To kick off a national day of action targeting Starbucks for charging extra for animal-friendly, emissions-slashing vegan milks, PETA supporters will gather outside the chain’s downtown location on Wednesday to intercept would-be customers with free RISE Brewing Co. oat milk lattes. The push for passersby to avoid the coffee chain comes after nearly 150,000 PETA supporters asked the company to end its vegan upcharge and after Starbucks admitted that nondairy milks are better for the planet.
When: Wednesday, April 12, 7:15 a.m.
Where: Starbucks, 141 Granby St. (near W. Plume Street), Norfolk
“Starbucks is counting its beans when it should be counting the number of customers it will lose if it doesn’t end the vegan milk upcharge,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “People who choose to drink responsibly for the sake of animals or their own health or because they know that dairy farming is fueling the climate catastrophe are angry with the company for placing profits above ethics.”
PETA has also held vegan coffee drink giveaways outside Starbucks locations in Boston, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and numerous other cities.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat or abuse in any other way”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview.
Barnes & Noble is more than just a bookstore. You can sit for hours in its cozy in-store cafés while reading a good book, sipping coffee, or even chatting with a friend. And now, you can also enjoy a wholesome and satisfying vegan breakfast! In honor of Earth Month, the chain added a vegan breakfast sandwich to the menu at more than 500 café locations nationwide.
The breakfast sandwich features an animal-free egg patty, Violife smoked provolone cheese, and a creamy vegan aioli on a ciabatta roll. This animal-friendly option is vegan as is, without modification. It’s a huge step that helps intelligent chickens and playful cows who are exploited by the egg and dairy industries.
Adding this option for Earth Month serves as an important reminder that the best way to protect the planet is to stop supporting animal agriculture, which is one of the leading causes of greenhouse gas emissions, land erosion, and water pollution.
Don’t Stop With Earth Month—Let Barnes & Noble Know You Want More
Since the climate catastrophe is a very real threat to all animals, companies have a responsibility to take greener steps. By launching its first vegan breakfast sandwich for Earth Month, Barnes & Noble is showing that it clearly knows vegan options are better for the planet. Let the company know you want to see it do even more—ask it to make this sandwich a permanent menu item, and kindly urge the chain to add more vegan items, stop charging extra for vegan milks, and make oat milk its default option.
Barnes & Noble Cafés serve Starbucks coffee, so please also urge Starbucks to honor its commitment to the planet by ending its unfair vegan milk surcharge:
Succession actor and PETA honorary board member James Cromwell is no stranger to rescuing animals, and in his latest act of compassion, he helped save a piglet who fell off a transport truck headed to a facility where he would have been fattened for slaughter. The little piglet has lovingly been named Babe in honor of the film in which James famously starred as Farmer Hoggett and which inspired him to go vegan.
The incredible @jamesocromwell is meeting Babe for the first time!
James and PETA will be taking the piglet—who is named after his critically acclaimed movie “Babe”—to his new life at @IndralokaAS
Pigs are playful, friendly, sensitive, and intelligent animals. The complexity of their social lives rivals that of primates, and much like people, pigs are soothed by music, love playing ball, enjoy getting massages, and have their own unique personalities.
Every year, millions of animals are raised and slaughtered for food. They’re subjected to cruel and inhumane conditions and treated as mere commodities. In the meat industry, pigs’ tails are chopped off, their teeth are cut with pliers, and the males are castrated. At slaughterhouses, these intelligent animals are hung upside down and bled to death.
“Having had the privilege of witnessing and experiencing pigs’ intelligence and inquisitive personalities while filming the movie Babe, I jumped at the chance to give a real-life Babe a new lease on life. Every pig deserves to live out their life at a sanctuary, choosing when to frolic, where to forage, and how to spend their time.”
—James Cromwell
Babe’s rescue is a reminder of the horrors of the meat industry and the importance of making compassionate choices. Thankfully, he’ll soon be on his way to the Indraloka Animal Sanctuary in Dalton, Pennsylvania, where he’ll be able to enjoy his life as a pig should.
Join Succession Actor James Cromwell and Help Save Pigs Every Day
James exemplifies the power of compassion and the importance of taking action to help animals. By following his lead and going vegan, you’ll spare nearly 200 animals a year, reduce your negative impact on the environment, and improve your health.
A shooting in Dallas, Texas, ruffled more than just some feathers: When police arrived on the scene, they found more than 2,000 chickens. The incident occurred at what seems to be a massive cockfight and breeding operation, where investigators believe a dispute broke out between a customer and a rooster-seller after a recently purchased bird lost a fight. While executing a search warrant at the site, officials found more than 2,000 birds as well as cockfighting paraphernalia. The suspected shooter was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and the wounded man is reportedly in stable condition. No charges have yet been filed regarding the birds, and the investigation is ongoing.
What Happens During a Cockfight?
A cockfight takes place when two roosters fight, often to the death, for the entertainment of onlookers. Spectators bet on the outcome, and cockfighting rings are often linked to crimes like illegal gambling, prostitution, robbery, murder, and drug trafficking.
Roosters bred for cockfighting are hatched on “game” farms by breeders known as “cockers.” If a chick doesn’t seem violent enough, he’s killed, and most of the selected birds spend their lives tethered by the leg to a plastic barrel or small cage—their only shelter. Cockers then train the birds for strength and endurance by attaching weights to their legs and setting them loose for practice fights with each other.
The natural urge to retreat has been systemically bred out of “game fowl,” so birds used in the fighting ring are more likely to fight to the death. Many are routinely armed with blades and spikes attached to their feet in order to inflict more severe bodily harm on one another. The fight doesn’t end until one rooster is dead or nearly dead, and common injuries include punctured lungs, pierced eyes, and broken bones. The losing bird is often discarded into a barrel or trashcan near the fight pit, even if he’s still alive. The winning rooster’s wounds are typically crudely stitched up with no further treatment.
How to Help Roosters Used in Cockfights
Although cockfighting is illegal in all U.S. states and territories, this recent cockfighting bust in Dallas is far from an isolated incident. And cockfights are still legal in Cuba, most of Mexico, and much of the Caribbean. They only take place because they’re profitable for their organizers. The best way to help roosters forced to fight is never to attend a cockfight, and if you suspect illegal cockfighting is occurring, report it to the local authorities.
Gen Z is driving the rapidly growing plant-based food market. According to a recent survey, 70 percent of Gen Zers say they plan to pursue a vegan diet in the next five years but the reasons don’t necessarily track with their climate concerns.
Gen Z — those born between 1997 and 2012 — have become the driving force behind the vegan food market. According to a recent survey conducted by Medical Inspiration Daily For Stronger Society (MIDSS), more than half of Gen Z chose to go vegan due to health benefits.
MIDSS surveyed more than 3,000 vegans and non-vegans earlier this year to gauge their interest in, commitments, and motivations for the vegan diet.
The findings
Studies suggest that a vegan diet can promote better heart health, and healthy weight management, as well as reduce the risk of chronic diseases. More than 51 percent of the survey respondents said they chose a vegan diet due to its health benefits.
Obesity has become a growing issue for young people, particularly in the U.S., with almost 20 percent of children and adolescents being obese. Obesity increases the risk of type-2 diabetes, asthma, joint problems, and other chronic diseases. Eating plant-based food helps prevent obesity and associated chronic diseases.
Photo by Toni Koraza at Unsplash.
Surprisingly, given Gen Z’s interest in climate action, the report notes that only 17 percent of Gen Z survey respondents say they follow the diet for environmental benefits. Nearly half of non-vegans said they doubted the positive environmental impact of the diet. Forty percent of respondents believe veganism has a positive impact on the environment. Only 17 percent of Gen Z survey respondents say they chose to go vegan for ethical reasons.
Craving animal products and the feeling of missing out on good food are the main barriers to adopting a vegan diet, according to more than 30 percent of Gen Z who participated in the MIDSS survey.
Vegan or not, the majority of Gen Z vegans have a positive attitude toward the vegan trend, with less than one-third remaining neutral.
Barriers to entry
The survey also revealed there are still hurdles to overcome, however; one in ten Gen Z vegans thinks that treating a vegan diet as a trend is “weird,” and some people are faking it to fit in and be cool “rather than for the actual benefits that come with being vegan.” Many also dislike vegan influencers, believing they “give it a bad name” and “make us look bad.”
Courtesy Shutterstock
Gen Z is also taking a proactive role in educating those around them about the benefits of veganism. Sixty percent of vegans say they educate others, hoping that more people will follow in their footsteps. Additionally, about 51 percent of vegans stated that understanding the health benefits was the biggest barrier to starting a plant-based diet.
MIDSS says that despite the common belief that eating vegan is expensive, a vegan diet consisting mainly of vegetables, legumes, and whole grains is considerably cheaper than a diet rich in animal foods.
The cost of plant-based meat substitutes can be expensive, but it is not a necessary part of the vegan diet. The meat-substitute market is currently valued at more than $10 billion and is estimated to reach almost $34 billion by 2027. Plant-based food options are increasing, and this trend is likely to continue as Gen Z grows older.
China’s shift to a more sustainable food system took a significant step forward with the introduction of the country’s first domestic vegan food certification program and the first ten recipients.
The China Vegan Society and the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation say the China Vegan Food Standard Certification seeks to standardize vegan claims within the Chinese market, increase transparency and consumer trust for vegan products, and aid in supporting consumers and food producers interested in animal-free options.
The certification is also the first vegan certification to include a subcategory for vegan foods that do not contain garlic, onions, leeks, chives, and asafetida, which up to half of Chinese vegans and vegetarians avoid for religious and health reasons.
China Vegan Food Standard Certified
During a recent online conference, nearly 20,000 viewers learned about the first recipients of the China Vegan Food Standard Certification.
Demand for plant-based food is on the rise across Asia
Ten companies covering diverse food categories across the full food industry received the certification, including Veggie Ark, Green Monday, Ecobuyer, Deepure, Yeyo, Seleglu, GENBEN, Su Man Xiang, Liu Wei Zhi Ji, and Shu Jia Niang Food.
The certification program’s first recipients cover a range of plant-based food offerings, from organic farming and vegan restaurants to health foods, alternative protein products, and vegan OEM manufacturers.
Representatives from each organization introduced their brands and shared their perspectives on how the certification will advance veganism in China in the short term and establish vegan industry standards to lay a crucial foundation for future development.
Cultivating a sustainable food future for China
The certification program’s aim is to provide better-served consumers, more sustainable vegan product offerings, increased food biodiversity, the transition toward healthier food consumption and production patterns, and a better-regulated and more transparent vegan food industry.
CBCGDF Deputy Secretary General Ma Yong emphasized the historic importance of plant-based diets in China’s traditional culture and their crucial role in supporting China’s sustainable future growth.
Haofood’s new pulled vegan chicken is made from peanuts | Courtesy
The certification development committee included VegRadar, a vegan information service platform offering a fully WeChat-enabled restaurant locator app and multi-channel media platform, and Dao Foods, an impact-oriented incubator and investment firm that invests in plant-based and alternative protein companies based in mainland China.
In January, China took first place in the 2022 ProVeg Innovation Challenge APAC event. The country has also seen a number of alternative milestones this year including CellX announcing the first cultivated meat factory in China and Jimi Biotech unveiling the country’s first cultivated chicken. Haofood also debuted chicken made from peanuts in another industry first.
While you fill up your Easter Sunday basket with vegan chocolate bunnies, don’t forget about the bunnies who really matter. Gentle, curious rabbits suffer when humans exploit them for their fur, torment them in experiments, or abuse them in other horrific ways.
Learn more about how rabbits are suffering right now—and what you can do about it.
Used and Killed for Angora Wool and Meat
In the angora wool industry, farms typically house rabbits alone in tiny wire-mesh cages, in which they barely have room to move and are forced to live amid their own waste. These social animals often go insane from the overwhelming distress of isolation and severe confinement.
Workers often restrain gentle rabbits—who may desperately struggle to escape—and violently rip the fur from their sensitive skin. Rabbits typically endure this painful and terrifying ordeal every three months. After two to five years, those who have survived the constant abuse and miserable captivity are sent to be slaughtered.
At slaughterhouses, workers hang rabbits upside down and slit their throats so that their blood drains from their bodies. Then, their flesh is sold for meat.
More than 161,000 rabbits are abused in U.S. laboratories every year.
At the University of Pittsburgh, rabbits underwent a surgery designed to cause intentional trauma to their knee joints. After more than two weeks with their legs contorted in an unnatural, excruciating position, two of the animals had lost significant weight—indicating chronic pain and distress—but they were still forced to endure six more weeks of this agony.
Rabbits are also used in experiments to study cardiovascular disease, skin conditions, and spinal cord injuries. Experimenters at the University of Utah cut deep incisions into rabbits’ backs and surgically inserted implants into their spines. The surgically mutilated animals were observed for 24 weeks and then killed.
Humans purchase rabbits as Easter gifts, use them as props in photo shoots, force them to perform in magic shows, and exploit them in other ways for entertainment.
Many families bring home bunnies as Easter gifts, without realizing the vast amount of care that these animals require. When the “bunny fever” wears off, they often discard the animals just weeks later—sometimes by “setting them free” outside and leaving them to starve or be killed by predators. Some unwanted rabbits may end up at scummy petting zoos, which subject them to a barrage of poking and prodding guests.
Sold as ‘Pets’
Rabbits are the third most common animal surrendered to animal shelters, because most people buy them on a whim, not realizing that they are high-maintenance, expensive, and long-term commitments. Caring for a rabbit involves litterbox training, bunny proofing a home, frequent grooming, trips to special veterinarians, and much more.
Every rabbit purchased from a pet store means one fewer home for another rabbit waiting for adoption at a shelter. If you’re ready for the commitment of caring for a bunny, adopt—don’t shop.
Caring for a rabbit takes time, effort, and compassion!
Empanadas are satisfying pockets of dough filled with a variety of tasty ingredients, both savory and sweet. Many Latin American countries have their own versions of this treat, and they’re easy to find in many cities across the U.S., especially those with a large Latine population. While some empanada doughs are made using eggs stolen from chickens and bovine mammary secretions (i.e., cow’s milk), vegan options only use animal-free ingredients. To celebrate this iconic appetizer, we’ve found some of the best vegan empanadas you can try in the U.S.:
You can find both sweet and savory empanadas at this all-vegan bakery based in the Toluca Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. Flavors include spinach and mushroom as well as potato and jalapeño (all with vegan cheese to help spare friendly, playful cows) on the savory side and guava, apple, pineapple, and others on the sweet side.
This pop-up won the popular vote for the best vegan empanada in Los Angeles in PETA Latino’s “Food Fight: Empanadas Edition,” so you know its pockets of goodness are the real deal. Now, you can find them at farmer’s markets around the Tampa Bay area in Florida. KOMEME has four savory empanadas (samosa, black beans and mole, potato and leek, and spinach, almond, and kale) as well as a rotating menu of sweet flavors.
With locations in Chicago and New York City, Fons offers 12 flavors of fun, naturally colored empanadas representing cultures from around the world, including the Italian-inspired Margherita (San Marzano tomatoes, basil, and vegan “fonsheeze” mozzarella), the Cuban-inspired Ropa Vieja (Cuban-style shredded jackfruit beef in a chia dough), and the Mexican-inspired Tinga (simmered onions and jackfruit in a chipotle garlic sauce). It also offers nationwide shipping.
At Mis Tacones in Portland, Oregon, you can find gluten-free and vegan empanadas, with rotating flavors like Soyrizo con Papa, Elote, Three Hermanas (corn, beans, and squash), and “Huevos” con Papa (a tofu scramble–stuffed delight). Mis Tacones owners Carlos Reynoso and Polo Abram Bañuelos were inspired by Los Angeles’ street-food scene and opened the restaurant partly in an effort to offer a space where queer people of color could come together and enjoy delicious vegan food.
VSPOT offers several flavors of crispy wheat empanadas stuffed with various vegan fillings, from Philly Mushroom & Cheese to Jamaican Jerk. It even has an Italian Empanada that’s stuffed with a vegan meat and cheese pasta and served with a side of marinara sauce. But Latine flavors are at the core of VSPOT’s menu, so you can also find Colombian-seasoned potato, rice, and beans empanadas alongside the less traditional options. The restaurant has two locations, in Brooklyn, New York, and Hoboken, New Jersey.
Happy Vegan Bakers in Hialeah, Florida, is using animal-friendly ingredients to reinterpret classic Latine flavors. Its empanada flavors include hearty “Meat” & Potato, Spinach & “Cheeze,” and Chik’n and Potato. It also sells sweet pastelitos and other Latine favorites, like churros, tostadas, and Cuban croquetas.
It’s easy to find your favorite Latin American foods made with animal-friendly ingredients. Find your new favorite restaurant with PETA Latino’s guide to the best Latine-owned vegan spots. You can also find some mouthwatering vegan postres and learn about how Latine-owned brands are making a splash in the vegan meat world. Going vegan is the best way to protect animals, the environment, and your own health. Make the change today by ordering our free vegan starter kit:
“Will you eat a baby for Easter?” That’s the question a PETA supporter wearing a chef hat and apron will ask on Good Friday as they serve up some food for thought across from James Weldon Johnson Park by barbecuing a lifelike baby and vegetables while other animal defenders hand out vegan starter kits and hold signs reading, “Leave Babies Off the BBQ. Go Vegan!”
When: Friday, April 7, 12 noon
Where: At the intersection of W. Monroe and N. Laura streets, Jacksonville
“Babies don’t belong on the barbecue at Easter or any other time of year, whether that baby is a piglet, a lamb, or any other sentient being,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA hopes that anyone who is disturbed by the idea of chowing down on a child will think about extending their compassion to all other animals and choose a vegan meal instead, something PETA is ready to help facilitate.”
PETA points out that piglets and lambs are usually only around 6 months old when they’re taken from their mothers and subjected to terrifying deaths at the slaughterhouse. With the abundance of delicious animal-free roasts available, celebrating Easter with kindness has never been easier. PETA’s Christian outreach division, PETA LAMBS—which stands for “least among my brothers and sisters” from Matthew 25:40—offers a guide to celebrating a vegan holiday.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview.
Now that a Starbucks store has opened at LeBron James’ new community center, House Three Thirty, PETA sent a letter to the philanthropist basketball star today, urging him to “make a game-changing play” for animals and people of color—many of whom are lactose intolerant—by establishing the location as the first dairy-free Starbucks.
The request is the latest step in the group’s campaign against Starbucks’ extra charge for vegan milks, which penalizes the approximately 80% of Black and Indigenous Americans and more than 90% of Asian Americans who are lactose intolerant. Not only does the surcharge perpetuate dietary racism, it also discourages customers from making choices that help prevent abusive dairy industry practices—such as separating mothers from their calves—and slash greenhouse gas emissions.
“The dairy industry’s cruelty to cows, environmental impact, and negative health effects on lactose intolerant individuals contradict the hope your foundation brings,” writes PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. “The first dairy-free Starbucks location at House Three Thirty would set a precedent for socially responsible business practices and create ripple effects that would impact society for generations to come.”
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat or abuse in any other way” and which opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview—notes that the Black community is the fastest-growing vegan demographic in the U.S. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
PETA’s letter to James follows.
April 5, 2023
LeBron Raymone James Sr.
The LeBron James Family Foundation
Founder
Dear Mr. James,
As a fan of your unmatched basketball skills and your unwavering commitment to your community, I’m writing to you about a request that would really score big. Your foundation’s newly opened House Three Thirty in Akron, Ohio, has the potential to take the game to the next level and make a real difference in people’s lives. After seeing the news that the community center features a Starbucks, I wanted to bring to your attention an issue that we think you’ll find concerning: Starbucks perpetuates dietary racism through its vegan milk upcharge. This policy unjustly penalizes millions of lactose intolerant Americans, particularly people of color, since around 80% of Black and Indigenous Americans and more than 90% of Asian Americans are affected. We believe that no one should be punished for wanting to make a more compassionate and environmentally conscious choice. That’s why I’m urging you to make a game-changing play by insisting that the Starbucks store at House Three Thirty be the chain’s first dairy-free location.
The dairy industry’s cruelty to cows, environmental impact, and negative health effects on lactose intolerant individuals run counter to the aims of your foundation. Cows produce milk for the same reason that humans do: to nourish their young. In order to force them to continue producing milk, factory farm operators typically impregnate them using artificial insemination every year. Calves are generally torn away from their mothers within a day of birth, which causes them both extreme distress. Mother cows can be heard calling for their calves for days.
In addition, producing cow’s milk generates around three times more greenhouse gas emissions and uses nine times more land than vegan options do. It takes 628 liters of water to make 1 liter of cow’s milk—oat milk or soy milk requires 90% less water. In fact, an environmental assessment revealed that Starbucks found that dairy-based items are the leading contributor to its carbon footprint across its supply chain.
The first dairy-free Starbucks location at House Three Thirty would set a precedent for socially responsible business practices and create ripple effects that would affect society in a positive way for generations to come. I hope you’ll consider my request. We could team up to make a positive change for animal welfare, the environment, and those who suffer from lactose intolerance.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I eagerly await your response.
This Easter weekend, local diners just might think twice about chowing down on fried chicken after they see—and hear—“Hell on Wheels,” PETA’s new guerilla-marketing campaign featuring a life-size chicken transport truck covered with images of real chickens crammed into crates on their way to a slaughterhouse, complete with actual recorded sounds of the birds’ cries and a subliminal message every 10 seconds suggesting that people go vegan. It will debut by circling The Honey Baked Ham Company on Thursday before driving past Baba’s Hot Chicken, FN Chicken, Angry Chickz, The Fry Spot, K Wings, and other eateries through Sunday as part of the group’s national tour.
When: Thursday, April 6, 12 noon
Where: Outside The Honey Baked Ham Company, 4625 Ming Ave., Bakersfield
“Choosing a tasty vegan option instead of dead-chicken salad or wings means that a bird won’t endure a hideously frightening trip to the slaughterhouse and a violent death,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “Through ‘Hell on Wheels,’ PETA is asking everyone to spare chickens this cruelty at Easter and forever.”
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview.
“Will you eat a baby for Easter?” That’s the question a PETA supporter wearing a chef hat and apron will ask as they serve up some food for thought on Thursday across from Johnson Square by barbecuing a lifelike baby and vegetables while other animal defenders hand out vegan starter kits and hold signs reading, “Leave Babies Off the BBQ. Go Vegan!”
When: Thursday, April 6, 12 noon
Where: At the intersection of W. Broughton and Bull streets, Savannah
“Babies don’t belong on the barbecue at Easter or any other time of year, whether that baby is a piglet, a lamb, or any other sentient being,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA hopes that anyone who is disturbed by the idea of chowing down on a child will think about extending their compassion to all other animals and choose a vegan meal instead, something PETA is ready to help facilitate.”
PETA points out that piglets and lambs are usually only around 6 months old when they’re taken from their mothers and subjected to terrifying deaths at the slaughterhouse. With the abundance of delicious animal-free roasts available, celebrating Easter with kindness has never been easier. PETA’s Christian outreach division, PETA LAMBS—which stands for “least among my brothers and sisters” from Matthew 25:40—offers a guide to celebrating a vegan holiday.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview.
Ahead of Easter in one of the U.S.’s top cities for celebrating the holiday, PETA is hitting the gas on a new messaging blitz on the sides of local buses, urging commuters to rethink why some animals sleep by their sides while others end up on their plates. The dogged appeal is designed to remind people that lambs and dogs are the same in all the ways that count—from feeling joy and pain to bonding with their loved ones—and asks everyone to embody the Easter tenet of mercy by enjoying a vegan holiday meal.
“We treasure dogs because they shower us with love and trust us to take care of them, something lambs would do, too, if given the chance,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA’s message encourages everyone to leave animals off their plates on Easter and every day.”
With the abundance of delicious animal-free roasts available, celebrating Easter with kindness has never been easier. PETA LAMBS (“Least Among My Brothers and Sisters” from Matthew 25:40) has a vegan guide for the holiday, and PETA offers a free vegan starter kit.
This year, the U.S. meat industry has already killed millions of lambs for food. Raised on overcrowded, filthy feedlots, they endure painful mutilations within weeks of birth. Workers hole-punch their ears, cut off their tails, and castrate the males—all without pain relief. Slaughterhouse employees slash the young, vulnerable animals across the throat, often while they’re still conscious. Some try to escape this cruel fate, such as the seven sheep in Paterson who broke free from a slaughterhouse, won over hearts across the country, and wound up safe in a sanctuary.
PETA’s ads appear on 17 New Jersey transit buses. The group is also erecting a billboard to broadcast the message in Tampa, Florida, the country’s second-most dog-friendly city, near several lamb-selling shops and eateries.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Just in time for Easter, a sky-high plea from PETA is dishing up some food for thought in the U.S.’s second-most dog-friendly city: “Wouldn’t eat a dog? Why eat a lamb?” The dogged appeal is designed to get people thinking about how lambs and dogs are the same in all the ways that count—from feeling joy and pain to bonding with their loved ones—and asks everyone to embody the Easter tenet of mercy by enjoying a vegan holiday meal.
“We treasure dogs because they shower us with love and trust us to take care of them, something lambs would do, too, if given the chance,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA’s billboard encourages people to leave animals off their plates on Easter and every day.”
With the abundance of animal-free roasts available, celebrating Easter with kindness has never been easier. PETA LAMBS (“Least Among My Brothers and Sisters” from Matthew 25:40) has a vegan guide for the holiday, and PETA offers a free vegan starter kit.
So far this year, the U.S. meat industry has already killed millions of lambs for food. Raised on overcrowded, filthy feedlots, they endure painful mutilations within weeks of birth. Workers hole-punch their ears, chop off their tails, and castrate the males—all without pain relief. At slaughterhouses, the young, vulnerable animals are slashed across the throat, often while they’re still conscious. Some try to escape this cruel fate, such as the seven sheep in New Jersey who broke free from a slaughterhouse, won over hearts across the country, and wound up safe in a sanctuary.
PETA’s billboard is located at 13753 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., near Executive Center Drive, within one mile of several shops and eateries that sell lamb. These include Publix, Renzo’s Steakhouse & Wine Bar, and Turkuaz Mediterranean.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
“Will you eat a baby for Easter?” That’s the question a PETA supporter wearing a chef hat and apron will ask as they serve up some food for thought on Wednesday across from the historic Charleston City Market by barbecuing a lifelike baby and vegetables while other animal defenders hand out vegan starter kits and hold signs reading, “Leave Babies Off the BBQ. Go Vegan!”
When: Wednesday, April 5, 12 noon
Where: Charleston City Market, at the intersection of S. Market and Meeting streets, Charleston
“Babies don’t belong on the barbecue at Easter or any other time of year, whether that baby is a piglet, a lamb, or any other sentient being,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA hopes that anyone who is disturbed by the idea of chowing down on a child will think about extending their compassion to all other animals and choose a vegan meal instead, something PETA is ready to help facilitate.”
PETA points out that piglets and lambs are usually only around 6 months old when they’re taken from their mothers and subjected to terrifying deaths at the slaughterhouse. With the abundance of delicious animal-free roasts available, celebrating Easter with kindness has never been easier. PETA’s Christian outreach division, PETA LAMBS—which stands for “least among my brothers and sisters” from Matthew 25:40—offers a guide to celebrating a vegan holiday.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview.
With Easter ahead and avian flu outbreaks causing egg shortages and skyrocketing prices, PETA supporters in chicken costumes will flock to the top egg-producing state in the country on Wednesday to give away samples of the new vegan hard-boiled WunderEggs along with cooking and baking recipes and vegan starter kits. They’ll also offer food for thought about why, even at Easter—a time to show mercy to others—hens in the egg industry are crammed into tiny wire cages and then slaughtered when their egg production slows.
When: Wednesday, April 5, 12 noon
Where: At the intersection of Court Avenue and Fourth Street, Des Moines
“Easter eggs are on our minds, so this is the perfect time to kick-start year-round kindness to hens by indulging in fluffy egg-free omelets, scrambles, and more,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA urges anyone concerned about avian flu outbreaks to try the many varieties of vegan eggs, which are nutritious and delicious and never spread deadly viruses.”
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview.
Because so many fishers have chosen to spare blue lobsters after catching them off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, and New Jersey and around the world, PETA is releasing a new dye kit that makes it possible to give all lobsters the same blue hue.
Now available for purchase on the PETA website, the chemical-free dye binds to lobsters’ shells for up to six months when squeezed into water—making it look like they have a rare genetic trait that occurs in just one out of every 2 million of them. The dye kit is nontoxic and easy to use and was sea-tested by PETA at an undisclosed location in Maine.
“We know many people share a soft spot for blue lobsters, though all lobsters share the same desire to enjoy their lives without suffering by being boiled to death,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “With this kit, PETA is empowering everyone to save lobsters’ lives.”
Lobsters are intelligent individuals who explore their surroundings, can remember other individual lobsters, and use complex signals to establish social relationships. If left alone, they can live to be more than 100 years old. A PETA investigation into a crustacean slaughterhouse revealed that live lobsters were impaled, torn apart, and decapitated—even as their legs continued to move. Chefs typically place lobsters into pots of boiling water while they’re still conscious—a practice so cruel that it has been banned in Switzerland—or to burn alive under the hot grill.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat” and which opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview—offers a list of vegan seafood options on its website and a free vegan starter kit.
Meat-eaters in the City of Seven Wonders may be more likely to feel the sting than vegetarians or vegans. A recent study links urinary tract infections (UTIs) to meat consumption—using meat samples collected from grocery stores in Flagstaff, Arizona—and PETA now plans to use those findings to bolster its appeals to everyone to go vegan.
Check out this billboard we’ll be placing near pharmacies and medical clinics in Flagstaff:
People have enough to deal with without a UTI, and animals don’t want to die, so PETA is reminding everyone that eating meat can come back to sting them. Going vegan is a painless and positive choice, and PETA stands ready to provide tips, recipes, and all manner of advice.
For years, researchers have known of a link between UTIs and E. coli, but the new study suggests that eating animal flesh could be responsible for a large number of cases—upwards of half a million each year in the U.S. In addition to carrying a risk of E. coli contamination, meat, eggs, and dairy contain no fiber and are loaded with artery-clogging saturated fat and cholesterol.
One Decision Helps Animals and Your Health: Go Vegan
Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals a year miserable lives on factory farms and terrifying, violent deaths in blood-soaked slaughterhouses.
There is no nutritional need for humans to eat any animal-derived products. All our dietary needs, even as infants and children, are best supplied by vegan foods. Going vegan can reduce the risk of developing many chronic degenerative diseases and conditions, including heart disease, cancer, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.
Like all cows used for their flesh, those raised for Wagyu beef are regarded by the beef industry as objects, not individuals. Workers send Wagyu cows to the same slaughterhouses that kill other cows, hang them up by one leg, and cut their throats before skinning and gutting them—sometimes while they’re still conscious.
Cows are gentle, curious, playful individuals who have complex relationships and experience emotions, just as humans do. They don’t want to die, whether it’s for a cheap fast-food burger or a Wagyu steak.
Recognizing the issues with animal-derived products, some vegan brands and restaurants now offer ethical versions of Wagyu beef—made with plants, not cow flesh.
Waygu “beef” is a tender, flavorful vegan option made from soy protein. Since its launch in 2019, it has received high praise from Japanese chefs, and it’s now available in grocery stores and sushi chains in the U.S. Waygu comes in Sukiyaki-style thin strips and Yakiniku-style thick strips, which can be used in a variety of culinary applications, including sushi rolls, pizza, noodle stir-fries, and sandwiches. They’re available in Teriyaki, Korean BBQ, and Plain flavors, and the thin strips are also available in an Umami flavor.
Next Meats has a variety of succulent vegan meat options, including Next Wagyu, a savory soy-based protein option with hints of garlic, soy sauce, onion, and chili. It’s perfect for traditional Japanese dishes, and it can be marinated and used in tacos, “beef” stroganoff, and many other dishes.
Eggplant and mushrooms are versatile ingredients, and the vegan sushi restaurant Shojin knows just how to infuse them with rich umami flavor. Its “Wagyu” nigiri is sure to impress anyone.
YouTuber Sauce Stache is known for stunning vegan meat recipes using techniques derived from molecular gastronomy, and this vegan Wagyu steak has to be one of his best creations. The recipe recreates Wagyu’s marbled effect by layering seitan with a coconut oil mixture.
Sauce Stache’s A5 Tofu Wagyu
Sauce Stache also created a tofu-based version of vegan Wagyu. Prepare it for your friends and family and you’ll be the talk of the town.
You may have heard of watermelon steak, but what about watermelon Wagyu? Okonomi Kitchen’s recipe uses salted, marinated watermelon to make a delicious vegan katsu.
Meat-eaters in the City of Seven Wonders may be more likely to feel the sting than vegetarians or vegans. A recent study links urinary tract infections (UTI) to meat consumption—using meat samples collected from grocery stores in Flagstaff—and PETA now plans to use those findings to bolster its appeals to women to go vegan, by placing ads near local pharmacies and medical clinics.
“Women have enough to deal with without a UTI, and animals don’t want to die, so PETA is reminding people that eating meat can come back to sting you,” says PETA Manager of Campaigns Amber Canavan. “Going vegan is a painless choice, and PETA stands ready to provide tips, recipes, and all manner of advice.”
For years, researchers have known of a link between UTIs and E. coli, but the new study suggests that eating meat could be responsible for a large number of cases—upwards of half a millioneach year in the U.S. In addition to carrying a risk of E. coli contamination, meat, eggs, and dairy contain no fiber and are loaded with artery-clogging saturated fat and cholesterol. Each person who goes vegan also prevents nearly 200 animals a year from enduring miserable lives and terrifying, violent deaths in blood-soaked slaughterhouses.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) upheld its original decision not to approve Houston resident Catie Cryar’s pro-vegan license plate application for “LVTOFU”—doubling down on its accusations of “vulgarity” even though Cryar explained in her appeal that the message was simply “designed to inspire more people to try tofu.” In response to the rejection, which Cryar says is “dirty minds ruining clean food,” she has created bumper stickers with the same soybean-celebrating message—and they’re available for purchase here.
“Ms. Cryar is determined to bypass the DMV’s wrongheaded decision and share the joy of soy with fellow motorists through her bumper stickers,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA expects them to fly off our shelves as quickly as tasty tofu is being snatched from grocery store shelves in the Lone Star State.”
Not only is tofu cheaper than meat, it is also packed with protein, contains no cholesterol, and can lower the risk of suffering from heart disease, diabetes, various types of cancer, and numerous other health problems. Each individual inspired to go vegan by seeing Cryar’s “LVTOFU” message would save nearly 200 animals every year from a miserable life of intense suffering and a violent, painful death and would shrink their own carbon footprint.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Curious how rice art can raise awareness of and increase compassion for cows? Influencer and artist Rachel of Visions of Play made a video showing one way to do just that on her Instagram page:
How Rice Art Warms the Heart and Encourages Kindness to Cows
As the video shows, Rachel skillfully arranges small bits of white, pink, gray, and black rice to form patterns that eventually depict a cow’s complete face. Using a large wooden bowl as the frame and container, she embellishes the base of the finished image with purple, yellow, white, and pink flowers. The final effect leaves the observer looking into the gentle visage of a fellow sentient being with sensitive eyes. This mooving experience can help onlookers understand that humans should never use cows’ flesh as food, their bovine mammary secretions as dairy, or their skin as clothing or accessories.
Rachel’s impressive Instagram page hosts a vast array of natural and innovative art made from rice and other organic materials. Her love of and passion for sensory art and play shimmer through each new post, and this specific portrait of the calmly gazing grazer is PETA’s current favorite.
Why Now, Sweet Cow? The Compassionate and Environmental Relevance of This Rice Art
Cows are gentle giants, eager to play and gregarious in the way they prefer to graze and socialize with others of their species. Diverse in how they express themselves, cows develop lasting friendships and sometimes hold grudges against other cows who treat them badly. Curious and clever, they can also remember things for a long time and mourn the deaths of and division from those they love.
Yet more than 25 million cows are forcibly bred, stuffed with huge amounts of food, exploited, and killed each year in the U.S. alone. Many young cows endure searing burns from branding irons and violent dehorning procedures, during which their horns are cut, gouged out, or burned off, and males are subjected to agonizing castration—all without painkillers.
It’s very rare for a cow to escape the cruel cycle of speciesist abuse and exploitation and live out their days in peace at a loving, reputable sanctuary.
Share Rachel’s rice-art video with everyone you can to encourage more compassion for cows and the planet.
And remember that benevolence toward bovines begins on your plate. Check out our free vegan starter kit and share it with a few friends—or four or five, or 15 or 50! Give cows a chance:
Local diners just might think twice about chowing down on fried chicken after they see—and hear—“Hell on Wheels,” PETA’s new guerilla-marketing campaign featuring a life-size chicken transport truck covered with images of real chickens crammed into crates on their way to a slaughterhouse, complete with actual recorded sounds of the birds’ cries and a subliminal message every 10 seconds suggesting that people go vegan. It will debut at La Plaza de California on Thursday before moving on to confront diners at Chicken Ranch, John’s Restaurant, Billy Reed’s Palm Springs, Cluckin Bun, Stout Burgers & Beers, Smokin’ Burgers & Lounge, and Shakey’s Pizza Parlor through Sunday as part of the group’s national tour.
When: Thursday, March 30, 12 noon
Where: La Plaza de California, 129 La Plaza, Palm Springs
“Behind every barbecued wing or bucket of fried chicken is a once-living, sensitive individual who was crammed onto a truck for a terrifying, miserable journey to their death,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA’s ‘Hell on Wheels’ truck is an appeal to anyone who eats chicken to remember that the meat industry is cruel to birds and that the kindest meal is a vegan one.”
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview.
Taiwanese-U.S. food-tech company Lypid unveiled vegan pork belly made from its patented PhytoFat at the recent Future Food-Tech summit held in San Francisco earlier this month.
The product ist the first release of Lypid’s upcoming line of plant-based products. According to Dr. Jen-Yu Huang, Lypid’s co-founder and CEO, there is a lack of solid, whole-cut alternative proteins on the market. “Our Pork Belly will revolutionize the food industry and provide environmentally conscious options for diners who crave the texture, taste, and mouthfeel of pork belly,” she said. Dr. Huang was recently included in the 2022 Forbes “30 Under 30” list.
Vegan pork belly
Lypid’s pork belly marks the company’s entry into the plant-based meat market. Dr. Michelle Lee, Lypid’s Co-founder and CTO, explained that the company combined its patented PhytoFat with a unique fibrous protein alternative to create an authentic pork belly experience. Several celebrated Bay Area chefs have begun testing the plant-based pork belly, with the goal of introducing the product to menus in the near future.
The Pork Belly was served at the Future Food-Tech summit with Adobo Garlic Fried Rice prepared by San Francisco Marriott Marquis’ Executive Chef David Hollands and Executive Sous Chef Bernardita Gotis. “When it’s cooked, it behaves like pork belly – it becomes crispy and doesn’t solidify immediately,” Hollands said. “Not all vegan products perform like the real thing.”
Sonalie Figueiras, Green Queen‘s founder and editor in chief tasted the pork belly at the summit and said: “As someone who grew up in Hong Kong, I’ve eaten my fair share of pork belly, I was amazed. the texture was uncanny and it was savoury like animal fat.”
Photo courtesy Lypid
PhytoFat recently took home the first-place prize for “Ingredient Innovation” at FoodBev Media’s World Food Innovation Awards in 2023. The company’s Pork Belly was also a finalist in the “Plant-based Product” and “Technology Innovation” categories.
Last August, more than 500 Louisa Coffee shops across Taiwan introduced vegan burgers made with Lypid’s proprietary vegan PhytoFat. The company raised more than $4 million in Seed funding last spring to accelerate its product development and expansion plans.
Pork successors loom large
Pork is the most widely consumed meat in the world, specifically across Asia. It makes up 36 percent of total global meat consumption, according to the USDA. But as consumers seek to diversify their protein, sustainable options are taking priority. Hong Kong-based Omni Foods is seeing success with its plant-based pork in Asia and the U.S., among other markets.
Last month, the U.K. saw the country’s first cultivated pork debut. BSF Enterprises said its subsidiary 3D Bio-Tissues had successfully created a steak made from pork cells.
3D Bio-Tissues has created the world’s first cultivated pork steak | Courtesy Kenn Reay Photography
Not all companies are thriving, however. Last week, cultivated pork producer New Age Eats announced it was ceasing operations.
“Creating the experience of meat without slaughter is extremely difficult,” New Age founder and CEO Brian Spears said in a statement. “We start with biotech borrowed from human health applications designed for high-cost, low-volume products. We worked to flip to low-cost, high-volume products. That is expensive, takes time, and needs a lot of patient capital.”
Following its most recent billboard bout with Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, PETA is coming out swinging for crabs—who are feeling individuals, not food—in a new 30-second TV spot hitting airwaves this week, narrated by PETA President Ingrid Newkirk, urging everyone to see the crustaceans as intelligent, sensitive individuals and opt for vegan fare instead.
“When it comes to feeling pain and fear, a crab is no different from a cat, a dog, or a human being,” says Newkirk. “PETA is calling on diners to leave crabs in peace and off their plates and to support local restaurants that offer tasty vegan crab cuisine.”
In nature, crabs care attentively for their young, keep their homes clean, and defend neighboring crabs’ burrows against intruders. Captured crabs feel agonizing pain when their legs are damaged or torn off by workers quickly ripping them from fishing nets. Some mutilated crabs—who need their claws to feed and defend themselves—are tossed back into the ocean, where they suffer and die. The “survivors” end up in pots of scalding-hot water, where they’re boiled or steamed alive.
PETA points out there’s no need to eat crabs or other sea life with so many tasty vegan seafood options available online, in grocery stores, and in restaurants across the city. Celebrated local vegan eatery The Land of Kush was named a winner for its scrumptious crabless crab cakes on PETA’s first-ever list of the Top 10 Vegan Seafood Dishes. Other local restaurants known for delicious vegan crab cuisine include Refocused, Dodah’s Kitchen, Liora, and Harmony Bakery.
PETA’s video will air on the following channels and dates.
FOX/WBFF-TV: Monday (March 27) and Tuesday (March 28) evenings during Fox45 News at 10
ABC/WMAR-TV: Monday (March 27), Wednesday (March 29), and Friday (March 31) at 11:35 p.m. during Jimmy Kimmel Live!
CBS/WJZ-TV: Monday through Friday (March 27–31) during WJZ News at 11PM
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Fast casual restaurant chain Chipotle has announced its 2023 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals, which will be tied to an executive compensation bonus of up to 15 percent.
Chipotle’s new ESG goals include increasing the pounds of local produce purchased, improving diverse employee retention — Chipotle says it increased its diversity from 60 percent to nearly 64 percent last year — and increasing the number of restaurants with composting programs. The announcement also comes on the heels of notable investments into food tech.
ESG Goals
“Chipotle’s ESG goals are a direct reflection of our commitment to inspire real, sustainable change with a potential impact far beyond this Company,” said Laurie Schalow, Chief Corporate Affairs, Chipotle. “We hold our executive leadership team accountable to make business decisions that Cultivate a Better World, and we want to continue to transparently showcase the steps we’re taking to help meet these objectives.”
The restaurant chain, which has more than 3,000 U.S. locations, says it is committed to increasing the total pounds of produce purchased from local farmers year over year. It defines local produce as a 350-mile radius of one of its distribution centers.
Chipotle puts a focus on locally sourced produce. Courtesy
For this year, Chipotle’s goal is to purchase at least 37.5 million pounds of local produce, up from 36.4 million pounds purchased in 2022. The organization also met its 2022 goal of purchasing more than 57 million pounds of organic, transitional and/or locally-grown ingredients, with 58.3 million pounds in total minus rice and beans, which were excluded due to external crop factors.
Chipotle is also leveraging its new venture fund, Cultivate Next, to make early-stage investments in companies that can help further its mission and meet its ESG goals. This includes increasing its local produce supply through its latest investment in Local Line, a leading local food sourcing platform for regional food systems, serving farms, producers, food hubs, and food buyers by helping them digitize their operations and sell products. That investment will also support Local Line’s U.S. expansion.
Chipotle will also be increasing its focus on composting with a goal of reducing waste to landfills by 5 percent by 2025 and increasing the number of restaurants participating in its compost program by 23 percent this year. The chain said it exceeded its 2022 goal of reducing Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5 percent, achieving a 13 percent reduction against 2019 emissions.
Food tech investments
Cultivate Next is also investing in Zero Acre Farms, a food company focused on healthy, sustainable oils and fats. Zero Acre Farms uses fermentation to make oils that are more environmentally friendly than conventional vegetable oils, namely palm and soy.
Chipotle invested as part of Zero Acre Farms’ Series A extension round in an undisclosed amount. A spokesperson for Zero Acre Farm told Green Queen that the investment is not necessarily an indicator that the chain will be using the company’s oil in stores anytime soon. “This news is only in regards to a financial investment in ZAF by Chipotle,” they said. “That said, Chipotle makes investments through its Cultivate Next fund in companies it thinks can help it achieve its mission to cultivate a better world.”
Zero Acre Farms | Courtesy
However, the move could signal the chain is warming up to food tech. Chipotle has eschewed plant-based meat products such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods in the past, opting instead for tofu in its Sofritas instead, and a limited-edition plant-based chorizo made “using all real, fresh ingredients grown on a farm, not in a lab.”
In 2019, Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol told Yahoo Finance that the company spoke with the brands and “unfortunately it wouldn’t fit in our ‘food with integrity’ principles because of the processing, as I understand it, that it takes to make a plant taste like a burger.
“If there’s a way for them to do this that would match our ‘food with integrity’ principles, I’m sure we would continue talking with them.”
Chipotle’s Cultivate Next did invest in fellow Colorado-based company Meati Foods — a clean-label vegan meat made from mycelium.
“We are excited to support new ways to bring vegetables to the center of the plate though plant-based alternative protein options that mirror Chipotle’s Food With Integrity standards,” Curt Garner, Chief Technology Officer at Chipotle, said in a statement at the time. “Meati is producing responsibly grown plant-based protein that tastes delicious.”
The chain has yet to make any announcements about adding Meati to its menus, though. But a trial could be on the horizon as the startup has just started its retail rollout, landing in 380 Sprouts Markets earlier this month.
Because there are enough vegan restaurants in the city to fill out a March Madness bracket, PETA is releasing a roundup of its top picks ahead of the Final Four tournament and encouraging hungry diners to visit them all to determine their own favorites.
PETA’s finalists include popular sports bars On the Kirb and Yard House as well as Korny Vibes, which dishes up vegan twists on classic spectator food, such as its spicy Boneless Wyngs, Vegan Fried Shrimp, and juicy burgers. Veegos and Cascabel are perfect go-tos for anyone craving tacos, nachos, and other Mexican meals loaded with animal-free meats and cheeses. Houston Sauce Pit corners the market on tangy vegan barbecue, and The Hive Vegan Eatery nails flavorful healthy options, including fresh salads, stacked sandwiches, and gumbo. For dessert, Voodoo Doughnut and Sinfull Bakery offer up impressive arrays of fluffy, cruelty-free pastries.
“No one has to jump through hoops to find delicious animal-free fare in Space City,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “Animals are individuals, not ingredients, and PETA encourages Final Four fans to score a fabulous vegan meal on game day and beyond.”
Consumers’ demand has sent the vegan food market skyrocketing: It grew two and a half times faster in 2021 than it did between 2018 and 2020, and it’s expected to reach $22 billion by 2025. Every individual who goes vegan saves the lives of nearly 200 animals a year; lowers their carbon footprint, as animal agriculture is a major driver of the climate catastrophe; and reduces their risk of suffering from numerous health issues, including obesity, strokes, diabetes, and cancer.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org, listen to The PETA Podcast, or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
