2014: The Year of the Vegan?
We’re just days into the new year, and we can tell already that it’s going to be an exciting one both for animals and the people who care about them! The trend towards vegan diets has been on the rise for years, but it looks like we could be at a real turning point for compassionate eating, with a sea of change in people’s attitudes towards their food and where it comes from as well as increasing awareness of how eating meat damages both the environment and our health.
Here at PETA, we’ve seen ever-increasing numbers of people requesting free vegan resources and signing our vegan pledge. And more people in the UK are Googling information about veganism and vegan recipes than ever before. At the same time, pretty much every high-street restaurant these days will now cater to compassionate tastes, and even Beyoncé has learned how to make vegan cupcakes! Famous people all over the place are coming out of the closet as plant-eaters, from Russell Brand to Al Gore.
Media outlets are waking up to the trend, too! The past few weeks have seen vegan living covered by major UK newspapers, including The Guardian, The Independent, The Sunday Times and The Telegraph. Beyoncé and Jay Z’s vegan experiment shone a spotlight on high-end plant-based cuisine, and we also learned this week about the astonishing Australian vegan couple in their sixties, who made headlines by completing a marathon every day for the past year!
Even non-vegan chefs are recognising the harmful effects of meat consumption. As Raymond Blanc puts it, “There’s no doubt about it. It’s abnormal we eat [meat] six or seven times a week, our organism is not made that way”. Of course, for compassionate people, a vegan diet is a lifestyle choice that reflects fundamental principles about kindness and respect for life – but it’s also a great way to stay healthy, fit and well fed.
If you’re just getting started with vegan eating, you can always ask us for help and advice, either on Twitter or by commenting here. And for those who have yet to try out a plant-based diet, our 30-day vegan pledge is a great way to start.
