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Erin Ireland’s plant-based journey

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Erin Ireland is a food journalist, blogger, entrepeneur and animal-lover who has been on a personal journey to discover and understand the principles and practices involved in ethical eating. In a recent blog post (reprinted below with her kind permission) she describes her transition to a plant-based diet.  

 

It’s Sunday morning and I’m sitting here on the couch in pyjamas drinking an almond milk latte. I’m crying after re-reading some of the 831 comments on Jillian Harris’ blog post, “How This Alberta Meatatarian Became so Vegan-ish”, in which she opens up about her transition to a plant-based diet.

In the days following her post, I texted Jillian to say how impressed I was by her written words—how I envied her ability to get thoughts ‘on paper’ so effortlessly. What she wrote would have taken me months. She has drawn me to my computer today to share the unedited story of my own journey. I usually stick to sharing my ‘plant-based messages’ on social channels because they are short and easy to write. I definitely prefer talking over writing, which is why I gave this speech. But Jillian’s post (which broke jillianharris.com website traffic records) inspired me to go deeper and share some of the factors the inspired my personal decision to go vegan.

Like Jillian, I used to be a ‘meatatarian’. I was proud of it. As a college athlete training twice a day, I was the type to order double meat at Subway. I thought eating nothing but ‘lean animal protein’ would help me achieve a healthier, more fit, muscular body. I often said that I was “just not the type who would ever become a vegetarian”.

Wow, how things have changed…

 

WHAT DOES “VEGAN” MEAN?

My introduction to the word vegan came when I asked my parents what the term meant. My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I believe they alluded to the fact that veganism was some super-extremist lifestyle that was more-or-less unachievable and mainly adopted by ‘extreme hippies’. I never thought twice about learning more.

Looking back, I don’t blame my parents. 25 years ago things were different. Factory farming wasn’t in the media spotlight like it is today. Baby-Boomers were raised in a time when meat and dairy was fully embraced. National meat and dairy councils were (and still are) supplying nutritional information to schools in North America. Despite the conflict of interest, teachers believed what they were teaching and young, impressionable students ate it up, literally.

THE FIRST ANIMAL PRODUCT I REMOVED FROM MY DIET

My first step towards cutting animal products out of my life came during sophomore year of university. For most of my life, I’d felt a little bit stuffed up, as if I had a constant cold. My dad suffered the same symptoms and told me that cutting milk out of his diet seemed to alleviate the stuffiness. I switched to soy milk. Immediately my sinuses felt better and I never went back to milk (note: this isn’t a professional opinion and I’m not saying this can work for you, just that it worked for me). I’ll admit, I still ate cheese and chocolate from time to time …how could I resist? I thought it was worth a bit of congestion.

The other reason I cut milk out of my life was acne. My skin issues began around the age of 19. I often got blemishes after big doses of dairy. Cutting milk out of my diet helped, but it was also a hormonal thing for me—going on the pill was the only thing that finally resolved my skin problems completely. Ironically, at the time my reasons for cutting dairy out had nothing to do with environmental or animal welfare issues. I didn’t know the truth about the lives of so many dairy cows. Today, in my heart, our planet and the animals are the main reasons I am passionate to seek dairy alternatives.

MEAT OBSESSION DURING MY VOLLEYBALL YEARS

As an NCAA Div. 1 volleyball player, I thought I needed a ton of protein. I thought I needed a meat heavy diet. Not a single girl on my volleyball team ate vegetarian—if any teammate, classmate or teacher raised the topic of vegetarianism during my four years of school, I don’t remember it. At my peak, I weighed 155 lbs and was the second strongest female in my athletic department.  Always looking to take things a notch further, I wanted to gain more muscle and I thought eating meat would help. Sometimes for dinner, I’d eat a whole rotisserie chicken. Nothing else. Even worse, my teammates and I would go to the Golden Corral buffet (which my mom nicknamed, ‘the pig trough’) for all-you-can-eat steak.

My small university town in South Carolina revolved around the one Walmart, and I loved going there to buy their cheapest lean ham. Another regular purchase was extra lean ground beef that for Hamburger helper that my roommate and I used to love to make. We thought we were making healthy choices. My mom would sometimes ask if I knew where this meat was coming from. I always dismissed her questions thinking she was being a paranoid mom. I remember telling her that the FDA / governing bodies wouldn’t allow unsafe food on the shelves…was I ever wrong. My mom had been right to question.

THE DOCUMENTARIES THAT GOT ME THINKING

My transition to a plant-based diet slowly started with the documentary, ‘Forks Over Knives’. The movie presented facts that a vegan diet not only stops disease from forming in the body, but actually reverses it. The evidence was convincing to say the least. I started to realize the impact animal-based foods were having on our health. I couldn’t believe this was the first time I was hearing such important information. The more I learned, the fewer animal products I ate.

Earthlings was another documentary that had a huge impact on me. It introduced me to the term, speciesism: the prejudice or bias in favour of the interests of members of one’s own species and against those of members of other species. The documentary is graphic, filled with undercover footage shot inside factory farms and the odd slaughterhouse. I shut my eyes and cried through much of it, but I felt strongly that I needed to know what was going on behind closed doors. How could I make decisions about my food choices unless I knew the consequences of my actions? Now, I had seen those consequences and I simply couldn’t have anything to do with it. Farming is not what it was 100 years ago and the vast majority of the time, animals are not leading the happy lives, as depicted on food labels.

At this point in my life, I was still eating cage-free organic eggs from time to time, and if I was in a dining situation where the only option was seafood, I’d take it. But gradually, as I continued to read and watch, I lost all appetite for anything animal-based, including leather.

WHERE I AM TODAY

Three years into my plant-based journey, there are a couple recurring questions friends and family often ask. The first is which animal product I miss the most? The answer is: none. Since learning the true impact of animal agriculture, my cravings for animal products has completely disappeared. Anyone who knows me can vouch for the fact that I love GOOD food, and today, my plant-based options leave me dreaming about my next meal every single day.

The second question is whether my energy or training has suffered since quitting animal protein. Today, I’m more energetic and satiated than I ever was in university. I’m up at 5:30am for a 10K run about five days a week. I can’t imagine having the energy to do this back in the day — I remember always feeling hungry and tired during my school years. Another important driver for me was learning that the fear of not getting enough protein from plants…is a myth. As long as we consume our daily recommended intake of calories (from whole foods), it’s nearly guaranteed we will also get our daily recommended dose of protein. Our bodies can’t even process extra protein (just like vitamins) so they are eliminated from our systems, into the sewage system.

The last thing I’m often asked, is whether veganism requires more work. Ironically, I find it requires less (less stress too!). It’s really the little things that start to add up: no more racing home to get groceries refrigerated. No more obsessive washing of the cutting board for fear of e-coli or salmonella. No more finicky fat trimming. No more stressing over timing and temperature for the perfect steak, roast, or chicken. No more fear of meaty leftovers going bad if I forget to refrigerate right away.

Remember there’s always a learning curve when transitioning to any new diet. If the thought of vegan meal planning is daunting, know that, unlike generations before us, we are spoiled by the amount of amazing resources out there. For starters…

Before hitting publish I reread the post that inspired this note. Jillian received 831 comments on her blog and Instagram post—almost all filled with love, encouragement and acceptance. They bring tears of happiness to my face when I read them. What’s even more heartening are the actions of her following that I’m certain will be inspired from the conversation she has just begun.

Thanks to leaders like Jillian, a word I associated with ‘extreme hippies’ 25 years ago, is now well on it’s way to becoming a mainstream movement. This gives me so much hope.

 

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Here’s the scoop on Vancouver’s Nice Vice Creamery

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Nice Vice is Vancouver’s first ever 0% dairy, plant-based micro creamery, which opened in Yaletown in February. VHS talked recently to owner-operator Chris White about starting up a plant-based business. Here’s our Q&A with him:

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1. What inspired you to open Nice Vice?

I opened up Nice Vice Creamery after visiting many of the fantastic artisanal ice cream and gelato establishments around the city and never having very many D-F options. When I was making so many different flavours at home, my sons inspired me to open up a dairy-free scoop shop.

2. How have you found the reaction from the community?

Absolutely fantastic! I believed that Vancouver was ready to support a 100% dairy-free, plant-based vice cream shop. I think the awareness of plant-based foods has become much more positive in the last few years.

3. What do you enjoy most about running the business?

I love working the front counter and interacting with people. We have received so much good energy from our patrons you can’t help but feel good behind there.

4. What do you find is the hardest part?

We opened up an ice cream store during the winter,with a new brand, with a new product, and in a new location! We made it as hard as possible to succeed. So, if we can get through this and become profitable then we will achieve success.

5. How do you stay positive in a world where animal-based products are still so predominate?

I focus on how aware society is becoming about the positive aspects of choosing a plant-based product over the negative realities of animal-based products. After all, that is one of the motivating factors behind Nice Vice – the ability to participate in change through positive vibrations of consuming vice cream.

6. What is your most popular menu item?

Besides several of our classics, our Instagram @nicevicecream has our new flavours which regularly sell out within a day or two. (Buzz’d Coffee or Strawberry Lychee anyone?)

7. Who are your customers? Is there a predominate demographic?

When I wrote the marketing plan, I assumed that health conscious females between the age of 15-35 would be our predominate SHUs (Super Heavy Users). However, we have been surprised to see an equal number of male customers as well and, pleasantly, we seem to be catching on in the Asian community where over 70% of that ethnic group is lactose intolerant.

8. What do you think is the best way to encourage consumers to make more ethical choices?

This is a good question. At Nice Vice I tell our employees not to judge anyone for any choices they make. We believe that education and awareness of the ethical benefits of a plant-based diet are being portrayed by documentaries auch as Cowspiracy, Earthlings, and Forks over Knives. When the conversation comes up between a customer as to why I am plant-based, I point the customer to these three documentaries to guide them in their own decision making.

9. Do you think plant-based products and businesses are becoming more mainstream?

Absolutely! Plant-based food products and restaurants are the fastest growing sectors in their respective industries. The shift has happened because there is largely no where else to grow. Just look at Ben & Jerrys and the number of new vegan restaurants that have opened this year in Vancouver alone. We are at the beginning of a monumental shift in consumer choice. And thank God for that!!!

10. What are some of the lessons you’ve learned about running a plant-based business?

You can’t please everybody!! There is a wide variety of knowledge in society and we have experienced different levels of emotions from anger and anxiety to euphoria in our shop. Not everyone will believe in what we are doing as being positive – that is the reality and beauty of living in a free society. The other lesson is that dealing with the government can be challenging and requires patience and perseverance. The residual benefits of business are numerous and exciting! No matter what happens with Nice Vice, I can honestly say, I have never had a such a roller-coaster of emotions with this small business and the period of personal growth has been phenomenal.

Nice Vice Creamery is located at 1022 Mainland Street, Yaletown and is open 12-10 daily.

Tel: 778.379.6423

Email: info@nicevicecream.com

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Working together for animals

Photo 7 PF Someone not something

VHS would like to thank all the organizations listed below who signed on to the group letter that we sent to A&W asking them to go cage-free. Not only did A&W listen, but they plan to be cage-free within two years, ahead of most other companies. Nicely done, everyone!

 

Animal Justice Canada

“Commercial animal agriculture is essentially an unregulated industry. The absence of government oversight has created a race to the bottom, with animals paying the ultimate price of physical and psychological torment. Companies and consumers have the power to demand better for animals through their purchases and food choices.” Anna Pippus, Director of Farmed Animal Advocacy

 

 

Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals

“We applaud companies like A&W that are showing genuine leadership in animal welfare, not simply by committing to buying cage-free eggs, but also by doing so in a reasonable timeline of two years — millions more hens will live better lives because of it.”  Edana Brown, Director

 

Humane Society International/Canada

“HSI/Canada welcomes another of Canada’s largest restaurants joining the growing list of companies demanding a cage-free future for hens. A&W’s commitment to improve the welfare of hens in its supply chain by moving to 100 percent cage-free eggs sends a clear message to the egg industry that confining chickens in cages simply has no place in our nation’s agricultural future.”  Sayara Thurston, Campaign Manager

 

Mercy for Animals

“We praise A&W for swiftly addressing this important issue on the minds of conscious consumers across Canada. The company’s new cage-free egg policy is a crucial step that will reduce the suffering of countless hens.”  Krista Hiddema, Managing Director

 

Vancouver Humane Society

“A&W thought they were doing the right thing by sourcing eggs from ‘enriched’ cages. Kudos to them for hearing us when we told them that enriched cages severely restrict  key behaviours like running, full wing-flapping and flying and do not permit unrestrained perching and dustbathing. A cage is a cage.” Debra Probert, Executive Director

 

Canadians for the Ethical Treatment of Farmed Animals

(no comment available)

 

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A&W promises to go cage-free

 

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A&W has announced that it will serve only cage- and antibiotic-free eggs within two years.

The announcement follows a campaign by VHS and other Canadian animal protection groups, which urged the fast-food chain to join the many other food companies that have gone cage-free.

A VHS online petition had gained more than 6700 signatures asking A&W to stop using eggs from caged hens.

VHS applauds A&W for listening to the concerns about caged hens and responding in a positive and timely manner.

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Veggemo: A new plant-based alternative to dairy milk

Veggemo Product Line-Up Image

By Amy Balcome

It’s always exciting when a new plant-based company pops up on our radar and right in our own backyard. This local start-up is a first-of-its kind, offering people with nut, seed, soy and gluten allergies a chance to enjoy a plant-based milk beverage made from veggies. Introducing Veggemo with three fantastic flavours to choose from: Original, Unsweetened, and Vanilla.

Over the years, studies have shown a decline in dairy milk sales and more consumers have been leaning towards plant-based milks, whether it be for clean eating, a cruelty-free approach or because of allergies/sensitivities. Whatever the reason, choosing a plant-based milk is better for you, the animals and the environment.

There are many types of plant-based milks, which are mostly derived from nuts, seeds and grains. Veggemo says it did a great deal of research to create a creamy milk beverage using a blend of pea protein, tapioca from cassava root and the starch from potatoes to reach its satisfying taste, which can be enjoyed in smoothies, cereal, creamy entrees or desserts. They appear to have gone to great lengths to ensure their product is sourced from non-GMO suppliers and their peas are processed by a Belgian company instead of being shipped to China for processing, as many other companies do.

Along with Veggemo’s naturally occurring nutrients from vegetables, this product is fortified with important vitamins to contribute to a balanced plant-based beverage. It’s also carrageen-free. Veggemo offers low calories and sugar per serving and is high in protein, allowing it to be nutritionally on par with other non-dairy milks. It’s hard to miss their eye-catching containers on supermarket shelves. On your next grocery shop outing be on the lookout for Veggemo in a store near you.

More on the growth of plant-based industries in B.C.

Vancouver Sun article on growth of local plant-based companies.

 

 

 

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Great news: Abbotsford rodeo cancelled!

073115 - Abbotsford, BC Chung Chow photo 2015 Agrifair Rodeo in Abbotsford. Steer wrestling
This won’t be happening at the Abbotsford Agrifair

 

The Abbotsford Agrifair’s rodeo has been cancelled.  Organizers say the decision to cancel the rodeo was made to save money, but the event has been surrounded in controversy because of the inhumane treatment of rodeo animals.

VHS has been campaigning against the Abbotsford rodeo for years, calling media and public attention to cruel events like calf-roping and steer-wrestling. Last year, nearly 2000 VHS supporters emailed the Agrifair to call for an end to such events.  VHS also contacted the rodeo’s sponsors, asking them to end their support.  Our campaign, backed by radio ads and social media reached thousands of Abbotsford residents and compassionate people across the province.  Clearly, the message is getting through: There is no place in the 21st century for events that abuse animals for the sake of entertainment.

This is the second B.C. rodeo to fold after campaigns by VHS.  In 2015, the Luxton Rodeo on Vancouver Island was also cancelled.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our campaigns against rodeo cruelty.  With your help, we’ll continue this fight.  Watch this space!

 

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Animal groups ask A&W to go cage-free

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Please sign our petition

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VHS and five other animal welfare organizations have signed a joint letter urging A&W Restaurants to stop using eggs from caged hens.

The letter follows news that Tim Hortons and Burger King have committed to going 100 per cent cage-free.  In recent months, a number of major food companies have also announced they will transition to using cage-free eggs.

The joint letter, addressed to A&W CEO Paul Hollands, states: “Enriched cages severely restrict important physical activities including running, flying and wing-flapping and do not permit unrestrained perching and dustbathing.” The letter says consumers have turned against eggs from caged hens and that, “To them and to the wider public, a cage is a cage.” The letter is signed by:

The Vancouver Humane Society
Humane Society International/Canada
Mercy for Animals Canada
Animal Justice
Canadians for the Ethical Treatment of Farmed Animals
The CanadianCoalition for Farm Animals

An online petition calling on A&W to go cage-free has gathered more than 6000 signatures.

VHS media release

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Media Release

Top Canadian animal groups call on A&W to go cage-free

VANCOUVER, Feb. 2, 2016 /CNW/ – Six leading Canadian animal protection agencies today called on A&W Food Services of Canada to stop using eggs from caged-hens. A joint letter – signed by Animal Justice, the Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals, Canadians for the Ethical Treatment of Farmed Animals, Humane Society International/Canada, Mercy for Animals Canada and the Vancouver Humane Society – urges the fast-food chain to join the growing number of food companies switching to cage-free eggs.

Despite announcements by other restaurant chains, including Tim Hortons and McDonald’s Canada, that they will go cage-free, A&W has committed to using “enriched cages” for laying hens, which are only slightly larger than the notoriously cruel battery cages that have been widely condemned.

The joint letter, addressed to A&W CEO Paul Hollands, states: “Enriched cages severely restrict important physical activities including running, flying and wing-flapping and do not permit unrestrained perching and dustbathing.” The letter says consumers have turned against eggs from caged hens and that, “To them and to the wider public, a cage is a cage.”

An online petition calling on A&W to go cage-free has gathered more than 6000 signatures.

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Going veg? Here’s what to stock up on

 

Vegetarian Sandwich Wrap or burrito made up of saute yellow squash, zucchini, bell peppers and onions rolled in a corn tortilla with rice and diced tomatoes and goat cheese and drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette. Wrap is served with a baby lettuce salad.

 

 

If you’re transitioning to a plant-based diet, it’s important to stock up on some of the staples that are essential to a meat and dairy-free lifestyle. Below, we’ve compiled a list of key food ingredients and products that will help anyone going veg.  It’s by no means exhaustive and we encourage you to explore the many sources of information on plant-based eating available online. (At the bottom of this page we list some of our favourite sites.)

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DAIRY ALTERNATIVES

 

Alternative milks Almond, soy, rice, cashew are the most common. A new product is Veggemo, which claims to be “the first non-dairy beverage originating from veggies.”

Buttery spread (homemade): Store-bought, non-hydrogenated Earth Balance is popular. There have been concerns about its use of palm oil, which is destructive to wildlife habitat. However, the company has said it will use only sustainably produced palm oil by the end of 2015.

Dairy-free cheese: Vancouver-based Daiya melts like the real thing. Chao Slices are getting good reviews.

Cream cheese (homemade): Store-bought products include: Tofutti, Daiya, Go Veggie and Follow Your Heart all offer vegan cream cheese.

Sour cream (homemade): Ready-made brands include Tofutti, Follow Your Heart

Dairy-free yogurt (product reviews)

 

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MEAT ALTERNATIVES AND PROTEINS

 

Gardein does a range of healthy meat replacement products including veggie burgers, “chick’n scallopini”, holiday roasts and even “fishless filets.”

Tofurkey is famous for its holiday roasts but also does a range of meatless products

Field Roast is probably best known for its amazing meatless sausages but also makes roasts, slices and other products.

 

Yves does a range of meat substitutes, including burgers, sausages and bacon.

Veggie burgers (homemade) Store-bought (frozen and refrigerated) includes Gardein; Yves and Sol, which are some of the main Canadian brands.

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While ready-made meat substitutes can be quick and convenient, many people prefer less processed and more natural sources of plant-based protein.

Tofu: A long-time staple of meat free eating.

Tempeh: Soybean-based meat substitute.

Seitan: Made from wheat gluten, seitan is high in protein and has a meaty texture

Edamame (recipes): These young, green soy beans make a great high-protein snack.

Pulses (beans, dried peas, chickpeas, lentils): Dried and home-cooked are cheap and the healthiest but canned are convenient.

Nuts and seeds: High in protein and healthy fats. Cashews are especially useful as they can be soaked and used in a variety of ways.

Nut butters: Peanut butter is the best known but almond butter, cashew butter and others are increasingly popular.

Egg alternatives (for baking): Follow Your Heart has developed the VeganEgg, which can be scrambled and used in omelettes.

Mayonnaise alternatives (homemade): Store-bought brands include Vegenaise, Earth Balance’s Mindful Mayo.  The latest (and best, according to some) is Just Mayo, although it is not yet widely available in Canada (Costco has had it in stock).

 

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GRAINS

Brown rice: More nutritious than white.

QuinoaA great plant-based complete protein.

Steel-cut oats: Good for breakfast.

Whole-wheat couscous: More nutritious than regular.

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ONLINE RESOURCES (Plant-based recipes, nutrition advice):

Ohsheglows: http://ohsheglows.com/
Vegan Health: http://www.veganhealth.org/
Minimalist Baker: http://minimalistbaker.com/
Vegan Richa: http://www.veganricha.com/

 

LOWER MAINLAND GROCERS (Stocking many plant-based staples)

Donald’s Market
Parthenon
Vegansupply.ca
Whole Foods
Choices Markets
Vegan Essentials (online store)
Eternal Abundance
Sweet Cherubim
Famous Foods
 

Looking for more plant-based inspiration? Whether you’re going meatless on Mondays or every day, take our Meatless Monday pledge to receive a weekly plant-based recipe via email.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tell A&W to go cage-free!

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Hens in “enriched” cages.

 

Sign our petition asking A&W Restaurants to stop using eggs from caged hens


Update: More actions you can take 

 

Canadians are familiar with A&W Restaurants’ TV commercials boasting about the company’s vegetarian feed for chickens, but does the company actually care about chickens?  When you realize that A&W uses eggs from hens kept in battery cages and in so-called “enriched cages”, it appears the answer is clearly not very much.

What’s worse, the company appears to have no intention of moving to cage-free eggs, as many food companies are now doing.  We’re calling on A&W to follow the lead of companies like McDonald’s, Burger King, Starbucks, Nestle, General Mills and others, who have announced they are switching to cage-free eggs.

On its website, A&W says that “all of our hens will live in enriched housing by the end of 2016.” However, scientific evidence shows that, in welfare terms, a cage is still a cage, enriched or not, and that the birds will continue to suffer. The space and facilities provided in enriched cages are so inadequate that they deprive the birds of the ability to engage in natural behaviours, leading to frustration, suffering and body degeneration.

VHS’s ChickenOUT! campaign has helped educate consumers about the animal welfare problems created by keeping hens in cages – B.C. has the highest cage-free egg production of any province (17% compared to a national average of 3%).  (Our message has always been:  If you eat eggs please buy certified organic eggs, as they are guaranteed cage-free and have the highest welfare standards. Going egg free is the best option – it’s cruelty-free and alternatives to eggs in baking are widely available.)

Consumers need to let A&W know that enriched cages are still cages.

Sign our petition calling on A&W to do the right thing and switch to cage-free egg suppliers.

Latest: See our article in the Huffington Post!