Recently, Whole Foods Market announced their top 10 food trends to expect in 2022, and one of the items making that list was Reducetarianism.
What is Reducetarianism
Brian Kateman coined the term several years ago; a Reducetarian is person who is deliberately reducing his or her consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs, without cutting them out of their diet entirely. Reducetarianism is great for those individuals who are interested in adding more plant-based foods to their diet but are not on board with committing to a plant-based diet and lifestyle full-time.
Whole Foods says, “When animal products are on the menu, reducetarians make them count, opting for premium grass-fed meat and pasture-raised eggs.” Think of Reducetarianism as the best of both worlds!
While our team believes grass-fed meats and sustainable fish can have a role in a healthy diet, we are particularly passionate about getting more plant-based foods into our diets. This sentiment rings true for both O’MY co-founders, Allison & Julie. Julie Bishop was first to embrace what we can now call Reducetarianism.
More than Meatless Mondays
Back in 2003, Julie hopped on the Meatless Monday movement and chose one day a week she and her family did not consume meat. “Sometimes it was ‘Without Meat Wednesdays’ or ‘Free From Meat Fridays’ depending on our schedules.” The point was they had fun with making a more mindful choice for themselves, their health, and the health of the planet. They were practicing Reducetarianism before it was even a trend! “This seemed so revolutionary at the time, but Meatless Mondays began primarily for health reasons while nudging us to eat more fruits, vegetables, and plant-based meals,” she says.
“What started out as trying ‘Meatless Mondays’ to say I did it, ended up becoming a part of my overall diet.” – Julie
Julie and her family are not the only ones shifting their diets to a more plant-based focus. Plant-based diets have grow in popularity and for good reason. Not only is a plant-based diet good for our bodies, but they are also good for the environment.
Julie says, “What started out as trying ‘Meatless Mondays’ to say I did it, ended up becoming a part of my overall diet.” She continues. “Although I was Vegetarian for a day once a week, I felt like in some small way, I was minimizing my impact on the planet. Fast forward to today, and I have a couple of days a week that are not only meatless, but they are also completely animal-free.”
The Reducetarian Foundation: the organization spreading the word
The Reducetarian Foundation has a bold mission, but they celebrate the small changes in a person’s attitude and behavior that collectively can make a significant difference in the world. They encourage us to follow our own hearts and individual motivations and highlight these potential impacts from joining the Reducetarian movement.
Humans: With a focus on more fruits and veggies, reducetarians live longer, healthier and happier lives!
Environment: Industrial animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of climate change, biodiversity loss, and deforestation.
Animals: Eating less meat and dairy and fewer eggs spares animals from a lifetime of suffering on factory farms.
Practicing Reducetarianism
Following a plant-based lifestyle doesn’t have to mean never eating meat again. That is why we have Reducetarianism! Animal proteins can easily fit into a plant-based lifestyle, but in a supporting role, as opposed to the main event. When creating a plant-based meal, think of vegetables and whole grains as the main entrees and any animal protein as a side dish.
“I’ve found the easiest way for me to reduce the quantity of meat I eat is to aim to have half my dinner plate be vegetables. It makes me think about having multiple vegetarian sides when I meal plan, and it’s a really easy visual to follow when I put food on a plate” Allison Monette, co-founder & CEO shared. “I’m also hoping for The Weekday Vegetarians under the Christmas tree to give me even more inspiration in 2022. I’ve followed Jenny Rosenstrach’s blog Dinner: A Love Story, for several years and I love so much about her approach to cooking and life.”
Focus mainly on plant-derived, whole foods that are unrefined and minimally processed. This means pure, unaltered ingredients that are in their original form. Think foods like fresh fruit, legumes, nuts, seasonal vegetables, and whole grains. These foods are full of phytonutrients and vitamins and minerals to help the body achieve optimal health.
If you do not want to ditch animal protein completely, ease into a plant-based diet instead. That is why we appreciate the trend of Reducetarianism. It is not an all-or-nothing approach. It is a more balanced way of reducing the consumption of animal products without having to remove them from our lives entirely. “An easy tip to get the ball rolling, start slicing all your proteins into strips. I’ve found I put significantly less chicken or steak on my family’s plates when it’s served this way. Extra bonus- there’s leftover protein to top future meals. Win, win,” said Allison.
Becoming more green and adopting a plant-based diet through the trend of Reducetarianism does not have to be complicated. As Julie mentions, “We are so fortunate to have abundant plant-based choices available to make reducing consumption of animal products so much easier.” Believe in better health, better lifestyles, and a better world by making small changes like adopting a Reducetarianism approach to your diet. And with the holidays around the corner now is a great time to start- to help save room for all those delicious holiday treats, topped with O’MY, of course!
Learn more about the Reducetarian movement here.
It is time to believe in better dairy-free with O’MY! Dairy-Free Gelato
Header photo by Nicole Michalou from Pexels
