2 Friday, April 23, 2021 brooklintowncrier.com Plant-Based Eating by Sheree Nicholson Navigating the Change If you've been thinking about going plant-based, congratulations. It's not easy in the beginning, but well worth it. Here are some helpful tips to navigate the change. Cravings You may experience cravings, especially for comfort foods like burgers, cheese and ice cream. The good news is that there are some fantastic alternatives. Many non-dairy ice cream replacements are great. Try coconut-based ice creams that are creamy and favourable, compared with soy-based ones, which have a bit of an off-taste. Family gatherings Eating differently from your family can cause all sorts of problems. Families often eat in traditional ways and when you suddenly stop eating meat, it can make you feel like an outsider. My grandfather and a few of my uncles were cattle farmers so, in my family, beef was a prized meal. Suddenly I'm the weirdo not eating meat. What helps is not being judgemental about how they are eating. I tell people I don't eat animal products for personal health reasons. I don't push my point of view nor make disparaging remarks about their meat intake. I have eaten quite a lot of meat in my lifetime, so making a change to a plant-based diet does not make me better than anyone else. Travelling Travelling can pose a challenge. I was once on a 12-hour flight to Hong Kong and, even though I had pre-booked my meals, every meal came with pork. Luckily, when travelling, I carry a few plant-based protein bars and some nuts or seeds. It's definitely getting easier to pick up plant-based options in airports. Still, when travelling in non-urban areas, it can be tricky. Restaurants With the plant-based lifestyle gaining momentum, more and more restaurants offer a variety of vegan options. Inform your server you do not consume animal products. Ask for items that do not contain dairy, meat or honey. Be specific as they might not know what not eating animal products entails. Be patient if they don't understand. It can be confusing with so many people eating a partially plant-based diet. I've been offered fish, dairy and all sorts of non plant- based solutions. I find it best to check the menu in advance of choosing a restaurant. Slip-Ups Over the years, I've accidentally eaten products with dairy in them. I read the ingredient lists of foods I purchase, but it's harder when navigating family events and restaurants. These non-intentional things can happen; my advice is just to let them go. Be patient, open-minded and prepared. Offer to bring a dish to family gatherings; pre-check online menus or call the restaurant; and carry snacks with you when travelling. Sheree's Hack: Stock up on plant-based snacks when hitting the road. Examples of plant based brands include Iron Vegan, Vega, and Genuine Health. North Ward Councillor Steve Lee Say NO to the TOLLS! I was very disappointed in the April 14 announcement by Lorne Coe, Lindsay Park and Caroline Mulroney that the province will not be removing the highway 412 tolls. They stated they would be freezing them until 2023, that this was to help residents during a pandemic. It begs the question: if there was no pandemic, would the tolls have increased on schedule? When asked about election promises, they stated they would advocate for an elimination or reduction of tolls, and that they had kept the promise. A media release from 2018 from Lorne Coe stated, "All Durham candidates believe removing the tolls from the 412 Highway and not tolling the 418 is the right thing to do as it will help keep life more affordable for families and drivers in Durham. Removing the tolls will also help to reduce traffic congestion on our local roads and allow people to spend more time with their family and friends." Nowhere does this mention just reducing the tolls. In fact, based on the province's own MTO Tolling Analysis Report, tolls on 407, 412 & 418 from April 2021 have actually increased by 2.27%. "The initial toll rates were in effect for four months until May 31, 2017, when the first toll escalation was required, and it was determined to be too soon for an adjustment of toll rates. A regulation amendment freezing the toll rates was enacted to be in effect until May 31, 2019. During the last four years of tolling operations, the toll rates have increased only once by 2.27%." So, while I greatly appreciate the tolls being frozen at current levels, this really doesn't cut it nor does it count as a "reduction or elimination." The issue here is fair and equitable treatment to the residents of Whitby and Durham Region. The response provided does not address that issue. The information provided by the province suggests there was some agreement or understanding that the 412 was to be tolled. This is not correct. While it was before my time on council, Mayor Mitchell was there during most of the long process to determine the location as was former Mayor Pat Perkins. He discussed it with her and concluded that MTO officials never advised that the 412 would be tolled. The debate was over the road's location. Neither Whitby nor Ajax wanted it. Whitby wanted to widen Lakeridge which would have better served our residents and retained all the valuable industrial land lost through the 412 expropriation. We know roads are expensive to build and tolls generate revenue. However, after building (and tolling) the 412, the province managed to find $616 million to expand the 427 with more free lanes and kilometres. Why are the 412 and the 418 being tolled while other roads like the 427 and other northern ones are built with no tolls? At council on April 19, we passed yet another motion asking for the removal of tolls and for Durham MPPs to fight for equality. I will continue the fight for the removal of the 412 tolls.