Each Compassionate Bite Counts

March is National Nutrition Month, and this year, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics wants to remind you that each bite counts. The message this year is that making small shifts in our food choices can add up over time. Catskill Animal Sanctuary wants you to know how true that statement rings, especially when it comes to veganism.

We know we’ll never rescue our way to veganism: There just aren’t enough animal sanctuaries or rescue organizations. A top-down approach doesn’t solve the problem because we, the consumers, create the demand. If the demand did not exist, there would be no profit to chase.

Individually, the power of one person’s choice may feel unimportant. Perhaps you don’t consider yourself an advocate. You make compassionate choices because you believe it’s the right thing to do and it helps you sleep at night. It’s just how you roll. Well, we’d like to remind you that, believe it or not, you are a warrior! Using your fork and wallet as your weapons, you are making every compassionate bite count.

Someone once said, when each person does the right thing, for the right reason, at the right time, it can be the greatest influence in our society. This is the time, friends, and these are some notable trends to buoy your spirit if you doubt that you are making a difference:

Vegan Trends

Vegan food products are at the forefront of innovation as food technologists search for healthy and ethical alternatives to animal products. The vegan food market is expanding rapidly with much of that growth being driven by non-vegans choosing to opt for vegan alternatives.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, recently sent a powerful message on the universal suitability of vegan diets, breaking down perhaps one of the last standing misconceptions of plant-based eating. This fuels many trends we can see and give veganism added credibility.

The plant-based food industry is booming. One of the world’s biggest meat companies, Tyson is chasing down new profits by investing in the plant protein market. 

After a 2015 report by the World Health Organization linking processed meat to cancer, markets around the world noted a drop in sales of meats like bacon and hot dogs.

Observing trends year over year, international food and restaurant consultants predict that vegetables in 2017 will extend their domination of the dinner plate, shoving animal protein to the edges or off the plate altogether.

New vegan restaurants are springing up and becoming destinations for mainstream consumers.

Taco Bell is jumping on the vegan bandwagon with the release of their guide, “How to eat vegan at Taco Bell”.

Hellman’s, the company that sued over the use of the word “mayonnaise” by a small vegan mayo manufacturer, lost the lawsuit then created its own vegan brand of mayonnaise.

These represent just the tip of the iceberg lettuce! Spend a few minutes online and search for yourself. You’ll find more reasons than ever to confirm your choices and to be optimistic about a compassionate future.