More and more people are choosing to change their eating habits and are turning towards a veggie diet. Contrary to what one might think, eliminating animal products from our diet, and even from our lifestyle, isn’t so difficult when we are well-equipped.
There are many motivations for choosing a diet without meat, eggs or dairy products: health reasons (vegetable foods are low in saturated fat and are cholesterol-free), ethical reasons (because we don’t want to contribute towards animal exploitation), or environmental reasons (livestock production is highly polluting – producing more greenhouse gases than all modes of transport combined [cars, planes, etc]).
Here are some practical definitions and resources to motivate you to make small changes in your diet:
Here are some practical definitions and resources to help guide you:
Vegetarian: Food practice that excludes meat
Plant-based diet: Food practice that excludes meat, dairy products, eggs and honey (vegan diet)
Vegan: Vegan people, in addition to having a plant-based diet, will try as much as possible to not participate in animal exploitation in other spheres of their lives, for instance: clothing (no fur, wool, duvet or leather), the purchase of everyday cleaning products, cosmetics, entertainment, etc.
It is important to note that a plant-based diet is not restrictive and is beneficial to our wellbeing when it is healthy and balanced. In addition, a vegan diet can be very tasty and economical!
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Did you know that all meals served at Montreal SPCA’s meetings and events are vegan – meaning containing no animals products such as meat, eggs or milk? Indeed, as an organization whose mission is to protect all species of animals, it is important that we do not serve them on the menu during our activities.
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To go even further
You can visit:
- chooseveg.com
- Compassion over killing
- Antidotes Magazine, by Audrey Sckoropad
Or you can read:
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Marie-Noël Gingras
Marie-Noël Gingras works in the Department of Animal Advocacy at the Montreal SPCA. In the past few years, she has collaborated on numerous projects related to animal rights and welfare (the Vert et Fruité and Vegan Portraits blogs, the Montreal Vegan Festival), as well as collaborated with the Défi végane 21 jours book, published in spring 2016 (Éditions Trécarré). You can follow her on Facebook.
