Marin VEG
May 2025
 

Lots of vegan news to cover... We lost our only vegan restaurant, and we are gearing up for a Marin County Vegan Chef Challenge in October.   Three pieces below look at studies of protein that were reported recently, and climate change, slaughterhouses and Jell-O are all covered here.  Stand up for chickens this month (and always).  Happy May!


Sunday, May 4
International Respect for Chickens Day
United Poultry Concerns promotes the compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl (upc-online.org). This wonderful not for profit declared May 5 International Respect for Chickens Day in 2005. Since then they have encouraged us to do an action for chickens in May.  This can be writing a letter to the editor or posting on line, calling in to a talk show, talking to friends or family about the bleak lives of birds raised for food, or inviting people over for a vegan dinner. Whatever action you take, remember that chickens are individuals with personalities and natural behaviors that are thwarted when the birds are treated as commodities for their flesh or their eggs.


Vegan Chef Challenge Coming to Marin
Volunteers Needed
The Vegan Chef Challenge is scheduled to come to Marin in October, and volunteers are needed.  I am posting verbatim from Vegan Outreach the invitation to help make it a success:


What Meat Eaters Really Think About Vegans
This interesting article reports on a study of 3600 participants in four countries and their social perceptions of different diets. It seems that the people who mock us actually admire us deep down.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/why-do-meat-eaters-really-hate-vegans-shocking-new-study-reveals-the-psychology-behind-the-food-fight/articleshow/120279642.cms?from=mdr

 
Gratitude for Farm Workers
I like to start and end my day with gratitude practice.  I simply bring to mind three or more things/people/events for which I am grateful. Often I include the farm workers who bring us our food.  While mostly invisible to us, these  hardworking women and men deserve justice, equality and respect, but are often face to face with their opposites.  I hope you will include them in your own gratitude practice and support organizations that support them. For that and other reasons I love The Food Empowerment Project (foodispower.org).          I hope you will check them out.


Plant-based Proteins Extend Lifespan
A new study from the University of Sydney showed that adults whose protein source is plant based (chickpeas, tofu, split peas) live longer than those who rely on animal foods for protein.  The opposite was true for children, though no explanation for that was offered.
I suspect that access to food, and overall wealth may have been involved; maybe families that could afford animal based foods had other advantages that kept their children alive past five years.  The study looked at data over 60 years and 101 countries.
https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2025/04/16/plant-based-diet-linked-to-longer-life.html


Protein and Amino Acids
There was buzz last month about a study reporting that vegans may be missing some essential amino acids. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/vegan-protein-may-lack-essential-amino-acids
But this article assures us that including nuts, seeds, legumes, soy, oats and quinoa in our meals eliminates reason for concern.  https://vegnews.com/vegan-diet-research-nutrients-protein



Jell-o Has Its First Vegan Product
It's an oat milk based chocolate pudding. The company wants a foot in the door of vegan food, but the bulk of their profits are from gelatin based desserts.  I'm probably not going to try the pudding, but hooray for those who choose it in place of traditional Jell-o.
https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/kraft-heinz-vegan-jello-oat-milk-chocolate-pudding/ (FYI: A box of silken tofu and half a bag of melted vegan chocolate chips in a food processor and then chilled makes a great vegan pudding/mousse.)


New York Times Op-Ed on Slaughterhouses
Nicholas Kristof writes about what animals endure before we eat them.  I think of Kristof as the conscience of the Times, as he often writes about human and non-human victims of cruelty. You should be able to open this link. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/12/opinion/animal-slaughterhouse-meat.html?unlocked_article_code=1._E4.1GWo.7D3UtQvftR_s&smid=url-share


What Impact Do Your Food Choices Have on Climate Change?
One of my favorite organizations is A Well Fed World (awellfedworld.org).  In this sobering article by Ashley Capps, published by A Well Fed World, we can see the effects of a vegan diet on the planet's changing climate.  Our food choices truly have an impact.
https://awellfedworld.org/individual-food-choices/


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