Hey earth muffins! As I mentioned in my recent post how to start a plant-based diet, January is the month of Veganuary. I’m sure you all know that vegans are often criticized and made fun of for their eating habits… Being vegetarian, I have also had people question my decision to not eat meat. If you are participating in Veganuary this year, it is helpful to prepare yourself in advance on how to respond to vegan “haters”. Regardless if someone is just asking a question about your diet choice or being mean-spirited, these suggestions should all help you create the perfect reply to their comments.
Keep your diet choices to yourself!
It is honestly no one’s business that you are plant-based or vegan. So, keep it to yourself! I think a lot of vegans get in trouble for sharing too much about their diet all the time. This can get annoying, which can turns others off to the diet altogether. I know I am doing a good job at keeping it to myself when a coworker or friend says “Oh, I didn’t know you were vegetarian!”. 😊
Hey earth muffins! January is here, which means Veganuary starts! What is Veganuary, you might ask? It is a month-long challenge to push yourself to try a plant-based diet. If you aren’t sure what I mean by “plant-based”, check out this full guide on the different plant-based diets. 😊 As a vegetarian, I love the idea of this challenge… But I also know that starting a plant-based diet can be overwhelming at first. To make it easier for any of you interested in participating in this challenge, here are my top 10 tips on how to start a plant-based diet this January. I adapted this list from the official Veganuary guide, so sign up to participate in the challenge to get even more helpful hints!
1. Focus on planning before you start!
Changing your diet is going to take some preparation. You can’t just decide that you are going to be vegan one day and expect to be successful. It is going to take some planning! I’m a huge fan of journaling, so I suggest writing out a plan for yourself. Make lists for the grocery store (bonus, this prevents food waste too!), ideas for meals, and set goals to help ease yourself in. If you have a plan before you start, you increase the likelihood that you will stick to your new plant-based diet!
Hey earth muffins! Fall is almost here! The weather has slowly been getting colder, and I have definitely been enjoying the cooler autumn vibes. The school year has officially begun, so I wanted to share some tips with you all today for packing a zero waste lunch. 🍎 These tips apply to your children headed off to school, but they also work for those of us who go to the office for work. As I mentioned in my September newsletter, I recently accepted a new job. At the end of September I will be going back to in-person work – so excited to leave remote work behind! Let’s jump right into some zero waste lunch tips.
~Invest in a nice lunch box or buy one second hand.
If you plan on packing lunches for yourself and/or your kids, you will need a good lunch box. Before checking out any new options, I suggest shopping at second hand stores in your area. You might even be able to borrow from family or friends – or score a nice deal on Facebook Marketplace! Once you have exhausted used alternatives, find a lunch box that is 1) big enough to fit a full lunch and 2) made of high-quality materials that will last a long time. A lot of the “back to school” lunch boxes sold during the fall season aren’t always the best for long-lasting wear… Especially for work, think about possibly purchasing a stainless steel lunch container that will last a lifetime!
~Use reusable bags and containers!
Once you have a nice box, pack your zero waste lunch in reusables too. Instead of Ziploc bags, try out some reusable ones. Stasher bags are all the rage right now, but there are plenty of other products on the market too. I saw some great eco-friendly bags at Target recently! For larger items, use metal or glass containers. While many people use plastic Tupperware for lunches, I always try to avoid plastic touching my food. But, any reusable container will do – use whatever you already have in the house. Make sure your kids bring them home at the end of the day so that they can be washed and used again!
~Buy snacks from the bulk bins instead of individually packaged.
Grocery stores are full of individually packaged snacks… Which seem perfect for lunches. However, these are extremely wasteful in terms of plastic packaging. You often don’t get a lot in each bag, and the cost to buy individually packaged items is more expensive than buying a larger pack and separating the food yourself. A great zero waste lunch tip is to buy food from the bulk bins! Many bulk food stores have numerous snack options. Pack them in reusable bags and your lunch is ready to go!
~Pack leftovers for lunch!
Don’t feel like you have to pack a new meal for lunches. A great way to prevent food waste is to bring your dinner leftovers from the night before to eat at lunch the next day! This allows you to save that food from going to waste in your fridge, and it is often much easier to pack than a bunch of snack bags. 🎉
~Try adding less meat options in your zero waste lunch.
We all know that plant-based diets are much better for the environment… So challenge yourself to pick a day (or a few days!) of the week to go meatless. One of my go-to lunches is a nice peanut butter and jelly sandwich – totally perfect for a Meatless Monday lunch! Every small change has an impact; avoiding meats in your lunch even just one day of the week helps.
~Bring lunch leftovers back home from school.
Instead of having your kids dump what they don’t eat, just ask them to reseal their reusable containers and bring them home. Then, compost that food waste! Ta-da, you just saved a bunch of waste from heading to the landfill. It is also a good idea to evaluate what your kids doesn’t eat. If there is a bit of everything left, you might be packing too much. When only a few items are left behind, they might not enjoy those foods as much. All good insights for keeping food waste at a minimum!
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Final Thoughts on How to Pack a Zero Waste Lunch
One of the easiest things you can do to reduce your impact during the school year is to just pack a lunch each day. Not only does this help you monitor what your kid is eating, it also allows you to shop in bulk, use reusables, and curb food waste in the cafeteria. The same goes for packing your own lunch for work; such a great way to stay eco-friendly during the year! 😊 Do you pack a lunch for yourself and/or your children?? Comment below your favorite lunch snacks!
Hey earth muffins! As many of you know, I have been a vegetarian for over two years now. I technically should say I have been a pescatarian, as I have been eating fish. However, I watched the documentary Seaspiracy on Netflix a couple of months ago and vowed to myself that I would also slowly cut out fish in my diet too. This documentary was eye-opening and made me cry on my couch; so, I thought I would share some facts with you all today. While seen as a “sustainable” alternative to beef and chicken, fish has a huge detrimental effect on the planet too. Here are the top reasons why you too should stop eating fish so often.
Commercial fishing is a greater threat to marine life than we think – even compared to oil spills!
We have all learned about the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill back in 2010. The media flooded the news with images of animals drowning in oil and dead sealife scattering the coast. Did you know that the fishing industry in the Gulf of Mexico destroys more animals in a day than the Deepwater Horizon oil spill did in months? Yeah, neither did I. The fishing industry is harmful for multiple reasons. First, many animals die as “bycatch”. Bycatch is defined as “non-target marine catch who are left dead or dying as a result of the fishing industry”. This includes dolphins, turtles, sharks, and even whales. The methods used by commercial fishing vessels also destroy the ocean floor where bottom trawling fishing occurs. This obviously impacts corals, as well as the habitats of sea life. Seaspiracy estimated that about 3.9 billion acres of sea bed are destroyed each year by bottom trawling fishing. That’s the equivalent of deforesting 4,316 soccer fields every minute.
Even if you buy fish that is labeled as “bycatch free”, that is usually not the case.
According to the documentary, more than 300,000 whales and dolphins are killed each year as bycatch. 30,000 sharks are killed every single hour and 250,000 sea turtles are injured or killed (in the U.S. alone). With these horrific statistics, you will obviously opt for a can of tuna that has the “dolphin safe” or “bycatch free” label on it… But sadly, those labels mean absolutely nothing; they are just a marketing strategy. Once a fishing boat gets out on the ocean (with little or no supervision), there is no way to guarantee that any product is bycatch free. It is just impossible. The documentary shared the story of catching one fishing vessel working for a Dolphin Safe tuna brand; they killed 45 dolphins to catch just eight tuna fish. The only solution is to reduce or stop eating fish at all.
Fishing nets make up 46% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
When we talk about plastic, most of the messaging is around reducing plastic straws, Q-tips, water bottles, and plastic bags. That video of the poor turtle with a straw in his nose went viral and sparked the ‘ban plastic straws’ wave. BUT, most of the plastic waste in the ocean comes directly from the fishing industry. From discarded nets to other gear, almost half of the crap in our oceans is from fishing. Less than 1% of the plastics in the ocean are plastic straws. These fishing nets are more dangerous than any plastic straw because they are designed to trap and kill fish. Just imagine the danger of having them just float around the ocean as waste!
The fishing industry gets $35 billion in subsidies each year.
A fishing subsidy is “any use of government funds to specifically help the fishing industry. This could be anything from a cash payment, to tax breaks to free services, like building a port or infrastructure”. In 2018, the US, the EU, Korea, Japan, and China, gave the fishing industry subsidies of $35.4 billion. These countries are basically paying money to increase overfishing which directly impacts our oceans (and the ultimate downfall of our planet) in an aboslutely horrible way. On top of that, it is estimated that it would cost $33 billion a year to end world hunger…. Seems like we might want to evaluate our priorities.
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Final Thoughts on Seaspiracy
If you haven’t already, I would encourage you to watch the Seaspiracy documentary on Netflix. It isn’t a happy documentary by any means – be warned that you will learn a lot about things that will make you angry, sad, or both. I personally love documentaries that truly get the point across to anyone who watches, and this one does just that. I hope these facts have made you think about possibly reducing the amount of fish you consume. There is no such thing as “sustainable fishing”, so the best thing to do is stay conscious of what you eat and to stop eating fish. What are your thoughts on Seaspiracy? Comment below and let me know if you will reduce your fish consumption!
Hey earth muffins! A couple of years into my eco journey, I decided to stop eating meat during Plastic Free July. When I first made this decision, I wanted to see how it would affect my body and make me feel. After the one year mark, it was obvious that this was going to stick. July 2021 is the two year milestone – crazy to think all of that time has gone by! There are plenty of reasons why you should consider giving up meat as well; but, diet is an individual choice. And, there are many different plant-based diets out there to consider! For today’s post, I wanted to define some of the most popular plant-based diet options. Let’s jump right into it! 🥕
A “Plant-Based” Diet
Surprisingly, there isn’t really one encompassing definition for a “plant-based” diet! If you consider yourself someone who follows a plant-based diet, your meals contain much more plant derived foods than things from animals. The food you eat is often less processed and a “whole food” compared to other diets. I like to think of “plant-based” as an umbrella term that encompasses all of the following terms under it. 😊 It definitely is more inclusive because it includes a spectrum of people from hardcore vegans to omnivores.
Vegetarian
The dictionary defines a vegetarian as someone who “does not eat meat, and sometimes other animal products, especially for moral, religious, or health reasons”. Never fear – you can still get plenty of protein even without meat and fish; there are plenty of non-meat protein options! It seems like this diet is a popular option for reasons outside of helping the environment… But there is lots of evidence that refusing to eat meat helps the planet!
Pescatarian
While I have called myself a vegetarian for the past two years, I really should have been calling myself a “pescatarian”. If you consider yourself this plant-based diet, you allow yourself to still eat fish. I originally decided to become a pescatarian because I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to quit all meats right away. Now that I have two years under my belt, I am slowly moving towards being a full-time vegetarian. The Seaspiracy documentary on Netflix really inspired me to limit my fish consumption as much as possible. It is a great (but sad) documentary I recommend you all watch!
Flexitarian/”Omnivore”
If you are also concerned about giving up meat cold turkey (pun intended), this might be the plant-based diet for you! A flexitarian is someone who centers their diet around plant derived foods, but will occasionally include meat as well. Another term for this is a “semi-vegetarian diet”. The meat and fishing industries are absolutely terrible for the planet, so many eco warriers believe that the vegetarian/vegan diet is the only way to go. But, every small change helps! If you want to eat meat a couple days each week, the flexitarian option is a great way to reduce your meat consumption. 🐄
Vegan
Last but not least, the vegans! The strictest of the plant-based diets, a vegan abstains from consumption of any animal product. This includes things like eggs, milk, and even honey. Some vegans also take this past their diets and refuse animal products in everything from blankets to makeup products. While I haven’t considered a vegan diet yet, I’ve definitely had some delicious vegan food! It used to be much more difficult to be a vegan, but now there are many vegan options on the market. Definitely an awesome plant-based diet choice!
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Final Thoughts on Plant-Based Diets
If you want to reduce your impact on the planet in a meaningful way, then a plant-based diet might be for you! Whether you decide to be an omnivore or go all in as a vegan, the way you eat is an individual choice. Do what makes your body feel the best! Just like with any major change, keep tabs on yourself and monitor how you feel. It is important to keep all of your key nutrients and vitamins at good levels through eating healthy and/or taking supplements. From my experience, I’ve loved being on a plant-based diet; there are many great recipes to try (see my favorites here!)! What are your thoughts on plant-based diets?
Hey earth muffins! For Christmas this year, my parents bought me a few sustainable gifts. I recently reviewed the Natissy reusable paper towels, so I thought I would share my thoughts on another gift: the Soyabella nut milk maker (affiliate link)! Milk is one of those things that creates a large environmental impact. Because of that, I have been trying to swap out dairy milk for other alternatives. Many nut and seed milks do not come in glass; so, making your own is the better option! This Soyabella allows me to make my own nut milk, which is so awesome! Let’s get into my Soyabella nut milk maker review!
What I Love About My Soyabella Nut Milk Maker
When I originally moved this summer, I thought I would just buy my milk in glass because that is an option at my local health food store. However, they stopped allowing you to bring back the glass bottles because of Mister Corona. 😕 Plus, I felt like there were other options that didn’t involve cows polluting up the atmosphere. Like I mentioned above, nut milks usually come in a plastic/cardboard container. I love that this machine skips the packaging altogether! I can buy the ingredients I need in the bulk bins and pour the milk into glass jars I already have in my pantry. A win-win!
I love that you can make as much milk as you need in this machine. I find that making 0.8 Liters is enough to last me a week, depending on how much cereal I have for breakfast. If your particular nut/seed milk won’t last a full week, you can make less milk. Or, you can make even more milk if your whole family will be drinking it. I love the range of production!
The Soyabella (affiliate link) is also super easy to use. There is a detachable metal container on the inside where you put your almonds, oats, seeds, etc. Pour in some water, put on the top, and press a button a few times. Ta-da! Fresh milk. The machine is specifically made for making soy milk, so there is a whole separate button for heating up the soy beans to cook them and then turning that into milk. I just use the “Mill” button for my milks, but once I can find some bulk soy beans I definitely want to try making soy milk too!
Before my parents bought this for me, I had the Almond Cow on my eco wishlist, which I shared a few months ago. The Almond Cow retails at $200, while this machine is only $100. (As you all know, this Soyabella review wouldn’t be complete without talking about price!) I love that there is this range in nut milk makers so that it is accessible to all income levels. While I don’t know if the Almond Cow works better, I haven’t found any issues with my Soyabella!
What Could Be Improved in the Soyabella Nut Milk Maker
So far, I haven’t found anything that I don’t like about this gadget! The only thing I could think of when writing this Soyabella review is the way the inside container gets locked into place… Once you fill it up with your nuts/seeds, you have to twist left to lock it into place. For some reason, this is not natural to me, as I usually have to twist things right (“righty tighty” haha). This is an extremely minor detail, so I don’t think it should deter anyone from trying out this product!
My Favorite Soyabella Milk Recipes
Almond Milk
Before sharing this recipe, it is important to note that almond milk isn’t that great for the environment either. It is much better than dairy, but compared to other options (such as oat milk and seed milk) it still has a negative impact on the environment… But, then again, most products have some negative impact. However, I have found that most people can easily make the switch from dairy to almond milk. So, it is a good recipe to try in your Soyabella.
-1 cup almonds. Soak them in water for at least 4 hours or overnight. -0.8 Liter of water. There is a 0.8 fill line in the Soyabella -Dash of maple syrup to sweeten, optional
1. Place the almonds and maple syrup into the metal Soyabella container. Lock into place. 2. Press the “Mill” button which will run the blade for about 10 seconds. Repeat 3-5 times, depending on how thick you want the milk. 3. Pour into a mason jar and store in the fridge – it will last about 6-7 days! Before each use, make sure to shake the container!
Pumpkin Seed Milk
Just as a disclaimer, this milk should be a green/gray color. 😄 Perfect for celebrating a zero waste St. Patrick’s Day! Use the same directions as above, using pumpkin seeds in place of almonds:
-1 cup raw pumpkin seed. You can soak them overnight if you want! -3 cups water -Dash of maple syrup (or agave nectar) to sweeten, optional -Dash of salt
There you have it, my Soyabella nut milk maker review (affiliate link)! I use this machine every weekend to make new milk for the upcoming week – I absolutely love it! If you drink almond milk or any dairy alternative, I highly suggest trying to make it yourself with this machine. Nothing is more better for you than what you make at home! 🌎 ❤️
Hey earth muffins! I’ve been a vegetarian for over a year now. With this diet shift, I had to learn about some new things to add to my grocery list. One of these things is nutritional yeast. This yellow powdery substance is an ingredient in a bunch of plant based recipes. Plus, it tastes super delicious! For those who have never heard of it or don’t use nutritional yeast often, I thought I would share a post today about it; let’s jump into this essential “how to use nutritional yeast” guide! 👩🍳
What is Nutritional Yeast?
Well, it is (obviously) a form of yeast. It is yellow and powdery and has a cheesy/nutty flavor when added into recipes. It is popular in plant based diets because it is rich with nutrients that might be lacking in vegetarian and vegan dishes. But, even if you aren’t on a fully plant based diet, using nutritional yeast can still benefit your diet!
According to WebMD, nutritional yeast is full of: -Thiamine (B1) -Riboflavin (B2) -Pyridoxine (B6) -Potassium -Zinc -All nine amino acids, making it a complete protein like those in animal products
Because nutritional yeast is also gluten and dairy free, it is great for people who have food sensitivities or allergies!
Where Can I Buy It?
At any grocery store! Bragg (known for their apple cider vinegar) sells it in containers that remind me of those green parmesan cheese ones… But other brands sell it as well. I personally buy it from the bulk bins at my local health food store. Shopping in bulk is a great way to reduce your waste at the grocery store, especially if you bring your own bags with you. The price per ounce (or pound or whatever measurement your store uses) might seem a bit high, but remember – it is super light so it is not expensive at all. I filled up a bag for $4 and it has lasted me a super long time! 😊
How to Use Nutritional Yeast
There are so many ways you can use nutritional yeast in the kitchen. Obviously, you can use it in recipes that call for the ingredient. I have found that coating tofu in a mixture of nutritional yeast and corn starch before putting it in the air fryer is a great way to get the tofu extra crispy! I also recently made a delicous tofu scramble, where I used tofu, nutritional yeast, and turmeric to make “fake” scrambled eggs – so tasty! A lot of vegetarian or vegan reipes on Pinterest use this ingredient as a substitute for other things, so it is definitely a great staple to have on hand in your pantry. If you are interested in a post fully devoted to my favorite nutritional yeast recipes, let me know!
I also like to just sprinkled it in dishes, even if the recipe doesn’t call for it. This is perfect for things like mac n’ cheese, soup, or a sauce because you don’t even notice a change in taste! If I am having a rice bowl or roasted vegetables, I will add a sprinkle on top with my other spices just to get some extra nutrients in my meal. Because it has a cheesy flavor, you can think of using it like sprinkled cheese! 😍
How to Store Your Nutritional Yeast
If you buy it in a container, then just pop that into your pantry. When I buy it in bulk, I very carefully pour it from the reusable bag into a mason jar and then pop that into my pantry as well. I have heard of some people who store it in the fridge, but that isn’t necessary. When in the pantry, it should last for about two years! If you notice that it has started to turn a darker color or taste sour, then you should toss in the compost and buy more.
Overall, nutritional yeast is an awesome ingredient that I wish I knew more about before becoming a vegetarian. It has so many great nutrients in it AND the flavor is delicous. I definitely love cooking with it! Have you ever tried nutritional yeast?
Hey earth muffins! A few months ago I shared that I have been vegetarian for over a year now. Whenever this comes up in my daily life, people often ask why I decided to stop eating meat. As many of you were interested in this diet change, I thought I would write a quick post about the reasons I made the switch! There are many reasons on why you could become a vegetarian, but every person (and their body) is different… Don’t feel like this post is pressuring you to make the switch! 😊 Let’s jump right into the reasons of why I’m vegetarian!
#1 – Environmental Concerns
I first started considering a vegetarian diet when I joined in on the Plastic Free July challenge. There were absolutely no plastic free options in my area, which annoyed me. I was sick of buying meat wrapped in plastic wrap AND on styrofoam boards – so wasteful! Looking at vegetarian protein options, there are more plastic free choices such as bulk bins for beans and lentils, recyclable cans of beans, etc. Not everything avoids plastic though… Tofu is always wrapped in plastic where I live, as well as seitan or tempeh. But, at least there are some options that avoid single use wrappings!
So, after deciding to give the vegetarian diet a try during Plastic Free July, I also did my research about the environmental effects of meat. Let’s just say the meat industry is extremely bad for the planet. I won’t get into a ton of details because there are many articles about this already; but, it is crazy to think that cows and sheep emit 37% of the total methane we produce. 37%!! Going vegetarian can save water, reduce pollution in waterways, avoid destruction of our soil, reduce the use of antibiotics and other drugs, and decrease our emissions (Source). After doing the research, I couldn’t just “forget” about the environmental consequences from eating meat… So the Mother Earth concerns was the main reason I decided to make the switch.
#2 – Animal Cruelty
Another thing that sealed the deal for me was stumbling upon a chicken farm near where I live. I was right in the research phase during Plastic Free July, and my boyfriend and I were taking a drive. We drove past a farm and just seeing how many poor chickens were in that barn (and the sounds they were making) was enough to make me decide I would try out the vegetarian diet. I feel like everyone is taught in school about the horrors of the meat industry, but for some reason it isn’t real until you witness it with your own eyes.
Animals don’t deserve to be treated in such a way: chickens de-beaked and starved of natural light; cows forced to eat corn even though they can’t digest it; piglets taken from their mothers as soon as they are born… Not to mention all the genetic modifications scientists are doing to make chickens bigger and pigs fatter quicker to speed up the slaughter process. I just can’t get behind an unethical industry. If you aren’t aware of the practices in the meat industry, I suggest checking out Diet for a New America by John Robbins (affiliate link). He gave up his Baskin-Robbins fortune because he didn’t believe in the practices of the industry… That tells you something for sure!
#3 – Health
The last thing that made me want to become a vegetarian is the health associated with a plant based diet. After learning about what the poor animals are fed in terms of antibiotics and other drugs, I felt like those move up the food chain into our bodies when we eat meat. The EPA estimates that 95% of pesticide residue in the American diet comes from meat and fish… Which is all cut out by being vegetarian!
On top of that, plant-based diets are one of the commonalities in blue zones. These blue zones are the areas of the world where people live the longest. I’d love to live a longer, happy life! While I’ve seen research that the vegetarian diet prevents against heart disease and cancer, this wasn’t something that made me switch. But it’s a great benefit now that I have! 🙃 In my post about being vegetarian for a year, I mention how great I’ve been feeling since I made the switch. So, health was the last thing that I thought about before I decided to give it a try! I’d love to hear from all of you if you are vegetarian or vegan – what made you switch?
