I know that making life changes, even when we know they are “good for us” or the “right thing to do” can be challenging. Completely (or primarily) changing your food is no exception.
What we eat, how we eat it, when we eat it, with whom we eat it is completely ingrained in our culture. A major shift causes internal friction until we form a new identity around our new diet and lifestyle.
These are just some of the reasons why making a shift to a plant-based lifestyle might feel hard:
- You are accustomed to meat, dairy and egg recipes and dishes. It’s just easier to stick with the familiar.
- You worry that plant-based is not actually the healthiest choice of all the possible diets to choose from. (You’ve read about other diets -like keto or Paleo- and are simply confused.)
- You don’t trust that we will get all the necessary nutrients, especially protein.
- You are worried that you’ll eat too many carbs and gain weight.
- You worry that cooking will be too time consuming.
- You worry that you won’t find foods you enjoy.
- You worry that you will get bored eating the same foods over and over.
- You worry that it will be expensive.
- You worry that you will feel like an outcast with your friends.
- You worry that you won’t have food to eat at family gatherings.
- You worry that friends and family will laugh when you say you are eating plant-based.
- You don’t want to be the only one in your social circle to make a change.
- You are accustomed to eating certain dishes during the holidays and in your community, and don’t want to miss out.
- You don’t know how to shop for and prepare plant-based meals and it’s easier to grab what you already know how to prepare or what you like.
- You don’t know how to cook and the idea of preparing any meal, much less plant-based food is overwhelming.
- You worry that you (or your family) won’t like what you cook.
- Maybe you’ve tried it before, but it didn’t stick, and you got discouraged.
- You are healthy and don’t feel the need to change anything in your diet.
- You don’t believe that your little actions will make a difference.
Any of this sound familiar to you? You are not alone! I remember having every one of those worries at some point. They are typical BEFORE you take the plunge. In our next blog post I address ways to allay all of these concerns.
In the meantime, good for you for taking your first steps, whatever they are! Every bit you do makes a difference to your health, our beautiful planet, and of course the precious animals.