You might never go vegan. You might even laugh at the thought. But even if you still savour a rare steak, the numbers show that you’re eating more plants and less meat. Right now, Health Canada is rewriting the Canadian Food Guide, and in early drafts “meat” and “dairy” have been replaced with “protein”. The shift is real, but how far will it go? 

What took veganism from a punchline depiction of a haughty hippie to some of Canada’s chicest restaurants? There’s now a ‘Vegandale’ in Toronto and just as many plant-based cookbooks as meat-based recipes on shelves. How has social acceptance of the vegan lifestyle changed the way we all eat? And if it’s the most important thing we can personally do for the environment, do we have a moral duty to at least give Meatless Monday a shot? 

(Note: Our guest is not a vegan. Also, the host enjoys steak.)

 GUEST: Julie Van Rosendaal, food writer and editor, host of Crispy Bits