A Little Goes a Long Way

One of the biggest hurdles I've encountered when advocating for the plant based movement is push back from the vegan community for pushing "Meatless Monday's" or going "Vegetarian" in an effort to help animals. The argument I've often faced is that going vegan is the only tried and true way to prove a commitment to helping animals and anything less than that is simply not good enough. While it is impossible to argue that going vegan is the utmost commitment to leaving animals off of your plate, we cannot turn our backs on any opportunity to help animals which is why I believe pushing any kind of change is crucial to helping animals.

In my experience, people who are not ready to make any kind of major lifestyle change will resent the proposal of abandoning animal products in favour of a plant based lifestyle. I've encountered aggression, insults, and "facts" about eating meat that really weren't factual at all but did indicate to me that perhaps the recipient of my message was not ready to hear what I had to say. I have however found that suggesting a meat free day of the week or a commitment to eating more veggies was received much better and that's because if someone is not ready to make a big change, starting slow is an option that allows the recipient to go at their own pace while simultaneously helping animals.

Here's a couple examples of smaller changes that might be easier for someone who is cautious / reserved about the animal welfare movement to make.

MEAT FREE MONDAYS

Getting people excited about animal welfare can sometimes be a hard sell but promoting the idea of eating vegetarian or vegan once a week is a great way to promote a healthier lifestyle while also low key helping animals. If all 35 million people in Canada decided to go meat free once a week and we assume that each person eats meat once per day, that's 35 million plates that did not contain meat sparing millions of animals from needles slaughter. Getting people excited about the possibility of trying new recipes, including more veggies in their diets, and committing to a simple one day a week change is not only beneficial to animals but will also work to inspire those who participate to perhaps continue the trend for a second day every week. 

TAKEAWAY - Every animal saved is a victory and if you can inspire even one person to commit to a meatless day per week, you've helped make a change and should be proud. :)

GOING VEGETARIAN

Vegetarianism is frowned upon by the vegan community for their perceived lack of true commitment to animal welfare because of their continued consumption of dairy and / or eggs. I've repeatedly been told I should just be eating meat anyways which in my opinion, doesn't really sound like someone who truly cares about animals. Think about it, the more people who stop eating meat, the less meat is required which essentially means less animals are killed. Why shouldn't we be advocating for making this change? It's a great stepping stone for transitioning into a more plant based lifestyle. New vegetarians are also more open to other areas where they can be cruelty free as they embark on this new change. 

TAKEAWAY - Regardless of what you might hear, going vegetarian DOES help animals and there's nothing wrong with pushing an easier transition if it ultimately helps animals.

CRUELTY FREE SHOPPING

Most of the time, people buy out of convenience without realizing that the products they're using have been tested on helpless animals who suffered tremendously until their deaths. Why not try dual grocery shopping trips where you can point out products you like that just so happen to be cruelty free? You'd be amazed what planting a bug can do and maybe this person actually takes note of cruelty free products on their next shopping trip! 

Ultimately, what I wanted this post to be about was helping animals in any way that you can. Whether you've convinced a friend to ditch meat on Mondays, shop cruelty free, or commit to going meat free, every little bit helps the greater good and EVERY animal saved is a victory. 

HAPPY VEG