Category Archives: Veganism

Gone are the days when plant-based food meant bland salads and disappointing burgers, when vegan leather was just an oxymoron, and the closest thing you had to a vegan friend was the quirky, meat-free songstress Phoebe Buffay.

Now, veganism is everywhere. Burger King offers a Whopper with a vegan meat patty, Tesla cars come with cruelty-free leather, and when KFC UK launched a vegan chicken burger, it sold out in four days, performing 500 percent better than the average new product.

By now its likely you know a vegan, a vegetarian, or somebody whos trying to eat less meat. So what is the definition of a vegan diet? And why do people go vegan?

A vegan diet includes no animal products. Animal products can mean anything from meat (including fish), cheese, eggs, honey, and gelatin (a food ingredient obtained by boiling the skin, bones, or tendons of animals). If a food is made by or out of an animal, its not vegan.

A vegan diet, also known as a plant-based diet, can be rich in anything else fruit, vegetables, grains, nuts, and legumes. Dont be fooled; creatives in the culinary world use these ingredients to make everything from stretchy dairy-free cheese and vegan ice cream to meaty plant-based burgers. And you dont have to do the hard yards in the kitchen yourself (unless you want to). Most supermarkets stock a variety of vegan products and more and more major fast-food chains are jumping on the bandwagon to cater to the rising number of people eating animal-free.

More people are turning to plants for the good of their health. Health was the most popular motivator for the participants of this years Veganuary campaign, which sees people going vegan for the month of January. Forty-six percent of the 250,310 participants named health as their main reason for taking part.

A growing body of research is pointing to the harmful effect of meat, dairy, and eggs on the body. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) named red meat a Group 2 carcinogen, meaning it is probably carcinogenic. WHO classified processed meat like bacon and pepperoni in the Group 1 category, signifying that it causes cancer in humans. Asbestos and tobacco smoking are in this category, too.

Meat consumption has also been linked to diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, and arthritis.

While a meat-based diet could cause the onset of disease, research suggests eating plant-based could actually help you live longer. Vegan foods are rich in fiber, unlike animal products, which contain none. Researchers from the University of Otago studied the link between diet and disease earlier this year. Looking at data from 185 observational studies, they found that those who consume the most fiber are 15 to 30 percent less likely to die prematurely. They also discovered a 16 to 24 percent reduced incidence of type 2 diabetes, stroke, and colon cancer among those who follow fiber-rich diets.

Vegan foods also contain no cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol is only found in animal-based foods. High cholesterol can lead to plaque forming along the inside of the artery walls, causing the artery to narrow and blood flow to decrease. This raises the risk of stroke, peripheral artery disease, and heart disease. A study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic in 2018 suggested that red meat could increase the risk of heart disease 1,000 percent more than a plant-based diet.

A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use, and water use, Oxford University researcher Joseph Poore said in a statement last year.

Poore was the lead researcher on the worlds most comprehensive analysis of farmings impact on the planet. The analysis saw the researching team assessing the environmental impact of the 40 food products that make up 90 percent of the total food consumed around the world. To do this, they analyzed data from around 40,000 farms in 119 countries.

The study found that many environmental issues could be helped by reducing meat and dairy consumption. If those industries were removed, land use could be reduced by more than 75 percent. That would free up an area the size of the U.S., the European Union, China, and Australia combined all capable of feeding the worlds population.

Animal agriculture also uses vast amounts of water. Beefhas a particularly high water footprint at about 1,800 gallons per pound, while pork follows at 578 gallons and chicken with 468 gallons, says environment website Water Calculator. On average, the water footprint of a vegan or vegetarian is around half that of a meat-eater.

Animal-based food production is also linked to ocean dead zones, water pollution, deforestation, and species loss. Its a leading generator of greenhouse gas emissions, which drive climate change. Animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the worlds entire transportation sector, a fact that prompted the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to name meat the worlds most urgent problem.

Our use of animals as a food-production technology has brought us to the verge of catastrophe,it added.

Global food-related emissions could drop by 70 percent before 2050 if the world went vegan, according to a study published today in the journal Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences in 2016.

A survey by Vomad asked nearly 13,000 participants why they went vegan. Most 68.1 percent named animal welfare as their main reason.

The decision to stop eating animal products helps some align their behavior with their beliefs. Many people would call themselves an animal lover. Forty-five percent of Brits have an animal living with them. Most (93 percent) pet owners claim that having a pet makes them happy and 88 percent say it improves their overall quality of life.

Social psychologist and author Dr. Melanie Joy has researched the concept of carnism, a set of beliefs that lead people to eat some animals but not others.

Joy believes that although most people do not want animals to suffer, social conditioning steers many toward animal-based diets. She claims that this can cause cognitive dissonance, mental discomfort experienced by those who hold contradictory beliefs.

To prevent this discomfort, people subconsciously shift their views on animals to see them as food rather than sentient beings. The meat industry does well to further this by marketing cow meat as beef, pig meat as bacon, and calf meat as veal.

Documentaries like Dominion uproot this way of thinking. The 2018 film uses hidden camera and aerial drone footage to expose the dark side of animal agriculture.

Many people subscribe to the belief that farm animals live out happy lives before being sent to slaughter. However, an analysis from the Sentience Institute found that approximately 99 percent of animals in the U.S. meat industry live on factory farms.

Factory farming, also called intensive animal farming, aims to maximize production. Some factory farms keep hens in cages the size of an A4 piece of paper. Others confine mother pigs to sow stalls so small that they cannot turn around. The industry permits workers to remove parts of animals bodies without pain relief; chicks have their beaks cut off and calves have their horns, tails, and testicles removed.

The meat, dairy, and egg industries also cut animals lives drastically shorter than their natural ones. The natural lifespan of a chicken is eight years. But chickens bred for meat are killed as early as six weeks old. Cows can live to be 20 or older. But those raised for meat are sent to slaughter at just 18 months old. Lambs are killed at six months even though many will naturally live to be 14 or older.

The Daily Mail called Dominion the scariest movie ever made. Many say they cant make it past the 10-minute mark due to the confronting nature of the footage. High Note Cafe in Idaho stopped serving animal products and went completely vegan after its manager watched just 15 minutes of Dominion.

Adopting a vegan diet also supports human rights issues.

Experts say we are growing enough food to feed 10 billion people. Yet almost 795 million or one in nine people suffer from chronic undernourishment. Between one-third and one-half of the worlds crops are fed to livestock. Eighty-two percent of starving children live in countries that grow crops for animals raised for Western consumption.

A study published by the National Academy of Sciences last year found that we could feed an additional 350 million people by swapping animal-based foods with vegan alternatives.

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What Is the Definition of a Vegan Diet?

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What is the definition of a vegan diet? All your questions about meat, eggs, dairy, and even honey answered once and for all.

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Jemima Webber

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What Is the Definition of a Vegan Diet? - LIVEKINDLY

Vanessa Percher, head chef at Chef Veganessa, with her vegan Thanksgiving dish, lentil and mushroom loaf with roasted walnuts, miso gravy, roasted butternut squash mash, string beans and orange cranberry sauce in Beaconsfield on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019.Dave Sidaway / jpg

This long weekend, you can give some turkeys something to be thankful for by trying a meat-free feast for Thanksgiving.

With the growth in popularity in veganism and vegetarian diets, it seems every family now has one or several members who have adopted meat-free eating, either for ethical reasons, health or environmental concerns.

Its not foreign anymore; were definitely in the age of plant-based food, said le-Perrot resident Vanessa Percher, the owner of Chef Veganessa.

Thanksgiving is a favourite time of year for Percher, and not only because she does brisk business selling vegan holiday meals, but because she loves preparing a traditional meal with all the trimmings.

Its my favourite dish, said Percher, who has been running the Beaconsfield-based meal delivery business for the last 10 years. Its a lentil loaf with nothing artificial. Its got brown rice, mushrooms and walnuts. Its a very savoury loaf, and it comes with roasted butternut squash mash. Its comfort food, whether youre (on a plant-based diet) or not.

Percher found out she had celiac disease about 10 years ago when working as a pastry chef at Bich restaurant, now known as Ristorante Beatrice. She adopted a vegan diet for health reasons around the same time and realized there was a need for healthy gluten-free and vegan meal options.

When I found out that I was not able to taste the food I was making, I had a problem, Percher said. I realized there was a rise in allergies, so I decided to focus on cooking for people who are limited in what they can eat.

Chef Veganessa delivers weekly gluten-free and vegan meals ready to reheat or freeze for later, it also has a small takeout counter at the storefront in Elm Plaza. Saturday was a busy day for Percher, delivering special holiday meals, as the store is closed Sundays and Mondays.

For those who are trying to cut back on meat, or hosting a vegetarian or vegan in their family for the first time, Percher recommends going to the organic section of a grocery store, or visiting a specialty grocery store to find plant-based alternatives to turkey. They include a Tofurky loaf, made with soy, or the Gardein Holiday Roast. Percher said cooking for vegetarians doesnt have to be overly complicated and can be as easy as buying vegetarian ground beef, which is available in most grocery stores and substituting that for the real thing.

The website of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals also has recipes and suggestions for meat-free products. They include ordering a vegan loaf from Rosemont-based Caf Dei Campi.

If youre going out for dinner, some popular vegan restaurants are Lov andLola Rosa. At Westmount and Mile End-based Aux Vivres, you can either dine in or you take home their products either from take-put counters attached to the restaurants or at partner distributors like Metro, IGA, Rachelle Bery and Tau grocery stores. Montreal-based Gusta also offers plant-based sausages and seitan loaves. It has a counter at the Jean-Talon Market and products available at many grocery stores and retailers throughout the country. For dessert, Sophie Sucre on Pins Ave. at the corner of De Bullion St., is another option. Its products are also available at cafs and restaurants throughout the region. On its fall manu, the bakery features a brown sugar spice cake with pumpkin icing, among other treats.

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How to have a meat-free Thanksgiving: advice from vegans - Montreal Gazette

The vegan movement is on fire. From soaring IPOs to vegan fried chicken launching at KFC, 2019 has seen some of the biggest mainstream breakthroughs in the plant-powered universe. And where better to celebrate those vegan wins than at the UKs leading vegan festival? Set to take place on Londons picturesque Southbank this November, Vevolution Festival will treat you to a day packed with inspirational and thought-provoking talks, workshops, and panels.

Speakers include pro skateboarder Kenny Anderson, Wicked Healthy co-founder Derek Sarno, LIVEKINDLY founder and CEO Jodi Monelle, and restaurateur Loui Blake.

We are so proud that Vevolution Festival has become a global event with attendees and speakers traveling from all over the world to be a part of it, the festivals co-founder Damien Clarkson told LIVEKINDLY. Together with Judy Nadel, Clarkson created Vevolution to push the vegan movement forward. It aims to raise awareness and educate the masses about veganism, creating free educational content for people around the world to access.

Vevolution supports vegan entrepreneurs, businesses, and hosts major events around the world, including its annual London festival. The event is sponsored by a number of vegan brands, including BOL, Follow Your Heart, Wuka, and Bute Island Foods. Environmental organization Greenpeace has also partnered with the festival, as has Animal Equality UK, and community kitchen Made in Hackney.Clarkson explained, when we started [Vevolution Festival] we didnt ever envision it would grow to be such a big global celebration of the plant-powered movement and positive change-makers. Each year, the festival gets bigger and better. This year, it will unveil a new Positive Futures stage.

We live in an economically, politically unstable time, said Clarkson. We think we are clearly seeing the very real impacts of man-made climate change on our planet. This stage will be discussing how we re-imagine and transform our food systems, our health, and creative positive change-making businesses.

Its been a huge year for vegan food; 2019 has seen major fast-food chains including Papa Johns, KFC, and Burger King add new animal-free options to their menus. But the biggest leap forward for the plant-based movement? Clarkson says its got to be the Beyond Meat IPO.Based in California, Beyond Meat has taken the world by storm with its vegan bleeding beef-like patties, which look, cook, and taste like their animal-based counterparts.

The burgers arent just kinder to the animals, but theyre good to the planet too. One Beyond Burger produces 90 percent fewer greenhouse gases than its beef equivalent.In May, it became the first-ever vegan brand to IPO. Initially, its value was $25 a share. By the end of its first day, its value was $65 a share. By June, it was valued at $99.9 a share. Its success has changed the future of food, says Clarkson. We speak to so many investors and big companies who are now waking up to the potential of the plant-based products to generate profit.

He added, the Beyond Meat IPO has led to so many more big companies, banks, and investors contacting us about the future of plant-based business and this is really exciting.

Positive change is happening around the world, and Vevolution will inspire you to get involved, says Clarkson. Even if youre planning on going solo, you wont be disappointed.

We always have people attend our festivals on their own, he said. Every year we hear stories of people who have made new friends and come away from Vevolution feeling like they are a part of how we are going to create a better world.He added, our ultimate wish is that attendees leave feeling positive about the future and the role they can play in transforming the planet and making it a better place to live.A renewed sense of hope and passion arent the only souvenirs attendees will take home. For every ticket purchased, guests will receive a goodie bag worth 25, packed full of the best new vegan products. If you want to go all-in, theres also the option of an Extra Entry Ticket. Youll get access to the festival, entry queue jump, and access to the venue 15 minutes before the doors open.

Youll also be able to access to breakfast 15 minutes before the doors open. Youll get a free lunch and a WIP goodie bag, packed with vegan products worth more than 45. But if youre not interested in filling up your home with new things you may not necessarily need, Vevolution understands. It is also offering the choice of a low impact ticket, which simply grants access to the festival alone.Free continental breakfast which includes muffins, fruit pots, and cookies will be on offer on a first-come, first-served basis, and free coffee will be available for all throughout the day.

For those there for the food (who isnt), Vevolution is offering the best vegan street food you can find in the country. The venues internal caterers Benugo have also cooked up a special plant-based menu for the occasion. Vevolution is for everyone, said Clarkson. It is a place to come and discuss the future of the plant-based economy, meet your new best friend, and hear a positive vision for the future.

Vevolution will take place on November 16 at BFI Southbank. To choose your ticket, click here.

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Vevolution Is the Must-Attend Vegan Festival of 2019

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London's Vevolution festival will treat you to a day packed with vegan food, inspirational and thought-provoking talks, workshops, and panels.

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Vevolution Is the Must-Attend Vegan Festival of 2019 - LIVEKINDLY

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Love Earth gives a big, green hug to Staten Islanders, fresh on the food scene as the boroughs first and only dedicated vegan eatery.

Veganism is on the rise, said Danielle DiLillo with a broad smile. She owns the business along with Renee Raia and Anthony Gerardi.

Were just here to raise consciousness and awareness of high-vibration foods, said Di Lillo, over a mason jar of just-pressed, potent celery juice that the kitchen normally blends with lime. Its one of several Healing Nectars on the menu highlighted as Farmacy.

Love Earth, in Richmond Valley, also blends concoctions like Miracle Red Juice --- beets, carrots, apples, celery, limes and ginger -- and Anti Cancer elixir -- cucumber, celery, kale, spinach and lemons.

High-vibe foods are loaded with nutrients and very important ones that can heal physical and mental health, explained Di Lillo.

When you put dead animals in your body, youre legitimately killing your vibe, said Di Lillo. And out of respect for the Mother Earth, the business uses no plastic.

Love Earth vows a brand of bakery thats gluten-free, peanut-free, soy-free, dairy-free and egg-free. Food is baked, not fried. Cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, muffins and cookie dough balls, part of its initial line of sweets, use organic sugar. Regular sugar, Di Lillo pointed out, uses animal bone char in the processing, which gives the granules their clean, white color.

Sugar is so bad for you. Here we do all these allergen-friendly desserts but what Im looking to do next is to bake everything with coconut sugar, said Di Lillo.

Although considered healthy, Raia said that food is not prepared with honey. It just is too controversial of a food among vegans, as the insects can be compromised and exploited by human harvesting. So the restaurant avoids using it.

(Staten Island Advance/Pamela Si

Burgers are made with veggies like spinach and artichoke. Earth Love Cafe is a vegan-friendly restaurant that caters to various diet regimens because they use no animal products like dairy and eggs. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

Also on the menu are five salads with various beds of greens and house versions dubbed Loving Kale, Love Spinach Salad and the Love Salad, the most basic with greens, cucumbers, red onions, olives and tomatoes with a roasted pepper vinaigrette.

Veggie-based burgers come on a bun (not gluten-free) with chips and a tussle of lettuce. Patties are made from portobello mushrooms, pea protein, chickpeas, black beans and sweet potato. An artichoke-spinach version is blended to toothsomeness with gluten-free flour, rice and nutritional yeast. It comes with a tomato and creamy pesto, one of Di Lillos signature sauces.

Soups on this inaugural menu include Coconut Thai Butter Bean, Vegetable Minestrone with red beans and Santa Fe, a chunky brew of garlic, onions, bell peppers, beans, sweet potato, cilantro and Ayurvedic spices.

(Staten Island Advance/Pamela Si

The kitchen crew (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

There are veggie-centric sandwiches like the eggplant-driven ELT and apps like the fiery Buffalo Cauliflower, hummus and guacamole with chips. Raia is a two-time Staten Island Advance Cookbook and one of her award-winning dishes lands on this menu -- the mojito bean and plantain salsa served with tortilla chips.

Di Lillo and Raia are passionate about their vegan lifestyle.

Di Lillo introduced a vegan and Paleo-diet menu at a former venture, the now-closed Dominicks Bakery. Raia has self-published a book in 2017 on the subject, Heal the Planet. Heal Your Soul: Awaken Through Veganism." The restaurant has been years in the works. Di Lillo admitted it was hard to find investors who believed in the project. But Gerardi understood what the pair was trying to do. And the concept hit home since his son suffers from severe food allergies.

Love Earth will roll out cooking classes, yoga and Broga, a yoga tailored for men.

We have a space downstairs for anyone who wants to help humanity on a collective scale, said Di Lillo.

There are so so so many benefits when you eat from the sun and from our mother, she emphasized, adding, Love earth! Love your mamma!

Love Earth is located at 4916 Arthur Kill Rd., Richmond Valley; 646-960-6411. In the works is the website LoveEarthCafeBakery.com. The cafe is kosher certified.

(Staten Island Advance/Pamela Si

Burgers are made with pea protein, mushrooms, black beans, sweet potato or artichoke and spinach. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

(Staten Island Advance/Pamela Si

Celery juice with or without lime (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

(Staten Island Advance/Pamela Si

Roasted red pepper pesto can to burgers (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

(Staten Island Advance/Pamela Si

A chandelier at the front of Earth Love (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

(Staten Island Advance/Pamela Si

Some of the greens in the decor (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

(Staten Island Advance/Pamela Si

The dining room features sit-down service (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

(Staten Island Advance/Pamela Si

Cookie dough balls and chocolate chip cookies (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

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Love Earth Cafe: A new vegan eatery dedicated to healthy choices - SILive.com

When we decide what to eat or drink, we're making choices that go beyond flavor. What we consume can be a tool for social change, a connection with generations past, and a major influence on our well-being.

In this lively episode, WPLN's Emily Siner talks to Chris Carter of Porter Road Butcher, Tiffany Hancock of The Southern V, and Leah Larabell of High Garden Tea three food entrepreneurs who are merging innovation and tradition. How did they start down the paths of local meat production, veganism and herbalism? And how do they navigate pushback from skeptical customers?

Support our podcasts by donating at wpln.org/give and noting that you listen to Movers & Thinkers. Hear previous episodes of Movers & Thinkerson our website,Apple PodcastsorGoogle Play Music.

Leah Larabell grew up close to the land, and she began studying herbalism over a decade ago. She opened High Garden in East Nashville with her husband Joel in 2012. Through running the tea shop and offering classes, she is able to reintroduce many people to their forgotten green friends and a way of life full of joy, support and connection.Leah considers it her purpose to bring person and plant back together in the bonded relationship that it once was and can be.

Tiffany Hancock craved the flavors and seasonings from her past. She couldn't find them after she transitioned to veganism. But Tiffany loves a challenge, so she went to the kitchen and made magic. Now, you can find her sprinting back and forth, cooking and baking all the items for The Southern V in North Nashville. Her Southern take on vegan/plant-based dishes has provided many customers with a new perspective on the lifestyle, as well as given a nostalgic experience to longtime vegans.

Chris Carter made his entry into the restaurant industry as a busboy in high school and later studied culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Arizona. It was after culinary school, however, working at Flemings Steakhouse, where Chris came to appreciate high-quality meat and decided to create Porter Road Butcher. While not driving all over the region to pick up animals, processing and cutting meat in Princeton, Ky., or serving customers in the East Nashville shop, Chris enjoys going to a good concert, drinking several cold beers while fishing, roaming the aisles of Bass Pro Shop at Opry Mills and finding his center in a hot yoga class.

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Movers & Thinkers: The Butcher, The Vegan Baker, The Potions Maker - WPLN

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WILKES-BARRE, Pa. -- Dairy-free pizza, meatless burgers, and veggie buffalo wings are just some of the offerings at a new vegan restaurant that opens Tuesday in Wilkes-Barre.

Eden A Vegan Caf opens this week on South Main Street in downtown Wilkes-Barre and the owner tells us it's not like your typical vegan restaurant.

"We take traditional comfort foods that people already love and we veganize them, so we just use different proteins, so instead of animal products and dairy and eggs, we use proteins like soy, wheat, pea protein, and we make burgers and pizza and wraps and wings," Christian Pilosi explained.

"It's such a big trend right now," said employee Emily Brodhead. "A lot of people are into the whole veganism thing. A lot of people don't understand what it is, so it gives people a really prime opportunity to come in here and eat their everyday foods that they would usually get anywhere else to have it here."

Pilosi has had a location in downtown Scranton for more than a decade. He says he's thrilled to bring this option to people in Wilkes-Barre and excited to be so close to Wilkes University.

"It's all student apartments on the second and third floor. There's student apartments behind us, and they just wanted one storefront. They talked to a few people and they chose us and we couldn't be happier about it," Pilosi said.

Students at Wilkes University tell Newswatch 16 they think new restaurants and new businesses opening up nearby adds flavor to life on campus.

"I think it's a great opportunity. Obviously, it's a little bit more of a condensed campus and it's smaller, so it allows the students to go off and have more opportunities to enjoy different cuisine and enjoy different things to entertain themselves, so I think it's just one of those things to make their college experience more enjoyable," senior Eric Beideman said.

"I think that there's going to be a lot of people that come in just to see what it is, just to get the experience and kind of test their curiosity. I think we're going to get a lot of people really hooked on it. I think it's going to be a really, really, really busy day, a busy week, and just a busy future for us at Eden," Brodhead added.

Eden A Vegan Cafe opens Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. on South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre.

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Vegan Cafe Ready to Open in Wilkes-Barre - WNEP Scranton/Wilkes-Barre