8 things I learned from trying the #8meals challenge by Habits of Waste

I didn’t anticipate I could eat 8 plant based meals a week, I was wrong!

Earlier this year I had a live discussion with Sheila Morovati from Habits of Waste, all about being more plant based. And to be honest, as a meat lover I thought, this isn’t for me, but Sheila reassured me that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing when eating less meat. You can watch the chat we had again here.

I wanted to adopt a more climate positive lifestyle with my food, but the real question was could I actually follow Sheila’s advice and ditch the meat? 

Well I started the #8meals challenge, and here’s what I learned.

1. Oh boy, do I have a sweet tooth!

When I began I craved less meat but found myself seeking more salted and sweet snacks. My body was confused, and all I wanted was chocolate and cakes as a way to ‘feel better’ from what I might be missing, but it was likely my body adjusting to my new routine. I found citrus fruit, berries, smoothies, and a handful of nuts helped to combat my cravings, plus these were small enough portions that I didn’t suddenly move my calorie intake in the wrong direction, phew!

2. Meal swaps and recipe tweaks make it easy.

I love chicken! Which is where I struggled to start with, but making my favourite chicken based meals, and simply switching out the chicken for tasty vegetables with herbs and spices was fun. One month in I realised that if I stuck to this challenge and swapped 8 meals per week to plant-based, then I can enjoy a meat treat on the odd occasion, and still do more than trying to go fully vegan and failing. So I stuck at it.

3. I’ve regained my love of cooking fresh meals.

My dad was a passionate restaurateur in the 1990’s, so cooking was once a passion for me but a busy life took over in recent years. My frozen meals, and quick fixes began to change as I bought more fruit and veg. Searching for fast meals to cook and trying them, I’ve re-found my creativity with Pakistani flavours. I also love recipes from Ottolenghi, and try these often, but my own favourites and new go to meals are now spicy cauliflower pakora, cumin and garlic baked aubergines with salad, and chickpea with spinach daal - yum! I’m having fun in the kitchen again and love it.

4. Plant based is cheaper and healthier.

It really surprised me how much more affordable my food shops became without meat in my basket, which is especially helpful as we’re faced with soaring living costs, (especially for energy and fuel!) Buying already-prepared meals was a slight saving, but real benefits came from buying various types of tinned beans, fresh fruits and vegetables with added benefits of nutrition and more fibre. I’ve easily saved £18-£20 per week, plus getting the ‘yellow labelled’ food the supermarket that was potentially going to the bin that day and cooking it instead became a new enjoyable hobby. 

5. Everything is in plastic, especially when it’s meat!?

Each week as I shopped I noticed the amount of plastic going into my bin was reducing. It seems everything either had no packaging as it was loose fresh fruits or vegetables, or more packaging was recyclable from the plant-based products I was buying. When I see meat in plastic and polystyrene it’s rarely recyclable, which is something I hadn’t noticed before. As a result, I’ve started to rethink the brands I buy from, going beyond food and into shopping for clothes, gadgets, gifts for birthdays and so on - I’ve a fresh plastic-free consumer perspective.

6. I’ve found exercising easier and more enjoyable.

Exercise has never been something I do well or stick to, but something changed after 2 months of eating more plant-based meals. Feeling brighter and wanting to be more active, I tried a few local exercise classes and now I am hooked! I believe the nutritional benefits of going plant-based have led to me sleeping better, doing yoga, sometimes weights, and I’m trying meditations (not so well, but I’ll keep at it!). Also I’m learning to swim too, as an adult I always wanted to overcome my fear of deep water, and now have found a new confidence in the swimming pool which is a nice surprise.

7. Eating out was much easier than I thought!

Everywhere I went I had vegetarian options, and they were all tasty too. On the odd occasion I asked for a modification to a meat based meal and it was no issue - I got a chicken salad to become a ‘bang bang’ cauliflower salad when I visited Brewdog and it was delicious. Also I found meals I chose were cheaper than meat based one’s when eating out, which was a bonus. It seems that restaurants are keen to support people with tasty vegetarian, vegan, and meat-free options, especially in my home city of Glasgow.

8. I’m super motivated by the positive impact I’m making on our planet.

As explained by Sheila when we spoke, being “imperfect” and taking the pressure off going fully vegan and meat free is okay. I’m averaging 11 meals a week, so it’s possible to eat 8 plant-based meals a week, and gain a carbon footprint reduction on par with switching to a hybrid automobile for the average American family. Yes, I’m not American, but I’m 100% happy to be making that positive impact in the UK too!

I enjoyed my #8meals challenge, especially as it was much easier than I had anticipated. So 3 months on, will I remain plant-based? 

My answer is yes, I’ll continue with a flexitarian diet focused on eating less meat and more vegetarian meals. I've enjoy cooking again, being more active, using less plastics, plus every little tasty tweak I try out saves our planet so why not?  I hope I’ve inspired you to try it too.

By Zeb - TedxGlasgow Head of Strategy