Meet Sam from Fair Marquit Value – Eco Tourism

Just hours before hopping on an enormous metal bird to the land where orange juice is the official national beverage (how cool is that? And by the way I hope I will be offsetting my trip’s carbon footprint by eating vegan, as a start!) I would like to post another article.

It is written by Sam Marquit, an independent green contractor and co-author of Fair Marquit Value from New York who focuses on sustainable building by using ecological materials and new eco-friendly technology.

If I had the chance to have a new home built as I wished or if I could purchase a property I know I would love it to be as sustainable and as energy-efficient as possible.

Go to Sam’s Fair Marquit Value page to learn more about him and what he does. I found the articles about the LEED certification and creating energy while having a shower particularly interesting.

~

 

Silver Linings: Greening Our Way to Prosperity

The economic downturn hit the construction and contracting industries pretty hard. As a contractor, I’ll be the first to say that it can be hard to find a lot of positives in the situation. I’ll also say that if there is a silver lining, it is in the recent upswing of eco-friendly projects that have started to see the light of day.

Across the globe, a number of public and private initiatives have begun to incentivize companies and organizations to make positive environmental choices. Designed to connect the advances being made in research with the market, Eco-Innovation-Europe is one of these programs. Through Eco-Innovation, “green” ideas ranging from production to products, services, and processes are given the opportunity to be commercially viable. The five-strand initiative includes various aspects of recycling, sustainable building products, water treatment and distribution, and a focus on the food and drink sector. In addition, the greening of pre-existing businesses is a major part of Eco-Innovation, and one that may help the EU meet its environmental objectives while boosting economic growth.

One of the largest hotel chains in the world, The Marriott is an example of a major established business taking the lead on the green-front. Taking advantage of a new corn-by-product made room key, The Marriott purchased 24 million “green” keys to replace the more common plastic cards. Biodegradable and recyclable, these new keycards are expected to prevent as much as 66 tons of plastic from being dumped into landfills every year.

For the most part, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Luckily for the rest of us, one of the most popular hotels on the Strip isn’t trying to keep its green practices a secret. Recently named the “Most Eco Friendly Hotel in America,” the Palazzo Hotel and Resort is pioneering multiple green initiatives ranging from the ability to reuse its own waste to solar paneled heating and a state-of-the-art water recycling system. With the amount of travel the city sees each year, it’s encouraging to see new green Las Vegas hotels going up each year.

The green initiatives and building projects that have accompanied the slow economic recovery have proven a definite boon. Yet the embrace and support of green initiatives by organizations are just as important. Perhaps eco-friendly building and sustainability practices are not just the secret to saving the planet, but the key to reinvigorating the economy as well.

 

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How eco is your holiday?

What do you think about eco-friendly hotels?

Do you focus on sustainability when travelling or going on holiday?

Jersey Royals, Crispy Tofu and Travelling Treats

Hello everyone, it’s June! How did it get to this month so quickly?!

I’ve been trying lots of new recipes using seasonal vegetables recently, including asparagus, broccoli, Jersey Royal New Potatoes, lettuce, radishes, spinach and spring onion!

I also had a go at making home-made bread for the first time and it was great!

So this will be, once again, a sustainable, meat free and cruelty free vegan recipes post!

…Let’s start!

 

Spinach, round lettuce, radishes, caramelised spring onion and shallot salad + potatoes and beans

This was a super lovely salad made by simply combining seasonal fresh UK spinach, UK round lettuce, sliced radishes and I also added caramelised spring onions and shallots (which aren’t really in season anymore but were reduced to clear so I saved them from the bin).

I caramelised the spring onions and shallots by cooking them for about 8 minutes on a low heat and adding balsamic vinegar at the end, they were so tasty and delicious!

I had the salad with a bowl of new potatoes with chopped tomatoes and cannellini beans, seasoned with chilli and garnished with fresh parsley, also in season.

I made the roll in the picture, it was with sun-dried tomatoes and herbs

 

Home made sun-dried tomato and herbs rolls

 

Home Made Wholemeal Loaf

I also finally made asparagus, I’ve been waiting all year for them to be in season again as there is so much emphasis on eating asparagus as fresh as possible to enjoy their flavour at the very best.

 

Herefordshire Asparagus

I was confused  because this packet of asparagus from Herefordshire was 3 times more expensive than asparagus flown in from Italy fortunately today I got some more and it was £1 for a bunch and from nearby Kent.

We had it griddled for a few minutes with salt and freshly cracked pepper and a few sun-dried tomatoes, plus another home-made roll dipped in extra virgin oil, so simple and DELICIOUS!!

 

Herefordshire asparagus with sun-dried tomatoes and a home-made roll

Another lovely seasonal vegetable we have had are Jersey Royal New Potatoes. I think there is a lot of buzz for both Jersey Royals and asparagus because they are both British vegetables which are really loved and which have relatively short seasonal availability.

Jersey Royals have been grown on the British island of Jersey, just off the North – West coast of France, for 130 years.

The have a lovely firm and waxy texture, with a delicate nutty flavour. I got more today, they are bubbling away as I type, and they were half price, £2 for a Kg in Morrisons.

As I hadn’t made them before, I went to the Jersey Royals website and tried their chilli and lime recipe, it was lovely.

• I brought a large pan of salted water to the boil, added the potatoes and simmered them for about 12 minutes, drained them and added them to a pan where I had heated some chilli flakes in some olive oil, lime juice and rind for about 2 minutes and heated it all through. I garnished them with fresh parsley.

Jersey Royals New Potatoes with chilli and lime

 

And last but not least, I have tried a really excellent recipe which uses spring onions and tofu.

I got the inspiration from the Crisp tofu with ginger and chili from the BBC Good Food website.

It’s so tasty and fragrant, I took some to work and my colleagues were asking what I smelt so appetising.

I tweaked the recipe a bit: the original one uses 2cm of oil to deep fry the tofu but I just used a couple of table spoons of oil on a high heat and it worked really well.

I served this with rice noodles as they just need soaking in water from a kettle for a few minutes, perfect for a conveniently speedy tasty healthy meal!

Ingredients – serves 2

• 1 Pack of tofu (about 450g) drained and cut into cubes
• Flour for dusting
• Sunflower or rapeseed oil
• A large piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
• A fresh red chilli, sliced or a pinch of chilli flakes
• 2 Shallots cut into thin rings or a medium red onion finely sliced
• 5 Spring onions, sliced
• 2 Tbsp black, red or white rice vinegar or ordinary malt vinegar
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp mirin (I actually didn’t have it so didn’t use it)
• Steamed rice or rice noodles to serve

-Dust the tofu in the flour, I did this in a tupperware box

-Fry the tofu until crispy and lift it out of the pan.

-Add the ginger, chilli, shallot or red onion and spring onions and stir fry rapidly, the add the rice vinegar (or ordinary vinegar), sesame oil and mirin and serve on top of the tofu with the rice or rice noodles.

 

Crispy tofu with chilli, ginger and spring onions

Enjoy!

 

We are about to go on a 2-week holiday to Florida so I found some nice vegan treats for the journey, I got chocolate and raspberry cereal bars from Morrisons which happen to be vegan and high in fibre, sunflower seeds and oats Ryvitas and Bear Yo Yos!

Vegan Snacks: Cereal Bars, Ryvitas and Fruit Bear Yo Yos

I have seen these Bear Yo Yos before but never tried them, I wanted something handy to carry and healthy for the journey and they seem perfect! They are pure fruit rolls, and 1 of your 5 a day! They look great for children too.

I got the raspberry ones and they contain apples, pears, raspberries, sweet potato extract and “no added nonsense”.

They are 69p at Holland and Barret’s but you can get them cheaper supermarkets’ multipacks as well.

 

Have you tried any new recipes using seasonal ingredients?

What snacks and food do you choose when travelling?

Insects, food and insects as food

As you may have noticed, there has been a lot of bee-related coverage lately.

I wrote about bees twice last year, once about the Bee Cause and the other about saving the bees with useful petitions on the subject, and there was a FOE stall at last year’s London Green Fair to spread the word about them too.

This continuous “bee talk” is due to the fact that further evidence has been found on the sharp decline in bee numbers.

According to an extract from Friends of the Earth’s report on the UK’s bee decline “Professor Simon Potts, said:

“The way we farm and use land across the UK has pushed many rare bees into serious decline. I’m calling on the Government to act swiftly to save these iconic creatures which are essential to a thriving environment and our food supply”.

How could let this happen? If bees are essential, how can we use farming methods that put them in danger?

Sandra Bell, Friends of the Earth, said:

“These bee species are in real trouble. But people across the UK can help change all that with simple practical actions and by urging their MPs to play their part. We need a Bee Action Plan now.”"

Another article on the Guardian, US honeybees threatened as 31% of colonies died out in 2012 really highlights the direct effects that bees’ numbers decline is having on farmers right now:

“The heavy losses of pollinators also threatens the country’s food supply, researchers said. The US Department of Agriculture has estimated that honeybees contribute some $20bn to the economy every year.“

$20bn is a huge amount of money, so surely someone is doing something to stop bees’ decline…right?

“In a report last week, the federal government blamed a combination of factors for the rapid decline of honeybees, including a parasitic mite, viruses, bacteria, poor nutrition and genetics, as well as the effects of pesticides. But scientists and campaign groups have singled out the use of a widely used class of pesticides, which scramble the honeybees’ sense of navigation.”

Great, let’s ban these bee-killing pesticides then!

“The European Union has imposed a two-year ban on such pesticides, known as neonicotinoids, to study their effects on bee populations. However, the US authorities say there is no clear evidence pointing to pesticides as the main culprit for honeybees’ decline.”

So what can we do?

Fortunately we can get straight to the point: there are many petitions to help bees, such as ones that focus on banning these above mentioned harmful pesticides that contribute to the bees’ decline, neonicotinoids. Simply go on Change.org to do your bit with a quick online signature to help.

Otherwise, on the FOE (friends of the Earth) website you can donate to have your bee kit with seeds to grow flowers loved by bees, a bee guide, a garden planner or just sign a petition to ask David Cameron to make 2013 the year of the bee.

There are some upcoming Bee-friendly events and you can check them on this Friends of the Earth link.

Have you noticed the decline in bees lately? I hardly see any at all

Bee saver Kit – foe.co.uk

Talking about insects… I read another interesting article: “UN urges people to eat insects to fight world hunger“

According to this UN report, eating insects would increase nutrition thanks to insects’ high protein, fat and mineral content (caterpillars have more protein than minced beef).

In addition to that, they are more sustainable: “Insects are also “extremely efficient” in converting feed into edible meat. Crickets, for example, need 12 times less feed than cattle to produce the same amount of protein, according to the report.”

The only time I tried eating insects of any kind was in Beijing in Wángfǔjǐng, famous for having just about anything on a stick.

Wangfujing’s Delicacies – Chubby bugs and scorpions – Jul ’07

Insects are a common ingredient in many countries, so if you aren’t used to eating them, would you consider trying them? And if you already eat them, what do you think of people who find it odd or even repulsive to eat insects?

Wangfujing’s Delicacies – Feb ’09

Eating scorpions in Wangfujing – July ’07

I tried scorpions, deep-fried, and they’re actually pleasant and tasty!

~

On another meat-free note, tomorrow is the start of National Vegetarian Week! A great opportunity to try new, more sustainable meat-free meals.

Most of my posts are about vegetarian or vegan recipes but there are many other great websites I can recommend:

• BBC Food – allows you to tick the vegetarian option
• BBC Good Food - allows you to choose vegetarian, vegan and many other options
• Inspired to Share – great blog with recipes, design, photography and more!
• My Pinterest food board - with recipes I love or would love to try
• Hipsterfood – lovely vegan recipes
• 222 Million Tons – with added waste-avoiding tips
• Food to Glow – with interesting nutrition information and delicious meat-free options

Vegetarian = Sustainably Tasty

Are you planning to try some meat-free dishes during National Vegetarian Week?

Where do you get your food inspiration from?

Seasonal Treats: Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Happy month of May!

When the sun stops hiding behind cloths of clouds it’s lovely to feel its warmth, and even though this morning was still chilly I have cut my daily portion of socks to one pair rather than two!

With warmer temperatures new crops can thrive, so I have been continuing my seasonal vegetables adventures and tried purple sprouting broccoli…even though I heard that some vegetables have been a little late due to our extra long Winter.

A few weeks ago we went shopping on a week day night and there was a mountain of “reduced to clear” vegetables. I bought half of that mountain of goodness.

 

Reduced to clear vegetables

 

I got 3 500g packs of organic carrots from the U.K., they were 19p each instead of £1. I also got a pack of seasonal purple sprouting broccoli which were 25p instead of £1.49 and a pack of broccoli and cauliflower for 25p instead of £1.29, so not only I spent a fraction of their price but these vegetables avoided being thrown away.

Of course they were reduced because of the use by date, but most vegetables (especially carrots) last a lot longer than the dates that supermarkets place on them, so nothing was wasted at all. As usual if in doubt Still Tasty is a great website for extra guidance on the best way and how long to keep food safely.

Pretty orange and yellow British organic carrots

 

With so many vegetables I decided to make a big tray of roasted vegetables, with added shallots – which were still in season then – organic rosemary and garlic and a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil.

Roasted vegetables – organic, seasonal, saved from being wasted

I wanted to make the purple sprouting broccoli separately so I cooked them on the griddle pan with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

Purple sprouting broccoli are really pretty and tasty, I had never tried them before but I’m glad I discovered them thanks to my seasonal veg mania. They are different in shape to ordinary broccoli and really look like little trees, you eat the stalk and they are great steamed, boiled and they had a nice bite when I made them on the griddle pan.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli Natural Beauty

 

Lovely vegetables

 

I had them with some vegetarian nut roast (which was also reduced to clear) for a sustainable super filling and tasty meal:

 

Sustainable vegetables and nut roast

 

I bought PSB (yes, purple sprouting broccoli ) again at the weekend and made a very Italian-style recipe inspired by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s recipe on the Guardian website.

Italian-style because it’s a really simple pasta meal where the vegetable used, in this case PSB, is the complete star of the dish and the ingredients are few but great. Another famous veg-pasta combination is orecchiette with broccoli.

I used whole wheat pasta to make it healthier and less processed and this dish is quick (15 minutes), healthy and vegan.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli Pasta – 4 portions

• 350g Whole wheat pasta
• 200g or 300g of purple sprouting broccoli
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• A pinch of chilli flakes
• 2 Cloves of garlic, chopped
• Salt and black pepper

-Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add salt and the pasta. Cook until very al dente. Trim the ends of the purple sprouting broccoli and cut them in easy-to-eat pieces and add them to the pot about 5 minutes before the pasta is cooked.

-In the meantime heat the oil in a pan and add the chilli and garlic, once the pasta is cooked drain it and add it to the pan, tossing it in the lovely garlic and chilli oil, add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Whole wheat pasta with purple sprouting broccoli – Seasonal and vegan

Enjoy!

 

Have you ever tried purple sprouting broccoli?

Do you sometimes buy reduced to clear food?

Seasonal Spinach: 3 Recipes

Good – sunny – morning (or at least it was morning when I started writing this)!  How are you?

It seems like Spring has finally arrived here in SW London, and as I gather from several other bloggers around the world it’s been a long winter in most places.

I read an extremely interesting article that explain how scientists link frozen Spring to dramatic Arctic sea ice loss. Please read the article if you have a minute, here is a paragraph from it: “the Arctic ice loss adds heat to the ocean and atmosphere which shifts the position of the jet stream – the high-altitude river of air that steers storm systems and governs most weather in northern hemisphere.”

It just shows once again that everything is connected and if we make some changes to our lifestyle, how much energy we use and how much we pollute, we will benefit from it as well as the planet.

~

So before taking a stroll to the park I would like to share 3 recipes which use spinach, which is in season right now in the UK. I have become really interested in trying out as many seasonal ingredients as possible and I have the Eat the Seasons page – which has a sister site in case you live in the US or Canada – always open on the phone, ready to consult.

The main reasons why eating food that is in season is more sustainable are:

• Food that is in season needs less energy to grow
• Less energy is used and less pollution is emitted to transport the food – think of the pollution produced by food that is flown from other countries (plus you will save this transport cost, so seasonal local food will be cheaper)
• You support the local community – especially if you buy from farms and farmer’s markets
• It allows you to think of nature’s cycles and be more aware of what grows in which season
• Seasonal food is fresher, tastier and more nutritious – food that is flown from other countries can be a few weeks old before we actually get to buy it!

The vegetables that are in season in April that you can enjoy as much as possible are: broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, purple sprouting broccoli, radishes, samphire, salsify, spinach, spring onions, watercress, wild nettles and rhubarb.

But let’s think of spinach today!

And by the way spinach is part of the “dirty dozen”, the group of fruits and vegetables that are always best to be bought organic due to the high content of pesticides they retain when not organic.

Spinach is rich in Vitamin A, C, E, K, B2, B6,  magnesium, manganese, iron, calcium, potassium, folic acid, copper, zinc, omega3 fatty acids and more! It’s just amazing!!

So let’s eat it!

Super Seasonal Salad – for 4

First of all a lovely super seasonal salad, super easy and quick to assemble and which includes as many seasonal ingredients as possible.

• 100g Watercress, washed
• 100g Fresh spinach, washed
• 2 Large shallots
• 3 Spring onions
• A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• A drizzle of balsamic vinegar
• Seasoning

-Peel and slice the shallots lenghways and cook in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season and leave to caramelise on a low heat.

-Meanwhile place the watercress and spinach in a salad bowl and chop the spring onions – if you don’t like them raw because of the strong taste, gently cook them in a little olive oil to sweeten them

Serve with any dressing you like!

Spinach and Watercress Seasonal Salad

You can also add thinly sliced broccoli and cauliflower to it…

It’s really tasty, fresh and with interesting different textures. Nice in a sandwich too

~

The next recipe is absolutely delicious and so easy! It’s from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Veg everyday. I made the super easy version which uses tinned tomatoes rather than 4-6 fresh plum tomatoes.

Spinach with chickpeas and cumin – for 2

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
• 1 Small onion, sliced
• 1 Garlic clove, chopped
• a Pinch of chilli flakes or 1/2 red chilli, chopped
• 1 Tsp cumin, ground
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 400g Can of chopped tomatoes
• 150g Spinach, washed
• 400g Tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

-Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion until golden. Add the garlic, chilli, cumin (I crushed mine with a pestle and mortar as it was whole), lemon zest and cook for another 2 minutes.

-Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan, stir and bring to a lovely simmer (it will smell lovely!) until saucy

-Once saucy, add the spinach leaves and stir until wilted (it won’t take long at all), add the chickpeas and some salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes to let the chickpeas heat through and season more if needed. Serve with warm flatbreads, pitta or cous cous. A delicious quick complete meal.

Spinach with Chickpeas and Cumin

~

The next recipe is for a lovely tasty soup, I tried it after I saw it on the Keeping Healthy Getting Stylish blog.

Red lentil and spinach soup – for 4

Ingredients:

• 2 Carrots, chopped
• 2 Garlic cloves, chopped
• A 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2 Medium onions, chopped
• 10 cherry tomatoes cut in half, or half a tin of chopped tomatoes
• A pinch of chilli flakes
• 300g Red lentils, rinsed
• 2 Big handfuls of spinach, washed
• Stone soup broth or 1 vegetable stock cube
• A drizzle of olive oil

-Cook the onion, garlic and ginger in a little bit of oil until soft, then add the carrots and carry on cooking

-Add the stock or some water and stock cube – enough to cover the ingredients – and the lentils, let it all simmer until the lentils are cooked (add water if it becomes too thick)

-Add the tomatoes, chilli, seasoning and the spinach, let it wilt a few minutes and serve!

Red Lentil and Spinach Soup

Enjoy!

What I love about fresh spinach is that it’s so versatile and cooks almost instantly so I sometimes just add it to a simple tomato and red onion sauce for pasta too

Spinach and red onion sauce

How do you like to eat spinach?

What do you think about eating seasonal food?

H&M Conscious Collection S/S 2013

H&M have brought out yet another Conscious Collection for Spring Summer 2013 and it looks as exotic and colourful as last year’s Conscious Collection.

It is yet another part of H&M’s work towards a more sustainable future in fashion.

The New Collection includes a variety of pieces such as tropical print blouses, trousers and tops, bright dresses, jackets and shorts beautiful peach, lime, black, crisp white, khaki and mixed colours and prints made with more sustainable materials such as organic cotton, recycled polyester and Tencel.

The prices range from £7.99 for a necklace to £29.99 for a pair of heeled sandals. Just look out for the green label. There are also several men’s items made from organic and recycled materials.

French actress, singer and model Vanessa Paradis is the new face for this Spring’s new campaign which is currently abundantly advertised at Oxford Circus Underground Station.

Here is the advert…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYWlg95muI4

…And you can also watch a “behind the scenes” video with Vanessa’s comment on making sure not to waste clothes, electricity, water…

 

Vanessa Paradis H&M Conscious Collection 2013

 

I think it’s really exciting to see that the Swedish company has launched another campaign that draws more attention on fashion’s sustainability and eco-friendliness. In my opinion it sends a positive message of a forward-thinking, conscious business.

H&M are also the “first fashion company to launch global clothes collecting initiative”.

As much as 95% of the tons of clothes that go to landfill every year could be reused or recycled and H&M want to find a solution to avoid this waste.

As you can read on their sustainability press release from February, customers can take used / unwanted clothes in any condition and from any brand in H&M shops as part of H&M’s attempt to reduce the impact of clothes on the environment and to avoid textile waste. The customers receive a discount voucher for 15% a new H&M item for each bag of used clothes they take which are then reprocessed for new use.

There is more information at hm.com/longlivefashion:

-Long live fashion! - reduce fashion waste and get money off your next purchase. The goal? Zero waste

-How it works - a visual look on how they your unwanted clothes can be reworn, reused, recycled or produce energy

-Question? - Questions and answers on why H&M are doing this, what sort of clothes can be handed in…

-H&M Charitystar - for each Kg of clothing, Euro 0.02 will be donated to a local charity organisation chosen by H&M. More info on hm.charitystar.com.

 

 

Vanessa Paradis H&M Conscious Collection 2013

 

Vanessa Paradis H&M Conscious Collection 2013

 

You can also find H&M’s Exclusive Conscious Collection, offering really gorgeous and glamorous red carpet and wedding numbers made with sustainable materials. Prices range from £12.99 for hair accessories to £149.99 for a tulle dress.

Have a look online to see which dresses haven’t sold out yet.

 

H&M Conscious Collection – Exclusive Tulle Dress

 

H&M Conscious Collection – Exclusive Top with Flared Hem and Grosgrain Trousers

 

H&M Conscious Collection – Exclusive Dress with Beaded Embroidery

 

H&M Conscious Collection – Exclusive Satin Dress with Train

 

I think this collections is stunning and so tempting because it’s sustainable!

 

Do you like H&M’s Conscious Collection 2013?

What do you think of H&M’s moves for more sustainable fashion?

Rosie Y: Experimenting

“Anyone who’s ever told you that you couldn’t make a difference was wrong.”

This is a very important concept from J-F and B L’s blog 222 Million Tons, which is a constant help and inspiration to me.

Since starting this blog in February 2012 I know I have positively influenced some people to think more of what we do, buy, use and waste and these actions’ effects on our surroundings. From showing my mum how easy and better it is to finely chop and eat broccoli stalks rather than throwing them away – which is a small change, an easy-to-get-used-to habit – to bigger issues such as climate change.

After starting a new job in December 2012, I got to know a very interesting, stylish and overall amazing young lady, Rosie Y.

We went to a great exhibition at London’s Kensington Olympia, ART 13, and I asked her a few questions about her little experiment…

Meet Rosie Y

For the whole month of February you didn’t eat meat, fish or eggs. Why did you decide to do this?

Because I love eating and in China there is a saying: “民以食为天”, which is an idiom that means “Food is the God of the people”.

When I was in China I decided I would not eat meat in order to lose weight but then I gave up, I didn’t even insist for one day! This time I was determined to give it a go as I hadn’t tried a diet that limited this kind of food before: it was like an experiment to see if I could do it, it was my goal to do it.

The trigger was when my friend, Su Fei, had a vegan month in January and I was very inspired by this and wanted to do something similar. I had previously failed my attempts but Su Fei succeeded so it was time for me to try it.

How did it go?

I was very surprised not to feel any different at first. It turns out that not eating meat, fish or eggs for a month is not as difficult as I expected, but I also didn’t feel lighter or healthier as I expected. I made more of my own food for diversity.

Vegetarian and vegan choices in normal restaurants are few, even normal sandwich shops offer very few meat-free options – I have to admit that I got very tired of eating falafels! Oh, the only difference might be that I felt hungrier, or I got hungry easily; however my stomach always felt good, unlike when it sometimes feels uncomfortable, too full and I feel guilty after eating meat.

Are there any positive aspects you noticed during your meat-free experiment?

I expected it to be very hard but now I feel like I can do so much more, I am not afraid of trying new things. Su Fei suggested to upload some pictures of the food I was eating on Instagram and many people from all over the world liked them, that was very surprising and encouraging.  Before my experiment I thought that meat-free vegetarian food wouldn’t be as tasty as meat dishes but after seeing their pictures I realised that it also look and taste just as delicious.

Before this experiment I didn’t like salad. Now I really appreciate salad’s natural taste, and the same happened with Brussels sprouts and other vegetables I tried. Also, I often used to go for food that had many added condiments and sauces, now I really like simple food as well, less processed and less ready-made.

When you eat, do you think about food’s sustainability?

No, but I don’t know why I believe eating vegetarian is a good thing. At the end of the experiment on 1^st March I bought fried chicken, not because I wanted it but because it was an easy and practical option. After eating it I felt unwell, my stomach felt heavy, too full, and I felt like a garbage bin for junk food. I did think that maybe I should carry on eating vegetarian.

After trying a vegetarian month, do you feel like trying and eating more vegetables and fruit?

Yes, I have a plan. I must have a whole vegetarian day before having meat or fish the next, as I feel like a vegetarian diet is good for me and also good for the planet.

Rosie Y @ ART 13

 

Would you consider giving up meat/fish/eggs/dairy for a while to be healthier/more sustainable/ try something new?