Conjured from desert sands through nothing but willpower and well-located real estate, Dubai is a city unlike any other. Three and a half million people live a glimmering fever dream of reflective glass, stainless steel, and stone taken to wild extremes: the tallest building, the biggest mall, the deepest pool, the largest picture frame, the most expansive performing fountain, the most audacious artificial islands.

Add to this mix nearly 17 million annual visitors (pre-COVID), and you have a playground where anything seems possible. The flash in Dubai is unparalleled, as hypercars speed down 14-lane highways lit with glowing LEDs while helicopters twirl overhead like dragonflies among massive, fantastical skyscrapers.

All of this might seem inimical to a down-to-earth and sustainable movement like veganism, but if you know where to look, there are some beautiful plant oases here, too.

Pixabay

I began my exploration not far from the Dubai Marinaa fantasyland of ostentatious blue glass and steel towering over a harbor full of luxury yachts (its the backdrop for millions of Instagram posts). In a relatively quiet neighborhood of artificial lakes and manicured greenery, I found Planet Terra, a cleanly stylish vegan restaurant.

Co-founder George Kinj only opened Planet Terra at the start of 2022, but his dedication to freshness and quality quickly attracted a legion of dedicated fans. Every time people eat here, they become regulars, he says.

I came for brunch and fell in love with Planet Terras chickpea omelette. Its a warm and fluffy chickpea round nestled beneath a veritable food forest of delicate sprouts, roasted cherry tomatoes, crispy kale, and tangy dollops of cashew cheese drizzled with balsamic glaze. Sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and a few pine nuts, it all comes together for a savory, satisfying bite with varied textures and flavors playing off one another.

Planet Terra/Facebook

In a region nearly devoid of farmland, Planet Terra manages to be completely organic, with astonishingly fresh produce. The menu is well-rounded, and includes everything from matcha pancakes loaded with a mound of whipped coconut cream for breakfast, to papaya-carrot-avocado salad with housemade black seaweed caviar for lunch, to Levantine Aubergine Fatteh with roasted eggplant on crispy Middle Eastern bread finished with vegan ghee-glazed almonds and pomegranate for dinner.

I ended my visit with some of the restaurants exceptional cakes. The passion fruit cheesecake featured creamy, tangy cashew-coconut filling topped with a shimmering passion fruit gel studded with pretty black seeds. It was lightly sweet and fragrant with a deep creaminess.

Planet Terra/Instagram

Kinj explained to me that his goal is for Planet Terra to earn a Michelin star, before adding (with classic Dubai audacity) within five yearsthings move fast in Dubai.

Hes got competition. Folia, celebrity vegan chef Matthew Kenneys restaurant at Dubais sedately swanky Four Seasons hotel, serves luxurious and inventive dishes in a lush garden of tropical greenery (things move indoors during the summer, when temperatures can exceed 122 degrees).

Like Planet Terra, Folia eschews processed ingredients like fake meats and makes everything from milks and cheeses to burger buns in house from local, organic produce.

A starter of watermelon poke featured meaty chunks of glistening red fruit atop a bed of shredded kale in a light, gingery tamari vinaigrette that countered the melons sweetness. Mint leaves and micro greens sat delicately on top, highlighting the juicy flesh both visually and on the tongue.

Folia

Folia takes seemingly ordinary ingredients and creates transcendence. The Summer Roll is composed of a convincing crab made from celeriac with rich peanut chili sauce in a delicate rice noodle wrapper.

Folias unambiguously named Taco is a properly messy mound of barbacoa-style mushrooms topped with sumptuous cashew cheese. The pizzas at Folia are a delightchoose from pies topped with everything from truffle cream to rosa sauce, roasted wild mushrooms to juicy heirloom tomatoes, and nutty basil pesto to fluffy almond ricotta.

I finished it all off with a panna cotta that was smooth and delicately sweetened by bursts of maraschino set off with crunchy almonds. Then I walked the leafy landscaping to the Four Seasons sandy Persian Gulf beach before heading out past all the Lamborghinis, Paginis, and Ferraris.

The Dubai Mall isnt your mothers mallits the biggest mall ever. It sprawls over five levels at the foot of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest structure on the planet. Besides more than 1,200 shops and restaurants, it includes a giant Diplodocus skeleton, huge fountains, a souk, and a skating rink.

Neat Burger

Neat Burger, the UK-born fast-food chain co-founded by world champion Formula One racer Lewis Hamilton, overlooks this rink. I watched happy families swan about the ice three stories below as I tucked into a feast of perfect fast-food indulgence at this UAE outpost of a chain with locations in New York and London.

The Crispy Chikn sandwich was thick, toothsome, and dripping in tangy vegan mayo, while the spicy fish burger sported a crunchy exterior, a tender and flaky interior, and just the right amount of marine flavor. Both came in a shiny, soft-and-yielding bun and cool iceberg lettuce straight out of the roadside burger chain cookbook. For an indulgent break from tradition, order a pot of melted cheese sauce to give any menu item a dunk into pure fondue decadence.

Neat Burger

The double helping of Smash Daddy burger patties, made of pea protein and griddled directly onto a pile of thinly slivered onions, were as savory and smoky as they were thin and caramelizedthe perfect pairing with a mound of piping-hot, salty tater tots. They were crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside, counterpoint to a thick chocolate milkshake that was cooling and not too sweet. I felt transported from this capitalist temple in the desert to a soft-focus vignette of childhood Americana complete with sandlot baseball, red flyers, and eager pups frolicking in slow motion.

This ability to evoke other times and places is Dubais strengthmaybe its entire point.

Modeled on the Balinese aesthetic, Seva Table is a serene escape from the searing heat of concrete and glass. Dappled light dances in the leafy open space, and incense-infused air is alive with the mellow tune of hand-beaten tabla.

Seva Table

Co-founder Shadi Enbashi founded Seva Experience Wellness in 2014 with a comprehensive program of yoga, sound healing, bodywork, and training programs in different healing modalities. The caf there was the first plant-based restaurant in the region, representing with beautiful and carefully considered organic dishes free of both gluten and cane sugar. The space is even free of wifi, inviting real presence.

The surprisingly fluffy almond flour omelette I tried came folded over a rich and tangy housemade cashew cream with perfectly cooked spinach and mushroom confit, along with avocado and a smooth, slightly piquant roasted tomato salsa.

Seva Table

The tofu wrap combined savory, smoky tofu scramble with coconut yogurt, queso sauce, and a bright, herby, citrus-spiked avocado sauce. The side salad of local greens and cherry tomatoes popped with freshness. You can tell they werent in a plane, says Enbashi.

Seva treats all their dishes with exuberant attention, infusing frequencies into the food with crystals, sound vibrations, and conscious intentions as it is prepared. But we dont want to make it too woo-woo, says Enbashi. We emphasize that everything we do comes from whole ingredients.

Enbashi says dessert is the smoothest entry point for the vegan message in Dubai: Nobody cares if its vegan or not; all you have to do is create delicious cakes. Sevas Snickers Pie combines layers of different textures (rich chocolate, crunchy nuts, soft caramel, and a date-nut base, all draped with a rich cacao sauce) achieving a well balanced, even thoughtful evocation. It was, simply put, really good.

Seva Table

Food is not about stuffing your face, or even about calories, concludes Enbashi. Its the basis for a truly beautiful, eclectic community that is colorful and very diverse.

Amid all the gleaming glass and steel, one discovers a fascinating paradox. In this realm where everything feels revved up, maxed out, and always extravagant, a few vegan oases share a commitment to the natural, simple, and sustainable. They help travelers realize that the citys audacious ambition extends beyond architectural triumphs.

ZQ Lee/Unsplash

Dubai, with its ability to transport us through time and space, dares visitors to reimagine the possibilities of a harmonious coexistence between human innovation and the natural worlda future where opulence coexists with a budding plant-based scene flourishing amid a landscape of dreams.

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I Found Some of the Best Vegan Food of My Life in Dubai - VegNews

The new year ahead is filled with possibilities and to welcome it properly, a number of chefs have prepared meals that you will be hard-pressed to forget even after the clock strikes midnight.

And just one look at their menus will prove that were officially done with sides as mains for holiday meals because these days, vegan restaurants are focusing their New Years Eve menus on some of the most indulgent foods out there.

Its out with the old and in with the new at these five vegan restaurants, where you can ring in the new year with plant-based steak, short ribs, sushi, and caviar.

New Years Eve at DC Vegana full-service caterer, cheese shop, and Botanical Bar in Washington, DCis all about plant-based steak courtesy of new partner Chunk Foods.

The companys plant-based steak, which is a favorite of celebs such as Robert Downey Jr., will be featured in a 4-ounce serving, braised with vegetables, white wine, and a housemade broth.

Chunk Foods

DC Vegan recently welcomed Chef David Aaron Gravenmier to its kitchen, who brings a decade of experience in vegan cuisine from previous roles at Philadelphias Vedge and as Executive Chef at Fancy Radish.

I have been working in the restaurant business for close to 20 years, and started dabbling in vegan food back in 2009, Gravenmier said in a statement. I love creating vegetable-centric dishes for even the most skeptical omnivores.

Alongside Chunks vegan steak, Gravenmier and team have prepared a four-course prix fixe menu ($85 per person) featuring dishes such as Garlic Knots, Fennel & Orange Salad, and Homemade Gnocchi. For dessert, guests will be offered a choice of pizzelle with peppercorn vanilla ice cream or candied orange peel with chocolate drizzle.

Filet mignon, made by Colorado company Meati Foods, is the main NYE attraction at Chicagos Spirit Elephant. Raspberry Champagne Salad will open the meal followed by a Sesame Crusted Tofu starter before showcasing the main: a succulent centerpiece made from mycelium (or mushroom root).

Spirit Elephant

The restaurants executive chef, Jorge Esparza, wanted to showcase Meatis innovation in a traditional dish. The filet is seasoned and seared with a sauce Diane (made with cognac, shallots, vegan cream, and mushrooms) and served with twice-baked potatoes loaded with all of the fixins (think cheese, bacon, sour cream, and horseradish). The dish is finished off with asparagus served with Hollandaise sauce.

To end this memorable meal, Spirit Elephant will serve a Chocolate Mousse in a crispy pastry shell for dessert.

Eating is about pleasure, culture, and connection, and with menu items like this, its easier than ever before to eat like we are used to, while at the same time doing something good for our health, the planet, and all its inhabitants, Young says.

The Planta restaurant groupwhich encompasses Planta, Planta Cocina, and Planta Queenis celebrating NYE with plenty of plants prepared in different styles.

Planta

Plantas NYE menu blends global flavors with a vegan twist. Highlights include Chickn Fried Mushrooms, a House Burger served with fries or Caesar salad, and a selection of pizzas such as the Vodka Pizza and Leek Bianca Pizza. Pasta lovers can enjoy the Spicy Lumaconi Pasta and Udon Noodles with truffle mushroom cream.

At Planta Cocina, the menu is infused with Latin-inspired dishes where signature items include Sweet Corn Cavatelli, Mafaldine Pasta Verde, and Spicy Tuna Tacos. Unique dessert offerings such as Horchata Cheesecake and Coconut Cake set this menu apart.

Planta Queen offers an Asian-inspired menu featuring dishes such as Dan Dan Noodles, Singapore Noodles, and Chili Garlic Tofu. Desserts such as the Matcha Cheesecake and Chocolate Brownie perfectly end the meal.

Planta

Despite their distinct themes, all three Planta concepts share similarities in their menus. Sushi selections, including Unagi Eggplant Nigiri and Ahi Watermelon Nigiri, are common across the board.

All Planta locations in North America are offering NYE menus at $60 per person that include a choice of four dishes.

Thoughtfully prepared for a two-hour dining experience, the prix fixe menu ($125 per person) at Baia in San Francisco focuses on the bounty of produce available throughout Northern California and the hard-working farmers who grow it.

In addition, vegan caviar will be on the NYE menu, where the culinary team uses a natural sea-sourced alternative called umibudo (also known as sea grapes). The salty and briny ingredient is part of the opening course of Semolina Cake with Herbed Cheese and Seaweed Caviar.

Baia

This is followed by an endive salad, which is plated in the shape of a flower, sending a poetic farewell to the last flowers of the season.

A warm mushroom soup features a clear, slow-cooked shiitake broth poured over unique fungi varieties the team sources from local growers, including a cauliflower mushroom that delivers a tripe-like texture to the umami-packed soup.

The main course here is Cacio e Pepe with a hint of Truffle, a familiar and comforting bucatini pasta dish that speaks to Baias upscale Italian point of view.

Lastly, Champagne Ice Cream and Meringue give guests a way to toast to the new year in dessert form. The culinary team tells VegNews that this send-off is also an homage to all of the different ice cream flavorsfrom pluot to pineapple guava to sourdoughthat Baia has explored throughout 2023.

Crossroads Kitchen is also opening its NYE dinner with vegan caviarthis one is made with kelp and served with almond-based creme fraiche, atop potato rosti sprinkled with chives.

Here, chef Tal Ronnen designed six courses ($95 per person) to delight guests.

Our menu is driven by seasonality, as well as some more indulgent ingredients to help ring in the New Year like our caviar course and our Porcini Mushroom and Chestnut Tortelliboth are seasonal and decadent, Ronnen tells VegNews.

Crossroads/Jakob Layman

Other celebratory offerings include Fennel & Citrus Salad; Spinach & Ricotta Tart with yellow tomato egg yolk, parmesan, and lemon; Eggplant Short Rib with potato gratin and bordelaise; and Chocolate Hazelnut Torte with housemade Nutella cremeux.

These dishesand the teams dedication to uplighting vegan food for a decadeare why Crossroads consistently tops our list of the best restaurants in the country. And Ronnen says there is so much more in store.

The special NYE menu will be available at Crossroads Kitchens Melrose and Calabasas locations.

Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always keeping an eye on all things vegan in her home city of San Francisco, CA and everywhere else.

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Celebrate the New Year With Steak, Short Ribs, and Caviar at These 5 Vegan Restaurants - VegNews

Investing in vegan stocks hasnt been an easy decision. Much like cannabis stocks and, to a lesser extent, electric vehicle stocks, investing in a future that seems certain can be elusive.

There are benefits of a plant-based diet that shouldnt be ignored at a time when weight-loss drugs are all the rage. Those benefits are more likely to drive this sectors growth than concerns over sustainability. But the latter is where most of the marketing effort focuses.

However, regardless of the reason, acceptance of this kind of diet ultimately comes from the product itself. How does it taste? Is it affordable? For the most part, the industry has conquered the first question. Its the second question that remains a challenge, particularly at a time when consumers are trying to make their food dollars stretch further.

That brings to light another lesson about investing in vegan stocks, particularly pure-play stocks. That is, revenue is only a starting point. To their credit, many of these companies have revenue coming in. But positive, growing earnings are the fuel for stock price growth. And many of these companies are still years away from being profitable. Some have filed for bankruptcy or carry a significant risk of that fate.

Then theres the fact that many pure-play companies in this sector, like Impossible Foods, are private companies that therefore are not publicly traded. Its a tricky sector, but one that may still have upside for patient investors. Here are three vegan stocks that maygive you different ideas for investing in the sector.

Source: Eric Glenn / Shutterstock.com

Investing in Kroger (NYSE:KR) is likely the safest of the vegan stocks on this list. In addition to carrying plant-based foods from other companies, the company has its own private label, Simple Truth, which has a range of plant-based alternatives. Theres ample evidence that consumers are trading down to house brands to combat food inflation.

Plus, the grocery giant has over 2,800 locations in 35 states. Thats a solid base if the goal is broad acceptance. And it will nearly double once the companys planned merger with Albertsons (NYSE:ACI) which should be complete sometime in 2024.

KR stock is up just 1.23% in 2023 with just a few days left to trade as of this writing. When you look at the companys earnings report, you can see why the stock is a laggard. The results arent bad, theyre just not exciting.

However, investors may be overlooking the companys gross margin which increased by 300 basis points when the company reported earnings in November 2023. The company also strengthened its balance sheet by suspending share repurchases to build cash, pay dividends and keep its debt manageable.

Source: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com

Ingredion (NYSE:INGR) gives investors another way to invest in vegan stocks. The company isnt a pure play on the sector. In fact, its best known for starches and sweeteners. But Ingredion is increasing its selection of plant-based proteins that help provide plant-based meat and dairy alternatives. Increasing the protein content of plant-based foods is considered to be one of the factors that will drive future revenue.

To that end, in 2021, Ingredion opened a facilityfocused on producing pea protein isolate and pea starch. It was the first-of-its-kind in North America and positions the company as a future leader in the sector.

INGR stock is up about 11.76% in 2023 with most of that gain coming in the market rally in November and December. That is discounting the companys strong earnings growth in 2023 which is still expected to grow around 4% in the next 12 months. Plus, investors get a dividend with a 2.87% yield that has been growing for the last 13 consecutive years.

Source: Vladislav Noseek / Shutterstock.com

If you have a speculative itch to scratch when it comes to plant-based stocks, Oatly (NASDAQ:OTLY) may be a good choice. Oatly is a Swedish company that uses oats to produce dairy alternatives. One of its more common products is oat milk.

This is a small company with a $768 million market cap as of December 27, 2023. Its also a company that just over a month ago was trading for under one dollar.

However, OTLY stock is up about 45.88% in the last month of 2023. Any move of that type is worth exploring. In this case, it appears that analyst sentiment has improved. The consensus price target of $2.06 is 58% higher than the current price. And out of eight analysts offering ratings, three give it a Strong Buy rating.

Like any stock that is not profitable and generates only about $750 million in sales, there is a risk of bankruptcy with Oatly. The compelling news is that revenue is increasing, and the company is moving close to profitability. Its still a risk, but with a strong upside, it may be a risk worth taking.

On the date of publication, Chris Markoch did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

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Vegan Stocks to Watch: 3 Players Leading the Plant-Based Revolution - InvestorPlace

2023 in review: How a raw vegan influencer reportedly died of malnutrition  MSN

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2023 in review: How a raw vegan influencer reportedly died of malnutrition - MSN

Kitchen 17, known for being the original vegan deep dish spot in Chicago, has a New Year surprise: vegan pan pizzas shipping nationwide! There are 7 different varieties plus 3 gluten-free pies and a variety pack. As always, there are gluten-free options and every pizza is made from scratch using Kitchen 17s in-house vegan cheeses!

Youll find classics like cheese and pepperoni, with their famed K17 vegan pepperoni, in addition to must-try flavors like the cheeseburger, pickle, and jalapeo popper pizzas! Expanding beyond deep dish, according to owner Jennie, has been the plan for quite some time.

We love our deep dish, but we also recognize that our national audience might want to see that cheese on top! These are some of my favorite pizzas to come out of the kitchen, and Im excited to share them with our remote regulars and newcomers!

Its been two years since Kitchen 17 relocated the restaurant from Lakeview to a much larger space in the Avondale neighborhood. Not only has this allowed them to expand their production and add a vegan bar to the mix, but it has also made way for their front room with a wrap-around mezzanine to transform into a punk rock venue, The Fallen Log at Kitchen 17! Its a unique space with more artwork being added all the time.

For information about upcoming shows and events can be found on their events page! They also have a new shipping policy, which makes it worth grabbing a few pizzas at a time. When you place an order over $110, they use 20% of your order total to deduct from the shipping cost! In other words, if you live within a few states from Chicagoland, your order will very likely have FREE ground shipping!

For those who live further away, this means that you save a lot on shipping. Their pizzas stay good in your freezer for 18 months, so stock up! You can order yours here: https://kitchen17.com.

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Kitchen 17 Vegan Pan Pizzas: Shipping Nationwide USA in 2024 - VEGWORLD Magazine

Flacos Tacos, for years a go-to spot for vegan Mexican food in Berkeley, is closing its brick-and-mortar location on Dec. 30, 2023.

We want to thank all of the people who have given us the chance to serve them and make it this far but as of now, we can no longer sustain our relationship to our community and people, the restaurant posted on Instagram. (The news was first reported by Berkeleyside.)

Flacos started off as a farmers market stand in 2001 and soon moved into a charming little hut by the Ashby BART station. Founder Antonio Magaa grew up enjoying the traditional family recipes from his Abuelitas Carmen & Santos Chata,' according to the restaurants website. As a child, he and his siblings would help his mother in the kitchen, and these memories inspired the creation of Flacos. He took those dishes and replaced all the animal ingredients with vegetarian-based substitutes.

As of Dec. 28, the fundraiser had collected $5,476 of a $20,000 goal.

Its been a rather brutal year for vegan spots in the Bay Area. Among the restaurants that shuttered are VeganBurg in San Francisco, the vegan-friendly Pizza Flora in San Jose, and Souley Vegan and the brick-and-mortar location of Vegan Mob both in Oakland.

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Another Bay Area vegan restaurant bites the dust, this time in Berkeley - The Mercury News

You've decided: This is the year you're going vegan, at least part of the time. You've heard of the health benefits of a plant-based diet and seen some of the most colorful, sexiest concoctions on your vegan friend's plate. But you have no idea where or how to start. EBONY has got you covered.

These three Black vegan YouTube creators have a real passion for everything vegan. From juice blends to skincare products,they're testing, tasting and tackling everything you need to know to get started on a morevegetarian and vegan-based lifestyle. If you haven't heard their names yet, get in on this slice of (vegan) pie.

It's go big or go home for Dallas-based vegan Erin Wells, who creates vegan-friendly content from her home state of Texas. On her YouTube channel, you'll find vegan recipes, vlogs and vegan diets. This no-meat warrior is out in the streets testing vegan recipes in fast food joints. She also shares recipes for her tasty versions of our favorite drive-thru treats, like a breakfast sausage biscuit, using vegan ingredients. Wells began her vegan lifestyle in July 2016 and has loved her journey, which continues on her website, thatchocolatevegan.com.

We want an invitation to dinner at Andrew Bernard's house. His stunning tutorials, shot in close-up, make our mouths water just by watching. Bernard's channel offers easy-to-create recipes with full instructions and ingredient lists on his website, makeitdairyfree.com. Some of his content features special guests, like his mom! Bernard is here to get you started on vegan basics, like cooking homemade vegetable stock.

Based in New York City, Angela Yvonne knows that there's vegan food to be found at every corner. Through her digital series Vegan Pop Eats, Yvonne takes you on her culinary adventures, showcasing restaurants, testing vegan products and interviewing leaders in the vegan community. She also keeps it real on her Instagram, sharing how she uses her vegan diet and exercise to stay in tip-top shape. This rising star shares more content and her how-to-vegan e-books at veganpopeats.com.

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Kick Off Your Vegan New Year's Resolution With These 3 Black Vegan YouTubers to Watch in 2024 - EBONY

Vegan leather is no longer confined to vegan-centric brands: it's everywhere. But what is vegan leather? Whether a pair of black pleather pants or a fiery red synthetic leather clutch, the new, glossy iterations are like leather's cooler younger sibling that went vegan and didn't tell the family until Thanksgiving day. With sustainable fashion becoming ever more mainstream, vegan leather has gone from being a niche alternative to becoming both a sustainable staple and part of the greenwashing wave. Here, we break down the pros and cons of vegan leather and whether it's a fashion phase or an effective way to combat climate change.

Animal leather is usually made from the skin of cows, but can also be derived from the skin of pigs, sheep, snakes, horses, and more. Vegan leather, or faux leather, imitates actual leather by using synthetic materials or plant-based fibers like pineapple leaves, cactus, cork, and apple peels to get a similar consistency. However, the majority of vegan leather is made out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyurethane (PU), both of which are petroleum-based plastics. But as long as the leather isn't derived from any animal products, it can be considered vegan.

If you've decided on a vegan lifestyle or are interested in more eco-friendly options, faux leather offers an alternative to the standard animal hides. Real leather is made through a lengthy process in which the animal skin is heavily salted, soaked in calcium oxide, tanned, and then put through the liquoring method, which includes adding fats and oils to the leather to make it softer and stronger. If you're familiar with real leather, you'll be able to recognize its signature earthy scent due to the tanning process, and its breathable qualities when worn for long periods of time. The most common forms of tanning are chromium and vegetable tanning. Chromium uses chemicals to preserve the animal's skin, and offers more water and heat resistance for the leather products it's applied to. But this form of tanning produces chromium waste, which pollutes the neighboring waterways. Vegetable tanning avoids harmful chemicals and uses natural materials, like tree bark, in their place. But, this form of leather is generally more expensive. When properly cared for, genuine leather can last for multiple decades in either case.

In recent years, vegan leather has gotten incredibly close to feeling like the real deal. The obvious plastic-like dupes have evolved into more buttery and luxurious leather alternatives. Unfortunately, vegan leather products tend to have a lifespan of only two to five years. But, leather-like products offer a more eco-friendly option, especially for those concerned about their carbon footprint. Traditional leather relies on livestock like cattle, and industrial animal-raising contributes to deforestation and greenhouse gases. By cutting out cattle as a source of leather, fake leather seemingly provides a more sustainable and cruelty-free option. But this is where it gets a little tricky.

Vegan leather's lifespan proves to be shorter than that of real leather, which means consumers will have to replace items made with it more often. Additionally, plastic-based vegan leather products cannot biodegrade as well as natural leather. And while both traditional and faux leather-making processes involve chemicals, PVC can release pollutants and toxic chemicals. While PU leather is less harmful than PVC, it's still derived from fossil fuels. But ultimately, natural fibers are the best option when seeking out vegan leather.

The fashion industry has seen a rise in alternative leather options from fish skin to pineapple leaves to cork leather. High-end fashion brands like John Galliano, Prada, and Christian Dior have dabbled in fish skin options for their products; the practice itself has roots dating back centuries to multiple Indigenous groups across the globe. Brands like Nanushka and Hugo Boss, meanwhile, have sought to use leather alternatives that are completely vegan.

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What is Vegan Leather? - Vogue

The impact of food on long-term health is difficult to study. So many nutritional studies will conclude with this was an observational or prospective study so it does not prove cause and effect.

Often, the best that can be said is that there was an association. I know this can be frustrating, but it also happens to be the truth. So when we find a clinical trial that makes a point about food intake, we feel more confident saying that this can be cause an effect. And it might be a motivator to change eating patterns.

A small clinical trial published last month in JAMA Network compared the effects of a healthy vegan diet to a healthy omnivore diet during the eight-week study period. Twenty-two pairs of identical twins were divided into two groups. Using twins minimizes genetic influences.

Now, this seems like a small number but I remember when NASA wanted to study the impact of long space flight on body function. Luckily there were twin astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly. Scott Kellys trip lasted 340 days in space and when he returned home every body function and bio marker was compared with his twin brother Mark, who had remained on earth. So this study of 22 pairs of twins seems big in comparison

One twin from each pair received vegan meals for eight weeks and the other twin received a healthy mixed diet. Both meal plans were low in sugar and refined grains. Interestingly, all participants received meal service for the first four weeks. During the second half of the study, they had to prepare their own food. There was only one dropout, which is remarkable and shows one can learn to make vegan meals in a short time period

The twins on the vegan diet had significantly lower LDL cholesterol, lower fasting insulin levels and lost more weight. All these factors contribute to reduced risk of heart disease. Another piece of evidence supporting a plant-based food intake.

Sheah Rarback MS, RDN is a registered dietitian nutritionist in private practice in Miami. srarback@hotmail.com

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Twins were given vegan meals, meals with meat. One group had much lower heart disease risk - AOL

By Matthew Cox 14:01 30 Dec 2023, updated 14:01 30 Dec 2023

A vegan activist who confronts McDonald's customers with pictures of factory farming and slaughterhouses has urged Brits to rethink their diet choices as 'we're a nation of animal lovers'.

Tarion Partridge, 25, has been vegan for over five years - an activist for three of those - and said that as we live in 'the easiest place to be vegan', it makes it even 'more of an injustice' to not be one yourself.

According to YouGov tracking, despite increasing commercialisation and accommodation of the vegan lifestyle, the proportion of the UK population has remained at roughly two or three per cent since records began in 2019.

Speaking to MailOnline, Ms Partridge asked:'How can you claim to love animals with the same mouth you chew their bodies with?

'People are very ignorant to what happens.They don't witness the slaughter, they just see these packaged up bodies.'

Ms Partridge's TikTok and other social media pages are flooded with clips of her and meat-eaters clashing over the morality of eating animals.

Her posts range from confronting customers at fast-food chains, to discussing veganism on the street and even clashing with employees at fast-food restaurants who ask her to not show pictures of animals in factory farms or slaughterhouses to their customers.

Responses range from people trying to quietly brush her off, many seeming sympathetic with her motivations but not her cause and the occasional few who take real issue with being challenged.

In one video from November 2023, Ms Partridge stops someone on their way to order a meal at McDonald's and asks if she likes animals.

The customer replies to say 'I do but I'm not going to stop eating them'.

She continued: 'I like meat, it's just nature.'

As the woman leaves Ms Partridge tells her to order the chain's vegan burger: 'If you care about animals, you should live in alignment with that and be vegan.'

Some meetings are more confrontational than that.

'Most of the reactions I've had are pretty good,' she recounted, 'but I had a bit more of tougher one in KFC once where this lady was super unhappy, and was like, "you know people are being killed in the world, and why would we care about chickens?"

'And I said to her that I don't kill people or chickens, because that doesn't really have any relevance.'

Staff at the chain were then asking her to leave, but she resisted until they threatened to call the police.

But any of the more nerve-wracking interactions do not deter her, and she says that when she is feeling uncomfortable, 'I just have to think of the animals'.

'You can't really spread a message without getting out there and sometimes pushing the boundaries, doing something a little bit controversial,' she said.

'People want activists to be silent. They don't want to feel guilty. But if you look throughout history activists are never silent.

'Those who have the privilege to know have the duty to act.'

The 25-year-old was raised in Lincolnshire as a meat-eater, but had an 'epiphany' aged 15 when she was eating chicken and wondered what the real difference was between that and her beloved dog, Saxon.

She went vegetarian straight away and a few years later upon realising that much of the dairy industry involves calves being removed from their mothers within hours of their birth, she took the leap to go vegan.

'I think I'm a compassionate person,' she said, 'and I want to live in a line with that.'

But it took until January 2020, when Ms Partridge met her partner and vegan activist Joey Carbstrong, that she began going even further by protesting against and researching the meat and dairy industry.

However, she pushes back on the common assertion that vegans are 'extreme' or 'overbearing'.

'I get called extreme and pushy and all things like that all the time,' she admitted, 'but I just think that you have to push back on that and think: What's more extreme, me showing the people what they pay for, or the fact that they pay for animals to be tortured in farms and violently executed in murder factories?

'If I was in a dog meat restaurant showing footage of dogs struggling in fear and being murdered, I'd be a hero.

'Nobody would be saying, 'that's extreme,' but because I'm defending pigs, chickens and cows, all of a sudden I'm extreme?

'That highlights the speciesism in our society. People need to realise that there's no moral difference between a dog and the animals that people eat.'

One of Ms Partridge's views that people might find extreme, though, or at least counter-intuitive, comes in response to one of the replies she often gets from the public.

Animals eaten by consumers are bred specifically for that purpose - they would not exist if they were never going to be eaten - but she is would rather live in a world without those billions of animals altogether.

'They shouldn't exist like this,' she asserted, 'chickens have been bred to grow at this accelerated rate, turkeys as well.

'I think if I was an animal I would rather not exist than exist in a body where I'm suffering and where I'm gonna be sent to a murder factory.'

While Ms Partridge insists that 'there will be a day where we look back with pure shame and regret' at our meat consumption, meat-free enterprises are struggling to stay afloat.

The cost of living crisis has had a doubly bad effecton the industry, with consumers turning back to meat and dairy to save cash, at a time when business would have been more expensive anyway.

Heather Mills' VBites is the latest plant-based brand to fall into administration, following the falling sales of beyond meat and closures of roughly half of the UK's Veggie Pret stores.

Sir Paul McCartney's ex-wife Ms Mills blamed 'nefarious practices' and a 'litany of lies' from animal-related rivals for the collapse of her vegan food empire.

Read more from the original source:

I'm a vegan activist - I show McDonald's customers pictures of slaughterhouses and factory farms and ask them: - Daily Mail