We are very excited to introduce our new version of Compassionate Choices!
Compassionate Choices is our main booklet for non-students – the pictures and content are tailored to an older audience. A number of the pictures in this version were tested and found to be appealing or provoke sympathy for the animals.
We hope you will like the changes!
Order print copies.
To view all of our available booklets, click here.
By Victor Sjodin, VO Director of Outreach
With an eye toward the continued international expansion of Vegan Outreach, I recently embarked on a speaking, learning, and leafleting trip to Europe. The trip was highlighted by my participation at the Conference on Animal Rights in Europe (CARE) in Warsaw, Poland, but that was far from the only fruitful experience.
You may remember that last fall I presented at the International Animal Rights Conference in Luxembourg. Well, I found out this summer that Vegan Outreach’s presence there inspired new activism for animals! Austrian activists—who attended the conference and saw my presentation—are starting a leafleting program modeled after VO’s.
Of course, I wanted to lend any help and encouragement I could, so I was excited to have the opportunity to meet these activists—and many others—at a conference in Warsaw last month.
First, I flew in to Stockholm, Sweden and had meetings and leafleted with the Animal Rights Alliance or Djurrättsalliansen. Flying to Sweden was much cheaper, and I wanted to meet with these great activists anyway and help do some leafleting in Stockholm. I’m glad I did!
After that, I traveled to Warsaw for the Conference on Animal Rights in Europe. I was pleasantly flabbergasted at how vegan friendly Warsaw is. Apparently it has the fifth most vegan restaurants per capita of any city in the world. Who knew?!
While walking around the city, I noticed the word “vegan” in many places. I indulged in several vegan burger establishments and a sushi place. My favorite was Krowarzywa, which has an assortment of epic vegan burgers at low prices.
At the conference, I was one of about 300 animal rights activists listening and giving presentations, networking, and learning from each other.
I heard presentations on a multitude of topics, including The State of Animal Rights in Ukraine, Feminist Challenges and Solutions in the Animal Rights Movement, and The Successful Use of Social Media in Sweden.
My talk about The Art and Science of Personal Advocacy was well attended and well received, leading to numerous conversations afterward.
At the conference, I was able to speak at length and hear about the accomplishments, challenges, and aspirations of activists from Belarus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, the Slovak Republic, and Ukraine, among many others. Many expressed the desire to begin or expand their outreach to promote veganism to the public. I was glad to be able to tell them about what Vegan Outreach does!
It was a thrill to meet many activists I’d only read about or knew from online, and we became fast friends and professional contacts.
Following the conference, I jumped in a car driven by Felix Hnat, and with other activists we hitched a ten-hour ride to Vienna, Austria. Felix is Chairman of the Vegan Society Austria, and a valiant and successful defendant in a long-running political trial that was national news for years in Austria.
Midweek I gave a presentation to members of the Vegan Society Austria about the hows and whys of leafleting.
It was a nice surprise to run into all-star Vegan Outreach intern Doris Schneeberger who took the U.S. Southeast by storm with VO’s U.S. Southeast Outreach Coordinator Yuri Mitzkewich last semester. She even helped with my presentation!
The next day a bunch of us leafleted a busy street, reaching 1,400 people in two hours. It was awesome!
I’m glad there were so many new leafleters and so much enthusiasm for their new activism efforts. And I’m proud that Vegan Outreach could lend our friends in Austria a little boost by sharing our experience and offering encouragement.
Then, life happened, and a bus I was riding in was involved in an accident. This set me back a few days, but Team Austria kept leafleting as scheduled. They are rock stars!
It’s been a productive trip so far, and I will continue on abroad to give a few more seminars to other groups doing outreach. I look forward to seeing more fruits from the CARE conference and meetings that will spare more animals from the horrors so many still have to endure.
Thank you to the Vegan Outreach donors who made this trip and this work possible! You know who you are!
Last summer, the Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) published a poll measuring the number of adult vegans in the United States. They’ve now conducted 12 such polls between 1994 and 2020, with the most recent one showing the highest percentage of the population as vegan (3%) which translates to the highest number of vegans to date (7.6 million). Possibly more important, there’s been a strong, steady increase in the number of vegans over the course of these polls.
More details are in our spreadsheet, VRG polls, along with a larger version of the graph. You can also read about them on the Vegetarian Resource Group’s website.
By Sam Tucker, Australia and New Zealand Outreach Coordinator
Eating vegan at fast food chains in New Zealand has never been easier! From Dominos to Burger King to Hells Pizza to Subway and more, there are countless vegan fast food options to choose from.
Dominos has a great range of vegan pizzas with mock meats and dairy-free cheese including the vegan El Scorcho, Godfather, Hawaiian, Ham and Cheese and Beef and Onion. They also sell vegan cheesy garlic bread and their regular garlic bread is vegan too!
At Subway, try the Veggie Patty, Veggie Delight or Smashed Falafel (without tzatziki). Choose whatever veggies you like and then choose from any of the following vegan sauces: BBQ, Sweet Onion, Sweet Chilli or Tomato.
The Rebel Whopper at Burger King is entirely plant-based when ordered without mayo and so is the salad burger when ordered without cheese and mayo.
Hells Pizza has a huge range of vegan pizzas including the Vegan Burger, Pride, Damned, Sinister, Mischief, Wrath, Saviour, Mayhem and Brimstone. They also sell vegan nuggets, gluten and dairy-free garlic bread and plant-based ice cream sandwiches.
Burger Fuel has lots of great vegan options too. The Alternative Muscle burger and the V8 Vegan burger are both vegan by default and the V-Twin Vege and Combustion Tofu burgers can both be made vegan on request. They also sell soy thickshakes, kumara fries, potatoes fried, motobites and smash browns, which are all vegan (just ask for vegan aioli with the sides).
Pizza Hut also has a delicious roast veggie and caramelized onion pizza with vegan cheese.
Do you have a favorite vegan fast food option? Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know!
By Sam Tucker, Australia and New Zealand Outreach Coordinator
Eating vegan at fast food chains in Australia has never been easier! From Dominos to Hungry Jacks to Pizza Hut, Zambrero, Pie Face and more, there are countless vegan fast food options to choose from.
If you’re craving a burger, Hungry Jacks and Grill’d both have some great vegan options.
At Hungry Jacks, try the Rebel Whopper (ask for vegan cheese and mayo or order without cheese and mayo) for a delicious mock meat burger, or the Vegan Whopper for a healthier option with a vegetable patty. The onion rings, hashbrowns and fries are also vegan.
Grill’d currently have 3 delicious vegan burgers, the Vegan Cheeseburger, the Beyond Simply Grill’d Vegan and the Beyond Garden Goodness vegan.
At Subway you can get either the Veggie Patty,Veggie Delight or Smashed Falafel (order without tzatziki) with your choice of salads and any of the following sauces: BBQ, Sweet Onion, Sweet Chili and Tomato. They also make avocado toasties for only $2 each.
If pizza’s what you’re after, Dominos and Pizza Hut both have plenty of great vegan options. Dominos vegan pizza menu includes the vegan avocado veg, spicy trio and margherita. They also make a vegan cheesy garlic bread and their regular garlic bread is vegan too.
Pizza Hut also has some great vegan pizzas, including the vegan deluxe, mediterranean, margherita and cheese lovers. They also offer vegan cheesy garlic bread, vegan chicken wings and vegan cornettos.
If you’re in the mood for Mexican food, Zambrero, Mad Mex and Guzman Y Gomez all have some pretty good vegan options. Zambreros make delicious burritos, nachos, quesadillas and bowls with vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, pinto beans and guacamole. You can also get the vegetarian burritos, tacos or nachos without the cheese and sour cream at Mad mex and Guzman Y Gomez.
Pie Face have three flavours of vegan pies, the Vegan Mexi Pie, the Vegan Spag Bol Pie and the Vegan Cheeseburger pie.
Almost all kebab shops, including Ali Baba, The Kebab Co and UTK, make falafel wraps which are traditionally vegan.
Most sushi shops have a variety of vegan options, including avocado and cucumber rolls and Inari, which is made from a deep fried sweetened tofu bag filled with sushi rice.
Indian, Thai and Chinese chains also offer vegan options such as tofu and vegetable curries and stir-fries.
And finally for you sweet tooths out there, Pancake Parlour do a range of plant-based pancakes called Plantcakes. Toppings include lemon and sugar, chocolate, strawberries and more.
Do you have a favorite vegan fast food option? Feel free to leave a comment below and let us know!
By Sam Tucker, Australia and New Zealand Outreach Coordinator
I have a confession to make. I like the taste of meat.
I didn’t go vegan because I suddenly didn’t like the taste, I went vegan to stop the massive amount of cruelty involved in animal agriculture. So it should come as no surprise that when it comes to meat substitutes, I’m a bit of a self-taught expert.
Whilst many of these products can be found at organic supermarkets and specialty stores, few can be found in your standard supermarket. Luckily, here in Australia, we have our own range of tasty vegan foods at all supermarkets.
To kick things off, let’s talk about some meat substitutes, all of which can be found at your local Coles or Woolworths.
Two brands you want to keep an eye out for (available at both Coles and Woolworths) are Fry’s and Vegie Delights. Both of their entire product ranges are vegan.
Vegie Delights make delicious “chicken” style tenders and burgers which can be found in the frozen section of your supermarket, as well as mince, sausages and a Sunday roast in the chilled section. In addition to being really tasty, these products are also packed with iron, protein, B12 and zinc.
Coles also stocks their own brand of vegan products called Nature’s Kitchen. Products include burgers, chicken style tenders and sausages.
Coles also stocks The Alternative Meat Co., who makes delicious vegan burgers, sausages and mince.
You can also find vegan mince from MorningStar Farms (not all of their products are vegan, but the mince definitely is).
Another great mock meat option available at Coles is the Sunfed “Chicken Free Chicken”.
Woolworths also has a great range of vegan meat alternatives. One great brand to try is Tofurky, who make sausages, deli slices, chicken pieces and more.
They also stock Unreal Co. who make delicious sausages, burgers, schnitzels and fried chicken-style pieces.
Made With Plants makes vegan bacon, mince and meat loaf that can also be found at Woolies.
The Vegan Factor makes tenders, chicken strips, nuggets, burgers, meatballs and more.
V2 also sell vegan burgers and mince at Woolies.
Another great brand of vegan meat at Woolworths is the Linda McCartney Foods range. They make delicious vegan sausage rolls, pies, mince and burgers.
And finally, Woolworths also stocks Naturli plant-based “Minced”.
If you’re willing to venture away from Coles and Woolworths, Asian grocers generally stock an even larger range of vegan meats, including vegan duck, fish, prawns, ribs, chicken and more. If you’re looking for the kind of vegan meats that would fool even a die-hard carnivore, look no further than your local Asian grocer. Lamyong’s “vegetarian prawns” are particularly convincing, resembling not only the taste and texture, but also the appearance of the real thing.
Do you have a favorite Australian vegan meat? Share your opinion in the comments below!
By Sam Tucker, Australia and New Zealand Project Consultant
Today, many Australians are saying no to the cruelty of the dairy and egg industries and are choosing a more compassionate way to eat. Fortunately, ditching dairy and eggs doesn’t have to mean missing out, thanks to an ever-growing list of tasty vegan alternatives.
All supermarkets in Australia stock a large range of non-dairy milks, including soy, oat, rice, almond, and coconut milk. Bonsoy is my personal favorite, especially in coffee, and for a non-soy option Sanitarium’s Almond and Coconut Milk are also good choices.
Orgran No Egg is a powdered egg replacement that is perfect for baking and, in addition to sparing chickens from the suffering of a battery cage, it also works out much cheaper than buying eggs–each packet costs around $4 and makes the equivalent of 33 eggs!
Orgran No Egg works well to replace eggs used to bind a recipe, but it doesn’t have the texture of eggs and it can’t be scrambled. For a cruelty-free alternative to scrambled eggs, try Orgran Easy Egg or try scrambled tofu instead.
Coles stocks dairy-free BioCheese which can be eaten on its own or added to pizzas, toasties, or any of your favorite foods. It melts and stretches, which makes it perfect to use in any dish that calls for mozzarella, or you can just cut off a slice and use it like cheddar. In addition to their regular cheese, they also make feta, cheese slices and butter.
Sheese and Made With Plants both make delicious plant-based cream cheeses.
Nuttelex is a dairy-free margarine with a buttery taste that works well both as a spread and for cooking.
For a delicious dairy-free ice cream, try Sanitarium So Good (available in chocolate and vanilla) a fruit flavoured Weis Sorbet, vegan Magnums, or Cornettos.
Kingland Soy Yogurt and Soy Life Yogurt are both great either on muesli or on their own as a snack.
Ditching dairy doesn’t mean giving up chocolate–in fact, most dark chocolate is dairy-free, including Whittakers Dark and Lindt 70%. Sweet Williams also makes white and ‘milk’ chocolate, which can be found in the health food section of the supermarket.
Even more dairy-free options can be found at organic grocers, specialty stores, and independent grocers, including Damona Baked Almond Feta and Botanical Cuisine Cashew Cheese.
I hope these resources prove both delectable and helpful! Do you have a favorite vegan version of a dairy product that you didn’t see here? Feel free to leave a comment and let us know!
BITS Pilani, Goa, one of India’s most prestigious institutes, became the latest signatory of the Green Tuesday Pledge to address the rising global climate change crisis. Once fully rolled out, they are to slash-down the use of animal products like eggs and meat by 15%.
“At BITS Pilani, Goa, we are always taking new steps towards environmental sustainability, and the Green Tuesday Initiative takes us one step closer to achieving our sustainability goals,” said Yash Jain, Student Mess Convenor. “Globally and in India, institutions are reducing their use of animal products and choosing plant-based foods to fight climate change,” added Richa Mehta, Director of Programs, Vegan Outreach.
India is the 5th most vulnerable country to climate change according to the latest global climate risk index. Animal agriculture is one of the largest contributors of human-made greenhouse gas emissions, and multiple reports have identified it as one of the leading causes of climate change. One such example is the recent report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2019), which emphasized a shift towards plant-based diets as a significant opportunity to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
We also wrote to the decision-makers of three other BITS Pilani campuses — Dubai, Hyderabad and Pilani — to take the lead and implement sustainable food policies. Educational institutes play an essential role in building the best future for the next generations, and steps such as the Green Tuesday Initiative will be the way to go.
About the Green Tuesday campaign
Green Tuesday Initiative is a campaign by Vegan Outreach to help institutions reduce their environmental footprint by making small changes in the food they serve. So far, we’ve collaborated with twenty-two institutions in India.
Most of our work is remote these days, and our team is making the best out of these challenging times. I’m writing to share some of the positive changes and highlights that are giving me hope
We’ve kept our outreach going during the lockdown in creative ways by collaborating with colleges and engaging with students through phone calls, webinars, and emails. Over 3,000 students from 21 colleges signed up for 10 Weeks to Vegan during the lockdown!
Here are some of our latest victories:
This month, I’m moving into a new position at Vegan Outreach, and I’m excited to share that my colleague, Richa Mehta, is taking over as Director of Programs, India.
Richa has many years of experience with animal and environmental protection nonprofits. She has been instrumental in the success of our Green Tuesday Initiative and has done extensive in-person outreach in India.
We need your help to keep the momentum going for the rest of the year. Please donate today for animals in India!
Warmly,
Aneeha Patwardhan
Director of Programs, India
Hetero, one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in India, will now serve meat-free meals to their employees every day to reduce their environmental footprint. Once fully rolled out to all locations, over 2 million meals will be made meat-free every year. Vegan Outreach worked with the company to implement this sustainable food policy as part of its Green Tuesday Initiative campaign and will also organize employee awareness sessions on animal agriculture and its environmental impact.
This change will make a big impact by reducing the suffering of animals in India. This sustainable food policy will also contribute to the wellness of employees and helps the environment.
Animal agriculture is one of the largest contributors of human-made greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, water pollution, and air pollution. Worldwide, meat and dairy production uses 83% of farmland and produces 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Help us reach even more institutions. Please donate today to support our work in India.