Ready for Change:
Going Vegan
Jane Thrall
Back in my teens I’d never heard the term vegan, but I knew a couple
of vegetarians. They were a rarity among my peers and we referred to
them as ‘granola eaters.’ In my home ‘meat and potatoes’ wasn’t just an
expression — it was a way of life.
Fast forward forty years and I
know people whose eating habits
range from one end of the dietary
spectrum to the other. Some are
avoiding gluten, others won’t
eat anything soy-based, and
plenty of people are looking for
organic and non-GMO foods. It
seems that a new fad diet comes
along every few years touting
everything from ‘eat like a
caveman’ to ‘eat only grapefruit.’
A 2018 study by Dalhousie
University found that 9.4 per cent
of Canadians consider themselves
either vegetarian or vegan. That’s
over three million people who
have opted to reduce or eliminate
meat products from their diet.
While vegetarians have forsaken
meat, some may continue to
consume eggs and dairy products.
They will eat the byproducts of an
animal (honey, milk) but not the
actual animal itself.
Vegans take this a step further,
giving up all products that
originate from animal sources.
Just how vigilant they are
depends on the individual and
their commitment to veganism,
as animal products are found
everywhere from the cosmetics
aisle to the clothing shop.
There are any number of
reasons to choose a more plant-
based diet. There’s the ethical
argument: many people feel
that it’s just wrong to eat other
animals, especially in light of the
When it came time to clean out
the fridge I was more than ready
to rid myself of years-old sauces,
forgotten cheeses, and containers
of mystery food in the deep back.
28 | arta.net
conditions on most factory farms.
There’s the environmental
cost of raising farm animals.
According to the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the
UN, an astonishing eighty per
cent of the world’s agricultural
land is used for either grazing or
growing crops for animal feed.
The Amazon rainforest is being
devoured at an astonishing rate,
primarily to feed the world’s
insatiable hunger for meat.
Another reason to eliminate
animal products from your
diet, and the reason that fi rst
garnered my attention, are
the health benefi ts. Canada’s
newest food guide recommends
sourcing more plant proteins