5 Ways to Rock National Vegetarian Month Locally

Thursday, October 14, 2010

GoLocalProv Lifestyle Editor Andrea E. McHugh

Oh, you didn’t have World Vegetarian Awareness Month marked on your calendar? It’s okay; we’re here to remind you and inspire a few ideas on how to join the ranks of the meatless millions. While you many not be ready to completely abandon your carnivorous cravings, even reducing your intake, and making informed decisions, can make an impact on the nation’s massive meat consumption rates—nearly triple than compared to 20 years ago. The country’s smallest state can help achieve the North American Vegetarian Society’s 2010 Awareness Month's goal, to reduce meat consumption so that over a million less animals are eaten this month, with every choice we make. Here are some ideas:

1. Get On Board With Meatless Mondays.

This international campaign encourages people to not eat meat on Mondays and is backed by public health advocates and heavy hitters. Wolfgang Puck and Mario Batali have both endorsed the campaign, and vegetarian and animal welfare advocate Paul McCartney is spreading the word across the pond. Brown University is one of many local schools making meat-free dining easy by offering delicious, nutritionally complete vegetarian and vegan meals at all of their eateries.

2. Dress the Part.

It’s more fashionable than ever to dress with a conscience, and, like what’s on your plate, to know the origins of what you wear. If you like the look of fur, go faux, and accessorize with leather-free purses crafted from the most unexpected materials, like recycled candy or potato chip wrappers, which you can find all around town. Oop! in Providence has some amazing purses and baguette bags by Harvey made entirely out of recycled seatbelts!

3. Clean Clean.

Know what your buying when you take it off the supermarket shelf. Cleansers with all-natural ingredients are cruelty-free and ultimately saves animal lives. Even better–make your own. There are a ton of recipes online and you’ll see there’s a long list of what lemons, baking soda and white vinegar can do.

4. Milk It For All Its Worth.

Rhody Fresh supports nine local dairy farmers, the economy and the preservation of farmland and open space vs. mass-produced dairies that may produce milk with more herbicides, pesticides and dioxins from cows hopped up on antibiotics, so you make the call. Also, give non-dairy milks a whirl: soy, rice or almond varieties contain no cholesterol or lactose, contain no casin and are lower in fat compared to cow’s milk.

5. Beauty and No Beasts.

Just as you would look to the nutritional guide for any food you may want to know about, it’s important know what’s going on your hair, skin and nails, and how’s it’s been tested. GoLocalProv’s Becky DiStefano wrote all about locally made Ava Anderson Non-Toxic make-up and skin care products, and on a national level, you look for the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics’ (CCIC) Leaping Bunny Program, which administers a cruelty-free standard and the internationally recognized Leaping Bunny Logo for companies producing cosmetic, personal care, and household products. Look to local shops, including Most Naturally in Narragansett, for natural skin care products like 100% Pure fourmulas, made with pigments from fruits and vegetables and never tested on animals.