Vegans are a rapidly growing community on every corner of the world, but taking a decision to stop eating what you love is a really tough one. Either if you're thinking of going vegan for the animals, for the planet, for your health, just thinking about never again eating a perfectly cooked steak or a juicy hamburger can be a real dealbreaker, right? Don't worry, this might be the solution to all your problems...
Maybe you don't actually need to become a vegan to support whatever your reasons are for doing it! A whole-foods, plant based diet (WFPB diet) could be a really great alternative to keep holding up to your beliefs without feeling guilty about eating a delicious piece of meat once in a while.
What is a whole-foods, plant based diet?
A WFPB diet consists on eating whole food products or minimally processed food, excluding added sugars, processed oils, and refined food. As its name says, a WFPB diet should also focus on consuming plants, making up the majority of what you eat... these are fruits, vegetables, seeds, legumes, whole grains and nuts.
But here's the part you'll like the most! Although a diet like this limits or even avoids consuming animal products such as meat, eggs, poultry, etc., they are NOT PROHIBITED!
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Now, just because you can eat these products, doesn't mean you should eat them regularly if you choose to go for the WFPB diet option, but hey, maybe this will make eating a delicious cut of meat that much more special!
That being said, here are some things you should take into consideration when consuming any kind of animal products so you ensure you're still supporting your beliefs while eating what's best for your body:
Try to buy meat, fish, and poultry from a local farmer if possible. Although their products may not be certified (because it's expensive), odds are their animals and products are organically raised and produced.
If you go to a supermarket to do your food shopping, try to get certified organic products or, if you're on a budget, look out for the "vegetarian fed” and “hormone free" claims on the product's label.
When cooking meat, try not to do it for a long time or at temperatures above 300ºF (149ºC) as this promotes the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) which can be really bad for your health.
Now that you know about the WFPB diet, maybe this is the option you were searching for in your objective to support what you believe in while getting rid of the "never eating meat again" feeling you were being haunted by!
Are you following a WFPB diet already? Tell us all about it!