Just because you can't do everything doesn't mean you should do nothing.. do something!For some people, small changes can lead to big results.
Every single day you make dozens of choices ... make choices that can impact your health and life positively.
You can also make choices that impact the lives of animals.
Make one choice a day that is different.
Here are a few to get you started ....
At a restaurant/fast food place:
- order spaghetti with just marinara, no meat or cheese sauce.
- order your pizza with lots of veggies and no cheese.
- search for any local vegan restaurants and try it out!
- choose the eggplant parm instead of the chicken parm
- choose the fruit & yogurt parfait instead of the egg mcmuffin
- take the fruit or veggie side option instead of the fries.
- Get brown rice and black beans at Chipotle. Skip the cheese and sour cream.
- get the veggie burger
- order the smallest size they have of everything.
- order iced tea instead of soda
- get the baked sweet potato and just put the sugar/cinnamon on it, no butter. You won't miss it, trust me.
- get the minestrone
- skip the appetizer and the dessert.
- sub tofu in for the chicken at the Thai or Chinese place or just ask that the meat be left out.
- go out for veggie sushi. It's just rice and veggies. Stop being so dramatic. If you hate seaweed, tell them you want 'Soy Wrap' instead.
- get a waffle or pancakes instead of bacon and eggs.
- sub beans for the beef at Taco Bell
- choose sorbet or Italian ice over ice cream, sherbet or yogurt.
- tell them to leave out the egg in your fried rice.
At home:
- have one plant based meal a day or one plant based day, once a week.
- if you can't manage 3.0 mph on the treadmill, walk at 1.0 mph for as long as you can.
- make a cake without eggs and see how great it is. I can give you a recipe (or 100)
- keep fruit around. if you aren't hungry enough to eat fruit, you aren't hungry.
- eat your breakfast or lunch outside.
- keep a set of hand weights in the living room. use them during the commercials.
- buy or make some fresh juice and mix in seltzer water. It's like a healthier soda.
- make these brownies and use all the chocolate chips, grind the oats into a flour first and don't tell anyone they are made with beans.
- watch the movie 'Forks Over Knives'. Free on Netflix streaming. Get a free trial.
- have oatmeal with a tbsp of flax seed, a tbsp of brown sugar and a few chopped walnuts as a meal or snack.
- make a pot of soup and you'll have a quick meal all week. Try this one.
At the grocery store:
- buy a carton of almond milk. It's $2 .. give it a try. Try the chocolate.
- don't buy soda this week. You can't drink it if you don't buy it.
- buy a veggie you've always disliked and roast it. (drizzle olive oil over it, salt lightly, bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes) Almost all veggies are awesome roasted.
- if you can't resist adding junky food to your cart at the store ... don't go down those aisles! Just don't.
- don't buy bacon or cheese. Just this one week. You'll live. I promise.
- buy a box of Post lightly frosted shredded wheat. It has two ingredients. It's good as a snack as well as a traditional cereal.
- buy a box of Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice. Make it with water and olive oil. Super easy. Super tasty.
- buy your dogs the peanut butter biscuits instead of the chicken ones.
- get your kids involved with trying new veggies. Research the veggie, find a recipe to try.
- buy a loaf of whole wheat bread and tell the household that if they want bread, they'll eat that or nothing.
- buy Earth Balance sticks or a tub and use that instead of butter/margarine.
- go down that crazy 'health' aisle and just look around.
- buy a can of chickpeas. Add them to a salad.
- buy a package of Field Roast Wild Mushroom Deli slices and/or Frankfurters.
- buy a fruit or veggie you haven't tried before.
- choose products that do not contain high fructose corn syrup.
- buy a package of tempeh and make tempeh bacon. It runs about $2
At the mall or out shopping:
- buy 'Everyday Happy Herbivore' cookbook by Lindsay Nixon and then try the recipes. They are simple and use ingredients you probably have already.
- indulge in one piece of fabulous dark chocolate from a local candy store.
- buy shoes or a purse that are man made materials instead of leather.
- find your local oil and vinegar store and go try some samples.
- check out your local health food store. Just browse. Buy a vegan dark chocolate bar.
