Vegan Pledge

 

  Thirty Day Vegan Pledge - #ARUvegan 

Join us as we take part in thirty days of vegan eating! From 20th November till 19th December, your ARU Vegan Society are here to help you give it a go.

Although the Vegan Pledge starts on Monday 20th November you are more than welcome to start the pledge late and finish on the 19th December.

 

What is veganism?

“Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” (Vegan Society)

 

 

Five reasons to sign up!

1. For healthier you: 

Vegan diet has many health benefits! Research has shown that vegan diet reduces the risk to develop heart disease, cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure but if you plan your diet you can still get the protein, iron and other vitamins and minerals you need.

2. For the animals:

Going vegan is a great way to take a stand against animal cruelty and animal exploitation.

3. For the environment:

One of the most effective ways to lower your carbon footprint is to avoid all animal products. Eating non-animal products also anticipates climate change as meat industry is one of its biggest causes.

4. For people:

Going vegan is not only good for animals but it can also benefit humans! A lot more resources are required for producing animal products than plant-based products, so going vegan helps us to better feed the hungry.

5. Vegan Food is Yummy!

It might seem that vegans only eat grass but there is actually a variety of vegan goodies and plant-based alternatives of  non-plant based foods out there, and a lot of foods are accidentally vegan!

 

 

ARU 30 Day Vegan Pledge provides you a safe and supportive environment to try being vegan, whether it's your first time or you've tried eating vegan before. The ARU 30 Day Vegan Pledge offers you the following support:

  • Weekly support emails with tips and recipes!
     
  • Launch event on 20th November (Screening of animal rights documentary Land of Hope and Glory and Q&A with Earthling Ed) Check out the event on Facebook 
  • A support event on 4th December Check out the event on Facebook
  • Closing Event on 19th December Check out the event on Facebook

 

If you would like to take part in the pledge, use #ARUvegan on your social media to share your journey with us!

 

So what does being vegan for 30 days involve?

  • You will aim to exclude animal products from your diet where possible and practicable; these include:
    • Meat
    • Dairy
    • Eggs
    • Honey
    • Gelatine
       
  • Vegans also try their best to avoid any products or forms of entertainment that exploit animals; these include:
    • Fur
    • Leather
    • Animal circuses
    • Products tested on animals or products containing animal ingredients (although it is not always possible to avoid these e.g. medications)
    • Horse racing

 

Here are some handy tips to get you started!

  • Don’t fret too much about making mistakes (we all make those!) - veganism is about trying, it is not about being perfect; veganism is merely being mindful of your actions and attempting to reduce animal suffering as much as is possible!
  • Happy Cow is a really useful app for finding restaurants near you that offer vegan options
  • A lot of chair restaurants offer vegan options these days! Here is a list of some vegan-friendly places to eat:
    • Ask Italian
    • Wetherspoons
    • Prezzo
    • Zizzi
    • Papa John’s
    • Rainbow Café (Cambridge)
    • Stem and Glory (Cambridge)
       
  • At a restaurant, always ask for a vegan menu if they have one, if not, they might still be able to make vegetarian meals without dairy to make them vegan!
  • A lot of everyday items are vegan, such as most bread and dry pasta and even sweets and crisps! Check out a list here: veganuary.com/starter-kit/accidentally-vegan-products-uk
  • To find vegan items in supermarkets, go to the “free from” section - ask a shop assistant if you are not sure where the sections are but beware that not all items in the “free from” sections are vegan, some are also gluten-free
  • Check the labels – if something says “suitable for vegans” then great! If not, the item may still be vegan; look through the list for obvious animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs, honey, gelatine (usually in bold); if there is anything you are not sure about, you might want to look it up online
  • For Quorn, check that there is a green vegan sign in the top right corner (otherwise the product is vegetarian); for Linda McCartney products, check that it says “suitable for vegans” on the front
  • Veganism gets much easier with time as you form new habits and learn what is and isn’t vegan. You may want to start looking at products before you start your vegan pledge to get an idea of items that are vegan.
  • If you don’t like the taste of plant milks, try chocolate or strawberry-flavoured soy milk; they taste just like non-vegan chocolate and strawberry milk!

 

In more detail, what are some of the reasons behind avoiding animal products?

 

For more information on veganism, check out the following websites:

Here are also some great documentaries:

  • Cowspiracy – environmental effects; available on Netflix
  • Earthlings – animal ethics; graphic content; available on Youtube
  • Lucent – animal ethics; graphic content; available on Youtube
  • Blackfish – animal ethics; available on Netflix
  • Forks over Knives – health; available on Netflix
  • What the Health – health; available here: whatthehealthfilm.com ;have to pay to access the documentary
  • Carnage – funny vegan mockumentary; available on BBC iPlayer
  • Food choices – health and environment; available on Netflix
  • Speciesism: the movie – ethics; available here: vimeo.com/ondemand/speciesism; have to pay to access the documentary

 

For any questions contact ARU Vegan Society aruvegan@gmail.com 

And join the Society's Facebook group: Find us on Facebook