegan Thursday? You haven’t which is perfect
since I made it up! Though not because I’m crazy or super trendy. (well with
clothes that’s another subject) It’s primarily to challenge to myself. As a
cute boy once told me, “Challenges help people grow.” That growth is what
I seek as a person, chef, shopper, eater, and clinician.
Honestly, the thought of doing
this weekly just randomly came to me. After graduating from undergrad. I began wondering about my life and the impact
I wanted to have on the world. There I was preparing to move to the Midwest
from the East Coast and start a program that included sustainability as a major
part on their nutrition philosophy and I had no idea what that meant for me or
in my life. Somehow Meatless Monday and Vegan Thursday came to be the consensus
of my pondering.
I decided from the first week of
my dietetic internship that I would be strictly vegetarian, no meat or fish, on
Mondays and strictly vegan, no meat, fish, animal products such dairy, eggs, or
honey, on Thursdays. Why? Three main reasons: The environment/animal welfare,
to challenge myself to something new, and to be a better RD.
The meat industry is increasing becoming detrimental
to our environment. As our world population increases, particularly in
developed nations, the demand for meat has continued to rise and with it the
meat industry has become more concentrated and industrialized to meet this
demand. “ Livestock production
accounts for 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, including 9 percent
of carbon dioxide and 37 percent of methane gas emissions worldwide” This has a major impact on
climate change, yes it’s a real thing. Along with the transportation associated
with it, waste from the animals, runoff from that waste or fertilizers,
decreased biodiversity, and erosion, the earth is paying the price for our
current food system. Additionally, the welfare of these animals is jeopardized
for us to use their flesh. As we concentrate our farms and industrialize them
our practice become more inhumane as we has created a circle of life for animal
that is not meant for them to enjoy but for us to exploit. Being vegan or
vegetarian, even if for a day, can help decrease the effects on the environment
and the killing of living beings.
As I said before I wanted to
grow. I needed to see if I could have the discipline to stick to these diet
days. The real challenge was pushing myself to not make excuses for why I
couldn’t make changes in my life at this very moment. It didn’t matter that I
was moving to a new city and knew no one at the time or that I wouldn’t really
be able to work, I wanted to try something that I felt would make an impact
even if “the time wasn’t right” or I wasn’t “stable” enough. I learned
that there’s no better time than now.
Thirdly, being vegetarian and
vegan for a day a week expands my knowledge on their diet. I can have greater
knowledge and empathy when a patient or client tells me of their struggles like
feeling tired, increasing variety in their diet or even their struggles eating
out; all because I’ve experienced these challenges first hand. I’ve learned a
great deal about the nutrients in many different plant-based foods and how they
can support a healthy diet. Finding ways to better relate and support my
patients will make me a better clinician. I have new insight just from my small
weekly routine.
It has definitely been a tough
task. My first week I failed at going vegan for the whole day. I quickly
learned to do this I would have to be committed and I’d have to start planning
for it! Since that first week, I’ve held true to my goal. I’ve found that the
most difficult part is eating out on my vegan day. Since I’m trying to be
strict on my food consumption with that diet, it’s been hard to find out all
the ingredients in a dish. I went out once and wanted to get a sandwich so I
made sure to ask if it was made with honey and they couldn’t tell me so I had
to omit the bun altogether. So many great dishes have in them or are made with
butter, honey, milk, eggs, etc. and eating at the few exclusively vegan restaurants
can be pricey. Another rut that I’ve had is eating the same meals that I had
for Monday on Thursday or vice versa. I want to keep a nice variety in my diet
so this has been a nice challenge that has led me to branch out and try new
recipes/foods.
The most rewarding part I’ve found is that, in a small
way, I feel as though I’m doing my part to make our world a bit better, in my
opinion. Additionally, I’ve become a way better cook. Feel free to check out
some of the vegan dishes I’ve made and loved. They’re all pretty simple and
kind of fun too. I never knew where this routine would lead me but it has been
a truly positive experience that I would never take back. So always remember
your imprint may be small in the grand scheme of things but it’s still YOURS so chose the mark you want
leave.
Recipes:
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