Wow, I feel so lucky to have met Jane Goodall. We have friends that know her and it was during a very special event that she spoke at for the teachers in the area.
Diane and Jane
We live there now, but at the time, we traveled to Boulder, Colorado, to attend. Charles, my husband, agreed to be the photographer for the event because he used to be a studio photographer.
Jane often gets mixed up with Dian Fossey, the gorilla activist who had a movie made about her life and death.
Jane Goodall was a prominent researcher for chimpanzees for a good portion of her younger life and now travels 300 days a year working to restore hope and encourage children to care about the earth and all of its creatures.
What a delight to be served a vegetarian buffet!
I was very excited to hear that we would have a vegetarian meal this night. I didn't hear a single complaint and everyone seemed to enjoy the meal. What's not to like about a fabulous meal like this.
But, that might not always be the case. Perhaps you've gotten negative feedback from friends or family about eating a plant-based diet or perhaps you hear people say, "I need my meat."
Here's a link to an article that addresses some of these issues, "How to Deal with Non-Plant-Based Vegan Partners and Family Members."
Maybe your friends or family can't see their way around giving up food they love. It's understandable. Most of what we do is habit and habits are often hard to break. It's one of the reasons I started this blog.
I wanted to create recipes that I loved just as much as the recipes that had the "bad" stuff (that would be meat, dairy and oil). If it's just as delicious, why not eat the better choice.
A fat-free pesto can be just as delicious and satisfying and the one with all of that oil and cheese. And, I'm realizing that changing habits is about familiarity. I can learn to love almond milk (which I did) in my coffee (decaf) instead of cow's milk over small increments of change. You can too.
But, don't feel bad if you have slip ups. Make a new change every week and before you know it, you'll be there. Work your way into using less oil by replacing it with water when you sauté and decreasing it in your homemade salad dressings.
Next time you serve a meal to family or friends, consider making it vegetarian and plant-based! See if they enjoy it. And, I'd be interested in hearing your stories about becoming plant-based. Or, if you've encountered opposition and how you handled it.
Be sure to stop by Jane Goodall's website, Roots & Shoots, to see what great work she's doing now.
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