'Saving the earth one bite at a time'

The Quinnipiac Chronicle - March 26, 2008

BY CAROLE ANN KINNAW

Although only a couple of years ago it seemed near impossible for vegans to maintain a healthy lifestyle, today many supermarkets and restaurants give vegans many tasteful options that allow them to maintain their own personal lifestyles.

A vegan is an individual whose diet omits any direct animal products, such as meat, and also omits any animal by products such as milk and eggs. Although it seems impossible to form a healthy diet around these limitations, Web sites such as www.tryveg.com show individuals how simple it is to maintain a vegan lifestyle.

This Web site's mission statement advocates vegan lifestyles as a way to show compassion to all kinds of animals by saving them from factory farms and death. Although some vegans may not agree with this reason, this Web site allows individuals to explore alternate options to all types of foods.

The Web site is divided into different groups with separate links. One link is entitled "For Your Grocery Cart." This link gives a list of all common animal and animal by products that make up a non-vegan's diet. One can click on these products and receive a list of alternative options and brands to the food product shown.

Even better, all of these alternative options are sold regularly in grocery stores, making it easy for individuals to maintain a vegan lifestyle. For example a vegan can substitute hamburgers with "veggie burgers" such as Bocca brand veggie burgers. Soy ice cream and cheese slices can also be used to replace dairy products. Although many vegetarians, or vegan hopefuls, feel as though vegetarian or vegan diets cannot provide an adequate amount of protein, they are highly mistaken. A diet that consists of beans, whole grains, and plenty of vegetables can offer a sufficient amount of protein needed in any diet.

An excessive amount of protein consumed in non-vegetarian diets, researchers say, may even be harmful and cause kidney stones, heart disease and even some cancers.

Vegetarian or vegan diets have a multitude of benefits from saving the lives of animals to an increased healthier lifestyle. With the supermarkets stacking shelves and freezers with veggie burgers and tofu hot dogs it is easy to maintain a healthy vegan lifestyle while still enjoying the food one loves.