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Vegan Cheese Market New Innovations, Research and Growth Factor till 2028 – Lake Shore Gazette

Posted on July 7, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Thevegan cheese marketis expected to continue its steady growth on account of the growing trend of veganism, coupled with the increasing consumer awareness about the health benefits associated with cholesterol-free vegan cheese consumption. The global vegan cheese market is projected to register 8.6% CAGR during the forecast period 2018-2028, owing to the myriad factors mentioned in the PMR report.

Individuals with a fondness for cheese have shown a reluctance towards veganism, however the growing awareness about the different vegan cheese options and variants available in the market has altered the scenario completely. As veganism has already gone mainstream, and consumers inclination towards cheese is showing no signs of waning, vegan cheese companies have focused on introducing plant-based cheese substitutes, including cream cheese, parmesan, cheddar, ricotta, to name a few. Leading vegan cheese companies are focusing on introducing cost-effective vegan cheese variants to appeal to a wider, cost-sensitive demographic.

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PMR report opines that vegan cheese market has witnessed collective growth in the recent years. It is likely to accelerate further in the forthcoming years, on the back of the growing awareness about the lactose-intolerant conditions, in tandem with a significant shift in eating patterns. The report finds that globally, roughly 75% of the population is lactose intolerant, and suggests that the growing awareness about the potential health impact of dairy products will prompt consumers to shift to plant-based milk products, including vegan cheese, among many other dairy substitutes.

According to the study, the growing animal welfare and environmental concerns associated with dairy product consumption are gravitating consumers towards vegan cheese products. The transition to vegan cheese will further solidify, owing to numerous factors, including growing demand for eco-friendly, animal-free sources of protein, and raising concerns about allergens, antibiotic, and hormone use. Many leading food chains, such as Dominos Pizza, McDonalds have listed vegan food products on their menu to tap the expanding vegan population. The report opines convenience stores as the most common and imperative sales channel for vegan cheese customers, with leading grocery chains such as Aldi and Walmart, offering many exotic plant-based cheeses on shelves.

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To capitalize on the growing trend for veganism, vegan cheese companies are introducing novel forms of vegan cheese to move ahead of the increasingly competitive vegan cheese market. With the existing players taking efforts to produce vegan cheese variants with an added nutritional value, the global vegan cheese market is anticipated to witness tremendous changes during the forecast period.

The growing consumption of plant-based products in North America has made the region lucrative for the vegan cheese companies; 200 companies have already entered into the market in the recent three years. Meanwhile, the study opines that vegan cheese consumption accounts for roughly 4-5% of plant-based food consumption globally, with Western Europe and North America being the most lucrative and matured markets, owing to the preference for ready-to-eat snacks.

What’s the difference between a vegan and an ethical vegan? – Lexology

Posted on January 23, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Casamitjana v The League Against Cruel Sports ET3331129/2018

Facts

Mr Casamitjana was an ethical vegan so he followed a vegan diet and opposed the use of animals for any purpose. His former employer, The League Against Cruel Sports, was an animal welfare charity that campaigned against sports such as hunting and coursing. Mr Casamitjana was employed as a researcher. He concluded that his employer's pension funds were invested unethically and took steps to ensure his contributions were invested in an ethical fund. He suspected his colleagues were unaware of the nature of the investments and would be similarly offended. He therefore sent a number of emails to colleagues. He was dismissed for gross misconduct, as he had given financial advice to colleagues in breach of an express and repeated instruction not to do so. He brought claims for indirect discrimination, direct discrimination, harassment and victimisation by reference to his belief in ethical veganism. In order to succeed, Mr Casamitjana had to convince the employment tribunal that his ethical veganism was a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. A preliminary hearing was held to consider this issue.

Decision

The employment tribunal judge held that ethical veganism constituted a philosophical belief and was therefore protected by the Equality Act. The judge applied the test set out in Grainger v Nicholson and decided that the belief was genuinely held, it was a belief as to a weighty and substantial aspect of human life and behaviour, it attained a certain level of cogency, seriousness, cohesion and importance, it was worthy of respect in a democratic society, it was not incompatible with human dignity and it did not conflict with the fundamental rights of others.

This decision has attracted a huge amount of interest but its implications are limited because it is not binding and Mr Casamitjana is a very committed vegan; other vegans would have to prove their belief qualified for the same protection, which is unlikely to happen in the case of those who are health vegans rather than ethical vegans. There is a merits hearing next month to decide whether Mr Casamitjana was dismissed because of his veganism.

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What's the difference between a vegan and an ethical vegan? - Lexology

18 Vegan Athletes Who Swear By Their Plant-Based Diets – Women’s Health

Posted on January 26, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

KARIM SAHIBGetty Images

The previous school of thought: In order to get big and strong, you need to eat meat, and lots of it. But now, tons of vegan and plant-based athletes are proving everyone wrong. In fact, recent research from the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that vegan athletes get the benefit of a higher intake of carbohydrates, fiber, phytochemicals, antioxidants, and other micronutrients than omnivores. And all of that can contribute to prime performance, whether they're lifting weights or running miles.

So yeah, you can totally stick to that veggie-centric life and crush those PRs. Need more proof? Check out some badass vegan athletes who are showing the world that strong bodies arent only made at a steakhouse.

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1Alex Morgan

2019 FIFA Women's World Cup champ Alex Morgan fuels her soccer game with a vegan diet. "It makes me stronger and helps with fatigue and recovery, Alex told USA Today in an interview. And during the World Cup, she shared the U.S. Women's National Team chef prepared special vegan meals for the athlete.

"I never thought it was possible I could be playing at an elite level as a professional athlete with a plant-based diet," she said. "Then I realized it wasnt detrimental at all."

2Tia Blanco

This World Surfing Games champion has been riding the vegan wave for the last seven years, after having maintained a vegetarian diet from birth. On her YouTube channel, she shared that she starts her day with refreshing lemon water and a vegan smoothie made with in-season, fruits, leafy greens, and sources of healthy fats like hemp seeds.

But its not always smooth sailing. She told Great Vegan Athletes that traveling makes it particularly difficult to stick to a raw vegan diet, so she ends up opting for lots of pasta, brown rice, and bread on the road. Hey, nothing wrong with a little carbo-loading before a major event.

3Meagan Duhamel

Meat wasnt behind the metals for this two-time figure skating world champion and Olympic gold medalist. After reading a book about veganism at an airport bookstore, Meagan told CBC she immediately cleaned out her fridge of meat products and made the switch to a diet focused on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Since switching to veganism, she's noticed major boosts in her energy levels and athletic performance on the ice.

4Steph Davis

Its always been difficult for this world-class rock climber to reconcile her love of animals and simultaneously consume them. So in 2002, Steph shared on her blog that she cut out animal products to stop funding an industry that holds animals captive in wretched living conditions [while being] killed violently. The vegan athlete adds that while fighting animal cruelty is her main goal, if I climb better and feel better on top of it, all the better.

5Venus Williams

When the former Grand Slam and Olympic tennis champion was diagnosed with autoimmune disease Sjorgen syndrome in 2011, she looked to a raw vegan diet to help her get back on the court in full swing. But more recently, Venus told Insider that she's added a few non-raw items back into her diet, like rice, potatoes, and lentils to sustain her training.

6Molly Cameron

The only trans athlete to compete in the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup, Molly's success as a pro bike racer is due in part to her vegan diet. She told Viva La Vegan that she cut out meat accidentally in 1999 because she didnt like the taste. But what motivated her to adopt a stricter vegan diet were the positive effects on the environment and her improved athletic performance. Eating organic and whole food keeps my energy level and mental focus consistent," Molly told Organic Athlete. "It is the logical step when living a super active and conscious lifestyle.

7Hannah Teter

After watching the documentary Earthlings, this animal-loving Olympic-snowboarding gold champion became a vegan athlete. But after taking a closer look at how factory farms treat animals, she decided to cut out animal byproducts entirely. My plant-based diet has opened up more doors to being an athlete," Hannah said in an interview with HuffPost. "Its a whole other level that Im elevating to. I stopped eating animals about a year ago, and its a new life. I feel like a new person, a new athlete.

8Jahina Malik

Bodybuilder Jahina is known for a lot more than her impressive lineup of titles like NPC Eastern USA Bodybuiding Champion and IFBB Pro Physique Pro Card holder. As the first ever vegan bodybuilder since birth, she told Meat Free Athlete that she considers veganism a lifestyle, and not a diet. Plant-based foods like couscous, vegan chicken, and tofu help her recover from tough workouts. When asked about the advantages of being a vegan athlete, she told Plant Built: For me, its breaking all the stereotypes and barriers that vegans cant bodybuild.

9Morgan Mitchell

Runners are notoriously focused on upping their carb intake to promote strength and endurance on the road or track, but this Olympic sprinter takes pride in finding wholesome protein-rich, plant-based foods to fuel her incredible feats of athleticism. Perhaps its no coincidence that she won her first Olympic medal two years after swearing off meat and its byproducts. I recover a lot quicker than I used to, the vegan athlete told Live Kindly. Its easier to keep my weight down and I havent been sick at all.

10Pat Neshek

Baseball isnt all hot dogs and cheese fries. For free agent pitcher Pat, its about optimizing performance as a vegan athlete, he told the Star Tribune. While his teammates have teased him for his plant-based food choices, he takes solace in knowing his game has improved since first going vegan after reading The China Study. Hey, at least sunflower seeds are vegan-approved.

11Patrik Baboumian

You might equate a vegan diet with scrawny, sinewy muscles, but strongman Patrik is anything but that at five foot seven and 256 pounds. After earning the title of Germanys Strongest Man in 2011, he went vegan shortly thereafter, according to Barbend. On his YouTube channel, he shared what a typical day of eating looks like: vegan sausage, falafel, oven fries, tofu, and smoothies, clocking in at over 5,000 calories and 400 grams of protein.

12Colin Kaepernick

Football fans know and love Colin for his boundless skill and agility as a quarterback and former San Francisco 49er, as well as his political activism advocating for racial equality in America. Its thus little surprise that Kaepernicks compassion extends towards animals as well, and he sticks to a vegan diet. [LET'S CITE WHERE THIS LINK IS GOING TO]

13Sarah Stewart

Superstar Sarah won three Australian championships, placed in the All-Star Five for five years, and won three Paralympic gamesand she credits her success to a vegan diet, which she adopted in her late teens. I think being vegan makes me healthier," she told Great Vegan Athletes. "I certainly believe that vegetable carbs and protein along with all their nutrients build better, cleaner bodies, including muscles, without all the bad-for-you animal fats. And trying to avoid causing pain and suffering along the way is a great thing too.

14Abel Trujillo

Having recently competed in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship as a mixed martial artist, Abel, also known as Killa, has a gentler side fans dont often see on camera. He told Raise Vegan that he wanted to make veganism a part of his life after taking up Kundalini yoga. Energetically, this type of yoga is a sacred science of becoming in your higher-self, so your diet must be pure and clean, he said in an interview. This is why all the holiest people on the planet [] dont eat meat. He looks to foods like fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts to heal and purify the body.

15Madi Serpico

Professional triathlete Madi Serpico is all about life as a vegan athlete. "I did some research and watched Forks [O]ver Knives and Earthlings and decided that I didnt want any part of animal cruelty, not to mention putting poison in my body, she told Viva.

16Ruth Heidrich

After being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in her forties, Ruth switched to a vegan diet, according to her website. Two years later, she became the first vegan athlete to run the Kona Ironman Triathlon. Now, at 83 years old, she's competed in over 900 races, including five more Ironman Triathlonsproving a vegan lifestyle can fuel incredible athletic feats, at any age.

17Rocky Luedeker

Sure, age is just a number, but 63-year-old Leudeker wouldnt have been able to break 14 powerlifting world records and 33 state and national records without the help of the vegan diet she adopted 16 years ago. I eat a variety of foods with various grains, beans, vegetables, tofu and a bowl of fruit for dessert, she told Vegan Health and Fitness magazine. "The morning of a competition, I eat a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter mixed in, and a glass of grapefruit or orange juice. The only supplement that I take is turmeric. I do not use protein powder or take B12 or any other supplement.

18Dana Glowacka

Dana Glowacka holds the women's world record for the longest plank. (FYI: It's 4 hours, 19 minutes, and 55 seconds, according to Guinness World Records.) To make it even more impressive, Dana is a vegan athlete. "Vegan diets are the best to prepare for endurance and recoveryI am absolutely convinced!" she wrote on Instagram.

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18 Vegan Athletes Who Swear By Their Plant-Based Diets - Women's Health

These are the best vegan Instagrams that you NEED to be following – The Tab

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

The guidance is needed tbh

Whether its for inspiration to try a plant-based diet this Veganuary, or just for some fresh ideas for you long-term vegans. These are the vegan Instagram accounts you should be following.

To start with the obvious, the Veganuary Instagram account has all you need. From recipes, to links to vegan blogs, to information about plant-based food on the high-street, to quotes from various vegan celebs, you will find it all here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6ljCjagLfR

Worried that a vegan diet might affect your time at the gym? Patrik Baboumian, star of the 2018 documentary The Game Changers, proves that you can be vegan and strong af. Patriks insta consists of workout videos, vegan memes and posts dealing with misconceptions about supplements.

Cute pet pics can also be found here just for some extra motivation.

This account run by co-founders Roxy Pope and Ben Pook has a range of yummy vegan recipes linked in their bio to try out, including smoked salmon using carrots and baked chocolate doughnuts.

This is the king of vegan Instagram accounts. Not only does it let you know all the delicious food you can eat across various supermarkets, but it separates some of the shops into individual saved stories too! It makes it super easy to look through a collection of vegan foods available at your supermarket of choice! Trust me, youll be surprised at what you can eat.

Sometimes the hardest bit about switching to veganism is avoiding beauty products that aren't obvious by-products of animals.

You dont think about your make-up or toiletries not being vegan but Veganbeautygirl, an account run by 12-year vegan Nicole Whittle, is a super helpful insight into vegan health and beauty. The account shows suitable products that range from deodorant to hair dye. For those interested in the environmental side of veganism, plastic free and biodegradable products are also tested by Nicole.

Run by Cardiff-based chef Gaz Oakley, this account is filled with incredible vegan recipes including chocolate milkshakes, a vegan brekkie and his iconic purple soup. Gaz even collaborated with Wagamamas in 2018 and create the dish avant-gardn (super delicious btw). This is definitely the account to visit when you're feeling like you've been eating the same chilli recipe for a month. We've all been there.

So sit back, take your B12, and let these vegan Instagram accounts do all the hard work for you.

Want to break stories like this? Join The Cardiff Tab now! Get in touch via DM @thetabcardiff or The Cardiff Tab on Facebook.

Is Fam Fish curry sauce vegan? We found out so you dont have to.

Here are the best places to eat and dine out as a vegan in Cardiff

Veganuary: Your guide to vegan beauty on a student budget

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These are the best vegan Instagrams that you NEED to be following - The Tab

The Two Souls of Veganism – The Bullet – Socialist Project

Posted on January 22, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Environment January 21, 2020 Benjamin Selwyn

Veganuary 2020 in the UK is set to be the biggest ever. Last year over 250,000 people pledged to go vegan in January; this year the numbers are greater still. In the backdrop, more than 800,000 people gave up eating animal products in the UK last year, and ever greater numbers of the population around 6 per cent or 3.5 million people identify themselves as vegan.

This dietary shift reflects an increasingly popular awareness of the need for food systems that enhance human health and animal welfare, without destroying the planet. It is particularly popular among young people who are more likely than their older counterparts to be politically active and concerned about the global climate crisis.

While veganism is often portrayed in the mainstream media as another dietary fad, the reality is that it embodies two distinct approaches to our place in the world.

On the one hand, it is big business as exemplified by Burger Kings vegan rebel whopper and the rapid expansion of plant-based products across the retail sector. Consumerist veganism appeals to individualism and a faith in the power of capitalist markets. From this perspective, if enough people switch from meat to plant-based diets, then market mechanisms will generate environmentally friendly outcomes.

On the other hand, more radical vegan politics are hitting the headlines. Witness the employment tribunal victory by Jordi Casamitjana, sacked from the League Against Cruel Sports after revealing that the company had investments in pension funds involving animal testing.

Casamitjana argued that he was discriminated against in the workplace because of his ethical vegan beliefs. Like dietary vegans he eats a plant-based diet. However, as an ethical vegan, he also tries to avoid contact with any products derived from, or causing, animal exploitation. The tribunal judged that ethical veganism is a philosophical belief protected by law against discrimination.

Witness too, the mass petition calling on the Vegan Society to list palm oil as a non-vegan product. According to Greenpeace palm oil production has destroyed an area of rainforest almost twice the size of Singapore over the last three years, pushing orangutans and other species toward extinction.

Palm oil production is perhaps the most visible aspect of how even non-meat production has a devastating effect on animals.

Agro-industrial farming monocrop production based upon the heavy use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers is wiping out insect populations on a historically unprecedented scale. This in turn impacts upon wider food webs, contributing to plummeting bird numbers.

What Casamitjanas court case and the anti-palm oil petition have in common is a political notion of veganism. The former points to the need to protect vegan ethics by limiting the power of firms to hire and fire. The latter implies that a vegan society requires regulating the market forces involved in the production and consumption of food and other products.

The Vegan Society, founded in 1944 in the UK, aimed to establish a philosophy and way of living which excluded as far as possible all forms of exploitation and cruelty to animals. Early vegans promoted the philosophy as a way of life concerned with living without hurting others which avoids exploitation whether it be of our fellow men, the animal population, or the soil upon which we all rely for our very existence.

An ideological gulf separates mainstream consumer veganism, which has nothing to say about the exploitation of our fellow men, and ethical veganisms more political foundations. In many ways the former contradicts and potentially undermines the latter.

The impacts upon the global food system of increased consumer-driven veganism will be similar to earlier processes of market enlargement land grabbing, environmental depletion, and labour exploitation. Such dynamics are epitomised by the current avocado boom, where rising consumer demand for the trendy fruit is accelerating deforestation and soil contamination in Mexico and Chile.

Labour exploitation through poverty wages underpin many agricultural systems. In the USA for example, around one-third of farmworkers, many of whom are migrant workers without full legal rights, earn incomes below the national poverty line. Forced labour is commonplace across the southern European fruit and vegetable sector, which supplies many UK supermarkets.

The adoption of meat-free product lines by fast food chains such as Burger King is driven by the quest to maximise profits, rather than animal welfare. Such strategies aim to attract new customers to purchase a mix of original and more established products. As Jos Cil, the CEO of Burger Kings parent company, noted, Were not seeing guests swap the original Whopper for the Impossible Whopper. Were seeing that its attracting new guests.

The overall impact is to strengthen, rather than fundamentally alter, the existing business model. In the case of the fast food sector, this means continuing sales of meat-based products.

Ethical veganism contains notable anti-market philosophical foundations. It points to a more holistic understanding of the world, rooted in an aversion to exploitation. In the current context, it has much in common with overt political protests, such as the youth climate strikes, and Extinction Rebellion.

The production and consumption of healthy, environmentally sustainable food free from animal and human exploitation, requires more than shifts in diet, however widespread. It necessitates nothing less than a fundamental transformation in the way humans relate to each other and interact with nature.

While consumer-driven dietary veganism contributes to continued market expansion, ethical veganism highlights how the construction of a more just world necessitates restricting the operation of capitalist markets. These two souls of veganism are antagonistic: veganisms consumer variant promises to undermine the objectives of ethical veganism.

As much of the excitement about Veganuary reflects big food corporations hopes of new profit opportunities, veganisms ethical, political potential, is becoming more visible. If it blossoms and begins to influence how we think about the policies necessary to enhance the welfare of humans, animals and the natural world, then big changes could be afoot.

This article first published on the Le Monde diplomatique website.

Benjamin Selwyn is Professor of International Relations and International Development, University of Sussex, UK. He is author of The Struggle for Development, and forthcoming Green Food, Green Planet.

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The Two Souls of Veganism - The Bullet - Socialist Project

How to be a ‘sustainable’ vegan – Wicked Leeks

Posted on December 28, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

One of the biggest criticisms in the increasingly polarized vegans versus meat debate is the impact and provenance of some meat or dairy alternatives.

How can a lifestyle built on ethics and morals justify swapping locally-sourced sustainable meat for processed food that might contain soy from rainforest areas, palm oil, and other problematic ingredients? So the argument goes.

A lot of the hype has focused on the huge raft of new vegan products often processed food made to replicate meat using a variety of extracted ingredients. But not all vegans choose to base their diet on such products.

Maresa Bossano, a vegan of 27 years who runs the Love Food social platforms for ethical vegans, says: In terms of vegan food, I eat nearly 100 per cent organic and I buy local fruit and vegetables direct from farmers whenever possible. I also try to buy UK-grown produce for other foods like grains, pulses, nuts, etc. although this is harder, as we don't produce a lot in this country.

Of course, I eat imported foods, but I try to mainly get European-grown fruit when it's in season. I do eat things like pineapples and avocados but consider them a luxury not something I eat every day. What I would never do is buy blackberries grown in Mexico in a plastic punnet. I believe in eating seasonally and the rest of time doing without.

Many vegan foods imitate meat using a range of different ingredients.

Bossano says she isnt against meat alternatives per se but would never eat something that is ultra-processed and has lot of ingredients that I don't recognise.

In terms of its environmental impact, buying highly processed, over packaged foods using ingredients like palm oil or GM soya is causing a lot of damage to wildlife and wiping out species like orangutans, she says.

There is an assumption, leading to accusations of hypocrisy, that vegans should care about all aspects of sustainability, but that isnt actually part of the core veganism principles.

From a vegan perspective, the only ethics this lifestyle is concerned with is animal rights, says Dominika Piasecka of The Vegan Society.

While many vegans of course extend these to include planetary and human health, at its core veganism is simply about avoiding the use and abuse of non-human animals.

And while sustainability and veganism are closely related, they are separate issues, she says, adding that a plant based diet in itself has been shown time and time again to be the best off-the-shelf diet for our planet.

Its a point that inevitably does spark discussion, as many of the plant-based ingredients in a vegan diet, soya being the obvious example, arguably do have an impact on animal welfare via habitat loss in producer countries, as well as other environmental impacts.

Fruit, veg and pulses can be used as protein alternatives in nutritious meals.

Personally, I think all vegans (and non vegans) should be concerned about sustainability, as anything that harms the environment is inevitably harming wild animals, says Bossano.

Industrial agriculture is responsible for destroying the habitats that wild animals rely on to survive, both in tropical rainforests and in the UK.

It also relies on chemical pesticides and fertilisers which are damaging to insects, birds and other wildlife and which can pollute aquatic habitats. Whereas small scale organic farming enhances wildlife by providing food and homes for butterflies, birds and bees, and building soil fertility.

While leading scientists behind the IPCC report on climate recommended reducing intake of intensively-produced meat as part of a balanced, sustainable diet, the picture about simply switching to plants regardless of impact is more nuanced.

Food miles, fairly traded food, GM ingredients, pesticide use and transparency are all relevant and vital in a wider discussion about food sustainability: the difference being, according to The Vegan Society, veganism is not aiming to solve the whole picture.

Veganism isnt concerned with these issues. While they are of course very important, they are the extra step people can take after becoming vegan, says Piasecka. Our first priority when working with new vegans is that they understand the ethical reasons behind this lifestyle choice and that they are aware how to balance their diet properly.

For Bob Andrew, development chef at organic veg box company Riverford, the mainstream interest in veganism risks continuing the trend for convenience food, to the detriment of scratch cooking with fresh fruit and vegetables.

Black garlic works as a vegan stock cube.

The rush to fill the shelves with new vegan products is in danger of repeating the worst aspects of the wider convenience food market, by touting an equally unbalanced diet replacing one high protein, high fat, and high salt product with another, often with a lack of transparency over ingredients and potentially higher air miles, he says.

It is all about balance. Use it as a chance to bring a wider variety of veg into your diet and try cooking with more legumes, pulses and nuts to provide protein. If you do buy processed foods, remember, the fewer and more recognisable ingredients the better.

Andrew sees Veganuary as a perfect opportunity to discard old vegetable prejudices and learn new techniques, such as fermenting, roasting or slow-cooking, instead of the age-old boiling or steaming.

While the official stance sees veganism and sustainability as separate issues, when it comes to food, nuance and complexity are more representative of everyday lives and values.

With that in mind, provenance, recognising ingredients and conscious shopping decisions can all help create a sustainable Veganuary.

Chef Bobs sustainable Veganuary shopping list:

Mushrooms. Texturally, mushrooms are an easy way to ape a meat-like bite, without resorting to soya or seitan, a meat substitute made of hydrated gluten.

Sweet potatoes. They sit somewhere between a potato and squash, so use them as a proxy for both with abandon. Bake in their jackets, slice in a gratin or cleave into wedges and roast. They make for a smooth velvety mash, silken soups or an ideal backbone for any number of curries or stews.

Brassicas. Learn to eat your greens! And do it without boiling everything into slimy submission. Your sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and even kale can be oven roasted to great effect the florets catch at the edge, making for a deeper flavour and texture.

Chickpeas. Think beyond hummus you can blitz them into falafels, braise into stews or cook down into a mash as a simple side to a veg-heavy dish. You can even use the water from the tin (resplendently named aquafaba) to use as an egg substitute in baking. As an alternative, try British-grown fava beans or carlin peas to support British farmers and cut food miles.

Black garlic. Think of them as the ultimate vegan stock cube but without all the emulsifiers and maltodextrin. Simply pop a few cloves into soups or stews to add complexity and depth.

More here:

How to be a 'sustainable' vegan - Wicked Leeks

Jack Black Says Vegan Is Best For The Planet And ‘Straight Up Delish’ – Plant Based News

Posted on January 15, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Jack Black has praised veganism more than once (Photo: Eva Rinaldi)

Jack Black says veganism is the best diet for the planet - and that a host of animal-free foods are 'straight up delish'.

The actor and comedian made the comments during an interview with the Associated Press last month.

"It's said that it's the best for the environment if you have a vegan lifestyle and vegan diet, mainly because of cow farts. It's the methane. It's bad for the ozone, and the rest," he told the interviewer.

"But also, it just tastes good. Lately, they've been getting the technology right. The Impossible Burg[er]* bro. Delish. I don't even know if it's good for you, it's just straight-up delish."

It is not known whether Black is actually vegan now, though he revealed in an interview around the same time as this one (December 2019), that he was not.

He made the comments during a WIRED Autocomplete Interview, where celebrities answer the internet's most searched questions about themselves. One asked whether he was vegan.

He answered: "No, but I would like to be. I am in spirit, and really, it's time for everyone to consider that lifestyle for the environment. I found out it turns out vegans are better for the environment. Why? Cow farts."

He added that everyone should consider going vegan because of the environmental benefits.

*Impossible Foods states that its burger is plant-based rather than vegan, as a key ingredient - heme - was tested on rats in order to obtain FDA approval.

Boris Johnson says veganism is a crime against cheese-lovers – Vegan Food and Living

Posted on January 16, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

When asked by interviewer Dan Walker if he would be taking part, he said: No, Im not, no Im not. I had thought of it but it requires so much concentration.

While Johnson tipped his hat off to vegans who can handle it, who can manage to avoid non-vegan products, he added that eating vegan was a crime against cheese lovers.

Walker asked the prime minister whether it was because he would miss bacon sandwiches, to which he replied: The whole lot.

I mean, you cant eat cheese, can you, if youre a vegan? Johnson asked.

The Prime Ministers comments have caused a stir on social media with one user saying: Boris Johnson says he considered going vegan for January but decided against it because it requires so much concentration. (Just a reminder that hes the Prime Minister!).

Johnson has also been mocked for his pronunciation of the word vegan, which he sometimes said as vee-gan, that saw users flock online to share their thoughts.

One user said: The way Boris Johnson says Vegan makes me giggle. Vee-gan like an alien species, whilst another agreed adding: Whats a Vee Gan @BorisJohnson? The vegan part of Veganuarys portmanteau isnt pronounced like that!

The Vee Gan race were at space war with the Klingons deep in the fifth star quadrant.

Veganuary has hit back at his statements to say that vegans can definitely still enjoy cheese, with plenty of vegan options available on the market today.

The idea that trying vegan means depriving yourself of cheesy foods is outdated and untrue, refutes Toni Vernelli, Veganuarys International Head of Communications.

Vegan-friendly cheeses are available in every grocery store and you can now even upgrade to vegan cheese at Papa Johns and Pizza Hut. There are really no more excuses.

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Boris Johnson says veganism is a crime against cheese-lovers - Vegan Food and Living

How Fans Are Handling Their Favorite Influencer Going From Vegan To An All-Carnivore Diet – BuzzFeed News

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

This is Please Like Me, BuzzFeed News newsletter about how influencers are battling for your attention. You can sign up here.

Emily Schuman is an OG blogger. In 2008, she started her fashion and lifestyle blog, Cupcakes and Cashmere, as a way to document the things she loved. She quickly became one of the most recognizable and influential personalities in the lifestyle blogosphere and quit her job in media to run her site full-time. In 2010, she designed a bag with Coach and now has a line at Nordstrom. She has written two coffee-table books and her website has a full-time staff of 10, besides Emily and her husband Geoff. In the golden age of blogging, she was an A-lister.

The online landscape is very different now than it was in 2008. Influencers are the new bloggers, and everything is on social media. While Emily and her blogging peers grew their audience through lengthy posts, sometimes multiple times a day, now all it takes is an iPhone and photos with captions to become a fashion influencer. The bar for entry is much lower, and the competition is much fiercer. Bloggers like Emily have had to convert their audiences to new platforms to remain relevant. Not that Emily has been unsuccessful in many ways she is the model example of this. She has more than half a million Instagram followers and her brand is chugging along just fine.

There are bound to be hiccups, though. And this week, Emily had a big one when she did an #ad for a new at-home company called P.volve. P.volve offers streaming classes and unique fitness equipment to go along with its low-impact training method. One piece of equipment is the p.ball, a rubber ball attached to a band that fits between your legs for glute and thigh work.

Last week, Emily uploaded a video of herself using the p.ball during a at-home workout. The caption read: Luckily wasn't feeling too intimidated when the only other members of my @pvolve workout class were my cats. #ad.

Emily immediately got completely read for filth by her followers for the ad, which you can watch here. They had two main gripes. The first is that Emily has many times written about how she doesnt really exercise. She has explained in blogs that she has a somewhat complicated relationship with fitness and has said she remains slim due to her naturally athletic build and a naturally fast metabolism, along with dabbling in intermittent fasting. So followers felt that Emily suddenly shilling an exercise product was extremely inauthentic, a mortal sin for bloggers and influencers.

Come on Emily!! Im sorry but this is SO ridiculous. It is soooooo off brand and unauthentic. It comes off like all you care about is making money, no matter the cost or how it comes off, wrote one.

The second gripe: They thought the video was just plain weird and awkward. Some of the commenters trolled her. (Maam this is the olive garden...lol.)

I see both sides here. On the one hand, I understand it can be frustrating to follow someone for years and watch them seemingly sell out with inauthentic ads for money. Fans highly value the authenticity of influencers: It builds the trust that allows their recommendations to be taken seriously. Also, I think this is a microcosm of a growing trend of frustration about how ridiculous some ads on Instagram are becoming.

On the other hand, it has to be incredibly difficult to build your brand around your life and maintain that brand authentically for more than a decade while simultaneously remaining relevant from a business standpoint. The competition for #ads is incredibly tough, and Id imagine it is hard to ensure sponcon is also perfectly on-brand all of the time. I bet it has been harder for Emily to jump from blogging to Instagram influencing than we think. We reached out to Emily for comment.

I think we can all agree, though, we are all lucky we have never had to film ourselves doing as awkward a workout as the p.ball machine, and then post it to 500,000+ people.

Stephanie

If social media helped convince people to go vegan, its now creating a bit of an identity crisis especially for the people who were at the forefront of pushing the cause.

In 2019, famous vegan bloggers have either been outed or have come forward to say theyre no longer vegan. And the fallout has been explosive and difficult for their followers. Many seem to understand that people can change their diets for health reasons, but others feel flat-out duped.

In the case of Yovana Rawvana Mendoza, earlier this year, she was caught eating meat in her private life as she was still proselytizing and profiting off a vegan diet on her YouTube channel. Her fans understandably had trouble with this.

For others, its more complicated. Alyse Parker is a lifestyle influencer who became well-known at one point for advocating an all-plant diet and making exercise videos. She recently came out not only as a meat-eater she announced that shes on an all-meat diet.

The Carnivore Diet first came into my awareness when a close friend shared with me all of the benefits that he was experiencing by eating this way, Alyse wrote. She also said she woke up the next morning feeling more mentally clear, focused, wholesome, and healthy than I had felt in years.

The responses to her newfound carnivore diet was a mess. Some fans congratulated her, told her she was brave, voiced their support, and others were...profoundly mad. And took it very personally.

When I reached out and DMd with two commenters who voiced their anger, they explained exactly what upset them so much about Alyses changed diet: Both of them said she directly influenced their own decisions to go vegan.

Nicole Zach, a 20-year-old who lives in Santiago, Chile, told me Alyse was an inspiration to her, and after watching her videos, she then started a successful vegan lifestyle.

When she announced she was eating meat again I couldnt believe it, Nicole said. She used to be so devoted to veganism.

Nicoles issue, as a fan or, er, former fan was how extreme Alyse seemed to have jumped from one ship to another. And that she fears because she was so effectively convinced to change her lifestyle, that this might influence others the same way.

She can do whatever she wants of course, I just hope this change of diet and lifestyle doesnt affect others. I would hate to see some of Alyses followers getting confused and considering eating animals again, she said.

Another fan named Haley told me shes been following the influencer since 2014. Up until [Alyses latest Instagram post] I would still reference her and be proud that she inspired me, said Haley. However, now I feel as though I listened to a hypocrite.

Haley said she grew skeptical about Alyses motivations after seeing her do a complete 180 about her lifestyle choices.

Considering much of her product and basis of her career is on health and helping the environment, I do not think she has a care for anything besides herself, Haley said.

Both Haley and Nicole said they remain vegan and are happy about their decisions theyre just let down by someone who they once saw as a heroic figure.

Ive reached out to Alyse, but did not immediately hear back.

Its always a sad reality to face when youre empowered by a message, but disappointed by the messenger. And someone you almost viewed as superhuman now continues to show you theyre...just human. And that they might loosely wield their power of influence. However, it sounds like going vegan is a decision Alyses followers are now actively making for themselves, independently, and thats pretty great.

Until next time plant yourself at home this weekend, or go meat someone out. Do whatever the hell you wanna do.

Tanya

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How Fans Are Handling Their Favorite Influencer Going From Vegan To An All-Carnivore Diet - BuzzFeed News

Its boomtime for Veganuary as retailers rush to join the trend – The Guardian

Posted on December 22, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

Its either a fad or a revolution, but whatever the future holds for veganism its set for another flexitarian-fuelled boom next month.

More than 100,000 people have already pledged to stick to a plant-based diet for Veganuary, double the number who took the plunge at the same time last year. The organisation behind the campaign is expanding into Germany, the US and Chile and is airing its first TV commercial after Christmas. On Sunday, we finished with about 102,000 sign-ups and that is massively more than at the same point last year, 15 December, when we had 44,000 sign-ups thats a 127% increase, Veganuarys Toni Vernelli said. It hopes to reach 350,000 by 1 January, up from 250,000 at the start of this year. The campaign is having an impact on restaurants and supermarkets, she said: The number of companies getting in touch with us who are launching products is truly mind blowing. It does just seem to be everywhere.

Marks & Spencer will have more than 100 vegan products in its Plant Kitchen range, more than any other range it has produced with a No-Chicken Kiev, a tofu-based ToFish and Chips, as well as lunch pots and snacks. Aldi has a vegan seasonal range with 10 new items, from sandwiches and ready meals to ice-cream. Iceland will expand its vegan range in January, as will Waitrose, which says its vegan Christmas sales have risen by 40% all the supermarkets made big additions to their Christmas ranges this year. Greggs, which stole the show last year with its vegan sausage roll, is expected to launch a follow-up and Burger Kings rebel whopper may reach the UK. Those products are aimed at flexitarians people reducing meat in their diets because though veganism seems to be growing, only about 600,000 people are fully committed to not eating animal products. About half the population are either not eating meat or actively reducing it, according to market researchers Mintel. It was described last week as a plant-based revolution by another analyst, Innova Market Insights.

The competition dairy and livestock farmers are clearly concerned, although its hard to tell exactly how much impact veganuary had last year. Initial reports from Kantar Worldpanel, which tracks consumer spending, showed that sales of meat remained fairly steady at the start of the year.

But since then the firm has charted a significant decline in sales of beef, lamb and pork, although fish and chicken have grown, and a later Kantar study showed that 1.31m people gave up animal products in January 2019.

Although many of the new products mimic meat, fish and cheese, from BBQ ribs and bleeding burgers to Camembert and smoked salmon, some vegan entrepreneurs believe they can persuade people to eat plant-based food that hasnt been manipulated.

Alex Petrides set up Allplants with his brother Jonathan in 2017 to offer vegan-only food subscription boxes frozen meals delivered to your door. We dont use synthetic ingredients, Petrides said, but we do use the language people are familiar with and can connect to. We believe its possible to create all the expressions that people have come to expect from food and all the emotional and nutritional qualities purely using plants.

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Its boomtime for Veganuary as retailers rush to join the trend - The Guardian

Deep and crisp and vegan: now meat-free festive fare goes exotic – The Guardian

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

When Tony Bishop-Weston turned vegan 25 years ago, Christmas dinner was a challenge. I thought Id do a moussaka, as there were 14 of us, he said. I got the last aubergine in the village there was only one. And that was a bit wrinkly.

Everything has changed since then, especially this year, thanks to the flexitarian boom. Vegans who once relied on ingenuity and Linda McCartneys sausages can now pick from a cornucopia of Christmas treats, because half the UK population is cutting back on meat or giving it up, according to market analysts Mintel.

Supermarkets have responded by boosting their plant-based ranges for Christmas. In 2018, Morrisons sold eight Christmas vegan items now it offers 45, with three centrepieces, including a layered vegetable tart and a creamy mushroom Wellington.

Waitrose has doubled its Christmas range from six to 12 products, adding the root en croute a confection of roasted carrots to the beet Wellington that was so popular last Christmas that it became a year-round line. Tesco sells six vegan centrepieces, up from four, including a sweet potato and red cabbage Christmas log, and its Christmas report says that a third of families will have some sort of vegetarian or vegan option this year.Marks & Spencer says there has been a considerable increase in its vegan Christmas offerings this year, and Aldi has a large range of vegan party food, crowned by a Christmas pastry wreath filled with chestnut mushrooms and butternut squash.

A year ago, the only option in Iceland was a less than festive no turkey meal for one, but now it offers five vegan lines, including the no moo chocolate snowflakes mousse, caramel and biscuit dessert.

Its just been amazing. Theres anything you can think of, said Bishop-Weston, reeling off a list of vegan cheeses available gorgonzola, goats cheese, brie and camembert that have nothing to do with goats, sheep or cows.

Of all the food products launched in 2019 in the UK, 24% have claimed to be vegan more than anywhere else in the world

Im really struggling to find anything to moan about now, joked the vegan chef and cookery writer. Theres five blue cheeses. A guy in France is making smoked salmon with pea protein and algae Odontella. Its got the same mouthfeel, the same flavours its amazing.

It has been an extraordinary year for veganism, which has seen an explosion in attention, according to Ryan Whittaker, consumer analyst at GlobalData. Waterstones has 3,545 book titles with the word vegan in them available for sale, as of October 2019, compared with 944 in August 2018, he said.

That attention from consumers has been followed by retailers. In the first 11 months of the year, the Vegan Society registered 14,262 new products under its Vegan Trademark scheme, twice as many as last year and a huge rise compared with the 5,919 that came out in 2015.

In fact, 24% of all food products launched in 2019 in the UK have claimed to be vegan, according to Edward Bergen, global food and drink analyst at Mintel, the market research firm. Its a huge jump on the 8% of launches in 2015, and more than anywhere else in the world.

This whole trend isnt about the vegans, although theyre loving the journey, Bergen said. Its about the consumers reducing the amount of meat they eat.

Its likely that more people will swap meat canaps for things such as M&Ss No-Pork Pigs in Duvets, or add a vegan option alongside meat at large gatherings.

In a best-case scenario, it would be good to cook food from scratch, but the increasing numbers of vegan products available makes it easier for people to make vegan choices on Christmas Day, said Heather Russell, a dietitian for the Vegan Society.

People who do want to cook from scratch their vegan Christmas dinner should think about colour, according to Bishop-Weston. I like to do individual centrepieces because, no matter how beautiful you make it in the middle of the table, once you start cutting into it, its difficult to still be beautiful on the plate, he said.

You can make a little cracker out of filo pastry and you put some holly leaf and cranberries on top, and you tie the cracker with chives or slices of leaf.

But if Im doing a big centrepiece, I often do a pie or Wellington and try to make it pretty by putting layers in, something like kale and cranberry or red cabbage. Youve got those Christmas colours coming through, so, when you slice it, its still looking pretty on the plate.

Heppi Vegan BBQ ribs made from peas Available in 2020

Solmon Vegan smoked salmon, made from algae Available at GreenBay supermarket

Sjrapport seaweed pearls Vegan caviar made from kelp seaweed Available at Ikea

Tofurky roast and gravy Vegan turkey jointAvailable from Ocado

Mouses Favourite Vegan camembert-style cheese made from cashew nuts Available at TheVeganKind supermarket

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Deep and crisp and vegan: now meat-free festive fare goes exotic - The Guardian

French women breaking down the final frontier in veganism – Euronews

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

A pair of French biologists have broken down the final frontier in the surge towards veganism.

Students Philippine Soulres and Sheryline Thavisouk decided to take advantage of the booming market for vegan alternatives as part of a project at Paris' Ecole de Biologie Industrielle. Deciding to focus on the notoriously hard to replicate egg, which features in a host of foods as a binding agent.

The duo created Les Merveilloeufs - a play on 'merveilleux' meaning marvellous and 'oeufs' translating as eggs - making for an egg replacement that looks as well as acts like the hen's egg it mimics.

"Veganism is booming," Philippine told French daily Le Monde(translated from French).

Sheryline added: "We realized that what was missing most in vegan people's daily food was the egg, a food that can be found in every meal, from breakfast to dinner, in sweet and savory dishes. We decided to make one."

The recipe of their vegan-friendly egg remains under wraps, telling Le Monde that it contains vegetable and mineral materials.

It took more than 50 test recipes and three years to reach a stage where the product was recognisable in its current form as something consumers would want from an egg, the creators said.

Despite their egg alternative being completely free of hens and cocks, they've managed to maintain a remarkable likeness to an egg, with a distinct white and yolk, setting it apart from competitors that replicate only one functionality. For example, Oggs made with aquafaba are designed for use in baking, while Just's egg replacer is made with mung beans and comes mixed, ready to scramble.

Les Merveilloeufs even come in their own shells.

Soulres and Thavisouk decided to make a business out of their idea, partnering with incubator programme Station F. Now, ready to burst onto the market, the pair are highlighting that anyone can become and entrepreneur, and there's no fixed mould.

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French women breaking down the final frontier in veganism - Euronews

Leclerc admits to trying veganism – GrandPrix

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

FEBRUARY 13, 2020

Charles Leclerc, Australian GP 2019

RV Press

Charles Leclerc has revealed he tried becoming a vegan over the winter break.

F1's six time world champion Lewis Hamilton has popularised the idea of veganism in the paddock, with Leclerc's teammate Sebastian Vettel admitting he tried it in 2019.

"The experiment lasted six weeks and I learned a lot," the German said last year.

Now, 22-year-old Leclerc admits he also conducted his own short foray into veganism.

"I tried eating vegan but I didn't feel perfect with it. Nutrition is a very individual thing," he told the German broadcaster RTL.

Indeed, Leclerc said that with his non-vegan regime, he feels more than fit for the start of 2020.

"I've trained a lot - I'm ready, more than I've ever been," he said. RTL said he lost four kilograms over the winter.

"I'm definitely better prepared this year than last year as I now know what to expect from a team like Ferrari."

Finally, Leclerc predicted a calming of tension with his teammate Vettel, claiming "we both learned our lesson" from their clashes in 2019.

(GMM)

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Leclerc admits to trying veganism - GrandPrix

Veganism Bad for the Environment and Your Health, Say Farmers – Breitbart

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

A scientist speaking at the National Farmers Union conference has argued that living a vegan lifestyle is more damaging to the environment than eating meat.

The Rothamsted Institutes Graham McAuliffe said that the manner in which tofu a protein foodstuff made from soy milk is produced has a worse carbon footprint than chicken, pork, or lamb produced for eating, according to an unpublished report.

Dr McAuliffe, who models the environmental impact of foods, said that current accepted research which claims that eating meat is worse for the environment fails to take into account that the human body does not absorb as much protein from plants as it does from meat, meaning that on a vegan diet, a person would have to eat more in order to obtain a healthy amount of protein, according to a report in The Times.

Speaking at the conference in London, the scientist said:Without a doubt peas and ground nuts always have a lower environmental impact than any livestock products.

But if you look at tofu, which is processed so there is more energy going into its production, when you correct for the fact that the protein in it is not as digestible compared to the meat-based products, you can see that it could actually have a higher global warming potential than any of the monogastric animals.

To get the same amount of protein, tofu is worse.

The remarks are likely to anger the vegan and environmentalist lobbies, which have been pushing to not only encourage people to stop eating meat but want to punish meat-eating, too, through increased taxation.

Lobbyists have argued for preserving veganism as a legally-protected characteristic, like religion, sex, race, or sexuality. Last month, a judge at an employment tribunal said ethical veganism is a philosophical belief and as such, should be protected by law from discrimination in the workplace.

While activists have said that vegans should be protected from discrimination, vocal anti-meat activists engaged in Cancel Culture on the former editor of Waitroses food magazine for making a joke about veganism in 2018. William Sitwell was forced to resign from his job, but not before receiving threats of harm against him and his family.

The anti-meat movement was also criticised at the farmers event earlier this week, with the president of the NFU Minette Batters saying: The vegan issue has been enormously detrimental to farmers mental health.

The anti-meat lobby could also be potentially detrimental to meat producers physical health, as well. Breitbart London reported in 2018 that there has been a rise in threats of violence against butchers and abattoir workers. In the same year, it was revealed that British meat producers had engaged the support of counter-terrorism police in the wake of the increased threats.

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Veganism Bad for the Environment and Your Health, Say Farmers - Breitbart

Is veganism healthy? This Vancouver office tried it for a month to find out – CBC.ca

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

After a month of plant-based eating, it's finally time to order pizza.

This celebration requires cheese. Lots of cheese.

"It's been a hard month," Sean Jensen said between gigantic bites of pizza. "But this is delicious."

This is the first non-vegan meal for Jensen and his co-workers who switched to a plant-based diet for the month of January to see if it would improve their overall health.

At the start of the challenge, each person tested their blood, body mass index, visceral fat and peripheral fat levels.

After 30 days of veganism, the group of seven one person dropped out of the challenge ran the same tests to see if they were any healthier.

Dr. Raj Attariwala, who runs the clinic, says he lost eight pounds but it was mostly muscle.

"I have to tighten my belt but I gained fat," he said. "I'm a skinnier, fatter guy than I was before."

The employees at AIM Medical Imaging have access to the company's Prenuvo full body MRI scans, which allow them to measure the benefits of their diets in great detail.

The team also had tests and analysis work done at the nearby medical clinic Preventum.

Everyone lost weight.Most people saw improvements in their blood tests and visceral fat levels went down modestly.

Attariwala says, however, everyone lost muscle except for one person who started an exercise program partway through the challenge.

"We see that we're thinner and think that we should be healthier, but the truth is we're not," he said.

"My body was basically sucking energy from my muscles instead of from my fat."

Most people found that meal planning was challenging and expensive.It was hard to find healthy sources of protein and it was difficult to stay away fromfoods that were high in carbohydrates.

AIM employee Erica Ferreira says the positive is she learned a great deal about planning meals.

"I'll definitely think about what's going in my body a little bit more from now on," she said. "It was a good experiment."

For Attariwala, who didn't make any changes to his fitness routine, the biggest takeaway from the experiment is the importance of working out.

"It's not just diet, it's exercise, too," he said.

"I'm going to try to eat less and move more."

Around the lunchroom table at the pizza party, the discussion centres around how many foods appear to be vegan such as breads or sauces but actually contain eggs, honey or some other kind of product that comes from animals.

Jensen says he absent mindedly ordered a cappuccino during the challenge and didn't realize he was drinking dairy until he had finished his cup.

"You just have to be so careful," he said.

"When you're out and you think of a place where you can just pick something up quickly, what can you get that's not yam fries?"

Throughout the challenge, everyone also came to appreciate Vancouver's vegan restaurants and realized there are many delicious options.

Jensen isn't giving up meat, and he's certainly not quitting cheese, but he plans to scale back on both.

"I guess you can call me a vegetarian," he said.

"A vegetarian who eats meat."

CBC Vancouver'sImpact Team investigates and reports on stories that impact people in their local community and strives to hold individuals, institutions and organizations to account.If you have a story for us, email impact@cbc.ca.

A confirmed carnivore goes vegan: Im hungry, cranky and disillusioned – The Irish Times

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Veganism is a cod. Thats what Ive been saying to anyone whos asked me how my first week is going. Ive been whispering it to myself as I rock back and forth in dark corners.

I am hungry, cranky and disillusioned. I have failed many times, mindlessly drinking a cup of tea with God forbid a drop of milk in it or ordering a cappuccino with my vegan bowl.

It was naive of me to think I could jump in at the deep end and give up all animal products overnight, I realise that now.

Becoming vegan must be a gradual process in order not to be hungry, or feel like a failure. It involves completely dismantling your traditional thoughts around meal composition, getting your head around substitutes and making sure you replace the meat and dairy with vegetables and fruit rather than carbohydrates and faddy vegan processed foods. I am impressed and amazed by the people who do it, because it isnt easy.

I needed to be far more prepared than I was. I became complacent after finding vegetarianism relatively easy to get used to and thought a tub of flora spread and a litre of almond milk would see me through till Wednesday.

The reality was quite the opposite. So many of the recipes I had reached for during my first four weeks of meat-free life were now obsolete. The banana bread had eggs in it. The lentil moussaka had milk and butter, the best thing about the black bean chilli was the sour cream and my plans for the Nigel Slater burrata and lentil dish would have to be scrapped. Most of these could be adapted, using flax seeds instead of eggs, nut milk and cashew cheese but that took another layer of headspace that I simply dont possess.

I have collated an array of vegetarian cookbooks, and have scouted out the best vegetarian plates in Dublin (the goats cheese salad in Andersons in Glasnevin is heavenly, the pizza in Cabras new Italian Nero XVI is perfect without meat and Honey Truffle on Pearse Street does salads you would crave) but none of those were any good to me now, certainly not without asking for them to be altered.

Veganism had left me stumped. I knew I had to get breakfast right, so every day I have made Joe Wicks chocolate overnight oats whizzed-up banana, hazelnut milk and cocoa powder infusing the porridge with a naturally sweet, nutty flavour. Served with raspberries and flaked almonds it is delicious, and is a breakfast I normally always make during the warmer summer months.

Dinners were slightly more complicated but I could still make the lentil curry, bean chilli and veggie burgers work, they just missed the ingredients that often made them shine small amounts of cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream and butter can be transformative, Ive learned.

Lunch, though, is where I really faltered. Snacks were difficult too. I could no longer have scrambled eggs on toast, and berries and yoghurt were out of the picture.

The caprese sandwich I reached for in the new deli beside work, Greenville on Tara Street, was now off limits and the majority of the vegan options Ive found consist of dry bread and mushed up chickpea. That would be fine, were I not living off chickpeas as it is.

I threw a grown-up tantrum on Tuesday, crying on the bed about not wanting to go to the gym because I was tired I have been very tired all week and hungry.

On Wednesday, I resolved to get things back on track. I tootled off down to Dunnes Stores on my day off with an armory of Deliciously Ella recipes to prepare for. I had the basket full of rice paper, flax seed and Linda McCartney vegan sausages in the crook of one arm and a flat white in the other. Then I realised . . . a flat white.

This veganism is a pure cod, I said to myself. Can a woman not swan around a fancy Dunnes Stores on her day off with a flat white in one hand and a basket full of nonsense in the other?

Going vegan for a week has made me realise just how omnipresent dairy is in our diet, and how vigilant vegans need to be when cooking and ordering out.

I mean it when I say I have an immense amount of respect for people who follow this diet, and I can see that done right it can have a myriad of health benefits not least because you will be eating greener, fresher food.

It takes a military level of preparation to do properly; as well as an intrinsic belief that this is the diet for you. I possess a capacity for neither of those things, and I will admit that I have failed at being a vegan this week.

I have one more week left of it, and to be honest, Im counting down the days.

Niamh Towey is writing a weekly column about cutting meat from her diet first by adhering to a pescatarian diet, then vegetarian, and nowvegan.

Part 1:Embracingthe challengePart 2:Ifeel a little . . . emptyPart 3:Crying into my dhalPart 4: Life is busyPart 5: Confession about a ham sandwichPart 6:Im hungry, cranky and disillusioned

Sign up for one of The Irish Times'Get Runningprogrammes (it is free!).First, pick the eight-week programme that suits you.- Beginner Course:Acourse totake you from inactivity to running for 30 minutes.- Stay On Track:For those who can squeeze in a run a few times a week.- 10km Course:Designed for those who want to move up to the 10km mark.Best of luck!

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A confirmed carnivore goes vegan: Im hungry, cranky and disillusioned - The Irish Times

Why Kids and Adults Love These Vegan Childrens Books By Ruby Roth – LIVEKINDLY

Posted on January 26, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Kids are better than adults at all sorts of things; they ask more questions, they play without feeling self-conscious, and theyre way better at living in the moment. According to childrens book author Ruby Roth, they may just be vegan at heart, too.

Roth has written a number of books for children, from the healthy-eating focused V Is For Vegan to her new release Bad Day, which aims to help children manage their inner lives and feelings. In her view, when it comes to living a plant-based lifestyle, kids just get it.

The motivesespecially around animals, nature, and the environmentmake perfect logical sense to them, she told LIVEKINDLY.I believe theyre simply closer to our primal state of sensing that we ourselves, are nature.

In fact, when many children are introduced to the concept of not eating animals because its better for them and for the planet they often wonder why everyone isnt on board already.

Because, arguably, it makes perfect sense. Eating plant-based foods will mean far fewer animals are slaughtered, it could significantly reduce the risk of disease, and it will help to reduce our impact on the environment.

The reason adults sometimes struggle, says Roth, is because of conditioning. Kids arent bogged down in the concept of tradition or needing to eat a burger specifically made out of beef to enjoy life, she says. Ive found that when giving kids the information they need to make educated choices, they choose wisely.

So thats what Roth does. She takes what she knows about living vegan, and she translates it into a language that children can understand. Using thoughtful, lively text and artwork.

Thats Why We Dont Eat Animals teaches children about factory farming. And it connects. In fact, the book has become the leading vegan kids title around the world, used by parents and teachers alike. Theres also Vegan Is Love, which covers not only food but how our clothing and entertainment choices impact animals and the planet.

I was teaching art at an elementary school when my students noticed I wasnt eating the string cheese and drinking the milk they were served at recess, Roth explained. She began searching for a book to share with them to help them understand, but had no luck.

What I did find was about a talking animal or vegetable,she recalls.Which I felt took away from both the very rich real-life emotional lives of animals as well as the intelligence of children, who can handle much more substantive content.

An art-lover, Roth decided to fill the gap herself. Books are impactful, she says, and they can change the way a child thinks, or help them to vocalize how they think already. A book on a shelf can be a go-to resource over and over again for a kid seeking place or comfort or understanding, she notes.Before they even have the words to tell you.

Its not just young children, either. Older elementary-age students and high-schoolers are often interested in information that feels a little rebellious or counter-cultural, says Roth, so veganism piques their interest.

I find that when you speak frankly to 4th graders and up, they really pay attention,she explains.Theyre way more perceptive than adults give them credit for. They like the trust given in an open and honest conversation.

Roth went vegan back in 2003. Since then, the world has changed massively. Now, supermarkets, restaurant chains, and even fast-food giants have their own vegan options. The number of vegans has increased, too; and this means more children are being raised without any animal products at all.

But alongside the rise of the vegan movement, there is the rise of accessible information. Necessary information, but also scary information. In 2018, the United Nations revealed we had 12 years to prevent a catastrophic climate crisis. Were now looking at a decade to save the planet.

The children growing up today will have to deal with this climate crisis, as well as a world dominated by social media and a 24-hour news cycle, on top of their own personal problems. And thats where self-care comes in. Roth believes its really important to teach children about emotional wellness, which is why she wrote Bad Day.

Part of my own ability to sustain my activism requires self-care,she explains.I think we need to teach our littlest ones that their inner lives affect the outer world and vice-versa, so they can live as healthfully as possible.

Anyone raising conscious kids has to supply them with knowledge and teach them to apply their awareness to multiple dimensionsfrom the personal to the public, she continues.If we are working for the greater good, we have to address all our choices, and that includes how we behave emotionally, not just our eating or spending habits.

To purchase one of Roths childrens booksincluding Bad Dayclick here.

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Why Kids and Adults Love These Vegan Childrens Books By Ruby Roth

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Looking for a vegan children's book? Activist and author Ruby Roth has written several books about veganism for kids, focusing on compassionate living and wellness.

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Charlotte Pointing

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LIVEKINDLY

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Why Kids and Adults Love These Vegan Childrens Books By Ruby Roth - LIVEKINDLY

Black People Are Leading the Trend Toward Veganism in America – TheStranger.com

Posted on January 30, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Popular entertainers who've turned to veganismincluding Wu Tang Clan, Beyonc (pictured), and her husband Jay-Zare apparently influencing black Americans' shift towards a meatless diet KEVIN WINTER / GETTY IMAGES ENTERTAINMENT

The feature's author, Laura Reiley, cites popular entertainers such as Beyonc and Jay-Z, Wu-Tang Clan (eight of their 10 members are vegans), Jaden Smith, Cardi B, A$AP Rocky, and Stic.man of Dead Prez as influencers of this shift toward a meatless diet. As I noted in a 2017 Slog post, black basketball players such as Kyrie Irvin, Damian Lillard, and JaVale McGee are leading the movement toward veganism in the NBA.

Reiley also acknowledges the good work done by Seattle-based activist Keith Tucker, who organizes the Hip Hop Is Green dinner, which gathers hip-hop artists and educators in order to raise awareness about health and wellness to young people and families nationwide via group meals with several celebrities. In 2015, Tucker produced the first plant-based hip-hop event at the White House. Tucker credits the rapper KRS-Onewho was ahead of his time when he came out with "Beef" from 1990's Edutainmentfor shaping his views on diet and health.

Going vegan also helps the environment, too, which is kind of important, no matter what your race is.

Jewish veganism is worthy of study | Opinion – Jewish News of Greater Phoenix

Posted on December 28, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

Not long ago, if one were to have denied chicken-matzah-ball soup, meat-based cholents or kibbeh their due place on the Jewish table not to mention Passovers boiled eggs they might have been dismissed for having no respect for Jewish cuisine or culture. This has changed in recent decades, as Jews have joined members of other communities in asking transformative questions about how the things that we eat affect the world in which we live and those with whom we share it. Many Jews as Jews now eschew the brutalization and killing of animals, electing instead to eat diets based in compassion and free of animal products. This vegan or vegetarian approach to life extends even to other spheres of production and consumption, sometimes posing challenges for people who observe Jewish law closely and traditionally. Yet this lifestyle no longer demands of practitioners that they separate themselves from their Jewish communities. Our communities, rather, have begun to embrace this lofty change.

In other words, Jewish veganism and vegetarianism are no longer marginal phenomena. In time, they may even become the Jewish norm or so we hope. The Jewish vegan movement, if we may identify it as such, comprises a broad spectrum of ideologies and practices linked by a common bond and by references to the Jewish traditions and cultures which frame them. Reform and cultural Jews often have different approaches to negotiating the melding of Jewishness and veganism than do more traditionally observant Jews. Jewish veganism looks distinct and carries varied meanings in Israel and throughout the Diaspora. The relationships between veganism and other, often-broader ideological commitments varies by individual and community. We nonetheless perceive that veganism has emerged and continues to develop as a unifying lifestyle for Jews throughout the world, bringing us together in projects of cultural, political, ethnic and ethical activism and growth.

Reflecting on Jewish veganism, we realize that our own stories form only a tiny part of a greater paradigm shift, one that has mainstreamed discussions of animal welfare and food ethics within and beyond our communities, as well as consumption practices formerly considered fringe. We notice with interest and pride how complex and multivocal Jewish vegan and vegetarian movements have become. Conversations and their source-bases have broadened, new traditions have taken root, and we have established varied communities of commitment and debate, which often extend beyond the ever-porous boundaries of the Jewish community. We love that Jewish veganism, like other minority veganisms, can challenge and transform the normative expectations around veganism, adding to its depth, beauty and inclusivity.

Convinced that Jewish veganism has come of age and fascinated with its promises, we worked with scholars, activists and rabbis to produce a new edited volume, Jewish Veganism and Vegetarianism: Studies and New Directions. Published by SUNY Press, this collection of essays contributed by 19 authors explores the historical, theological, cultural and intellectual roots of Jewish veganism and vegetarianism, and charts burgeoning new trajectories in Jewish thought and practice. Our project asks what distinguishes Jewish veganism and vegetarianism as Jewish how Judaism, broadly considered, has inspired Jews to embrace such practices and how those lifestyles in turn have enriched and helped define Jewishness.

Co-editing Jewish Veganism and Vegetarianism has led us to conclude that the conversations around these topics, in the academy and within communities, has undergone an incredible transformation. The days when Jewish activists focused primarily on crafting arguments to legitimize their vegan and vegetarian lifestyles according to Jewish laws and ethics has largely passed, with the notable exception of Orthodox Jews in Israel. Deeply varied as they are, the perspectives, arguments and stories accessible in Jewish Veganism and Vegetarianism reflect only the beginning of a renewed and ever-unfolding discussion. They point to the potential of this moment for generating new vistas of Jewish culture and practice. We hope that readers will join us in charting its dynamic and ethical future. JN

Jacob Ari Labendz directs the Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies at Youngstown State University, where he is the Clayman Assistant Professor in the Department of History.

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is President and Dean of Valley Beit Midrash and the author of 17 books on Jewish Ethics.

After tribunal’s ethical veganism ruling, what is a protected belief? – The Guardian

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

What is a protected belief?

The right to philosophical and religious beliefs or to no belief is in effect a similar category of protection to that afforded to sex, race, disability or age under the Equalities Act 2010, according to Sarah Chilton, a partner at the law firm CM Murray.

The act protects nine characteristics, with philosophical beliefs protected in the same way as religion, so that someone who expresses a belief in acting over climate change would be protected in the same way as someone who practises Christianity.

The Equality Act provides that beliefs can be protected if they satisfy certain criteria that have been set out in case law.

In the case of Grainger plc v Nicholson, the court set out conditions for a protected belief. It must be genuinely held, it must be a belief rather than an opinion or point of view and it must be about a weighty and substantial aspect of human life.

In this sense, Jordi Casamitjanas ethical veganism is distinguishable from other forms of veganism, such as that motivated by health, which might not necessarily be regarded as substantial enough to be given the status of a protected belief. For this particular claimant, whose life and behaviour was impacted much more widely [by his belief], I think theres much more than just not eating animals, Chilton said. All of his life was impacted by the belief.

For a belief to be protected, the claimant must also show that it has cogency, seriousness, cohesion and importance, meaning that it must fit together in the claimants life as a coherent belief system, in much the same way as a religion. The belief must also be worthy of respect in a democratic society, compatible with human dignity and not in conflict with the rights of others. This means, for example, that a belief in the innate superiority of certain races cannot be protected.

Aside from beliefs in mainstream religions, people who follow much smaller religions such as Rastafarianism, Paganism and Scientology, are also protected. Other beliefs protected by employment tribunals under the Equality Act include a belief that radical action must be taken over climate change which was the case that gave rise to the Grainger test - and a belief in Scottish independence. That latter case concerned an employee of the Ministry of Defence who was suspended from work and whose security clearance was revoked after he began a bid to become his partys deputy leader.

Maya Forstater, a former researcher and writer for a thinktank, is likely to appeal against a ruling that her gender-critical feminist beliefs could not be protected, Chilton suggested. Forstater, a tax expert, had been a visiting fellow at the Centre for Global Development until her contract was not renewed after a dispute over publicising her views that men cannot change into women, for example on social media. Judge James Tayler, however, ruled that Forstaters views were absolutist because she had suggested in her evidence that she would not recognise transgender women even after they had been granted a gender recognition certificate.

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After tribunal's ethical veganism ruling, what is a protected belief? - The Guardian

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