According to US News & World Report, 80% of Americans fail at their New Year’s Resolution by mid-February. Here we are at the end of January, and every year I ponder the usefulness of resolutions. What about small changes instead of lofty, unachievable, grandiose resolutions? Small changes are achievable and for many people and crossing something off of a list is a great motivator. Baby steps, friends!
It’s not too late to make a list of small changes for 2020. If you are aiming for a change in your diet, and you are contemplating trying a plant-based diet, you don’t have to ditch meat and dairy all at once. Try small changes! Here are a few to get you going. Once you conquered one, try another one, and eventually you’ll look back and realize that you’ve actually come a long way.
- Eat one plant-based meal a day or week, make it “Meatless Monday”
- Pick one new vegetable to incorporate into a meal every week (check out our blog on farro and jackfruit!)
- Choose one day a week to skip foods that contain dairy
- Pick an animal and make a promise not to eat that animal for one month
Small lifestyle changes can also make a huge impact. Here are few to consider trying.
- Bring reusable shopping bags when going to the store (One person using reusable bags over the course of their lifetime would remove more than 22,000 bags from the environment!)
- Keep a metal straw in your car for when you are dining out
- Add yourself to a “Do Not Mail” list https://www.optoutprescreen.com/
- Pick one item that you usually buy that is packaged in plastic and see if you can find an alternative that is in bulk or packaged in cardboard
Small changes do matter. For instance, choosing one plant-based meal instead of a ¼ lb burger, saves 625 gallons of water (that’s 156 dishwasher loads!) And eating one plant-based meal per day for a year saves almost 200,000 gallons water (that’s 11,400 showers!)
And who couldn’t use a few self-care small changes! Taking time to do something good for yourself, can be a priority for all. This video talks about how fruits and vegetables can improve your level of happiness; an easy and affordable self-care change!
Cheers to baby steps!
