One Small Step For Man, One Giant Leap For Animals

Posted on by The Crumby Vegan Posted in Food/Nutrition, For the Animals, HealthTagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The recent release of the very popular and eye-opening documentary What The Health has led to a lot of my friends and family thinking about going vegan. However their approaches have been very different, leading to varying results. 

Take two examples:
Mega Friend Michael and Super Friend Sam.
Both were meat eaters and had no interest in becoming vegan. 

Mega Friend Michael watched the documentary and sent me a message afterwards saying ‘Lisa and I are both trying to be vegan for a week, see how we feel and whether it’s sustainable lol’. This was great news! The only problem was that Michael was working away from home that month, so not only was he away from his home comforts but he had a super busy schedule. Wonderful Husband and I suggested he should wait until he was living back at home and had his wife to support him but he insisted on going 100% vegan then and there. 

Super Friend Sam was staying with us for a long weekend when she watched the film. Her first words after watching were ‘I’m going to think about going vegan’. Sam explained that her family had suffered from a number of illnesses associated with diet, so that weekend we spent hours talking about different recipes she could try. She decided she would start by being vegan at home but not restrict herself when eating out. 

Results: Mega Friend Michael lasted five days. Super Friend Sam eats vegetarian at home. 

I loved Mega Friend Michael’s commitment but he would refuse to make small concessions making his situation almost impossible. Most of the time he ate salad and crisps so inevitably he eventually gave in. Unfortunately he now associates veganism with feeling unwell, hungry and irritable.

Super Friend Sam found it easier to be vegetarian at home but vegan when possible. Having a severe nut allergy makes veganism a lot harder for her but she is actively looking for more recipes to make veganism more convenient. Sam is still moving towards veganism and feeling better for it. 

Have good intentions.

One small vegan step for you is a giant life-saving leap for the animals (check out the cool cover photo by Maike Vierkant!). For example, it’s very easy to swap cow’s milk for oat milk. You may think one person making such a small, simple change won’t make a difference but your friends and family will notice. You’ll casually explain that you decided to drink oat milk to be healthier and help animals. People might not say anything then and there but I can guarantee that you would have planted a seed and spread a beautiful vegan message. 

Here’s an idea: Try to replace/exclude one non-vegan product a month from your diet. It’ll start out easy… You’ll spend the first couple of months eliminating the stuff you’re not too keen on. Then contrary to what you think now, it’ll get easier in the months ahead. Your willpower will become stronger, you’ll find the idea of replacing/removing foods easier and you’ll learn more recipes. 

What non-vegan product could you give up or replace on 1st September 2017? 💚

 

 

90 thoughts on “One Small Step For Man, One Giant Leap For Animals”

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Ah thanks for the comment.

      The negative association that people can feel after trying is the very reason why I advise people to go in realistic steps and they seem almost relieved that they don’t have to go vegan overnight but can ease into it. I totally get that some vegans aren’t keen on this method but I’d rather someone slowly going vegan that not at all 💚

      Liked by 1 person

      2. The Crumby Vegan says:

        Gosh you’re a much stronger person than me… Well done. I don’t think I even knew what veganism was when I decided to go vegetarian haha! I think it’s great you’ve experienced both ways of getting there so you can be empathetic to both 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Reply
    Sarah says:

    I love your blog and really enjoyed reading through this post! I’d like to try going vegan someday, but for now I’m just sticking to buying cruelty free and vegan makeup products (which counts for something small, I guess). Have a great day!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Ah thank you for such a wonderfu compliment Sarah!

      I think it’s great that you buy cruelty-free makeup as not a lot of people know about the animal torture that is involved with cosmetics 🙂

      Remember you don’t have to go fully vegan to make a difference to the lives of animals. Just one change would help and have a knock on effect to the people around you 💚

      Like

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Thanks for sharing Hannah 🙂

      Considering you love your dairy and eggs, does that mean you’d be willing to give up something meat-based on 1st Sept? Like sausages for example? Haha… Random I know.

      If you’d ever like help with swapping out eggs there are sooooo many amazing alternatives for baking. Let me know if you’d like to know about them 💚

      Like

  4. Reply
    Life of an American Vegan says:

    It is pretty difficult to go vegan over night and I think when some people try it but don’t succeed they blame it on veganism being too difficult. But I love the tips you give to eliminate 1 animal product at a time. I was lucky enough to have the resources to go vegan over night but I know how challenging it is!
    My advice to people who want to go vegan is to continue doing research to remind yourself everyday why you’re doing it. Research the restaurants in your area that have things that you can eat so when lunch break comes you don’t get frustrated and slip.
    I love your blog posts and it motivates me to continue mine 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      It sounds like you had a very stong will to go vegan overnight! I admire people like you sooo much. I think Mega Friend Michael could have done it if he had just waited until he got home, he was so passionate and determined but at the same time the circumstances were completely wrong.

      Your advice is so key and I hope everyone reads it! Thank you for reading and sharing your advice 💚

      P.S. Why haven’t you linked your blog to your comment? I went to look for it and couldn’t.

      Like

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Gosh I know what you mean. After trying to cook for Super Friend Sam the weekend she was here, I found myself incredibly limited to what I could make for her.

      What food intolerances do you have? I am lactose intolerant but that works out perfectly for me being vegan haha! 💚

      Like

  6. Reply
    Ginger Smith says:

    I have been wanting to watch What The Health but haven’t had time to. Maybe I’ll make time for it this weekend! I love your idea about starting by swapping one item at a time. I wish my friends and family would try it out, but for now, they are stubborn and won’t give it a shot. They do nibble at my vegan dishes and I keep planting seeds, so I’m sure they’ll see the light one day! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Oh my gosh you should totally get your friends and family to watch it at the same time as you. It has a PROFOUND effect on everyone that watches it. Just casually arrange a film night with everyone you can possibly get round… You won’t be disappointed haha! Let me know if you do try it 💚

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Reply
    Gayathri Lakshminarayanan says:

    I am an Indian, from India (not the native Amercicans lol). And from our childhood we are raised as vegetarians, well some of us, and thus converting to veganism won’t be too drastic for our lifestyle. But then we have depended on dairy and dairy products for our proteins and calcium. So happy being vegetarian for now.

    Gayathri @ Musings Over Nothing

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Hi Gayathri and thanks for commenting. I think it’s great that you’re vegetarian and you’re very lucky to have always been one (I wish I had never eaten meat!).

      Proten actually comes from plants… So cows eat the plants, take in the protein and then you get it from the milk. However it’s much better getting protein from a primary source than a secondary source. Calcium is also found in huge amounts in green vegetables. Nobody needs dairy products for their protein or calcium 🙂

      If you are vegetarian now for the animals, health or environment then I would highly recommend looking into veganism. Also living in India it’s one of the easiest places to be vegan – you’re so lucky to be surrounded by wonderful Indian food 💚

      Like

      1. Gayathri Lakshminarayanan says:

        I understand what you say. I had no clue about diary products not being necessary for proteins and calcium, cuz that is what we have been told always.
        BTW, right now we live at Dubai – midst of all meat lovers that we have to look hard for vegetarian food everytime we dine out. Anyway we cook almost every day at home, so it is cool

        Thanks for responding

        Liked by 1 person

      2. The Crumby Vegan says:

        Ah apologies Gayathri, I assumed you lived in India. A friend of mine lived in Dubai and found it incredibly hard to be vegan there so I understand that it’s very difficult. Even the plant based milks were incredibly expensive!

        I think it’s still mega that you’re vegetarian though 💚

        Liked by 1 person

  9. Reply
    Janet Selose says:

    My choice of food is a mix of veggies and meat. 70% veggies, 30% meat. I don’t want to eat without anything green on my plate. And I don’t want to eat only meat either. And luckily for me, I have no problem with any food. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Ah thank you, I thought so too.

      If you do get round to watch it, try getting as many people as yu can to watch it with you as it genuinely makes people think about their diet more which is great and I know you like to promote health 💚

      Like

  12. Reply
    Angie says:

    This is a great post! I’ve actually thought about going vegan, but never took the plunge. I don’t eat meat, and it wasn’t difficult for me to give up. But something about being vegan seemed to difficult to do. I need to finally try it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Angie it’s fantastic that you’re vegeterian and even the fact that you’re thinking about veganism is mega. Is there anything you could give up/replace on the 1st of September? Or maybe even just trying a new plant-based milk? If you don’t like it then you don’t keep drinking it, but at least you’re making that conscious step forward 💚

      Like

  13. Reply
    Chastity says:

    I can be vegan part-time but not full time, lol. I think it’s all about slowly cutting back on certain foods. For me it’s been easier to do things that way. Plus your body and taste buds change as you get older. Certain meats I can’t stand anymore

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Chastity I did that for a year… As I also couldn’t be vegan full time. It was incredibly hard when I first started out because I didn’t know enough recipes and what was available to me at restaurants, now I feel like a pro though haha.

      If you can go vegan part-time that would be great! Let me know if you’d like any recipes to try out as I have tons! 🙂 💚

      Like

  15. Reply
    Unfiltered Mama says:

    I think being vegan full time would be hard for me.. but I’d be willing to try it out. Little by little. I’m always open to new ideas! Thanks for the tips!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Gosh I totally get that as I felt the same way. I think it’s fantastic that you would be willing to take a tiny step in that direction though and that you’re so open-minded. I think people get the impression that if they try to take out one thing from their diet then they must eliminate it all… But that’s definitely not what I am suggesting haha 💚

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      I think that’s very honest of you and thank you for being so open-minded. I’m always super shocked when someone goes vegan overnight as I just couldn’t imagine it, but I think I could have cut one product out every month… Even if it was just cheese on toast and not cheese entirely 🙂 💚

      Like

  17. Reply
    Ophelia says:

    Very interesting post. I have been thinking of switching my diet to more Vegan and your post really helps people to be more consistent. Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Ophelia, that sounds great if you’ve been thinking about it. If you ever would like some tips or advice on tasty substitutes that are out there, or if you have any questions then please don’t hesitate to get in touch 💚

      Like

  18. Reply
    Dieter says:

    Well sometimes health forces us to change our eating habits, i planned to take pork meat of my eating plan. Don’t laugh, i live in Dubai, a Moslem country where pork meat is not on the menu anyway. But we just love sausages. I did and it changed a little the whole household of my body.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      That’s fantastic Dieter. Thank you for sharing this information with us and I’m very glad you feel better for taking pork out of your diet. I remember sausages and bacon giving me heart burn when I was younger, I used to think ‘this can’t be right’ haha. Sounds like you’ve made a great step forward 💚

      Like

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Hi Afsham and thank you for your comment. People think veganism is super far off vegetarianism but normally it’s the same food without cheese, haha! Let me know if you’d like any recommendations for yummy recipes for you to try as I have lots and lots 💚

      Like

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Ah I totally get that you feel restricted with being GF and then veganism would be worse. Fortunately a lot of the meat substitutes are moving towards gluten-free alternatives so take a look if you are interested and you might be surprised 💚

      Like

  22. Reply
    Brenda Mueller says:

    I watched this documentary with my husband and when we finished he decided to go vegetarian and I went vegan. We are both loving it! I finally reached my weightloss goal and he did to. I feel fantastic and I have energy to burn.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Ah thank you for the wonderful comment and I’m glad you agree. I feel like some people are most definitely capable of it but some just don’t have the right circumstances at the time no matter how determined they are… Which is a shame because they just want to get healthy 💚

      Like

  25. Reply
    Jaime says:

    This is such great advice for anyone who’s trying to transition to a vegan diet – I was reading a recent interview with Al Gore on the train and was so interested to learn that he’s been vegan for a while! It was great to hear his favorite spots for vegan food in London.

    Jaime
    Angloyankophile

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Ah thank you for your comment Jaime. Yep, Al Gore has been vegan for a while now. He said it’s the best diet if you want to slow down global warming and he also does it for his health as I believe he had a health scare (to do with his heart) a while back 🙂

      London has some megaaaaa vegan spots so I’m not surprised at all 💚

      Like

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Maybe try watching the documentary and seeing how you feel then? This documentary is quite special considering everyone that has watched it has changed their diet in some way afterwards.

      Great to hear that you don’t eat a lot of meat regardless 💚

      Like

  28. Reply
    pinkiebag says:

    Hi, I really enjoyed reading your post. I think more people are slowly making the transition even if its a start with meat free Monday. I’m dairy free and eat a lot of vegan foods as a result, Chloe.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Chloe, thank you for such a wonderful comment. I think you’re right and a lot of people are starting to open up to veganism, especially with all the great alternative foods available now. Great to hear that you’re dairy-free 💚

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Wow you are making fantastic progress! Also well done on getting rid of the milk. What country are you in? There are tons(!!!!) of mayo alternatives that taste just like mayo these days. I should know because I’m a fellow lover like yourself haha 💚

      Like

  30. Reply
    Eric Gamble says:

    Commitment to any major lifestyle change is difficult, especially without a plan or a strong home based foundation. I think that is where you friend perhaps struggled. I eat clean and healthy (not vegan/Vegetarian) and have for many years. Led me to lose nearly 75lbs. And even with my strong foundation of clean eating, cooking, and grocery planning, I struggle when I travel and am away from my base.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      I’m glad you agree with me Eric 🙂

      I’m never sure what people mean by clean eating, it’s quite a blurry term for me. Also have you watched What The Health? You might like it considering you’re into healthy eating 💚

      Like

  32. Reply
    Emily Abbey says:

    I’m guilty of being one of those who has a go, fails, and then waivers between eating responsibly and not at all. But replacing one thing in my diet a month – for me and my family – is a really manageable way of introducing the concept. Thanks for the tip! (and wish me luck!!!)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Ah Emily that tells me a lot about you because it sounds as though you want to do the best you can no matter what the circumstances which means you have an incredible drive! The timing and circumstances need to be just right to help you along though. I’m wishing you the best of luck and if you ever need any help then please don’t hesitate to get in touch 💚

      Liked by 1 person

  35. Reply
    klolszewski says:

    I’ve been thinking a lot about the past short conversation I had with you and I am planning on going vegan when I hit my early 20’s. The reasoning is because I still want to try new things first. However, I have sworn off products that test on animals. Even my jacket is vegan leather! I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog, especially your recipes. It gives me the hope that I won’t just eat salad. You’ve become more and more of an inspiration to me everyone and I look forward to transitioning into the vegan lifestyle soon.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      Apologies for taking so long to reply but your comment meant a lot to me and I wanted to think about my response. Your comment is precisely the reason why I take time to write articles, to try to spread a vegan message, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

      Like I said before, I have no doubt that you’ll eventually get there as you’ve already made changes in your lifestyle that indicate a super-empathetic thought for animals. Going to the trouble of sourcing vegan leather is time-consuming so I think that’s mega (also if you know any good shopping sites for clothes, let me know please!!). Let me know if you ever need more recipes (or just general advice tips) as I can totally understand that people think veganism is all about salads.

      You have me by your side!! 💚

      Liked by 1 person

      1. klolszewski says:

        There is actually one thing I could really use your help with. After watching ‘What the Health’ last night, I proceeded to re-watch ‘Forks Over Knives’ this morning. I thought long and hard all day about this decision and I’ve decided to eliminate dairy from my life. If you have any good dairy substitutes, I would love to hear them. And I look forward to reading more of your posts 😉

        Liked by 1 person

      2. The Crumby Vegan says:

        Wow that’s a huge decision! Remember to take it gradually if you need to though 🙂

        What country are you in? Unfortunately some of the best dairy alternatives are restricted to only some countries but I’m sure we’ll find something that you like 💚

        Like

      3. klolszewski says:

        I live in the United States! I’ve previously tried Almond Milk, but then I heard some of the brands actually aren’t that great for you. My biggest problem is protein. Not enough protein leads to feeling very weak and/or passing out.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. The Crumby Vegan says:

        Ah the huge vegan-protein myth 🙂

        I promise you’ll get all of the protein you need from plants. If you’re getting enough quality calories, you’ll automatically get enough amino acids (protein) from a varied whole-food plant-based diet. Remember there is a ton of protein in beans, legumes, lentils, hummus, peanuts, peanut butter, nuts of all kinds, seeds such as sunflower, hemp, flax, chia, pumpkin, sesame and grains such as quinoa. Even fresh vegetables and fruits are loaded with amino acids. So you’re going to have no problem… Most people have wayyyyy too much protein in their diet.

        You are so lucky to be living in the US – they have the best range of vegan alternatives that I know of! Did you know that there is a vegan Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream? Also how do you like your milk? I’m not a fan of almond but I love soya milk and there are also sooooo many more (check out https://thecrumbyvegan.com/2016/12/19/cruelty-free-alternatives/ for a llist of different milks). Also let me know if you’re a fan of cheese as the US is at the very top of best alernative cheeses at the moment 🙂 💚

        Liked by 1 person

      5. klolszewski says:

        I’m not a huge fan of cheese, but I am a huge fan of cream cheese. Although I’m not sure how I would find an alt for that. One of my biggest questions is bread. I see lots of vegans eating normal bread, and my first questions is always: “Isn’t there a form of dairy in bread?” I’d love to speak with you more about this subject and I will be sure to save your post to my favorites bar to refer to it whenever need be.

        Liked by 1 person

      6. The Crumby Vegan says:

        Ah good question. Fortunately for us most bread is vegan, some contain milk but most don’t. Just make sure to check the ingredients first 🙂

        With regards to cream cheese, my favourite is garlic cream cheese by Sheese. I’m not sure you can get it in the US but Daiya is supposed to be pretty good too!

        Feel free to contact me via https://thecrumbyvegan.com/contact/ and we can talk as much as you like there 💚

        Like

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      I’d be very curious to hear what you thought about it Wendy, I hope you enjoy it. A lot of my family and friends have watched it since writing this post in August and have made some huge changes in their eating habits.

      Thanks for commenting! 💚

      Liked by 1 person

  37. Reply
    mindofteemojo says:

    I also had friends who watched “What the Health” and tried to change their lifestyles. It’s funny because before the documentary came out, the same friends would always question why I was vegan. Once they got a “full” understanding, they were really blown away that I wasn’t just all hype. One of my friends even introduced me to one of their friends and said “she was vegan before it was cool” lol. It makes me happy that there are open minded non vegan individuals that watch and learn a bit about our lifestyle.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Reply
      The Crumby Vegan says:

      You have lovely friends and you’re right, ‘What The Health’ was an absolute game changer for so many people! Finally people are beginning to realise that the seriousness of our food choices. Mega comment – thank you! 💚

      Liked by 1 person

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