Be a hero to animals.

Below is the text from our flyer titled "Tips and Resources for Parents of Vegetarian and Vegan Kids." If you want to be vegetarian or vegan but your parents are worried about it for some reason, hopefully the information on here will help. Feel free to copy the information or print it out to share with your parents. Read it yourself as well -- being able to talk to your parents about their concerns can make things easier for both of you. And please pass this on to anyone you know who may be interested in the information. Best of luck, and if you or your parents have any other questions or concerns, just ask!

So your kid wants to be a vegan…

And it’s okay. Really, it is. Your son or daughter isn’t making the decision to become vegan or vegetarian to make family dinners more complicated or to reject you. They have likely made this decision out of compassion for animals, concern for the environment, or to improve their own health—motivations that you can and should be proud of. And they will be proud of and appreciate your respect for their decision and support in their new diet.

 

First of all, some clarification on what your child’s new diet means:

Vegetarian: Someone who does not consume animal flesh (including red meat, poultry, and fish and other seafood).

Vegan: Someone who does not consume animal flesh or any other animal products or byproducts (eggs, dairy, whey, gelatin, rennet, casein, honey, etc.). Most vegans also avoid leather, fur, wool, and other animal-sourced clothing, along with animal-tested cosmetics and household products.

 

They’ll still be healthy…right?

Yes, on a well-balanced vegan diet, your child can be even healthier than before. Both the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada approve of a vegetarian diet, and vegans have a longer average lifespan than people who eat animal products. Additionally, a vegan diet can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and some types of cancer.

 

But how do they get enough protein?

Getting enough protein really isn’t an issue in a well-balanced diet. In fact, most Americans get more protein than they need, which can be a contributing factor to osteoporosis.

    An abundance of vegan foods contain protein, and it is better for the body to get protein from plant sources than animal sources. Animal sources of protein are high in saturated fat and cholesterol, both of which are harmful to health.

    Vegan sources of protein include grain products (breads, cereals, pasta, corn, rice, etc), beans, soy products, faux meats (burgers, dogs, nuggets, slices, ground, sausage, and brats), seeds, peas, nuts, peanut and nut butters, and legumes. Check the protein content on food labels to see how many different options there are for getting an adequate amount of protein from a vegan diet.

 

What about calcium?

Soy milks can contain as much calcium as cow milk. Cholesterol-filled dairy products can be abandoned as calcium sources; a vegan diet can fully supply calcium needs.

    Common vegan sources of calcium include, but aren’t limited to, soy products (including tofu), tahini (sesame butter), beans, figs, sunflower seeds, broccoli, almonds, hazelnuts, fortified orange juice, kale, and collard greens.

 

And iron?

Anemia is a common concern for people considering a vegan diet, but there are actually many vegan sources of iron, including fortified breakfast cereals, spinach, soy products, beans, potatoes, lentils, and molasses. Iron supplements are also an option, and many multi-vitamins contain iron. Using a cast iron skillet increases iron content in cooked foods. Vitamin C improves iron absorption, so make sure to get plenty of vitamin C. The antibiotic Tetracycline interferes with iron absorption. In females, hormonal birth control often helps iron retention by reducing monthly flow.

 

Do they need to take vitamins?

A well-rounded vegan diet can supply someone with all of their vitamin needs, but many vegans take a vegan multi-vitamin to be sure. Of special concern to vegans is vitamin B-12, which is largely found in animal products. Although some vegan foods contain added B-12, many vegans take a B-12 supplement. We recommend a B-12 supplement a few times a week to be safe because B-12 deficiency might not show up for 15 to 20 years. Whole Foods has vegan B-12 for about $6 per 100.

 

But what about…?

Still have more nutrition and health questions? That’s okay. Perfectly normal, actually, and there is more information out there that can further put you at ease in knowing that your child can get everything they need from their food as a vegan.

    To learn more about vegan and vegetarian health, visit the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine: www.pcrm.org

    To learn more about vegan and vegetarian nutrition, visit the Vegetarian Resource Group: www.vrg.org

Okay, so now what do I cook for them?

Plenty of stuff. And it doesn’t have to be about their food vs. yours; it can be about your family exploring new food options together and getting your child more involved in food preparation.

 

Recipes, Recipes, Recipes

A lot of vegan recipes are out there, whether they be familiar dishes that you haven’t thought of as “vegan” before (such as spaghetti with marinara sauce), common dishes with a vegan twist (such as substituting a veggie burger for a beef burger or soy milk on cereal), or completely new vegan dishes (no, they don’t all contain tofu).

    You can find new recipes yourself, have your child seek some out, or look through recipes together to find dishes that the whole family can enjoy.

    Some great websites with vegan recipes are www.vegcooking.com, www.vegweb.com, and www.chooseveg.com. Or, type the name of the desired food or recipe into a search engine along with the word “vegan” and you are likely to find many options. Numerous vegan cookbooks are also available at bookstores and through online retailers.

 

But wait. Cooking with no dairy or eggs?

Of course! Numerous alternatives to dairy products and eggs are available.

 

Dairy alternatives: Soy, rice, almond, hemp, hazelnut, and oat milks (chocolate, vanilla, plain, strawberry, and carob flavors); vegan soy and rice cheeses (VeganRella, Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet, Tofutti singles, Galaxy Nutritional Foods Soy and Rice singles, Soymage Vegan Parmesan, Sheese); vegan mac & “cheese” (Roads End Organics Shells and Chreese), Tofuttii cream cheese and sour cream (Better Than Cream Cheese and Sour Supreme); Silk brand soy coffee creamer, nog, and chai; “ice cream” made from soy, rice, or coconut milk (Soy Delicious, Purely Decadent, Tofutti, Soy Dream, Rice Dream, Trader Joe’s Soy Creamy, Temptation, Whole Soy frozen “yogurt,” Coconut Bliss, Rice Dream moon pies, Tofutti and Soy Delicious ice cream sandwiches and fudge bars); dairy-free margarines (Earth Balance, Nucoa, and Smart Balance Light); soy yogurts (Silk, Whole Soy, Trader Joe’s, Wildwood, Stonyfield Farms, Nancy’s).

 

Egg alternatives: As a scrambled egg replacement, tofu scrambles are popular (you can use a recipe or a mix [Fantastic Foods Tofu Scramble]); for baking, you can use ENER-G Egg Replacer (a boxed powder available at most health food stores, ask your grocer to carry it if they do not - one box is about $6 and replaces about 200 “eggs”) or substitute either ½ banana, 2T cornstarch, 2T potato starch, 2T arrowroot powder, or about ¼ cup of applesauce in place of one egg.

 

Dining Out

Yes, you can still go out to eat with your child, and no, they don’t have to just order the salad. Many restaurants accommodate vegetarians and vegans, and many cities even have restaurants that are all vegetarian or vegan. Asian, Indian, Mexican, and Mediterranean restaurants usually offer many vegan or vegetarian dishes, or selections that can be made vegan by request. For lists of veg-friendly, vegetarian, and vegan restaurants by city, visit: www.happycow.net

 

And finally…shopping time!

Don’t worry – you aren’t limited to health food stores or that special “natural foods” aisle of the grocery store. You can still shop at your local grocery store and find enough vegan items to more than fill your cart. Definitely check out the faux meat section (usually in the refrigerated area, but just ask if you can’t find it), but go in every other aisle as well. Just check the ingredients and discover how many common foods are vegan. Even Oreos are vegan!

For a list of many “accidentally vegan” foods, visit www.peta.org/accidentallyvegan

I was always a dog lover. But it wasn't until I got into punk rock that I was exposed to the idea of animal rights. I remember buying the Gorilla Biscuits album and listening to a song called "Cats and Dogs." That song opened my eyes to how weird it is that we call certain animals "pets" and treat them like members of the family, and yet other animals we label "food," and suck the meat off their bones. There was one line in that song that always stayed with me.

My true compassion is for all living things / and not just the ones that are cute / so I do what I can.

And I guess at the end of the day, that's what it's all about: doing what you can. Even if you don't become a vegetarian, the realization that that juicy steak on your plate was once a living being will give you a deeper appreciation for the life that animal lost to supply you with your dinner.

Spreading awareness is the first step towards affecting change. And the amazing thing about concerts like warped tour is that they serve not only as a place to find great new music, but also as a forum for new ideas; a place where you can be exposed to concepts that will open your eyes.

I'm not grossed out by meat, and I never judge my friends who eat meat, but I just figure--we have so many food choices and options--so why make an animal suffer, and why take the life of another living thing, if I don't really need it in order to survive.

Many environmental groups, including the National Audubon Society and the Union of Concerned Scientists, have recognized that raising animals for food damages the environment more than just about anything else that we do. A recent United Nations report has concluded that raising and killing animals for food causes more greenhouse gas emissions than all the cars, trucks, and planes in the world combined. The report also concluded that factory farming is one of the biggest contributors to the most serious environmental problems at every level – local and global. By adopting a vegan diet, each person can save many acres of land, countless gallons of water, and thousands of animals’ lives in his or her lifetime.

To request a free vegan starter pack, visit http://www.afa-online.org/starterpack.html

Leaflet at Taste of Chaos - Volunteers needed!

Action for Animals will not have a booth on the Taste of Chaos music tour, but we are looking for volunteers to pass out our new leaflet at the shows. If you are going to the show, or if you can just go hit up the line, and you are willing to pass out at least 100 flyers, please let us know. These leaflets are not specific to this tour, so any shows or concerts you go to would be a great place to distribute our new leaflet.

For the Taste of Chaos tour schedule go here: http://tinyurl.com/2q8ruu

If you are able to print your own leaflets please do so – it will save AFA much-needed funds.
The leaflets print on standard 8 ½ by 11 inch paper. They should also print okay on A4 paper for our Australian and British friends. The flyers will need to be cut in half.
To view or print the leaflet, please go to this link: http://afa-online.org/docs/stopanimalcruelty_punk.pdf

If you can commit to passing out 100 or more flyers, please message us with the requested information and we will send them to you.
**Please note: We will only mail flyers within the USA.**

If you would like us to mail you flyers, please message us with:
- Your full name and address (in this format, please):
First Last
Address
City, State Zip
- How many leaflets would you like? The standard 100 pack, or more? If more, please specify quantity:
- Would you like a few copies of the Meet Your Meat video and our other fact sheets for people who are interested in additional info?:
- Where will you distribute the leaflets? If at Taste of Chaos, specify which city:

Please allow 10 to 14 days to receive flyers. If you are on the west coast allow 7 to 10 days.

Free Distribution Idea: Save the PDF file to your computer, then attach the PDF to e-mails and send it to all of your friends! Please also post links to the PDF online – on profiles, message boards, etc. 

Thank you for taking action for animals!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Action for Animals has created a Valentine's Day flyer that promotes vegan/vegetarianism that you can find in PDF form at http://students.washington.edu/careuw/Haveaheartred.pdf

The flyer addresses reasons to be vegan that are related to the heart and love: Have a Heart (animal cruelty), Vegetarians Make Better Lovers (impotence), Be Kind to Your Heart (heart disease), and Love Your Mother (the environment).

Please read the flyer yourself, and then we encourage you to share it with others. You can print it out to give to family and friends, include with your Valentine's Day cards, or pass out at busy locations. You can also attach the PDF to e-mails that you send to your family and friends.

Thank you for caring about animals this holiday!

We have started this blog on our MySpace page in an effort to discover effective ways of promoting veganism. Please tell us why you went vegan or vegetarian, what motivated you, and what was your turning point?
 
Please try to be specific about what prompted you to go vegan or vegetarian—not just the reasons why one should go vegan or vegetarian.
 
If there were any tactics that you feel kept you from being vegan sooner or were not effective, please elaborate on those as well.
 
If you have MySpace, please login, go to our page, and post your reply as a comment on our “Why Did You Go Vegan or Vegetarian?” blog.
 
http://www.myspace.com/actionforanimals 
  
If you do not have a MySpace account, please comment this journal with your survey response.
 
Thank you for helping us be a more effective voice for the animals!

List of companies that DON'T test on animals:

http://www.caringconsumer.com/pdfs/companiesDontTest.pdf

 

List of companies that DO test on animals:

http://www.caringconsumer.com/pdfs/companiesDoTest.pdf

The day after Thanksgiving is Fur-Free Friday, a day on which anti-fur protests are held throughout the country. Please take the time to speak out for the animals -- whether you attend a protest, write a letter to a company that sells fur to ask them to stop doing so, tell a friend about the cruelty of the fur industry, etc. -- because every voice counts and yours is important because millions of animals throughout the world suffer at the hands of the fur industry.

Animals in fur farms are exposed to the cold with little or no shelter, and often go crazy from living in their isolated and barren cages. They are killed by the cheapest methods that avoid spilling their blood on their fur; these methods include suffocation, anal or vaginal electrocution, or neck snapping. In some countries that provide fur to the world market, animals have been filmed being skinned alive.

Animals who are trapped in the wild either have their legs caught when they step into painful steel-jawed traps, are snared by metal-wire snare traps, or are caught in full body Conibear traps. Beavers, for example, are often caught underwater in Conibear traps and usually drown.  If the trap is baited with food, the animal will often get his or her head caught in the steel jaws of the trap. Many animals chew off their own limbs to escape from leghold traps. If an animal is still alive when the trapper returns, his or her neck will be snapped or the trapper will crush the animal’s lungs, resulting in painful suffocation. Leghold traps also pose a danger to companion animals and non-target species. Every year untold numbers of dogs, cats, and non-fur bearing animals accidentally step in steel-jawed leghold traps.

These cruelties will stop when people stop buying fur and fur-trimmed garments. We must protest stores that continue to sell fur items and educate consumers so that there is no longer a demand for animal fur.

For more info about the fur industry, check out www.furisdead.com

One person CAN make a difference -- becoming vegan saves the lives of an estimated 100 animals per year. Vegan can be defined as "one who strives to consume no products that directly contribute to animal suffering (i.e. meat, dairy, eggs, fur, wool, leather, animal-tested products, etc.)".

To learn more about veganism, you can request a FREE vegan starter pack from Action for Animals. It includes information about factory farming, health, and the environment, and also some vegan recipes and awesome stickers.

Visit http://www.afa-online.org/starterpack.html