I don’t mean the kind that comes from animals, but the delicious vegan versions that are becoming so widely available all over the world. The kind sold at the 100% vegan online store—Vegan Essentials—which you can now order with our 10% off coupon code!
Let’s be honest—there’s an app for everything these days. I don’t think I need to provide an example list of the apps many people use on a daily basis to prove my point. In fact, always being two steps behind in the technology world, many of you could probably provide a longer list of apps than I could.
You may be saying, “A vegan food alternatives app—big deal. Something like this has already been done.” Well, not quite.
The simplicity and audience size that this app serves is what sets Vegan Alternatives apart from the others. I’m not kidding when I say that this is probably one of the easiest and simplest vegan food alternatives apps out there.
Made for veg-curious folks in Europe and the United States, this app provides hundreds of recommendations for vegan food alternatives, including vegan meats, dairy, eggs, and even foods like honey and gelatin.
Other cool features include product prices, as well as a link to the website of each recommended brand. It’s even got vegan recipes and a news page! You’ve seriously got to check it out for yourself! There’s more that awaits!
The app developer, Ayush, is a 15-year-old student from Europe! Pretty cool, right? He developed this app because he personally found it difficult to transition into a vegan diet, so he wanted to do something to promote the benefits of a vegan lifestyle and help make life easier for new vegans.
This app will be continually updated, and Ayush has requested feedback from Vegan Outreach supporters regarding the types of vegan alternatives you all use! Folks in Europe and the United States, let’s help Ayush out by telling him what vegan products you use instead of animal food products! Feel free to contribute in the Comment section below!
Vegan Outreach has also recently updated our Meat, Egg, and Dairy Alternatives page! Like Ayush, we want to help make it as easy as possible for people to replace animal products with tasty, vegan product alternatives. We encourage you to check out this page in addition to looking at the Vegan Alternatives app!
Currently, the Vegan Alternatives app is only available for Android. If you download the app and have feedback for Ayush, please make sure you leave a review at the app site!
By Lori Stultz, VO Rocky Mountain Outreach Coordinator
No, I didn’t put a fancy filter on this picture. And, no, your eyes are not tricking you. That hummus is pink!
Last week I was trying to find a few creative ways to make use of the beets my best friend, Sheila, had given me—they were fresh from her garden! A quick Google search using the words “vegan” and “beets” yielded more than a handful of creative recipes.
To be honest, I had no intention of sharing a recipe that included beets, but that quickly changed when I ended up with this very aesthetically pleasing and great tasting hummus.
As you probably already noticed from the title, this hummus is unique not only because it incorporates beets, but also because it’s made with white beans instead of chickpeas. If you make this hummus at home, don’t feel restricted to using white beans. Try it out with the traditional hummus bean—chickpeas!
Don’t be intimidated by having to roast the beets. Prepping the beet to roast is quick and simple, and it takes very little time to roast them! In a convection oven, it takes roughly 10 minutes. In a regular oven it might take a bit longer, but not much—just gather and measure the rest of the ingredients while the beets are roasting.
Roasted Beet White Bean Hummus
Serves about 6.
Ingredients
1 large beet
1 15 oz can white beans or chickpeas
3 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ tablespoon garlic powder (or more if you really like garlic)
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Remove the stems from the beet, rinse thoroughly, and chop into 1″ pieces.
Place the chopped beets onto a lined cookie sheet and roast for 10 to 15 minutes.
When the beets are done roasting, remove from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes.
Place the beets in a food processor for about 30 seconds.
Add the remaining ingredients into the food processor, except for the oil, and process until all is mixed evenly.
Slowly drizzle the oil into the food processor while the contents are still mixing and process until smooth.
If you’re in or near the Baltimore, Maryland area, join the fun at this year’s Vegan SoulFest. The festival is scheduled for Saturday, August 20.
There’ll be several retail exhibitors, featuring local vegan products and delicious food! The festival has a great lineup of speakers and demonstrators, and other entertainment the whole family will enjoy!
Victor Sjodin Presenting at the Conference on Animal Rights in Europe in Warsaw, Poland
With an eye toward the continued international expansion of Vegan Outreach, I recently embarked on a speaking, learning, and leafleting trip to Europe. The trip was highlighted by my participation at the Conference on Animal Rights in Europe (CARE) in Warsaw, Poland, but that was far from the only fruitful experience.
You may remember that last fall I presented at the International Animal Rights Conference in Luxembourg. Well, I found out this summer that Vegan Outreach’s presence there inspired new activism for animals! Austrian activists—who attended the conference and saw my presentation—are starting a leafleting program modeled after VO’s.
Of course, I wanted to lend any help and encouragement I could, so I was excited to have the opportunity to meet these activists—and many others—at a conference in Warsaw last month.
First, I flew in to Stockholm, Sweden and had meetings and leafleted with the Animal Rights Alliance or Djurrättsalliansen. Flying to Sweden was much cheaper, and I wanted to meet with these great activists anyway and help do some leafleting in Stockholm. I’m glad I did!
Activists Leafleting in Sweden
After that, I traveled to Warsaw for the Conference on Animal Rights in Europe. I was pleasantly flabbergasted at how vegan friendly Warsaw is. Apparently it has the fifth most vegan restaurants per capita of any city in the world. Who knew?!
While walking around the city, I noticed the word “vegan” in many places. I indulged in several vegan burger establishments and a sushi place. My favorite was Krowarzywa, which has an assortment of epic vegan burgers at low prices.
Victor Sjodin Gives a Thumbs Up to Krowarzywa in Warsaw, PolandMonstrous Vegan Burger in Warsaw, Poland
At the conference, I was one of about 300 animal rights activists listening and giving presentations, networking, and learning from each other.
I heard presentations on a multitude of topics, including The State of Animal Rights in Ukraine, Feminist Challenges and Solutions in the Animal Rights Movement, and The Successful Use of Social Media in Sweden.
My talk about The Art and Science of Personal Advocacy was well attended and well received, leading to numerous conversations afterward.
Victor Sjodin Presenting at the Conference on Animal Rights in Europe in Warsaw, Poland
At the conference, I was able to speak at length and hear about the accomplishments, challenges, and aspirations of activists from Belarus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, the Slovak Republic, and Ukraine, among many others. Many expressed the desire to begin or expand their outreach to promote veganism to the public. I was glad to be able to tell them about what Vegan Outreach does!
It was a thrill to meet many activists I’d only read about or knew from online, and we became fast friends and professional contacts.
Following the conference, I jumped in a car driven by Felix Hnat, and with other activists we hitched a ten-hour ride to Vienna, Austria. Felix is Chairman of the Vegan Society Austria, and a valiant and successful defendant in a long-running political trial that was national news for years in Austria.
Midweek I gave a presentation to members of the Vegan Society Austria about the hows and whys of leafleting.
Ten-Hour Drive to Vienna, AustriaVictor Sjodin Presenting to the Vegan Society Austria in Vienna, Austria
It was a nice surprise to run into all-star Vegan Outreach intern Doris Schneeberger who took the U.S. Southeast by storm with VO’s U.S. Southeast Outreach Coordinator Yuri Mitzkewich last semester. She even helped with my presentation!
The next day a bunch of us leafleted a busy street, reaching 1,400 people in two hours. It was awesome!
Former VO intern Doris Schneeberger and Victor Sjodin in Vienna, Austria
I’m glad there were so many new leafleters and so much enthusiasm for their new activism efforts. And I’m proud that Vegan Outreach could lend our friends in Austria a little boost by sharing our experience and offering encouragement.
Then, life happened, and a bus I was riding in was involved in an accident. This set me back a few days, but Team Austria kept leafleting as scheduled. They are rock stars!
It’s been a productive trip so far, and I will continue on abroad to give a few more seminars to other groups doing outreach. I look forward to seeing more fruits from the CARE conference and meetings that will spare more animals from the horrors so many still have to endure.
Thank you to the Vegan Outreach donors who made this trip and this work possible! You know who you are!
By Lori Stultz, VO Rocky Mountain Outreach Coordinator
When I got word that an 18-year-old had written and published a vegan cookbook, I immediately had all sorts of questions—Who was the author? What was her story? Was she really only 18 years old?
After doing a little research, Whitney Lieberman—a recent high school graduate—and I got in touch. Without a second thought, I ordered her cookbook, Freshly Vegan: Plant-Based Recipes for Beginners, and asked her if she’d be willing to talk with Vegan Outreach about her background, her cookbook, and her plans for the future.
Thankfully, my enthusiasm didn’t scare Whitney away. She graciously answered all my questions and recommended a recipe we could share with you all.
I wasn’t disappointed by her Peanut Butter Poppers recommendation. These quick and delicious snacks will be gone before you know it, especially if you’re a peanut butter fan!
Get to know Whitney before you scroll down to check out the recipe! I guarantee you’ll be just as inspired and impressed as I was by this young, ambitious vegan.
Lori Stultz: How old are you and where do you currently live?
Whitney Lieberman: I am 18 years old. I’ve spent my entire life living in Sunnyvale, [California].
Lori: Tell us a little about your hobbies and interests.
Whitney: I absolutely love to cook (I know, a huge surprise), especially with friends. I enjoy introducing my non-vegan friends to my favorite recipes by preparing them vegan brunches and dinners.
I’m also fond of many types of fitness. I frequently run, box, mountain bike, attend fitness boot camps, and practice yoga.
The wilderness is my favorite place to be. My enthusiasm for nature fuels my interest in landscape photography. A favorite pastime of mine is taking long hikes with plenty of stops for scenic shots. In the winter, I ski and snowboard with my family.
Lori: You just graduated high school. What’s next for you?
Whitney: This fall I’m attending Claremont McKenna College. My major is currently undecided, but I’m interested in eventually studying Biology-Chemistry.
Lori: Tell us about your vegan journey. When was your awareness heightened about animal abuse, the health benefits of a vegan diet, the environment, etc., and what has your road been like between that point and now?
Whitney: My vegan journey began in first grade after I overheard my parents discussing factory farming. I had a pet chicken at the time, so learning about the atrocities that birds raised for food endure was absolutely traumatizing. I immediately decided to give up chicken meat, and I fully committed to vegetarianism later that week.
My meat-free lifestyle evolved into veganism during ninth grade. While researching dietary trends, I encountered many articles that explained the health benefits of a vegan diet. At first, my transition into veganism was catalyzed by teenage vanity—I read that dairy consumption worsens troubled skin. However, as I learned more about veganism, I better understood the factory farming industry’s catastrophic impact on the environment. A promised reduction of my carbon footprint was the final influence that pushed me to give up all animal products.
Going vegan was relatively easy since I was already vegetarian. My parents were incredibly supportive. They never once questioned my lifestyle changes and accommodated all of my dietary changes into our family’s meals.
My friends are just as supportive as my family. With the exception of some lighthearted teasing, almost everyone I know applauds my commitment to veganism and seems genuinely interested in learning more.
Also, after I released my book, members of my school’s administration were incredibly encouraging. Specifically, my principal played an enormous role in forwarding my book’s publicity. Multiple staff members went out of their way to help organize an on-campus book signing and to put me in touch with local newspapers.
Lori: What sparked the idea of putting together a cookbook? Was it a difficult process? Did you self-publish or seek out a publisher?
Whitney: I decided to create my cookbook after realizing that my peers were interested in learning more about my lifestyle. Throughout high school, I carried a reputation as a vegan “health-nut”—a title I am proud of. For this reason, many people reached out to me with questions. During the first few months of 11th grade especially, friends asked for advice about transitioning into a vegan lifestyle and for my favorite vegan recipes.
Interestingly, the “aha moment” for my project occurred when I explained this situation to my mom. Because of the high demand for vegan recipes from my peers (and the misconception that all I ate was kale), I realized the easiest way to showcase veganism to friends was to condense as many delicious recipes as possible into a book!
I’ve always cooked with my mom, and she taught me everything I know about it. During the summer before 11th grade, we spent a lot of time “veganizing” old family recipes and experimenting to add more variety to our family dinners. These recipes provided the baseline for my book, and the next year was spent imagining and experimenting with new ideas and flavors.
After creating the 74 recipes in my book, I sent the manuscript draft to a cookbook editor. I was fortunate to find someone willing to volunteer her services to my project. In addition to helping me improve recipe consistency and clarity, she offered her input on the recipes themselves.
I published my cookbook with CreateSpace, Amazon’s self-publishing platform.
Whitney Lieberman with Her Cookbook Freshly Vegan: Plant-Based Recipes for Beginners
Lori: Knowing that your living/cooking environment is going to change as you move onto college, what are some of the tips and tricks you plan to take with you?
Whitney: One trick I plan to take to college with me is making overnight oats for breakfast. They’re easy to prepare in a college dorm because they don’t require any cooking. The ingredients I use are very similar to those in the “Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal” recipe in my book.
To make this nutrient-packed breakfast, I combine rolled oats, chia seeds, hemp seeds, peanut butter, almond milk, bananas, and cinnamon in a small Tupperware and refrigerate it overnight. When I wake up the next morning, I have a creamy and nutritious breakfast waiting for me.
Lori: Lastly, what is your favorite vegan food or meal?
Whitney: I can’t choose only one favorite, so I’ll give my top three!
The first is my “Easy Chick-Peasy Falafel Bites” recipe. I enjoy these patties on top of chopped tomatoes and cucumbers with a drizzle of lemon juice.
I also love cooking stuffed bell peppers. If I’m in a rush, I’ll stuff a raw bell pepper with chopped vegetables and top it with a bit of guacamole or salsa.
And my favorite snack is my “Peanut Butter Poppers” recipe. My family always has a bag of them prepared in our refrigerator!
Lori: Thank you for taking the time to tell us about yourself, Whitney!
Readers, especially those who like quick and simple meals and/or are new to the vegan lifestyle, I highly recommend checking out Whitney’s book! Her meals are simple to prepare and will leave you wanting to try another one of her delicious creations.
Peanut Butter Poppers
Yields about 15 poppers.
Ingredients
1 jar smooth peanut butter
3 cups crushed flake cereal
1 cup raisins
½ cup ground flax seed meal
½ cup agave
Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
Roll the mixture into ping-pong ball sized spheres and place them onto a cookie sheet.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
By Katia Rodríguez, VO Mexico Campaigns and Spanish Media Coordinator
Vegan grilled cheese competition? Count Us In!
The First Annual Vegan Grilled Cheese Competition took place mid-July in the Los Angeles area at Culver City’s Sage Organic Vegan Bistro—the restaurant’s owner, Mollie Engelhart, and her husband, Elias Sosa, organized it.
Ten amazing vegan chefs came together to see who could come up with the most delicious grilled cheese sandwich recipe. VO’s Emmanuel Márquez and I were lucky enough to be in L.A. at the time of this event to partake in the judging! All of the judges were given a ballot with each chef’s name, which was how we voted for our favorite sandwich.
There were also special guest judges, including our amazing VO coworker, David Carter—The 300 Pound Vegan—and TV host Marco Antonio Regil, television journalist and author Jane Velez-Mitchell, Al and Dee Borja of Vegan Food Share, and Asher Brown of Pollution Studios, who’s also the producer of Vegan Food Share’s videos.
VO’s David Carter Hanging Out with a Few Other Celebrity Judges
The event was a huge success! The place was very crowded and everyone was having fun—chatting, enjoying amazing grilled cheese sandwiches, but having a hard time choosing their favorite.
Now what you’ve been waiting for: The Winners!
People’s choice: Chef Ayindé Howell, author of The Lusty Vegan.
Grilled cheese: Mac and Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
If you’re like me, you love wearing shirts with vegan messages on them.
They are great conversation starters, inspiring discussions about vegan eating with people you wouldn’t otherwise meet. I’ve had plenty of positive interactions, as well as a few funny ones—like when an airport TSA agent tried to convince me that fish are vegetables.
Now, for a very limited time, you can start your own conversations with this unique design that states “Eat plants, love animals.” And the best news is that every purchase supports VO’s work to end violence toward animals!
These shirts are only available for one more week—from now until Tuesday, August 16. Buy now and be one of the only people to sport this one-of-a-kind design! Thank you!
By Lori Stultz, VO Rocky Mountain Outreach Coordinator
Kim Sujovolsky with Brownble is back with us again! And this time she’s demonstrating how to make these delicious looking Tempeh No-Chicken Salad Stuffed Pitas.
I love that Kim chose tempeh for this meal! I don’t think I’m wrong in saying that tempeh is a somewhat lesser known and used plant-based protein. And for anyone who’s unfamiliar with it, let alone unsure how to prepare it, this video does an excellent job of demonstrating how easy it is to use!
A huge shout-out to Kim for providing Vegan Outreach with this cooking demonstration and a tasty new meal idea!
Tempeh No-Chicken Salad Stuffed Pitas
Yields 6 small pita sandwiches.
Ingredients
1 package tempeh
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 large green onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
¾ cup red seedless grapes, halved
6 small whole wheat pita pockets
Dressing
⅓ cup eggless mayonnaise
2 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
4 tablespoons non-dairy milk (unsweetened)
1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
A few cracks of pepper
Directions
Cut the tempeh into slices, and then each slice into smaller squares.
Steam the pieces in a steamer basket over boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pieces and place them in a bowl.
To make the dressing whisk all the ingredients together in a smaller bowl.
Add the celery, green onion, walnuts, chives, and grapes to the bowl that has the tempeh, toss well and pour the dressing on top. Toss everything until well coated with the dressing.
If you have time to chill the no-chicken salad for a bit it really makes the flavors come together; otherwise continue to assemble your pitas.
Toast your pitas in the toaster and then cut a small piece at the top. This will make the pita pocket open and form a sort of envelope for your filling.
Stuff each pita with the no-chicken salad, serve, and enjoy!
By Brenda Sanders, VO Community Engagement Coordinator
A few weekends ago, I ventured out into the 90+ degree weather to attend Artscape—Baltimore, Maryland’s largest free arts festival—to engage with other attendees about the benefits of veganism.
Artscape brings out more that 350,000 people over the course of three days, and I’m pretty sure I talked to at least half of those people. Okay, I didn’t talk to nearly that many people, the unrelenting heat just made it feel like I did.
I actually spoke with a couple hundred people over the course of the day, and with very few exceptions I got extremely positive responses from folks!
I was pleasantly surprised by the interactions I had during the festival. First off, every single person I spoke to had heard of veganism. That was certainly not the case just a few years ago. I can remember a time when I had to give a long introduction about what veganism meant before I could even talk to people about the benefits of the lifestyle.
This time, however, when I asked the question, “Have you ever heard of veganism?” people were genuinely happy to talk about what they thought it was —“That’s the one where you don’t eat anything, right?” For the most part folks were pretty well-informed.
A few people seemed concerned that I was about to take them on a guilt trip, but once they realized I just wanted to discuss how awesome veganism is, they relaxed and enjoyed the conversation.
I was also encouraged to find that about one third of the people I spoke to were already seriously considering going vegan. This is such a huge thing! The fact that I met so many people in one day who had learned enough about veganism to be considering making such an important life change was just amazing.
Even the folks who hadn’t considered going vegan were very open to receiving information about how veganism can benefit their health, the earth, and the animals with which we share the planet.
After only a brief conversation, the majority of the people I talked to expressed a definite interest in learning how they could start making kinder, healthier choices in their everyday lives.
The Compassionate Athlete booklet was a huge hit—shout-out to David Carter, Seba Johnson, and all the other amazing athletes who were featured—and a lot of the people I met expressed a desire to connect with the growing vegan community in Baltimore.
Overall, I would say that, despite the irrationally hot temperatures, my day of outreach at Artscape was a roaring success!
I’m especially thankful to Vegan Outreach for being so supportive of community-based projects that are aimed at engaging people in marginalized communities. Baltimore has a strong base of local groups and activists. If it weren’t for this kind of support from groups like VO, we wouldn’t be able to reach so many people with such vital, life-saving information.
