Today I’m going to talk to you about something that is very close to my heart. I’ve felt very strongly about this topic for a long time but in all honesty, I’ve been afraid to talk about it for fear of what people might think. But recently I’ve found a box that I fit into and it has helped me to realise I’m not alone, very not alone, in my thinking. I’m talking about NOT being Vegan. I’ll be honest, I'm not even vegetarian. Some people may say “you’re eco-conscious but you eat meat! How can that work?” and I would totally understand where they’re coming from with the mass marketing of going vegan that’s happening right now.
We have been advised in recent years that we can help save the planet if we reduce our meat consumption because so much of our green planet has been destroyed for mass agriculture and this IS the main problem. MASS AGRICULTURE. It’s true, rainforests have been cut down to farm cattle for the masses, however, if the entire world's population chose a vegan diet, I believe, we would still be dealing with the same green planet destruction. Those fields that were once used for cattle, would now be used to grow enough vegetation to feed us all.
I, for many years, have believed in eating a balanced, healthy diet and consuming my nutrients through meat, vegetables, fish and pulses alike. I have believed for years that we can make a huge difference to climate change by eating fresh, local, seasonal and sustainably sourced food as the carbon miles would be low but I’m now out and proud saying it. The box I mentioned that I feel I fit into on the topic is “Flexitarian”. I may not get it perfect every time but I do my best to eat a flexitarian diet from sustainable sources.
So what is a flexitarian diet? It simply means a style of eating that encourages us to focus on the plant-based ingredients in our food whilst allowing us to eat meat and other animal products in moderation. It's more flexible than fully vegetarian or vegan diets.
Mass marketing is telling us to do our bit to save the planet by going Vegan. I am NOT anti-vegan. You have the right to eat whatever diet you prefer but something we can all do is consider the sustainability behind what we eat and to help you with this I ask you to keep these questions in mind the next time you shop. What does my food contain? Where did it come from? How many carbon miles did it travel to get to me? What’s it packaged in? By choosing to eat fresh, local, seasonal food from sustainable sources we really could make a huge impact on conserving this beautiful planet we have and we can help rebuild local economies in the process.
This post first appeared in my monthly Cotton Lily Letters. Did this topic resonate with you? Would you like to be the first to read my heartfelt content in the future? Sign up to my newsletter at the bottom of this page.