When Curiosity Meets Awareness

One of the most powerful things we can do through outreach is create space for questions about the food on our plates, the systems behind it, and the impact it leaves behind. For thousands of students across India, those questions begin with Vegan Outreach’s Food Planet Health Awareness Program.

For Jagruti, a tourist guide from Ektanagar and a student pursuing a Master’s in Social Work in Dabhoi, it all started with one webinar. Already a vegetarian, she joined out of curiosity. Here’s what she learned!

What was the most shocking thing you learned during the Food-Planet-Health webinar? 

I’m a vegetarian, but I hadn’t realized how much damage even vegetarian foods like dairy can cause. The webinar made me realise that when the demand for animal products like milk and meat increases, more animals are bred, and they are given chemical injections (oxytocin) to boost production. After learning that, I’ve started switching to plant-based options.

What changes when awareness becomes a daily habit?

I’ve reduced dairy since the webinar. Outside the house, I’ve stopped eating things like butter and cheese, especially from places that serve food that isn’t organic. I’ve even made almond milk at home. It takes a bit of time, but I really liked it.

Since making these changes, my migraines have gone down, and my menstrual cycle has become more regular. I didn’t expect that. I just feel like my health has improved a lot. These small changes matter.

Can small food choices really impact animals and the planet?

The amount of water used in dairy production and the injections (oxytocin) given to animals harm both our bodies and the environment. It not only affects the health of the animals, but it also affects ours. I started thinking, if I keep supporting this system, I’m part of the problem. So I decided to stop consuming these products. I feel like even these small changes in my food habits are helping the environment, animals, and my own body.

A Bigger Picture

For Jagruti, the webinar exposed the hidden costs of dairy, including its significant water footprint and the routine use of hormonal inputs to increase production at the expense of animal and human health. 

Jagruti also shared how the webinar helped her understand the wider ethical and systemic issues tied to animal agriculture. She reflected on how demand fuels production, and production often comes at a cost to both animals and people.

“The demand for milk and meat means more animals are bred, and to produce more, they’re given chemical injections. That harms them and us. These products should really be stopped.”

Her story is one of many inspired by our Food Planet Health Awareness Program. It’s a reminder that when students are given the facts, they’re more than ready to make compassionate, informed choices for themselves, for animals, and for the planet.

With your support, Vegan Outreach is able to reach thousands of students every month with life-changing information about sustainable, ethical, and health-conscious eating.

Want to help us reach more students like Jagruti?

Become a Monthly Sustainer!

The post What One Webinar Taught Jagruti About Food, Health, and the Planet appeared first on Vegan Outreach.

We’ve scoured the depths of the internet to bring you recipes for the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. Use it thelp you with your holiday meal planning!

1. Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

2. Porcini Mushroom Gravy

3. Cool Cranberry Sauce

4. Sensational Stuffing

5. Miraculous Mac n Cheese

6. Ridiculously-good Rolls

7. Sweet Potato Casserole

8. Green Bean Casserole

9. Holiday Roast! Also check out Tofurky and Field Roast’s holiday options.

10. Last, but not least: Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

What are some of YOUR cruelty-free Thanksgiving traditions?

The post The Ultimate Thanksgiving Menu appeared first on Vegan Outreach.

Great news! Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey announces that he will try to be vegan through the holidays! Not only is he trying his hand at veganism, he is also participating in activism by challenging his favorite ice cream company, Ben & Jerry’s, to create a non-dairy option. Sign the petition here!

You can send him a supportive tweet @CoryBooker, or comment on his Instagram @CoryBooker.

Excerpts from ABC News, November 25th, 2014, A Vegan Thanksgiving With Cory Booker:

“Though the 45-year-old politician has been meat-free since before he was Newark mayor, this is the first time he’s excluding dairy from his diet and vowing to stick to it. During a question-and-answer session on the site Reddit, Booker admitted going vegan once before, but caving in quickly.

Already three weeks in, the senator, re-elected earlier this month, tweeted that he loves his “vegan experiment” and he’s learning a lot. He also has been re-tweeting recipes.”

The post Senator Cory Booker Goes Vegan! appeared first on Vegan Outreach.

While compiling my own list of True Thanksgiving Turkey Facts, I was surprised to find this well-done infograph by Business Insider.

Turkeys live very sad lives before they are slaughtered at the young age 3-5 months old. You can help by choosing compassionate alternatives. Try planning a cruelty-free Thanksgiving with our Ultimate Vegan Thanksgiving Menu!

*It appears there is a mistake in this infographic regarding 1 million turkeys being boiled alive. Based on 2013 USDA slaughter statistics, 614,062 chickens and 16,996 turkeys are drowned in hot water. But the idea is the same — eating turkeys leads to many of them being scalded before drowning.

The post True Thanksgiving Turkey Facts appeared first on Vegan Outreach.