Many of us will be celebrating the Jewish holidays with communal meals which will probably include plenty of meat or dairy. Kenden Alfond, creator of plant-based Jewish food blog, Jewish Food Hero, argues that now, especially around Yom Kippur, is a good time to think of the effects of what we’re eating on ourselves and our environment.
“One way to look at this holiday is as an experience for your body. Being kind to your body before, during and after the fast is incredibly important. It can also be kinder to your body to reduce your meat and dairy consumption before and after the Yom Kippur fast.”
She explains the benefits of eating a more plant-based diet: “It can stabilize your mood and energy levels throughout the day, and a plant based diet may also help prevent or improve many common health problems like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, acne, intestinal diseases, depression, fatigue, liver disease, kidney disease and high blood pressure.” And that’s before the well-publicised effects of meat farming on the environment.
However, going cold turkey — or rather no turkey — may not be for everyone. “Most don’t want their Yom Kippur pre-fast dinner or break-the-fast meal to be entirely vegan or vegetarian” says Alfond “because it doesn’t feel right.”
“Unfortunately many view diet, and specifically meat and dairy eating, as a black and white issue. Either you eat meat and dairy or you don’t — all or nothing” she says. She suggests we try to find a middle ground during the Jewish holidays — and perhaps for the rest of our lives. A way of eating less meat and dairy generally that she and others term reductionism or reducetarianism.
“For many, meat/dairy reductionism feels less extreme and therefore more possible. It still means you are committed to eat less red meat, poultry and fish and less dairy and eggs in your diet for health and/or environmental reasons” she says.
Lara Balsam (director of the Jewish Vegetarian Society) agrees: “Now is the perfect time to be thinking of reductionism as Yom Kippur is a time of year to stop and reflect.”
“We give a whole day over to considering how we can improve ourselves. A move towards veganism, which has personal and societal benefits is therefore very apt.”
Basam and Alfond have shared their top tips to replace meat and dairy in your meals:
1. Serve more fresh vegetables and fruits
“It’s easy to simply add more delicious fresh vegetable salads and fresh whole fruits to your menu” says Alfond, who shares festival friendly recipes on her blog.
2. Fill up on tubers, whole grains, and legumes
“Tubers, whole grains and legumes are satiating, and no, they will not make you fat! We cannot live on vegetables and fruit alone” says Alfond. (See: Alfond's recipe for toasted almond brown rice salad with dried cherries)
3. Swaps and subs
If you do still want to prepare your favorite meat and dairy recipes for the holidays, try reducing the amount of meat, fish, dairy, eggs on your table overall. You can do this by simply reducing the amount of meat or dairy in the recipe or looking for vegetarian substitutes to replace some of the non-vegetarian ingredients. For example, if your recipe calls for beef, replace half the meat with mushrooms, or replace yogurt or milk-based ingredient with plant milks or yogurts. Balsam suggests replacing your regular challah with a water challah from Grodzinski (“make sure to order in advance as they sell out quickly”) and swapping honey for date syrup and replacing egg and onion with tofu and onion. She recommends www.veganuary.com for advice on swaps.
4. Make it ethical
If you’re going to eat meat and dairy during the holidays, try to source ethical kosher meat and dairy products. They may be more expensive, but they are healthier for our bodies and the environment.
5. Once only
Try limiting the animal protein in your meal to only one course. “In today’s world, there is no need to have an animal protein appetizer and an animal product based soup and then an animal protein main course” says Alfond.
6. Less meaty portions
View meat, fish, and dairy as condiments, not the focal point of the meal, and serve smaller portions of animal products. As a guideline, no more than 113g (4oz) per meal.
7. Starting small - just one vegan/vegetarian meal
Balsam suggests considering preparing and hosting one vegan/vegetarian meal over the chagim, and, in the new year, giving yourself a chance to adjust with one day a week to start with, like a Meat Free Monday or “Vegan Vednesday”!
