this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2023
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So, most people are just terrible at making big changes from one day to the next, we're creatures who function on habits.
What are good steps to take, to gradually transition away from meat for whatever reason, be it ethical, environmental or both?
You could
And so on and so forth. Maybe drop dairy next, because large animal, then work on eggs. Slowly but surely.
Any thoughts? I'm genuinely asking, because I'm very much someone who has a hard time with big changes in my everyday life.
I tried for a while to make those small changes, but I always found it too hard to do, until I finally just decided to cut out all animal products one night, and I never really went back.
I think the difference was how I framed it, mentally. I always saw it as an act of willpower to not eat animal products, like I have to overcome my cravings in the same way I would if I was cutting calories. But quitting animal products altogether allowed me to frame it differently for myself -- instead of telling myself "I shouldn't eat this", I can just say "I don't eat this." Like, it's not on the table as something I have to consider. I don't even have to recognize animal products as food.
Maybe if you cut things out one at a time you could do a similar thing. Though one problem is that it's a series of changes and commitments you have to make, instead of just one thing. I feel like that could be harder, depending on who you are.
The biggest hurdle from me going vegan was I thought it would be difficult, so I did something similar. Turns out, however, that it's SUPER EASY to cut out all meat and dairy. Seriously it blew my mind. Just look up a couple recipes, make sure you read ingredient lists on products, and you're done. That's all it takes.
The key is to just commit. Jump off the high board and take the plunge. Sure the water may shock you at first but you'll quickly adapt. Quicker than you'd expect.
I went vegetarian about 9 years ago and went vegan about 1.5 years ago. Honestly I think anyone can go vegetarian overnight. It wasn't that hard 9 years ago and it's even easier now with all the fancy mock meats and stuff and greater ability to get plant-based options at restaurants etc. YouTube has endless videos on plant-based cooking and there are tons of vegan/plant-based cookbooks for that too.
To people who are flirting with veganism for ethical reasons, hear me out: would you treat dogfighting, cockfighting, or committing crimes against other people in the same "baby steps" manner that some people endorse with converting to a plant-based diet? Either you think dogfighting (watching animals be harmed for your own pleasure) is bad, or you don't. Either you think killing animals and subjecting them to suffering needlessly for your own taste pleasure is bad, or you don't. If you do think it's bad, put your money where your mouth is and quit.