All posts tagged: Eating

Why I’m Vegan

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Why are you vegan? I’m asked this question all the time and the full answer is far too complicated for me to answer succinctly. Instead, I tackle the interrogation with a simple answer – “for the environment, animals, and my health” – but the truth is there’s far more to it. Sometimes my response is enough, but more curious folks will press further. How is being vegan better for the environment? But aren’t dairy cows treated well? So where do you get your protein? In such moments, I wish I had a packet I could give them and say “read over this and that’s your answer.” Although realistically I can’t walk around with copies of a document highlighting the facts that informed my decision to go vegan, I can share one digitally. So here’s my web-based Why I’m Vegan fact sheet for those who are curious and for vegans who need a reminder of why they made changes to their lifestyle. Let’s start with one of my favorite facts: “Each day, a person who eats a vegan diet saves 1,100 …

How YouTube & Instagram Are Normalizing the Vegan Lifestyle

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  This post is a slightly tweaked version of a paper I presented as part of the Political and Social Subtexts of Food panel at the 2017 National Pop Culture & American Culture Conference in San Diego. ———– Thanks in part to social media, being vegan in America has become more acceptable and even “cool” in some circles. But more importantly, digital vegan activists have made veganism approachable for many of those who may not have access to the movement otherwise. YouTube and Instagram, in particular, seem to be platforms in which vegan content creators can work to normalize the lifestyle, while simultaneously creating a digital social community where vegans can find the support and resources they need to sustain their lifestyle decisions. Based on current food industry trends, the U.S. vegan population appears to be on the rise, though the exact increase is difficult to gauge since recent reliable data isn’t available. But with major ice cream companies such as Ben & Jerry’s and Dreyer’s now offering dairy free flavors, and a wheat, coconut …

VEGAN COOKING: My Two Favorite Chefs/Bloggers

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If you’ve been following my blog within the past year, you may know that I made the transition from vegetarian to vegan and am loving my new lifestyle. My ability to make this transition is in large part thanks to my sister, who opened my eyes to this compassionate way of living, but I also have the internet to thank. YouTube, in particular, with its surplus of vegan-related content, has played an immeasurable role in the success and sustainability of my transformation. Before becoming vegan, I seriously disliked cooking. I found the process to be somewhat boring and almost a waste of time, especially considering how convenient, affordable, and addictive greasy foods are. But when I began bringing more variety into my diet (because not eating meat and dairy actually means you try more new foods), cooking became fun and challenging in the best kind of way. My newly found enthusiasm for cooking is largely thanks to the blog and YouTube channel, hot for food, along with co-creator Lauren Toyota’s personal channel, Lauren in Real Life. And recently, I discovered another vegan blog and …

5 Essential Food & Agriculture Docs on Netflix

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I believe that it is immensely important that we know where our food comes from. Not only is it in our best interest, but it’s our right! These five documentaries listed below, which are all available on Netflix, provide a quality starting point for learning about food production and consumption in the U.S. Check them out and be sure to let me know about some of your favorite food and agriculture documentaries in the comment section below!   GMO OMG (dir. Jeremy Seifert, 2013) In GMO OMG father and filmmaker Jeremy Seifert investigates GMOs: what are they, what do we know about them, and how is our government involved with the protection of huge agricultural businesses such as Monsanto? Even if you know about GMO’s and steer clear of them already, Seifert’s critical examination of GMO’s and “big ag” is interesting and powerful. And his kids are super cute!   Food Inc. (dir. Robert Kenner, 2008) I think of Food Inc. as the ultimate documentary about food in the United States. From plant-agriculture, to factory farming, big ag, fast food, organic farming, politics, animal welfare, health, poverty, …