Eating Vegan At Walt Disney World

Hi guys! Over Easter, I visited WDW and Universal Studios in Florida. Before I went, I tried to find a list of everywhere that served vegan food, and now with my own experience I've put together a guide of how to eat vegan at WDW and Universal! My original compilation was from a really great website which has apparently dropped off the face of the internet, because I can no longer find it. (If I do later on, I'll link it in.) Although I'm pretty sure, I can't guarantee that everything on this list is vegan as suppliers are constantly changing and I got some of this list from other people, so it's always best to ask your server and they'll usually know, or be able to find out for you.

Walt Disney World

Disney is truly magical when it comes to allergies. I wasn't expecting much, and I was very pleasantly amazed. WDW's advice for anyone with dietary requirements is to inform your server on entering a Quick Service/Table Service establishment. All of the staff were so well-informed and very conscientious and cautious as to not serving me anything that wasn't completely vegan. In addition to this, every food establishment is equipped with an allergen folder, which you can look through if you request. Also, there were a lot of vegan options! Decent vegan food too, not just fries and/or salad!

Magic Kingdom
Kiosks, Carts and Walk Ups
Aloha Isle, Adventureland
Vegan Option: Pineapple Dole Soft Serve and Dole Whip Float, Pineapple Spear
Prince Eric’s Village Market, Fantasyland
Vegan Option: Mickey Pretzels, Pickles, Pineapple Cup, Whole Fruit, Hummus and Chips, Watermelon
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, Main Street USA
Vegan Option: Tofutti and Rice Dream Ice Cream
Cool Ship, Tomorrowland
Vegan Option: Mickey Pretzel
The Lunching Pad, Tomorrowland
Vegan Option: Mickey Pretzels, Soy Milk

Quick Service

Be Our Guest, Fantasyland
Breakfast Vegan Option: Waffles, Oatmeal, Sweet Breads (Erin McKenna’s), Fruit
Lunch Vegan Option: Quinoa Salad, French Onion Soup without cheese
Pinocchio Village Haus, Fantasyland
Vegan Option: Allergy Menu Pizza with Vegan Cheese
Columbia Harbor House, Liberty Square
Vegan Option: Vegetarian Chili without Oyster Crackers, Lighthouse Sandwich without Broccoli Slaw, Steamed Broccoli

Table Service

Jungle Skipper Canteen, Adventureland
Vegan Option: Falls Family Falafel without dip, Curried Vegetable Crew Stew, Sorbet
Be Our Guest, Fantasyland
Vegan Option: Layered Ratatouille
Crystal Palace, Main Street USA
Vegan Option: Veggies, Rice, Pasta, Occasional Tofu Dish, Tofutti Ice Cream – ask Chef for tour of vegan options
Plaza Restaurant, Main Street USA
Vegan Option: Vegetable Sandwich and Root Beer Floats
Tony’s Town Square, Main Street USA
Vegan Option: Pasta Primavera without Feta



EPCOT
Kiosks, Carts and Walk Ups
L’Artisan des Glaces, World Showcase (France)
Vegan Option: Waffle Cone and Fruit Sorbet

Quick Service
Sunshine Seasons, Future World
Vegan Option: Vegan Korma with Gardein® Meatless Chik’n, Vegan Flatbread Sandwich, Various Vegan Snacks
Liberty Inn, World Showcase (America)
Vegan Option: Freshly Grilled Gardein® Vegetarian “Chick’n” Breast (order without sauce on as it contains mayo), you can sub Chicken Sandwich for Vegetarian “Chick’n” Breast
Katsura Grill, World Showcase (Japan)
Vegan Option: Veggie Sushi, Edamame
Tangierine Cafe, World Showcase (Morocco)
Vegan Option: Vegetable Platter, Falafel Sliders, Falafel Wrap, ask to see pita ingredients as supplier often changes

Table Service
Coral Reef Restaurant, Future World
Vegan Option: Crabless Cakes, Earth Balance Vegan Butter Available, Vegan Rolls
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, World Showcase (Norway)
Breakfast Vegan Option: Vegan Mickey waffles (must ask chef), potatoes, fruit
Lunch/Dinner Vegan Option: Fresh vegetables, lentil patties, salads
Biergarten, World Showcase (Germany)
Vegan Option: Tomato Salad, Green Bean Salad, Beet Salad, Cabbage, Fresh Pickles, Breads, Pretzels, Potato Wedges, Rice with Peas, Sautéed Veggies and Red Cabbage (may contain honey)
Via Napoli, World Showcase (Italy)
Vegan Option: Veggie Pizza without Cheese, Salad, Spaghetti Marinara
Teppan Edo, World Showcase (Japan)
Vegan Option: Yasai Fresh Grilled Vegetables swap beef rice for steamed rice, Edamame
Tokyo Dining, World Showcase (Japan)
Vegan Option: Veggie Sushi, Seaweed Salad, Edamame
Restaurant Marrakesh, World Showcase (Morocco)
Vegan Option: Assorted Mediterranean Salads for Two
Le Cellier, World Showcase (Canada)
Vegan Option: Root Vegetable Gnocchi (without sauce), Earth Balance Butter and Bread
Garden Grill
Vegan Option: Breakfast Platter (Fruit, Mickey Waffles, Hash Browns)
San Angel Inn Restaurante, World Showcase (Mexico)
Vegan Option: A whole vegetarian menu that can easily be made vegan, Guacamole, Vegetable Wraps,  others

Garden Grill
Vegan Breakfast Platter

San Angel Inn Restaurante

I can't remember what this is called oops, it's a starter

San Angel Inn Restaurante

Vegetable Wraps (it's actually a lot bigger than it looks lol)

Animal Kingdom
Kiosks, Carts and Walk Ups

Harambe Fruit Market, Africa
Vegan Option: Fresh Fruits, Vegetables, Pretzels
Mahindi, Africa
Vegan Option: Popcorn, nuts
Tamu Tamu Refreshments, Africa
Vegan Option: Pineapple Whip Soft-serve
Mr. Kamal’s, Asia
Vegan Option: Hummus, Falafel without tzatziki, Samosas
Discovery Island Kiosk, Discovery Island
Vegan Option: Hummus with Vegetables, Chips, Fruit, Soy Milk, Enjoy Life Cookies

Quick Service

Harambe Market, Africa
Vegan Option: Chickpea Salad, Roasted Broccoli, Tomato Salad (all found at Kitamu Grill)
Restaurantosaurus, Dinoland USA®
Vegan Option: Black Bean Veggie Burger is NOT vegan, ask to swap for Gardenburger® Malibu vegan burger
Pizzafari, Discovery Island
Vegan Option: Vegan Pizza on Pita Bread, Daiya Vegan Cheese available

Table Service
Tusker House, Africa
Breakfast Option: Vegan Waffles (upon request), Various Potatoes, Fresh Fruit
Lunch/Dinner Option: Sautéed Vegetables, Couscous, Tabouleh, Tofu with Zucchini, Samosas, Various Dips, Breads
Yak and Yeti Restaurant, Asia
Vegan Option: Vegetable Lo Mein with Tofu (sub for rice or rice noodles), Miso Salmon (swap for tofu), Sweet and Sour Chicken (swap for tofu)
Tiffins, Discovery Island
Vegan Option: Roasted Market Vegetable Curry

Mr. Kamal’s, Asia

Falafel without tzatziki

Restaurantosaurus, Dinoland USA

Gardenburger Malibu vegan burger

Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM)
Kiosks, Carts and Walk Ups
Anaheim Produce, Sunset Boulevard
Vegan Option: Fruit, Pretzels, Chips

Quick Service
Starring Rolls Cafe, Sunset Boulevard
Vegan Option: Chips, Fruit
ABC Commissary, Commissary Lane
Vegan Option: Gardenburger Malibu Burger available upon request, Mediterranean Salad without cheese or dressing, comes with pitta and humous, dressing can be swapped for oil and vinegar upon request
PizzaRizzo, Muppet Courtyard
Vegan Option: Allergy Menu Pizza with Vegan Cheese

Table Service
50’s Prime Time Cafe, Echo Lake
Vegan Option: Spaghetti, Brownie Sundae, Milkshakes, Allergy Meatless Meatballs are NOT vegan, they contain egg
Hollywood and Vine, Echo Lake
Vegan Option: Build Your Own Pasta, Sautéed Vegetables, Vegan Ice Cream
Hollywood Brown Derby, Hollywood Boulevard
Vegan Option: Noodle Bowl (pho)
Sci Fi Dine-In Theatre, Commissary Lane
Vegan Option: Chef created Tofu and Vegetables, Vegetable Burger (ask for Gardenburger® Malibu Patty instead), Vegan Milkshakes
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano, Streets of America
Vegan Option: Pasta with marinara sauce, Rice Dream Ice Cream

ABC Commissary, Commissary Lane

Mediterranean Salad without cheese or dressing

Disney Springs
Kiosks, Carts and Walk Ups
Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC, The Landing
Vegan Option: Bakery full of vegan and gluten free treats including donuts, cupcakes, breads, soft serve
Sprinkles, Town Center
Vegan Option: Vegan Red Velvet Cupcake

Quick Service
Wolfgang Puck Express, Marketplace
Vegan Option: Fresh Fruit Salad
Blaze Pizza, Town Center
Vegan Option: Build Your Own Pizza, Daiya Vegan Cheese Available, Gluten Free and Regular crust are both vegan

Table Service
Morimoto Asia, The Landing
Vegan Option: Edamame, Vegetable Sushi, House Green Salad
Paradiso 37, The Landing
Vegan Option: House-made Guacamole, Chips and Salsa, House Salad without cheese
Portobello Country Italian Trattoria, The Landing
Vegan Option: Salads, Pizza without cheese
Raglan Road, The Landing
Vegan Option: Risotto without cheese
T-Rex, The Landing
Vegan Option: Jurassic Salad, Omnivores Delight Salad, Prehistoric Pasta without cheese
Bongos Cuban Cafe, West Side
Vegan Option: Famous Black Bean Hummus without aioli
Splitsville™ Dining Room, West Side
Vegan Option: Edamame, Pizza without cheese

Typhoon Lagoon
Leaning Palms
Vegan Option: Strawberry Fruit Bar, Roasted Almonds
Avalunch
Vegan Option: Fruit Cup
Lottawatta Lodge
Vegan Option: Mushroom Burger without cheese, Fruit, Side Salad



Blizzard Beach

Leaning Palms
Vegan Option: Side Salad, Fruit Cup
Typhoon Tilly's
Vegan Option: Roasted Almonds/Pecans, Side Salad, Fruit Cup

The water parks were the only Disney parks that I could find almost nothing vegan to eat. There are a few options, but I went for bringing in wraps/sandwiches from home.

Universal Studios

Compared to WDW, Universal's vegan food is sparse. That being said, the servers are still very well-informed and helpful, and there are still some good options. The City Walk is probably the easiest place to find proper vegan food (I highly recommend Cowfish), and there are a few places inside the parks as well.

City Walk
Antojitos
Vegan Option: Vegetarian Enchiladas, others (just ask)
Auntie Anne's
Vegan Option: Pretzel without butter
Dippin' Dots
Vegan Option: Rainbow Ice, Blue Raspberry Ice
Vivo
Vegan Option: Margherita Pizza without cheese, NOT pasta (contains egg)
Cowfish
Vegan Option: Edamame, Fried Pickles, Vegetarian Sushi Roll, Tree Hugger Sushi Roll, Heavenly Veggie Burger

Cowfish
Tree Hugger Sushi Roll

Islands Of Adventure

Burger Digs
Vegan Option: Fries (may be an issue with cross-contamination), Veggie Burger is NOT vegan
Fruit and Veg Stands
Doc Sugrue's Kebab House
Vegan Option: Vegetarian Kebab without sauce

Universal Studios
Three Broomsticks
Vegan Option: Pumpkin Juice, Lemon Squash, Gillywater, Orange Juice, Fizzing Tea, Corn on the Cob without butter, Baked Potato without butter or sour cream, Steamed Veg without butter, Garden Salad with Italian Dressing and Croutons, Roasted Potatoes, Fresh Fruit, Breakfast Potatoes, Old Fashioned Steamed Oats, Sautéed Mushrooms, Potato Wedges, Butterbeer is NOT vegan
Leaky Cauldron
Vegan Option: Sautéed Mushrooms, Breakfast Potatoes, Garden Salad with Italian Dressing and Croutons, Minted Peas, Root Veg, Veg Platter without Apple and Beet Salad and Peasant Bread, Lemon Squash, Gillywater, Orange Juice, Fizzing Tea, Margerine IS vegan, Butterscotch Beer, Butterbeer is NOT vegan
Louie's
Vegan Option: Spaghetti and Meatballs without Meatballs

Louie's
Spaghetti and Meatballs without Meatballs

FAQ Of Me

Good morning! Today's post will hopefully be kinda fun. I asked friends and strangers to ask me questions, and I also wrote down the questions that I'm most commonly asked.

Veganism

When did you become vegan?
June 2015 - almost 2 years ago! I started off only having one or two vegan meals a day, but I’ve been completely vegan for a long time now. :)

Why?
Well, the short-term cause was that I saw a video on how animals in factories are treated, and it disgusted me so much that I stopped eating meat straight away.
Long-term though, I explain a lot of the positive effects of veganism in this post.

What do you actually eat?
CARBS. So many carbs. Basically, I eat what you eat, but without the stuff I don’t eat, and with substitutes instead. (Linda McCartney is the BEST for meat subs, btw.)

Do you miss any foods?
Not really. At the start I did miss foods, especially cheese, but now I’m so accustomed to not eating them and I'm so much more aware of the negative effects of eating animal products. 

Is it difficult?
Again, at the beginning yes, but not anymore. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t vegan so that it was easier to eat at restaurants etc, but I so don’t regret my choice.


Christianity
When did you become a Christian?
Summer 2016. The changes inside me were happening from a lot earlier than that, but Summer was when I really kind of accepted those changes, and allowed myself to label myself.

Why?
Well, that’s a very long story, but if you’re close enough to me and we have enough time I’ll gladly tell it to you. The gist is that I wasn't a very nice person pre-‘conversion’, and I realised that if I was someone else, I wouldn’t want to be friends with me. Therefore, I started to change my attitude and my actions, and as a result my inner feelings and spirituality started to change too. Months passed until I finally realised ‘hey, I believe in a God…??’ and that was the start of the new me (must be said v sarcastically).

What does that mean for your daily life?
Well, on Sunday mornings I go to church, on Wednesday evenings I practice Worship at church (Worship is essentially praising God through singing and playing instruments), on Thursdays I go to Youth Group, I pray everyday, I read some of the Bible everyday, and my outlook has changed.

What denomination are you?
I don’t actually label myself as any denomination, because I haven’t yet found one that defines me correctly. If I do find one eventually, that’d be great; but for now I’m fine with solely being a Christian.

Aren’t all Christians homophobic?
Nope. As probability and population suggest, there are a whole bunch of gay Christians, who obviously won’t be homophobic. Some Christians are, but there are a lot who may not necessarily be pro-gay but they certainly aren't homophobic.

Aren’t all Christians anti-abortion?
Again, nope. I am pro-life (although every case must be treated subjectively) because of my beliefs but there are a lot of Christians who (especially in certain circumstances) will condone abortion.

Aren’t all Christians creationists?Nooooo. There are so many different interpretations of Genesis (where the Adam and Eve story is) and many of them align with evolution and the Big Bang and everything else scientific. I personally don’t know where I stand on the literality/symbolism debate of Adam and Eve, but again I’m not stressing too much over finding an answer quickly. I know I’ll find my answer soon enough, be it correct or not.

Do you just sing hymns all the time?
Seriously, no. Listen to Hillsong/Bethel/Jesus Culture. They are some of the best Worship bands of all time.


Education
You do dossy subjects - aren’t you smart, though?
I do do dossy subjects (Drama and Film), and I am sort of smart. I chose to do subjects I enjoy at college, and those aren’t Maths or Science based. Sorry?

Your GCSE results were amazing - why are you worrying about A Levels?
(For context, I achieved 7A*s and 5As at GCSE.) Because they are SO MUCH HARDER! Seriously, I’m getting Cs and Bs, having never got anything lower than an A pre-college.

What do you want to do at university?
I want to study Theology and Religious Studies. Basically, I want to learn more about different religions and what they believe and their histories, and maybe learn a Biblical language alongside it.

So you want to become a vicar? A nun?
No. That’s the first thing my mum asked me when I told her I wanted to do Theology. Honestly, it’d be a blast to be a nun, but that’s not my calling.

What do you want to be?
Ultimately, an actress. And yes, I know that no one makes it, and I know it’s all down to who you know, and I know it probably won’t happen. But, I’m gonna give it a go anyway.

Are you pressured by your family?
This is the most interesting question I was asked. I’d say that I am, but by the pressure I put on myself to live up to their expectations, not by something they actually do themselves. I want to live up to the examples set by my brothers, and I want to make my parents proud. That’s pressure enough, I guess.


Lifestyle
What’s your favourite… Book?
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. It’s actually recently been made into a Netflix TV show! (Which is really well-done, btw.)

Film?
Zero Day (2003) dir. Ben Coccio. I’ve already talked about how much I adore this movie and it’s characters, and I’ll link the post here.

Musician?
Oh I have no idea… I always love Green Day and the Smashing Pumpkins, but at the moment I’m getting back into Van Halen and Aerosmith. 

Author?
I hate to be all stereotypical-white-girl-tumblr but John Green is an absolute mastermind.

TV Show?
I’ve almost finished the first season of American Horror Story and I’m LOVING it. Also, the Pretty Little Liars final season is airing soon, and I am so so so excited!!

Actor?
Martin Freeman is so talented, and so is Andrew Scott. A very Sherlockian theme to this question but the cast of BBC Sherlock is just too fantastic to not be mentioned!

Musical?
Les Miserables… Closely followed by Miss Saigon. Yep, I’m into the sad ones.

Song?
My all-time favourite has to be Carry On Wayward Son by Kansas but at the moment I’m really loving How Far I’ll Go by Auli’i Cravalho from Moana and Misconceptions 3 by Lecrae feat John Gives, Jgivens, and Jackie Hill Perry.

What song got you into singing?
This is such a tough question! I guess I’ve always loved singing and performing, but my passion really began when I heard On My Own from Les Mis for the first time. What a song.

What Hogwarts house are you?
SLYTHERIN PRIDE. Always have been, always will be. Although, if I could choose a hybrid house it'd be Slytherdor. I used to be kinda Ravenclaw-esque but now I'm a whole lot braver, plus I am very short-tempered.

Do you have any pets?
Aw this was such a cute question. Yep! At the moment I have one cat called Indy, as well as a bunch of pond critters. I used to have another two cats (Ozzie and Freddie), a rabbit (Lady), and three guinea-pigs (Stripe, Chip, and Scruffy) but sadly they are no  longer with us. 

101 Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands

Hi guys! I hope you've had an amazing week off school/college! I'm flat-out refusing to think about going back to college tomorrow, so to distract myself I thought I'd talk about a topic close to my heart: animal testing. Many cosmetic companies (unfortunately) still test on animals, and the best way to fight this is to boycott their products, and buy form cruelty-free brands. These brands are as follows:


1. KAT VON D
2. ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS
3. HOURGLASS
4. URBAN DECAY*
5. ILLAMASQUA
6. TOO FACED*
7. NARS*
8. MILK MAKEUP
9. CHARLOTTE TILBURY
10. MARC JACOBS BEAUTY
11. BECCA*
12. JOSIE MARAN
13. TARTE*
14. COVERFX
15. OCC
16. BITE
17. THEBALM
18. PUR COSMETICS
19. IT COSMETICS*
20. FACE ATELIER
21. CIATE
22. BESAME
23. PERFEKT
24. NUDESTIX
25. BLINC
26. CARGO
27. DUWOP
28. BAREMINERALS*
29. BUXOM*
30. THEBODYSHOP*
31. LUSH
32. EYEKO
33. ARDENCY INN
34. EDWARD BESS
35. KORRES
36. CATRICE
37. JAPONESQUE
38. CHANTECAILLE
39. ELLIS FAAS
40. BY TERRY
41. ROUGE BUNNY ROUGE
42. ELF
43. HARD CANDY
44. MILANI
45. PHYSICIANS FORMULA
46. SONIA KASHUK
47. WETNWILD
48. NYX*
49. JORDANA
50. FLOWER
51. JANE
52. PRESTIGE
53. PIXI
54. PACIFICA
55. MINERAL FUSION
56. ESSENCE
57. BARRY M
58. GOSH
59. MARCELLE
60. ANNABELLE
61. W3LL PEOPLE
62. RMS BEAUTY
63. ILIA
64. KJAER WEIS
65. VAPOUR
66. RED APPLE LIPSTICK
67. JANE IREDALE
68. 100% PURE
69. SAPPHO
70. AU NATURALE
71. ALIMA PURE
72. EVERYDAY MINERALS
73. YOUNGBLOOD
74. LILY LOLO
75. INIKA
76. ANTONYM
77. BELLAPIERRE
78. ZUII ORGANIC
79. MAKEUP GEEK
80. COLOURPOP
81. GLOSSIER
82. BH COSMETICS
83. ZOEVA
84. NATASHA DENONA
85. RITUEL DE FILLE
86. AROMI
87. SUGARPILL
88. GABRIEL COSMETICS
89. MELT
90. DOSE OF COLORS
91. COLOURED RAINE
92. GIRLACTIK
93. CATE MCNABB
94. CAILYN COSMETICS
95. CONCRETE MINERALS
96. SUVA BEAUTY
97. SILK NATURALS
98. FAIRY GIRL
99. AFK COSMETICS
100. PUMPKIN AND POPPY
101. SHIRO

Clicking on the link to each brand will take you to their page on CrueltyFreeKitty's site - be sure to check out the rest of her site, it's so useful!

* = owned by a parent company that does test on animals.

Achievable Aspirations: Veganuary

The final instalment of Achievable Aspirations (taking your total to 4!) is thus:

I challenge you to eat plant-based for a month. If you can't do a month, then try a week! If you can't do a week, try and do meat-free Mondays. Eating less meat is not only good for the planet and (obviously) the animals, it's also incredibly beneficial to your health. If you want to learn a little more about veganism then be sure to check out this post of mine, in which I answer a lot of the common questions about veganism.

If you want to take up the challenge, visit the Veganuary website for more info, or contact me somehow if you have any questions or comments. Happy 2017!

To recap the Achievable Aspirations series: Hobby 'Travel' Confidence and this, Veganuary!

I Am... A Vegan

Recently, I've had many people I know in real life asking me about veganism; why I became vegan, what I eat, what difference it makes to my life etc. In this post, I'd like to answer these questions, and clear up some issues surrounding vegans.

Firstly, what is a vegan?

The word 'vegan' is synonymous with 'plant-based', meaning that we only eat things that come from plants. Therefore, vegans don't eat meat or fish (like vegetarians), but we also don't consume any other animal products e.g. milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, honey, gelatine etc. Also, veganism is more of a lifestyle than a diet, so we also don't use other animal-based products including leather, fur, suede, silk etc.

Why did you become vegan?

In mid 2015, I watched a video on Facebook about how factory-farmed animals are treated and killed, and it really struck a nerve with me. I'm normally okay with gore, loving horror movies, but for some reason, I couldn't stop thinking about this video, and every time I thought about it, I wanted to throw up. I just wasn't aware of what factory animals went through (and are still going though) just to be eaten. On that day, I decided to go vegetarian, and then I changed my mind - I wanted to go vegan. Honestly, it's mainly because I wanted to be different, and vegetarian wasn't daring enough for me, but I'm so glad that it worked out, and nowadays I'm not vegan just to be indie! Now, I'm still shell-shocked by the vile treatment of factory animals, but I'm also staying vegan because I now believe that life is more important than anything else in the world, and this is because of my relationship with God. Even if you aren't religious or spiritual, surely you can appreciate the wonder that is life; human or otherwise. This deep-set marvel of the miracle of life is what keeps me from breaking and just thinking 'screw it, I might as well eat meat'. So now, I've been vegan for almost a year and a half. 

What do you eat?

This is normally the first question that people ask me once they find out that I'm vegan, and I'm still not quite sure how to respond.Whatever you eat minus the items mentioned above, and with substitutes instead. Generally, there are a few different types of vegan 'diets'. Most vegans are HCLF (high carb low fat), but there are also raw vegans, macrobiotics, fruitarians, and an endless list of others. Personally, If I had to categorise myself, I'd be HCLF, because I adore pasta too much to go raw. 

What's good about going vegan?

Apart from saving and/or bettering the lives of countless animals (more than 56 billion animals are killed for food every year, not including fish and other marine animals, are their death toll is so great that they are measured in tonnes), going vegan helps the environment in numerous other ways. For one, livestock is responsible for 51% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, which means that funding the meat industry contributes more to global warming than all transportation exhaust fumes put together. Many of us are worried about climate change, but we aren't told the real reasons for it. Growing crops to feed livestock uses 56% of water in the US. 12% of the world's population does not have access to clean drinking water, and the first world is wasting it mass-producing animals. Furthermore, livestock and feed for livestock covers 45% of the Earth's total land, again because of the large-scale mass-production of farmed animals. Animal agriculture also 'is the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution, and habitat destruction'. Remember when everyone was freaking out because the Great Barrier Reef is dying? That's almost an 'ocean dead zone'. Speaking of oceans, fish are often overlooked by vegetarians and vegans (especially pescatarians, but let's not talk about them), but they are in just as much peril. Fishless oceans could be a possibility by 2048. I will not even be 50 by the time fish are extinct. Will my grandchildren ever be able to see a fish? Not if we keep fishing at the rate we are now. 

In addition to the worldwide benefits, going plant-based is good for your body. When I went vegan, my skin cleared up, my hair got healthier and shinier, I lost weight and felt healthier and happier within myself. Also, not eating meat greatly reduces your risk of heart disease and heart attacks due to high cholesterol and blood pressure. (Plus, it's a super great talking point, so there's never awkward silences when you meet new people. One mention of veganism from a friend and you're in the middle of a heated debate.)

What's bad about going vegan?

I had to think long and hard about this question, but I promised myself that I'd answer it, because I feel the need to be unbiased, especially after last week's politically biased post! Therefore, the negatives to veganism are: 

1) You have to plan every meal. You can't randomly choose to go out to dinner, unless you're sure that where you're going will cater for vegans. Also, when you're at a friend's and they order pizza, you can't have any. :(

2) The MEMES. I personally consider this a positive, but some people get annoyed by the sheer volume of vegan (or should I say anti-vegan) memes out there. For someone who spends as much time online as I do, you can't go an hour without seeing at least five vegan memes. Mainly because you'll always get tagged in them, no matter who by, because you're the only vegan they know. Plus, people love to talk about meat in front of you, which I don't actually mind, but it gets kind of annoying when you're told 'but BACON though!!!' for the tenth time that day.

3) Stigmas. There are so many people who genuinely believe that vegans are all hippies who just eat cabbage and talk about being vegan all day. Contrastingly to this post, I actually don't talk about being vegan that much, it's normally other people who bring it up (Lord knows how they find out I'm vegan). Also, some people dislike you straight away solely because you're vegan, which is kind of ridiculous. What I eat doesn't affect my personality. 

4) Protein. Goodness me, the number of people who've told me I can't survive without meat!!! Clearly, I'm alive. Therefore clearly, I can. It's amazing, when someone finds out what you eat, they somehow immediately become nutritionists! I don't have to take supplements for protein or calcium or other non-vegan-related essentials, but I do prefer to take multivitamins, simply because I always seem to have a cold. This isn't because I don't eat meat (it isn't helped by that either, but still), it's because my immune system has always been slightly awful. 

Didn't God create animals for us to eat?

I don't know, is the honest answer. I personally don't think so, because as stated earlier, I believe that life is more important than anything, so I believe that plants were created for food, and animals were not. I'll refer you to Genesis 1:29 'And God said "Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed... to you it shall be for food"'. Obviously I can only speak as a Christian, and as for other religious people with their own opinions on meat and other food consumption, as well as other Christian's opinions, I cannot speak for their views. 

But cows don't have to die to give milk?

True, in theory. However in practice, this couldn't be more wrong. In order for cows to lactate, just like humans they must be pregnant/breastfeeding a child. Therefore, the cow must have a child before being milked. What is done with this child? If it is male, it is immediately ripped from it's mother and sent to slaughter if it's lucky, or if not, it is brandished in a ring and bid on for hours crying for it's mother, before finally being taken away and slaughtered. If the calf is female, then it is destined for the same life of artificial insemination, disease, and entrapment as her mother. As well as the calves' deaths, many many cows die every year due to filthy living conditions, disease, improper waste disposal, and other microbes which run riot in factory farms. The same microbes which get into your milk and meat.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you've learned something about veganism. If you have any other questions please feel free to contact me with them, and if you know me in real life, please do the same! I'm always happy to answer genuine questions about my lifestyle, and would love to hear your opinions on things. :D 

Statistic creds: Goodland, R Anhang, J., Jacobson, Michael F., Thornton, Phillip, Mario Herrero, Polly Ericksen, Oppenlander, Richard A., National Geographic, animalequality.net.