For ethical reasons, I would like to become fully vegan, both in diet and lifestyle. Currently, I am 80% pescetarian and have been for several years. Without getting overly analytical, I don’t view the avoidance of causing indirect harm to vertebrates as a moral imperative, though I do view it as a very important moral good.

Hunting and killing vertebrates, even if done solely for food purposes (and not just sport) is causing direct harm and something I wouldn’t do. However, buying and eating meat products is not directly harming anything. In fact, I would wager that if I entirely stopped buying and eating meat products today, the direct amount of harm caused to animals wouldn’t change at all.

For both of these reasons, I don’t feel a moral necessity to not eat meat, though I would like to start moving more in that direction. To that end, this month’s challenge will be focused on exploring vegetarian meals, snacks, and supplements that provide all of the nutrition I want while also rivaling the taste of fish (if that is possible).

Here are the specifics:

• Buy or acquire a vegetarian cookbook – At this point, I am focused on ovo-lacto vegetarianism, meaning I’m not worrying about my egg and yogurt consumption. Therefore, any type of vegetarian cookbook will be fine.
• Spend 15 minutes each day researching – I am specifically trying to maximize my protein and omega-3 fatty acid intake. Also, I really enjoy the taste of fish, and want to look for vegetarian alternatives that are as satisfying as a filet.
• Have 2 fully vegetarian days each week – Primarily, this would involve packing a different lunch option (maybe a salad), and trying out a vegetarian recipe for dinner or eating out and buying vegetarian.
• Be fully pescetarian by the end of the month – This is a highly attainable goal. The only major shifts it would require is substituting lunchmeat for something else, and communicating to family and friends that I am officially pescetarian. This may require extra planning when visiting others to ensure I have adequate dining options.

I feel like this type of challenge is long overdue, and I expect several more related challenges within the next couple of years. One of the most basic moral principles in Buddhism is “Don’t cause pain.” I expect this to be a successful first step in fully actualizing that foundational principle in my consumptive habits.

Namaste.