Whole-Food, Plant-Based Day 14: My first transition from eating meat was to pescatarian. It is kind of strange that I struggled to give up seafood since that is something I only recently started to like. Below are some reasons to give up fish along with all meats, dairy, and eggs.

Research: Michael introduced me to the resource, Vox, and I love how they break down information. One issue with still eating seafood is that it takes a lot more killing of fish because they are so small. “According to one estimate, humans catch or farm at least 840 billion to 2.5 trillion fish each year — at least 11 times the combined number of cows, chickens, and pigs slaughtered globally, even though seafood makes up just 17 percent of the world’s animal protein intake.”

It seems that fish may not be as mindless as we thought. “Scientists have amassed evidence over the past 20 years that fish are sentient — that they feel pain, experience emotions, and engage in complex social behavior that we once thought was limited to humans and land animals”

I’ve also learned that it isn’t just fish that get caught in these nets. Sharks, whales, and dolphins can also be killed in this process.

Resource: https://www.vox.com/…/pescetarian-eating-fish-ethics…

Recipe: When I went to a vegan restaurant a couple of weeks ago, I had an amazing appetizer called sweet hot brussels sprouts. I loved the dish, but I could tell that the brussels sprouts had been deep fried. This is not necessary and now just more vegan junk food. I decided to create my own recipe at home. This definitely has a kick, so if you don’t like spicy food, it may not be for you.

Ingredients: 1 bag of fresh brussels sprouts (cut into slices),1/4 cup vegetable broth, favorite seasonings (I used garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika), 2 tbsp sriracha, 2 tbsp agave nectar (you could use honey if you aren’t concerned about the vegan aspect)

Directions: Mix together the vegetable broth and spices in a bowl. Toss the cut brussels sprouts in the mixture. Spread out on parchment paper and roast in the oven for 20 minutes at 425. While that is baking, mix together the sriracha and agave nectar in a bowl. Take out the brussels sprouts and put in a nonstick pan, Drizzle sriracha/agave nectar sauce on the brussels sprouts and sauté for a few minutes. Done and yum!