Category: Cruelty-free

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Vegan Yarn: comfort and beauty without cruelty

As knitting and other needlework becomes more popular every day, new stores (especially online) are sprouting – including exciting companies like Vegan Yarn! We caught up with vegan owner Heidi Braax, who, as she became more interested in knitting, got tired of being shuffled over to the “Acrylic Wall of Shame” (I’ve been there, Heidi!) The result is her own cruelty-free, ethically sourced and hand-dyed yarn company.

 

What led you to start Vegan Yarn?

I started Vegan Yarn after realizing there was really no artisan dyed yarn available that was also vegan-friendly. There were some basic, commercially dyed yarns, some of which were ok quality-wise, but none that really got me very excited, especially compared to my knit night friends who had all kinds of beautiful, one of a kind yarns. My background is in costuming for theatre and film, and I had some experience dyeing fabric, so it was a natural step to me to try dyeing my own yarn.

How do you differentiate yourself from other yarn businesses?

Being plant-based and sustainably-minded is already pretty unique, but even as more people are starting plant-based yarn businesses, which are still currently super rare, I think there’s plenty of room for more. After all, if you go to a yarn show like Fibres West, or Knit City, the place is full of hand dyed animal fibre yarn businesses, and they all find a way of making themselves stand out in their own way and do very well. Every dyer has their own way of seeing colour, and their own techniques. If you put two dyers to work with the same yarn, and the same dyes, you’d still probably get very different results. This is something I love about dyeing yarn, the individual artist really shows in their work.

What are your biggest challenges?

One is simply knowing when to stop. I could easily work non-stop, and still be overwhelmed with work to do and orders to fill. Since more and more people are discovering that they can bring fibre arts into their vegan lifestyle (or vice versa), demand is becoming much higher. Since I’m still working solo at the business, it can get a bit crazy over here. So, its a challenge, but it’s a good one.

The other challenge is managing to keep yarn in stock, while managing to keep a free path through our living room! This summer we received a shipment of sock yarn that was about 220 kilos! Like most small businesses that work with physical products, parts of the growth phase can be awkward.

How do you ensure your materials are ethically sourced?

Some of them are easy. All of our cotton yarn is certified organic and fair trade, and the company definitely puts the growers and workers first. With other companies that aren’t certified, its important to ask questions. Luckily there is a growing trend towards transparency, and businesses are getting better at this. I’ve realized that the more questions we ask, as business owners and as individuals, the more people who have the power to make decisions realize what’s important to their clients. If a mill owner realizes that their clients see ethical sourcing and sustainability as important, they will take an interest, even if only out of a sense of improving their product’s perceived value.

Tell us about your products. Which is your favourite?

I hand-dye all of our yarn in-house in New Westminster, BC with the exception of the Pakucho Original yarn and fibre, which is naturally pigmented organic, fair trade cotton. I’m definitely inspired by anime (Japanese animated film and television), which I’m a big fan of. I’m also a natural dyer, so some of the yarns I dye using plants and natural extracts and minerals. I’ve been starting a bit of a dye garden over the last few years, where I grow indigo, madder, marigold and dyer’s chamomile. I also collect black walnuts at the park by my house (don’t worry, I always make sure to leave plenty for the squirrels). To be honest, my favourite yarn is typically the yarn I’m currently working with, which, right now is Bellatrix, a fingering weight bamboo. I’m making a tank top.

Who are your customers? Is there a typical demographic?

Vegans, long time knitting enthusiasts who have tried just about everything and are looking for something new and fun, people with sensitivities or allergies and anime fans. Sometimes, we’ll get someone who is a combination of all or most of these, and they’re a ton of fun to meet! We actually get (seriously, for real) fan mail from people like that sometimes! Its hilarious to watch people at yarn shows. Sometimes we’ll hear, “VEGAN!” above the crowd, and someone will hustle over and they’ll fill their arms with yarn and have a huge grin on their face. People with severe wool allergies get to TOUCH EVERYTHING! YESSSS! Occasionally, a quiet, shy person will hover noiselessly over a specific colour that they clearly found on the website ahead of time, and bring it over to buy; they might have Totoro leggings, a Princess Mononoke backpack covered in buttons, purple hair and a secretive smile. Most likely they have plans to watch Princess Jellyfish or Kuro Mukuro later (subbed, not dubbed of course) while knitting their new Chieko, Mayaya or Ayame colourway yarn. If you ever thought knitters were strange, anime-knitters are next level! Luckily I’m one of them, so I speak from experience. Haha!

As knitting and other needlework continue to grow in popularity, do you think plant-based yarn is becoming more mainstream?

Yes! Since both fibre arts and veganism are both on the rise, and social media is bringing these two out of the closet, I think plant-based crafting is definitely only going to increase. Since starting out, I’ve personally witnessed many small yarn stores start to have (or increase the size of) plant yarn sections. Also, larger, big name suppliers adopt ‘vegan’ tags in their categories and searches online, which is proof that people are using those search terms, and the yarn businesses are paying attention. As demand for vegan-friendly yarn increases, yarn store owners are making a bigger effort to supply it.

Vegan Yarn can be contacted at: info@veganyarn.com

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Help promote the plant-based revolution in Canada

Petition urges federal government to lead the way with compassionate, sustainable food choices

It’s time for food services in Canada to provide more vegan options and a new Parliamentary petition is urging the Canadian Government to lead the way.

The petition, initiated by concerned citizen Fée Lehouiller and sponsored by Member of Parliament Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, calls on the federal government “to require public canteens under federal jurisdiction to provide a vegan option, and to raise this issue and work with provincial and territorial counterparts to require the same at all levels of government.”

We were pleased to see the petition cite a poll commissioned by VHS in 2015, which found that 33 per cent of Canadians are either already vegetarian or eating less meat. The petition also cites evidence from health and medical organizations, the United Nations, environmental organizations and academic researchers to make the case that overconsumption of meat is bad for our health and the planet, as well as for animals.

A major shift toward a plant-based diet is taking place and Canada should be in the forefront.  We urge you to support this petition!

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Chickpea: plant-based comfort food with a Mediterranean twist

Photo: Hanna McLean

 

The Chickpea food truck has been a big hit with Vancouverites, who have been lining up for its Mediterranean-inspired vegetarian food since it opened for business in 2016.  Now, owners Rotem Tal and Itamar Shani have opened a restaurant on on Main Street that’s attracting diners with its popular plant-based comfort food.  VHS asked Rotem and Tal about their new venture and about their thoughts on plant-based dining in Vancouver.

 

The Chickpea food truck has obviously been popular and successful.  What made you decide to open a restaurant?

Having a brick and mortar shop was always our dream. We decided to start with a food truck so we could try out our recipes and gauge the public’s response. We were blown away and really excited by the immediate positive reactions to our food and the Chickpea culture. So moving to a restaurant happened sooner than expected. 

 

You recently announced on your website that the restaurant had “gone vegan” and removed all eggs from the menu. What prompted the change?

We both grew up in households where meat was a main ingredient. Individually, through our own personal experiences we each became vegetarian, however. As our business began to grow, so did our research into ethical and sustainable practices. Months ago we removed dairy from our truck’s menu, so it seemed only natural to remove all animal products and by-products from Chickpea before opening the restaurant. We care very much about how our business impacts our community and the world as a whole.

 

You describe Chickpea’s cuisine as “delicious vegetarian comfort food with a Mediterranean twist.” How have Vancouver diners reacted to your menu?

Now we’re vegan comfort food 😉 

The responses have always been positive. There was a bit of an uproar when we removed eggs from our Shakshuka (a dish that traditionally is made with eggs). But overall, people like our food regardless of their dietary restrictions, preferences or practices. In fact we hear a lot of meat-eaters telling us that they didn’t even notice that our meals are all plant-based. 

 

Are there any dishes that have proven to be particularly popular?

Our Falafel Pita is a truck and restaurant favourite, and our chickpea fries seem to be taking Vancouver by storm. If you’re at the restaurant we’re currently obsessed with the Shakshuka Chickpea fries. 

 

How would you describe the typical Chickpea customer?  Is there a predominant demographic?

One thing we love about Chickpea is that both our truck and restaurant see customers of all different walks of life. We feed adorable children, serious business people, colourful hippies, cute old couples, proud vegans, and everyone in-between. Our customers are united by their desire for delicious food and good vibes. 

 

Do you think vegan and vegetarian food is becoming more mainstream in Vancouver?  If so, why?

Globally, we are becoming more aware of our impact on the world and how we’ve lost touch with our roots. As we move together as a community to reduce our carbon footprint, our eating habits play an important role. Vancouver is constantly working towards becoming more environmentally conscious, so it makes sense that more people are reducing or eliminating their animal product/by-product consumption.

 

What have you enjoyed most about launching and building Chickpea as a business?

Chickpea is more than just food. We’ve worked hard to create a business that reflects our desire to promote love, joy and creative inspiration. As a result, it’s been an absolute pleasure meeting new people who also care deeply about our planet and connecting with one another. Also, through the truck we’ve been exposed to some really cool local initiatives and events. In addition, we continue to love creating a family with our staff, customers and community members.

 

What have the biggest challenges been?

Anyone who’s started a business knows how all encompassing it is. Before Chickpea, we were both really good at taking time for ourselves and spending time with our family and friends. We’re working hard to regain that balance. 

 

Do you have plans to expand Chickpea further?  What are your goals for the future? 

We are always discussing Chickpea’s future and new goals for the business. However, going back to our biggest challenges, for now we’re quite focused on having more quality time spent in nature with family and friends. 

 

What would you say to skeptical carnivores to convince them to try Chickpea?

Carnivores regularly eat at Chickpea. So instead of trying to convince them, we’re happy that we can show how accessible and delicious meat-less meals are. 

 

Chickpea is located at 4298 Main Street, Vancouver.
(604) 620-0602
info@ilovechickpea.ca

Photo: Hanna McLean

 

 

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Today is Meatless Monday in Metro Vancouver

Sutherland Secondary’s Meatless Monday Club tabling for Meatless Monday and giving away free salads.

Schools lead the way, as more schools offer plant-based meals

In an effort to raise awareness of the links between diet and the environment, health and animal welfare, the Cities of Vancouver, New Westminster, North Vancouver and Port Moody have proclaimed today Meatless Monday. Students in Metro Vancouver are leading the way in introducing the concept, with a number of secondary and post-secondary schools offering plant-based meals in their food facilities on Mondays.

To mark the occasion Vancouver Councillor Adriane Carr will visit David Thompson Secondary at 1755 E 55th Avenue at 11:30 a.m. to congratulate students and staff on the success of their Meatless Monday initiative. Here are a few photos from today’s media and outreach event at David Thompson Secondary!

Eleven Metro Vancouver schools will be participating by offering at least one meatless dish on their menu in addition to their regular menu items. Two of these schools, Argyle Secondary and Lord Byng Secondary, are launching their initiatives today.

The Carnegie Community Centre, which serves the Downtown Eastside, will be offering a special Meatless Monday menu today. The centre aims to offer healthy, culturally diverse and delicious food on a daily basis for the community.

Meatless Monday is a global initiative, active in more than 30 countries and growing in popularity in Metro Vancouver. The campaign is aimed at increasing awareness about the impact of food choices and improving access to humane, healthy and sustainable food options. Reducing our overconsumption of animal products and increasing our consumption of plant-based foods helps fight climate change, protects individual/public health and reduces the demand for cheap meat that drives factory farming.

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Meatless Monday is on the move

Meatless Monday at Langara College.

Mark May 15th in your calendars! In an effort to raise awareness of the links between diet, the environment, health and animal welfare, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson has proclaimed Monday May 15th, 2017 to be Meatless Monday.

The globally popular movement, aimed at increasing awareness about the impact of our food choices and improving access to humane, healthy and sustainable food options, has been gaining popularity in Metro Vancouver. To date, ten schools have embraced the “once a week, cut the meat” message, with the most recent being Sutherland Secondary in North Vancouver. Sutherland launched their cafeteria campaign with the leadership of their new Meatless Monday club, comprising students who are passionate about the impact eating meatless has on pressing issues like factory farming, climate change and individual and public health.

Sutherland’s Meatless Monday club got its start after students learned that Capilano University was implementing the meat reduction initiative with support from VHS. Program Coordinator, Emily Pickett, was thrilled to help Sutherland’s Meatless Monday club bring the campaign to their cafeteria. Just a couple of months in and the club has worked closely with food service provider, Amaga Foods, to add and promote delicious menu items like Mexican bean burritos, Mediterranean chickpea salad, tofu fried rice and lentil vegetable curry with rice.

Sutherland Secondary launches Meatless Monday

“Our club does regular outreach in our school’s cafeteria to help raise awareness of Meatless Monday, the benefits of participating and what meatless options are on the menu, “ says club organizers Naiara Peruchena and Shiqi Xu. “We are thrilled to see sales of the meatless Monday special steadily increase and we think this initiative is important for helping students become more aware of what’s on their plate and the impact that has beyond their plate.”

But it’s not just schools who are getting on board, Cabrito, a Spanish tapas restaurant on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive, also recently embraced Meatless Monday. Jamie Stolar, Cabrito’s general manager, says the idea emerged from a mix of reasons. “We love the idea of being able to encourage people that aren’t vegan or vegetarian that even choosing one day a week to eat meet free can make a difference.”

Cabrito’s Meatless Monday offer includes a sampler of the three items for $19, allowing diners to try a few different items for a great value and still leave full. Currently, both vegetarian and vegan options are available, but Stolar say the focus will be “100 per cent vegan going forward.”

Cabrito’s Roasted vegetable sliders

Stolar thinks Meatless Monday has lots of potential, given Vancouver’s veg-friendly nature. “It would be really cool to see more restaurants join the movement as it’s such a great way to educate people and get them to start thinking about what they are consuming. It leaves them with ideas that they can incorporate into their daily lives.”

The Mayor’s May 15th Meatless Monday proclamation is not only a great show of support for the local schools, businesses and individuals who have already embraced Meatless Monday, but it may be just the type of encouragement needed to take Meatless Monday to the next level!

VHS has invited other Lower Mainland municipalities to follow Vancouver’s lead and pass similar proclamations in solidarity and is encouraging citizens, schools, businesses and the community as a whole to embrace plant-based eating on Monday, May 15th (and every Monday moving forward)! Get in touch with Program Coordinator, Emily Pickett, to learn more and get involved.

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New code of practice still leaves hens stuck in cages

So-called “enriched” cages will still be allowed under new codes of practice for laying hens

 

by Debra Probert, VHS Executive Director

A cage is a cage

The long-awaited revised Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pullets and Laying Hens has been released. You may remember that in 2016 VHS called upon you to submit your thoughts to the committee during the comment period.

First, an explanation. The codes of practice, according to industry and the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC), are nationally developed guidelines. Yes, guidelines. They contain ‘requirements’ and ‘recommended practices’.  ‘Requirements’ represent a consensus position that the required measures are to be implemented. Yes, a position. Those who fail to implement requirements may be compelled by industry to comply. Requirements may be enforceable under federal and provincial legislation.

‘Recommended Practices’ promote ‘producer education’ and are generally expected to ‘enhance animal welfare outcomes.’ Failure to implement them, according to the Council, doesn’t imply acceptable standards of animal care are not met.

One of the most egregious failing of the new codes, in our opinion, is that they do not require a system to enforce the requirements or the recommended practices. They do not mandate a third-party animal welfare auditing system, as occurs in organic egg production. There is nothing mandatory in place to ensure that farmers are complying with requirements or recommended practices.

The failure of the codes to recommend a phase-out of all cages is also an egregious omission. Although conventional battery cages are to be phased out by July 1, 2036, and although industry has committed to transition a minimum of 85% of hens within 15 years, ‘enriched’ cages are considered to be an acceptable option. Enriched cages still restrict key behaviours like running, full wing-flapping and flying and do not permit unrestrained perching and dustbathing. Even in an enriched cage system that meets the code requirements, many of the welfare problems inherent in battery cages remain. 

In Europe, where enriched cages have been used for years, investigators are finding the conditions for hens to be little better than they were in battery cages – anxious hens with beaks severely trimmed, bodies badly feather-pecked, perches too low, too many hens crammed in, lives spent on wire floors or dirty perches and inadequate nesting and foraging opportunities.

This seems incredibly short-sighted, considering that most of the major retail and restaurant companies in North America have committed to sourcing cage-free eggs to meet the demands of consumers, and most of them, well before 2036.

This looks to be a case of the fox guarding the henhouse, and it will now be up to consumers to continue to demand cage-free products – or the least inhumane – certified organic eggs.

Or just don’t buy eggs at all.

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Meatless Monday on the menu at Simon Fraser University

Stop by the residence dining hall at Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) Burnaby campus on Mondays and you’ll notice a variety of veg options being promoted. Food service provider, Chartwells, has been offering up delicious dishes including veg burgers, pizza, pasta, curries, salads and soups as part of their Meatless Monday initiative.

“Meatless Mondays is a simple concept that everyone can support. There are so many great veg options available these days that choosing to go meat-free, even one day a week, has never been easier! There are also a number of benefits, not just for the environment or animal welfare, but for a person’s health and general well-being too,” said Shehani Perera, Manager & Executive Chef at the residence dining hall.

Perera says feedback surrounding the initiative has been positive, with a growing number of students open to the concept of eating in a more humane, healthy and sustainable way. Student groups are also promoting the many benefits of cutting back on meat. Embark, a non-profit student society focused on sustainability, is supporting the Dining Services’ initiative via their “Monday Veggie Challenge”.

“Embark recognizes the destructive impact the meat industry has both on the planet and on human health,” explained Ali White, Programs Manager of Embark. “We’re asking the SFU community to choose plant-based options just one day a week! Participants can post their photos of vegetarian meals using the hashtag #SFUVeggieChallenge to enter to win a prize every month.”

It’s not just the sustainability crowd getting on board either; SFU’s Health Peers Program is also helping spread the word about the benefits of going meatless on Mondays.

“As students invested in health education efforts at SFU, the Health Peers recognize the value in supporting the Meatless Monday initiative,” said Health Peers member Savannah Swann. “While we promote Meatless Monday when possible through our presence at food-related events and outreach every year, our greatest contribution to this cause is through our bi-weekly Community Cooking Workshops. These workshops teach students about nutrition and help them to develop basic food preparation skills. We intentionally showcase easy vegetarian/vegan meals and always provide vegetarian/vegan options. We are proud to advocate for a cause that supports student health (financially and physically) and contributes to environmental sustainability.”

SFU is joined by seven other Metro Vancouver schools which are being supported by VHS in offering meatless menu options on Mondays.

“We’re thrilled to see schools and students embracing the Meatless Monday concept! Every time we eat meatless, we’re reducing the demand for cheap meat, which sentences over 700 million animals every year to lives of misery and deprivation on factory farms. It’s empowering that we can have a huge impact simply by what we choose to put on our plate,” said VHS Program Coordinator, Emily Pickett.  

Follow SFU’s lead by taking our Meatless Monday pledge today! We’ll send you a weekly recipe to help you keep your commitment. You can also support our effort to bring Meatless Monday to more classrooms, cafeterias and communities by making a donation today. Interested in bringing Meatless Monday to your school, workplace, business or community? Get in touch with Program Coordinator, Emily Pickett, to learn more!

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Meet the VHS team!

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New video gives a behind-the-scenes look at VHS

VHS celebrated its 30th anniversary last year and we’re proud of our history. But we’re focused on the future and working hard to make life better for animals in the years ahead.

Meet the people at VHS who are taking this work forward in this new video:

 

Help us continue this important work for animals now and into the future by sponsoring Team VHS in the upcoming Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k! On Sunday, June 26th, VHS will be participating for our 6th year in the run. It’s our most important fundraiser of the year and we rely on our supporters to help us make it the most successful. Please help us reach our goal by sponsoring our team. We’re 86% of the way there, with 5 days left!

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Vancouver’s Vegan Supply supports “a life without animal products”

vsup-basket1

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Vegan Supply logo website-headingVancouver-based Vegan Supply is a growing business dedicated to ensuring vegan products are available to compassionate consumers. Though focused on the Canadian market, they can deliver anywhere in the world. We asked the company’s Dave Shishkoff some questions about Vegan Supply’s values, challenges and vision for the future.

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What is Vegan Supply’s mission?

Our primary goal at Vegan Supply is to better the food supply! By selling vegan foods, and ONLY vegan foods, we’re giving people a place to shop at, and invest into, that mirrors their beliefs and ethics. Instead of helping subsidize a grocery store meat department, or worse, greenwashing animal products with nearly meaningless ‘humane’ or ‘cage-free’ labels, we’re providing a legitimately and consistently ethical model. We see every purchase as a ‘vote’, and we’re offering a much higher standard for people to direct their money to, and enable businesses that are really working for a better world.

 

What was the initial reaction to Vegan Supply’s launch?

Our first public appearance was the 2015 Veg Expo, and it was incredible! Our booth was packed the entire time, and we couldn’t keep up with sampling and sales. This year, we doubled how many people we had, and it was even busier!

We launched our online site shortly after, in May 2015, with some ‘beta’ testing for locals, and we worked out most of our kinks, and have been fully operational since last summer.

 

What are the biggest obstacles facing the business?

While Vancouver residents can take advantage of our ‘drop-off’ option at either Meet restaurants (orders can be picked-up free), the lack of inexpensive shipping in Canada is probably one of the most challenging issues we’re confronted with. We’re already ‘topped out’ with Canada Post’s value options, and while it’s not too bad ordering non-refrigerated items, which aren’t any rush, it can be a fair bit to order refrigerated goods in 2-3 days to the other side of the country like Newfoundland.

We’re also finding a lot of vegans don’t participate in what we’d consider ‘common’ vegan online venues – despite a fairly visible presence in the local Facebook groups, and all the other social media exposure we’ve had, there are still a lot of local people who are surprised to find us (many at Veg Expo for example!) We’re a very diverse group, and it’s hard to be visible to ‘most’ vegans!

 

How do Vegan Supply staff stay positive in a world where animal-based products are still so predominant?

This isn’t actually an issue at all; it’s really empowering since we’re not dealing with these at all, and are actually confronting and replacing animal products. Plus we have the best customers who are enthused to not have to deal with these issues either. It’s not often a someone can shop and not worry about looking at a single ingredient list!

 

What are the most popular products?

Our biggest draw would have to be Miyoko’s cheeses – and they really are incredible. Unlike other vegan cheeses we’re used to, these are actually cultured nut-based cheeses, with an incredibly rich flavour and experience. As Miyoko herself puts it, it’s not the cow’s milk that makes cheeses taste so diverse, it’s the bacteria cultures that are used. Think about it – the ‘same’ milk is used for all traditional cheeses! These taste experiences can be had without harming animals, and Miyoko’s is really strong evidence of this.

Other top sellers include our diverse range of cheeses and spreads, like Vtopian, Sheese and Fauxmage; vegan jerkys (Louisville, Primal Strips and Butler are always winners); caramels from Cocomels and Liefie’s; and of course more familiar brands like Earth Island, Daiya, Gardein and Field Roast.

 

Who are your customers? Is there a predominant demographic?

Vancouver is obviously our biggest market, and we ship quite a bit to Alberta and Ontario. We’ve shipped to every province now, and I believe Nunavut is the only Territory that we haven’t shipped to – hopefully we can change that soon!

As far as individuals, we suspect a big part of our demographic is vegans, but also vegetarians, those looking to go vegan, and those who want or have to avoid animal products, like those who are lactose intolerant or allergic to eggs or other animal products.

 

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

I think the most important step is making sure they know there is ‘life without animal products’. Once people know that they can live pretty ‘normal’ lives and that really great vegan offerings exist, the transition becomes much easier. We can live without exploiting and harming animals, and hopefully companies like Vegan Supply are making it much easier for people to do this. If someone is wondering ‘what do I eat as a vegan’, we’ve got nearly one thousand (and growing!) items to choose from – there’s no shortage!

 

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

They’re definitely infiltrating the mainstream. People commonly plan to ‘go eat vegan tonight’, and every week there are news stories highlighting how much better off we are by reducing and eliminating animal products in our lives, from our own health to the health of the planet, and of course the animals themselves – it’s definitely more visible than it’s ever been.

In Vancouver, we’re seeing more and more places expanding their vegan offerings, from restaurants to grocery stores. It was pretty slim picking 20 years ago, and few places even offered soy milk. Now, every grocery will have it (even some convenience stores!), in addition to vegan meat alternatives, ice cream, and usually much more!

 

What are some of the lessons you’ve learned about running a vegan business?

Ha! Don’t start a shipping-based business in Canada. *wink* How people access the site is also intriguing – for example we have several reminders along the process to include cold packs, but sometimes people still don’t order them…so we still need to figure out how to better communicate this sort of thing! It’s almost comedic if you actually read what’s on the site, and how much we’ve tried to inject this message in the process.

On a more serious note, we’ve learned that there are a lot of amazing people out there, who share our vision, and want to see a better world, and are helping us better the status quo – thank you so much to those people!!

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Meatless Monday Goes Global With International Cookbook

canada recipeThe Vancouver Humane Society recently joined forces with other Canadian Meatless Monday advocates, including EarthSave Canada, to contribute to an exciting new online cookbook. “Meat-Free Monday Everywhere” brings together leaders in the Meatless Monday movement from around the globe, with each country submitting a meatless recipe representative of their corner of the world.

With no shortage of cruelty-free recipes out there, the process of narrowing it down to THE Canadian dish was no easy feat. In the end, it was Vancouver writer Eleanor Boyle’s personal recipe, a Potato and Carrot Salad with Garlic-Mustard Dressing, which would represent Canadian meatless cuisine on the international scene. The ingredients in this salad are all from hardy plants that grow well in our temperate climate. Canada produces significant quantities of mustard, potatoes, carrots, kale, lentils and the other ingredients found in this salad. The recipe contains familiar and nutritious ingredients, plus a delicious vinaigrette that includes a touch of Canadian maple syrup.

The Meat-Free Monday Everywhere cookbook showcases not only the delicious variety of meatless meal options to choose from, but also the impressive growth of the Meatless Monday movement. Active in over 30 countries, the movement is raising awareness of the impact that reducing/eliminating meat consumption has on animal welfare, our health and the environment.

Over 700 million animals are killed for food every year in Canada, and our over-consumption of cheap meat has forced nearly all of them into factory farms, where they endure conditions and practices that most Canadians find appalling. Reducing and eliminating meat consumption and incorporating more plant-based proteins in our diet has health benefits, including protecting against heart disease, stroke, and cancer, reducing our risk for diabetes, curbing obesity and improving the nutritional quality of diet.

If all of these benefits weren’t enough, plant-based eating is also much kinder to the planet. Animal agriculture is a major contributor not only to climate change, but to air and water pollution, water use, land degradation and deforestation, biodiversity decline, and ocean degradation. In fact, animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation sector. It takes far more resources to farm living animals who eat plants than it does to simply eat plant-based ourselves.

With all of this in mind, we encourage you to join us in standing up for animals every time you sit down to eat! Check out the online cookbook online cookbook for some delicious recipes and don’t forget to take the Meatless Monday pledge for a free weekly recipe to help you in your commitment to protecting animals, your health and the planet.

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Canadian Meatless Monday advocates – Vancouver writer, Eleanor Boyle, EarthSave President, David Steele and Vancouver Humane Society Program Coordinator, Emily Pickett