Veganism // is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet, as well as following an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of sentient animals. A follower of veganism is known as a vegan.

Distinctions are sometimes made between different categories of veganism. Dietary vegans (or strict vegetarians) refrain from consuming animal products, not only meat but, in contrast to ovo-lacto vegetarians, also eggs, dairy products and other animal-derived substances. The term ethical vegan is often applied to those who not only follow a vegan diet but extend the vegan philosophy into other areas of their lives and oppose the use of animals and animal products for any purpose.[4] Another term used is environmental veganism, which refers to the avoidance of animal products on the premise that the harvesting or industrial farming of animals is environmentally damaging and unsustainable.[5]

The term vegan was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson when he co-founded the Vegan Society in England, at first to mean "non-dairy vegetarian" and later to refer to "the doctrine that man should live without exploiting animals."[6] Interest in veganism increased in the 2000s; commercially processed vegan food became increasingly available in supermarkets and restaurants in many countries and several top athletes in endurance sports, such as the Ironman triathlon and the ultramarathon, began to practise veganism and raw veganism.[7]

A 2009 research review indicated that vegan diets tend to be higher in dietary fibre, magnesium, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, iron and phytochemicals and lower in calories, saturated fat, cholesterol, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, calcium, zinc and vitamin B12.[8] Well-planned vegan diets appear to offer protection against certain degenerative conditions, including heart disease,[9] and are regarded as appropriate for all stages of the life-cycle by the American Dietetic Association, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and Dietitians of Canada.[10] Because uncontaminated plant foods do not provide vitamin B12 (which is produced by microorganisms such as bacteria), researchers agree that vegans should eat B12-fortified foods or take a supplement.

Vegetarianism can be traced to Ancient India and Greece, but the English word vegetarian came into use in the 19th century to refer to those who avoided meat. The Oxford English Dictionary attributes its earliest-known use to the English actress Fanny Kemble (18091893), writing in Georgia in the United States in 1839.[12] Vegetarians who also avoided eggs and dairy products, or avoided using animals for any purpose, were referred to as strict or total vegetarians.[13]

There were several attempts in the 19th century to establish vegan/strict-vegetarian communities. In the United States in 1834 Amos Bronson Alcott (17991888), father of novelist Louisa May Alcott (18321888), opened the Temple School in Boston, Massachusetts, on strict-vegetarian principles.[14] In 1844 he also founded Fruitlands, a community in Harvard, Massachusetts, which opposed the use of animals for any purpose, including farming, though it lasted only seven months.[3] In England in 1838 James Pierrepont Greaves (17771842) opened Alcott House in Ham, Surrey, a community that followed a strict-vegetarian diet.[15] Members of Alcott House were involved in 1847 in forming the British Vegetarian Society, which held its first meeting that year at Northwood Villa in Ramsgate, Kent, chaired by Salford MP Joseph Brotherton (17831857).[16]

Vegetarians who were more interested in the moral aspects of diet, rather than in human health, began to discuss abstaining from animal use entirely. An 1851 article in the Vegetarian Society's magazine discussed alternatives to leather for shoes.[18] In 1886 the society published A Plea for Vegetarianism by the English campaigner Henry Salt (18511939), which argued for vegetarianism as a moral imperative; Salt was one of the first to make the paradigm shift from the promotion of animal welfare to animal rights.[19] His work influenced Mahatma Gandhi (18691948) and the men became friends.[17]

The first-known British vegan cookbook, No Animal Food: Two Essays and 100 Recipes by Rupert H. Wheldon, appeared in London in 1910.[20] Historian Leah Leneman (19441999) wrote that there was a vigorous correspondence between 1909 and 1912 within the Vegetarian Society about the ethics of dairy products and eggs; to produce milk, cows are kept pregnant and their calves are removed soon after birth and killed, whilst male chicks are killed in the production of eggs because they are surplus to requirement.[21] The society's position remained unresolved, but its journal noted in 1923 that the "ideal position for vegetarians is abstinence from animal products."[22] In November 1931 Gandhi gave a speech, "The Moral Basis of Vegetarianism," to the society in London (attended by 500 people, including Henry Salt), arguing that it ought to promote a meat-free diet as a moral issue, not only in the interests of human health.[23]

In July 1943 Leslie J. Cross (19141979) of the Leicester Vegetarian Society expressed concern in its newsletter that vegetarians were still consuming cows' milk.[24] In August 1944 several Vegetarian Society members, including Donald Watson (19102005), asked the society if they could have a section of its magazine to discuss non-dairy vegetarianism. Their request was turned down, so Watson wrote in the magazine that he wanted to set up his own quarterly newsletter. Thirty readers sent him a shilling to fund it.[25]

Watson issued the first newsletter, Vegan News, in November 1944 (priced tuppence, or a shilling for a year's subscription); Watson said later that the word vegan (/vin/) represented "the beginning and end of vegetarian."[26] Readers also suggested allvega, neo-vegetarian, dairyban, vitan, benevore, sanivores and beaumangeur, but Watson stuck with vegan. The new Vegan Society held its first annual meeting on 15 December 1945 at the Attic Club, High Holborn, London.[25]World Vegan Day has been held every 1 November since 1994 to mark the Society's founding date.[27]

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Veganism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What is a vegan? What is veganism?

Veganism is a type of vegetarian diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients. Many vegans also do not eat foods that are processed using animal products, such as refined white sugar and some wines. Vegan refers to either a person who follows this way of eating, or to the diet itself.

See also:

Although there is some debate as to whether certain foods, such as honey, fit into a vegan diet, if you are cooking for other vegans, it is best to err on the side of caution and avoid these foods.Most vegans also avoid the use of all products tested on animals, as well as animal-derived non-food products, such as leather,furand wool.

This is perhaps the most common question about veganism. A vegan diet includes all grains, beans, legumes, vegetables and fruits and the nearly infinite number of foods made by combining them. Many vegan versions of familiar foods are available, so you can eat vegan hot dogs, ice cream, cheese and vegan mayonnaise.

See also:

So youve decided to become vegan. But now what? Some people easily go from eating meat to vegan right away, while others struggle with their new commitment, or choose to go vegetarian first and then slowly omit eggs and dairy. There's no right or wrong way to do it, but you may want to learn about what's worked for other people. However you do it, keep your goals in mind and remember why you are choosing to adopt a vegan diet. See also:

Pronunciation: VEE-gun (not VAY-gun)

Also Known As: Strict vegetarian

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What Is a Vegan? What Do Vegans Eat? - About

COWSPIRACY: The Sustainability Secret is a groundbreaking feature-length environmental documentary following an intrepid filmmaker as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today and investigates why the worlds leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it.

As eye-opening as Blackfish and as inspiring as An Inconvenient Truth, this shocking yet humorous documentary reveals the absolutely devastating environmental impact large-scale factory farming has on our planet.

Great review in the Daily Californianhttp://www.dailycal.org/2014/06/27/meat-problems-cowspiracy/

September is The Vegetarian Site sponsorship month for Vegan Action

10 percent donation to Vegan Action for the month of September

September is The Vegetarian Site sponsorship month for Vegan Action

MARCH NEWSLETTER

Great news! Meat consumption in the U.S has been on a decline for the last decade.1While several factors may account for this, studies have shown that the main reasons are public health concerns and economic reasons. The cost of some animal products, especially red meat, have increased in the last five years and may account for a reduction in meat consumption but data support that more Americans are abstaining or reducing their meat consumption for health reasons. Unfortunately we dont have the survey data to show it, but more and more people are reporting that they are choosing a plant based diet for animal welfare reasons.More importantly, it is crucial to remind ourselves that the choices we make DO have an impact on the welfare of animals, the well being of our environment and our health. So what we are doing is working keep sharing the benefits of a vegan diet with everyone around you. People are learning more about where their food comes from, the cost of food choices on the environment, and are making better choices. While the health benefits of a plant-based diet are becoming more and more popular, diet choices come and go for many people. However, when people choose a vegan diet for ethical reasons, because they are truly concerned about the treatment of farm animals and the negative impact of factory farming on our planet, they stick with it no matter what the trendy diet of the month is. Please keep sharing your love of veganism!!!

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Vegan.org | A project of Vegan Action

Chicago-based fast-casual restaurant Native Foods Cafe will open Tuesday near the busy intersection of 18th and M streets NW, an ideal corner for hawking food to Washington's lunch crowds.

One catch: Native Foods, a brightly colored, 116-seat space designed not unlike most fast-casual restaurants, serves no meat, cheese or other animal products. Consider it the Panera of vegan restaurants: a quick little place to eat such dishes as french fries fried in rice-bran oil, crispy soy-and-wheat-based "chicken" club sandwiches, Greek "gyro" bowls with seitan on quinoa. (See the whole menu here.)

The vegan restaurant, which started in Palm Springs, Calif., in 1994 and began rapidly expanding in 2011 to its current 22 locations, has had its sights set on the District and Northern Virginia, where it plans to open eight locations in the next year, says Andrea McGinty, the chain's co-owner and CMO. "The people who come in our restaurants, 95 percent are not vegan or vegetarian," McGinty says. "They just like good food, and I like to look at it like, we have good food that just happens to be vegan."

After next week's opening in the Golden Triangle neighborhood, a location in Penn Quarter (701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) will follow in just a few weeks.

Over many years, the District has seen its share of vegetarian and vegan restaurants come and go; some might remember the ill-fated Vegetate, which was to bring fine dining to Shaw. Recently, Soul Vegetarian, Java Green and Cafe Green have closed. Among those still thriving are Loving Hut in Falls Church, Sticky Fingers (which will soon open a second location) and Woodlands Vegan Bistro.

Increasingly, however, conventional restaurants have been adapting to serve vegan and vegetarian customers, and doing so with great success. Busboys and Poets offers vegan items; Meridian Pint, Brookland Pint and Smoke & Barrel each have vegan choices; Estadio and Doi Moi have vegetarian/vegan menus to help diners navigate the choices; and plenty of fast-casuals, including ShopHouse and &pizza offer options for those who eschew meat and dairy.

Native Foods differs in that many of its dishes are ideal for those looking to eat a little healthier: It takes its inspiration from various global cuisines, offering such dishes as a Saigon Roll (with herbs, tofu and brown rice in a wheat wrapper) and an ensalada azteca with avocado, jicama, quinoa and a mango-lime vinaigrette. A sesame kale macro bowl comes with steamed kale and tempeh atop brown rice, while the Heart Beet sandwich features "beet steaks" atop rye. If it sounds a bit like what you ate at the local co-op during your vegetarian phase in college, it kind of is, but served in a pretty package: Eat in-house and the restaurant will deliver your food on real china with silverware. For photos of the food, keep reading below.

Native Foods Cafe

1150 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202-296-1674. http://www.nativefoods.com. Hours: 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

Lavanya Ramanathan is a professional eater/drinker/thinker for Weekend and the Going Out Guide. University of Texas. Northwestern University. Rap fan.

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Native Foods Cafe to open Tuesday with vegan bites, kale for the lunch crowd

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Vegan Oktoberfest 2600 Barnard Way Santa Monica, CA 90405 (562) 746-5147 http://www.veganoktoberfest.com

Ah, Oktoberfest, a German Celebration thats filled with meat, meat covered in cheese, and all other foods that could possibly be made out of animal byproduct. Its basically a vegans dream come true.

While that last sentence may not be true, there is an Oktoberfest coming to Santa Monica that vegans will rejoice over. Thats right; the first ever, 100% vegan Oktoberfest is on its way.

The cleverly titled, Vegan Oktoberfest will be in Santa Monica on Saturday, October 4 and will be armed with Oompah bands, Bavarian maidens, yodeling, (vegan) chicken dances and of course all the vegan beer (yes, that exists) and food that you could ever consume. What does vegan Oktoberfest food include, you might ask? Well, some of your favorite local vegan spots will pretty much be supplying all of your German faveys including potato pancakes, beer brats, pretzels, sauerkraut and ice-cream (not German, but who doesnt love ice-cream?).

More: E.S.P Eat. See. Play. LA

Tickets are already on sale, so you better get in gear and get one before their gone. General admission is $45 a person, is good from 1:00pm-6:00pm and includes a beer stein plus all the vegan beer you can drink. For the big dogs who only do things VIP, for $65 a person you get VIP admission which gets you in a whole hour early so you can get your vegan on from 12:00pm-6:00pm, a beer stein, unlimited beer, plus access to the VIP area with food samplers and a private beer maiden hostess. Theres also this weird thing called a Non-Drinker Admission ticket thats available for $20. It gets you in from 1:00pm-6:00pm and thats about it. Choose your ticket wisely, once your inside theres no changing your mind.

More: TKP Provisions: A Better Sunday Routine

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Vegan Vengeance