Plant Based vs Vegan

On social media, January is also known as Veganuary - a month with lots of promotion to try a vegan or plant based diet. What's the difference? 

Eating plant based means incorporating more plants into your diet and replacing animal products with plant based options. Instead of that piece of chicken perhaps having a serving of white beans or tofu. I view someone who is consciously incorporating more veggies and eating less animal products to be plant based. It's a spectrum. Perhaps you start by replacing one meal each day with fruits & veggies or one day each week. For many of us, starting slowly can result in more lasting results. 

Veganism is a lifestyle where one does not purchase or consume animal products. This means avoiding anything that comes from an animal including leather and wool. If you are just getting started with veganism, please do not take this to mean that you should get rid of all animal products! I'm an advocate of using what you have. It's more sustainable and better for the environment.  In fact, if you have a good pair of leather boots, by all means wear them!  Likely they can be repaired and will last far longer than vegan leather alternatives. Again, start slowly and build into this lifestyle. Increasing your awareness of what is in various products and making the best choice for you can go a long way. 

Stay tuned as I will be offering more tips on making the switch to plant based this month.