More Plant Based Options in Windsor

Canada has seen a substantial increase in people going vegetarian or eating less meat according to a poll by the Vancouver Humane Society.

The Vancouver Humane Society conducted a poll saying that about 12 million Canadians are now vegetarian or eating less meat. All over the country supermarkets are changing the types of foods they carry and more specialty grocers are popping up. In Windsor there is one vegan grocery and other supermarkets in the city carry a variety of products that cater to the vegan market.

Later in 2016, a German grocery chain called Veganz, the only of its kind in the world, will be expanding and opening its first North American store in Portland, Ore. News of this has been spreading throughout the vegan community not only in the Pacific Northwest, but in Windsor as well.

Brian Brown, 29, as Nursing BScN student at St. Clair College, is vegan and is excited to see more places becoming vegan friendly.

“I think that it’s great that veganism is becoming more prominent and that more and more people are getting exposure to the movement. I think it’s essential to the health of our population, to the environment and welfare of animals,” said Brown.

Windsor does not have as large of a vegan population as Portland does, which ranks as the most vegetarian city in America according to the Vegetarian Research Group, but it has been growing and the demand is there.

Windsor is home to a few strictly vegan restaurants and one vegan grocery store – Green Leaf Specialty Grocer.

Fred Sorrell, 29 is the owner of Green Leaf and is an active member in Windsor vegan groups including the Windsor Vegan Potluck.

“I’ve been watching the vegan market over the past few years. If I were to look at something as simple as a Facebook group, Windsor Vegan Potluck or something like that, we see followers. It was 80 something two years ago and now we’re up to almost 300 [followers],” said Sorrell. “I think there is definitely an awakening happening where more and more people are willing to cut [animal products] out of their diet and try to live healthy. Even if they’re not being vegan they’re definitely trying to eat healthy.”

A popular misconception is living a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is more expensive, but according to a calculation by learnvest.com, the vegan diet was $3.50 cheaper per day than the meat containing diet.

With vegetarian diets becoming more popular, and more cost effective resources becoming available to Windsorites, there may be an even higher demand for plant based products. As it stands anyone interested in trying to eat less meat can easily do so in Windsor.