Throughout history, the pattern of food consumption has evolved from being associated with survival, to satisfying the senses and in some cases presented in a form of art prior to consumption.

In modern society there is a spectrum of eating patterns, and people have adopted a combination that suits their lifestyle and culinary tastes. Increased agriculture and consumption of food for a changing population has also had an impact on society and the environment.

My personal journey with food and efforts to lead a more sustainable lifestyle has been influenced by my family, friends, volunteer activities and the places I have travelled. During my 20’s, I surrounded myself with likeminded people through youth groups (AIESEC, Rotaract and Tzu Chi Foundation), which provided me the opportunity to learn about the environmental impacts of agriculture, including its contribution to Climate Change. I researched the impact of meat consumption; scientific data highlighted that farming cattle and other livestock were contributing a significant amount of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Land clearing, logistical farming operations, growing feed and other activities, will only increase the impact as the human population grows.

17/02/2020 Club networking event and COVID food appeal mini collection

Growing up in a close-knit family, we bonded over food. As a family of omnivores, we raised our own poultry. My family harvests the birds and prepares all the parts of the animal, not leaving anything to waste. With every amazing meal cooked by my Mum, ‘Cooking with love, provides food for the soul’. It only seemed natural for the meat to taste so good.

To contribute and lead a more sustainable life, I decided to do Meatless Mondays, but that was an epic fail, as I kept on forgetting and tried to make it up on another day, but that didn’t work either, this strategy wasn’t sustainable. In my 30’s I started to experience minor health problems, however requiring regular medication. With the reduced quality of my health, I started to eliminate some food from my diet, starting with bread, then carbohydrates, fried food and acidic food. When these substitutions did not produce results, I decided to go cold turkey without meat for a month. It was tough, but it was worth it. Within one week, I was taking less medication and feeling healthier.

Completing a month without meat and feeling better, I decided to continue a vegetarian diet for as long as I could. The first three months were tough, especially dining out, as vegetarian meals offered were limited. With my diet predominantly consisting of bread, pasta and rice - it was basically just carbohydrates - I was gaining significant weight.

I met up with a fellow Rotaractor, Renuka, and we decided to improve our lifestyle and culinary skills. We cooked vegetarian meals every fortnight, within 6 months we were experimenting with different spices and cuisines. Sometimes we were creative and only utilised the items in our fridge and pantry. I have been inspired to host dinners and cook for my family and friends. An important tip to prolong your vegetarian diet is to learn how to bring out the flavour of different foods and prepare from the raw ingredients. Taking your time and enjoying the experience will lead to cooking with love, providing food for the soul. This leads the way to sharing vegetarian meals with family and friends that can taste so good that you can certainly live without meat.

‘People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel’ Maya Angelou

Four years as a vegetarian and I have no desire to return to eating meat. I can empathise with those who are trying to cut back their meat consumption, for whatever reason it may be: for health; animal cruelty; environment and more.

If you would like to make a positive footprint on the environment, at Rotary of Elizabeth Quay there a few projects you can take part in. These include, planting trees or sorting recycling material at Greenbatch, Western Australia’s first PET plastic recycling facility.

It is important to embrace and respect everyone’s lifestyle choices whether you are a vegan, vegetarian or a meat-eater. Disrespecting other people’s choices does not serve any one any good. A sustainable lifestyle is about educating yourself and making informed choices that are right for you.

Volunteering at Rotary of Elizabeth Quay provides a plethora of opportunities, you can personalise your experience to contribute to the local community, gain new skills and meet new friends.