The holidays come with enough challenges. Your plant-based diet shouldn't be one of them.
Maybe this year it's time to change up tradition with some new menu items. It's the perfect conversation starter.
The scoop
Sustainability fanatic ReLauren (@relauren) shows us how she likes to plantify a popular holiday dish, and apparently, it's quite the crowd-pleaser.
ReLauren starts with her own ingredients over the stove, including onions, celery, vegan butter, and vegan sausage. Then she adds in boxed stuffing.
While she does incorporate some processed foods, she advises to "Make it as familiar as possible." That way, no one is the wiser that it's vegan.
"A little store bought, a little homemade, a whole lot of love," ReLauren says of her final product.
@relauren holiday stuffing has been plantified 🌱 #holidays #holidayrecipe #cooking #plantbased #vegan ♬ Wes Anderson-esque Cute Acoustic - Kenji Ueda
How it's helping
Taking better care of our environment isn't just about plastic and fuel. What we put on our plates makes a difference, too.
The Reducetarian Foundation warns that "the overconsumption of meat, eggs, and dairy is destroying the environment, causing poor treatment of animals, promoting major health risks, and contributing to global crises like world hunger."
Animal farming is responsible for a shocking amount of pollution. Nearly 25% of global food industry pollution comes from beef production, and animal farming accounts for almost 80% of all agricultural land use worldwide.
Animal agriculture contributes to deforestation — 41% globally, for beef production alone — air pollution, water pollution, and a decline in biodiversity. It produces 65% of the world's nitrous oxide pollution which has a planet-warming impact 296 times greater than carbon dioxide, according to the University of Colorado Boulder.
According to a recent UCLA publication, if every American ate plant-based just one day per week, we could drastically reduce the carbon pollution that contributes to the overheating of the planet.
As one study showed, even if just the biggest meat eaters in the UK were to switch to low-meat diets, the environmental impact would be equivalent to eight million cars being taken off the road, as the BBC reported.
Meanwhile, the American Heart Association states that eating less meat can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
What everyone's saying
ReLauren's audience was super appreciative of the holiday recipe in the comments.
"I NEED," one follower demanded.
Another raved, "This is the best, most nostalgic stuffing ever."
"Never tell em it's vegan," a third said with a wink.
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