Vegans of Instagram

Your source for everything vegan on Instagram.
instagram.com/VegansofIG
Speaking from experience, omnivore guys suck at picking up vegan girls. Most men will say anything to get in a girl’s pants, right? “No way! Sixpence None the Richer is my favorite band too!” So why is it that when I bring up that I’m a vegan most men can’t keep up the act and make an effort to relate to me? “You’re vegan? That’s awesome. Tempeh is the jam!” Instead I get something along the lines of  “I don’t think we can be friends, I love cheese too much.” If you value something as superfluous as *coagulated milk fat* over spending time with a cool person, I’m not interested either. Just because someone is not a vegan, doesn’t mean I won’t be friends or start a relationship with them. If you’re a good person and respectful, I’d love to get to know you. It’s those that judge that don’t get any love from me. It goes the same way. Just because you’re a vegan doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give an omni a chance. You never know, they might be open minded enough to try veganism. In the long run, I don’t think I could end up marrying someone that keeps meat in the fridge, but that wouldn’t stop me from getting to know someone. Omnis: if you try hitting on someone that happens to be vegan. You’ve got to pick up your game. Mocking my lifestyle is a sure fire way to get rejected. Compassion is a turn on. Give peas a chance. #VegansofIG http://instagram.com/p/XsoaEcGiTe/

Speaking from experience, omnivore guys suck at picking up vegan girls. Most men will say anything to get in a girl’s pants, right? “No way! Sixpence None the Richer is my favorite band too!”

So why is it that when I bring up that I’m a vegan most men can’t keep up the act and make an effort to relate to me? “You’re vegan? That’s awesome. Tempeh is the jam!” Instead I get something along the lines of  “I don’t think we can be friends, I love cheese too much.” If you value something as superfluous as *coagulated milk fat* over spending time with a cool person, I’m not interested either.

Just because someone is not a vegan, doesn’t mean I won’t be friends or start a relationship with them. If you’re a good person and respectful, I’d love to get to know you. It’s those that judge that don’t get any love from me. It goes the same way. Just because you’re a vegan doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give an omni a chance. You never know, they might be open minded enough to try veganism.


In the long run, I don’t think I could end up marrying someone that keeps meat in the fridge, but that wouldn’t stop me from getting to know someone.

Omnis: if you try hitting on someone that happens to be vegan. You’ve got to pick up your game. Mocking my lifestyle is a sure fire way to get rejected. Compassion is a turn on. Give peas a chance. #VegansofIG

http://instagram.com/p/XsoaEcGiTe/

furfreela: Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! ♥ The cat and fox pictured above have been friends for years. They live on the shores of Lake Van in Turkey and are often seen playing together. Look at how happy they are? It’s hard to image that both cats and foxes are victims of the fur trade, but sadly they are. Please vow never to buy or wear real fur. Compassion is the fashion! P.S. If you’re in LA this weekend, join us at our KITSON fur free demo this Saturday 2/16 on Robertson Blvd!

furfreela:

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! ♥

The cat and fox pictured above have been friends for years. They live on the shores of Lake Van in Turkey and are often seen playing together.
Look at how happy they are?

It’s hard to image that both cats and foxes are victims of the fur trade, but sadly they are. Please vow never to buy or wear real fur. Compassion is the fashion!

P.S. If you’re in LA this weekend, join us at our KITSON fur free demo this Saturday 2/16 on Robertson Blvd!

This is so upsetting. It further proves that politics are just as important as advocacy. When these scumbags that have agribusinesses in their back pocket get elected —THIS happens. Both The Humane Society and Mercy For Animals have halted their undercover camera investigations into animal cruelty in five farm states, including Iowa and Utah where these ad-gag laws went into effect last year. “If somebody comes on somebody else’s property, through fraud or deception or lying, that is a serious violation of people’ rights,” said Iowa Governor Terry Branstad when he signed the bill into law. These activists (whom I greatly admire) that expose grotesque forms of animal abuse that lead to more humane forms of factory farming are the criminals here? Instead of working to prevent the abuse, the meat industry is now vigorously pushing laws to prevent people from finding out about it — to make criminals not out of the animal abusers or those who foist dangerous meat onto school-children, but out of undercover investigators. That’s right: The industry’s response to years of evidence of egregious, and often criminal, animal cruelty and of diseased and adulterated meat entering the market is to attempt to outlaw undercover investigations. In 2011, the meat industry backed laws in four states to make taking photos or videos on farms and slaughterhouses illegal. In 2012, the industry pushed similar laws in 10 states. This year, we expect even more… I just liked to point out that there are some important upcoming elections on March 5th, 2013 and November 4th, 2014. They’re not presidential, but they matter. Politics are dirty, but two can play that game. Let these schmucks know that they lost your vote for protecting animal abusers. #VegansofIG http://instagram.com/p/VaoKc4Gia7/

This is so upsetting. It further proves that politics are just as important as advocacy. When these scumbags that have agribusinesses in their back pocket get elected —THIS happens.

Both The Humane Society and Mercy For Animals have halted their undercover camera investigations into animal cruelty in five farm states, including Iowa and Utah where these ad-gag laws went into effect last year.

“If somebody comes on somebody else’s property, through fraud or deception or lying, that is a serious violation of people’ rights,” said Iowa Governor Terry Branstad when he signed the bill into law.

These activists (whom I greatly admire) that expose grotesque forms of animal abuse that lead to more humane forms of factory farming are the criminals here? Instead of working to prevent the abuse, the meat industry is now vigorously pushing laws to prevent people from finding out about it — to make criminals not out of the animal abusers or those who foist dangerous meat onto school-children, but out of undercover investigators.

That’s right: The industry’s response to years of evidence of egregious, and often criminal, animal cruelty and of diseased and adulterated meat entering the market is to attempt to outlaw undercover investigations.

In 2011, the meat industry backed laws in four states to make taking photos or videos on farms and slaughterhouses illegal. In 2012, the industry pushed similar laws in 10 states. This year, we expect even more…

I just liked to point out that there are some important upcoming elections on March 5th, 2013 and November 4th, 2014. They’re not presidential, but they matter. Politics are dirty, but two can play that game. Let these schmucks know that they lost your vote for protecting animal abusers. #VegansofIG

http://instagram.com/p/VaoKc4Gia7/

Since Valentine’s Day is coming up, I thought I’d do a vegan chocolate post. ❤ Chocolate is vegan. It’s produced from the seed of the cacao tree. The seeds are quite bitter, so it must be fermented to develop flavor. Chocolate is not vegan when cocoa is combined with milk powder or condensed milk. But you can easily make sweet chocolate with vegan ingredients. VeganBaking.net, theppk.com, Chef Chloe, and Oh She Glows are excellent resources for recipes. If you’re looking to give chocolates as gifts, there are a number of vegan chocolate companies: Allison’s Gourmet, Chocolate Decadence, Go Max Foods, Lagusta’s Luscious, Moo Free, NibMor, No Whey! Chocolates, Premium Chocolatiers, Rescue Chocolate, Sweet and Sara. (For Vegan lollypops try Indie Candy or Strawberry Hill) Check out VegNews’s complete up to date list of pretty much every vegan chocolate product on the market. To order vegan chocolates, sweet treats, or have custom goodies made for and your beau check out these shops (stores organized by country) Australia: Vegan Online, Cruelty Free Shop, Vegan Perfection Canada: GoVegan.net, Karmavore UK: Vx, Real Foods, Goodness Direct, Veggie Stuff, Shop Vegan, USA: Natural Candy Store, Abes Market Vegan Essentials, Vegan Store, VeganCuts, Rabbit Food Grocery, Viva La Vegan Grocery, Chicago Vegan Foods, Eat Pastry, Food Fight Grocery Bakeries  Vegan Treats, Capital City Bakery, Cinnaholic (The Vegan Valentine Cake pictured is from Peace Food Cafe in NYC) You can help the animals by ordering a Valentine’s Day gift from Farm Sanctuary with their a chocolate candy heart by Sjaak.  Lord knows I left out a lot, so feel free to leave your favorite vegan chefs, shops, and bakeries in the comments! P.S. Rawtella is awesome. #VegansofIG http://instagram.com/p/VZ8cqiGiX2/

Since Valentine’s Day is coming up, I thought I’d do a vegan chocolate post. ❤

Chocolate is vegan. It’s produced from the seed of the cacao tree. The seeds are quite bitter, so it must be fermented to develop flavor. Chocolate is not vegan when cocoa is combined with milk powder or condensed milk. But you can easily make sweet chocolate with vegan ingredients.

VeganBaking.net, theppk.com, Chef Chloe, and Oh She Glows are excellent resources for recipes.

If you’re looking to give chocolates as gifts, there are a number of vegan chocolate companies: Allison’s Gourmet, Chocolate Decadence, Go Max Foods, Lagusta’s Luscious, Moo Free, NibMor, No Whey! Chocolates, Premium Chocolatiers, Rescue Chocolate, Sweet and Sara.

(For Vegan lollypops try Indie Candy or Strawberry Hill)

Check out VegNews’s complete up to date list of pretty much every vegan chocolate product on the market.

To order vegan chocolates, sweet treats, or have custom goodies made for and your beau check out these shops (stores organized by country)

Australia: Vegan Online, Cruelty Free Shop, Vegan Perfection

Canada: GoVegan.net, Karmavore

UK: Vx, Real Foods, Goodness Direct, Veggie Stuff, Shop Vegan,

USA: Natural Candy Store, Abes Market Vegan Essentials, Vegan Store, VeganCuts, Rabbit Food Grocery, Viva La Vegan Grocery, Chicago Vegan Foods, Eat Pastry, Food Fight Grocery

Bakeries 

Vegan Treats, Capital City Bakery, Cinnaholic

(The Vegan Valentine Cake pictured is from Peace Food Cafe in NYC)

You can help the animals by ordering a Valentine’s Day gift from Farm Sanctuary with their a chocolate candy heart by Sjaak. 

Lord knows I left out a lot, so feel free to leave your favorite vegan chefs, shops, and bakeries in the comments! P.S. Rawtella is awesome. #VegansofIG

http://instagram.com/p/VZ8cqiGiX2/

One argument I hear a lot from omnivores is their concern over the loss of jobs if the meat and dairy industries go under. One can only argue a loss of jobs without understanding how a strong economy works. There’s money to be made with vegan alternatives. As one industry fades, a new industry emerges. It’s the survival of the fittest. New jobs are created with new products in demand. A dairy factory could easily shift into a factory of dairy alternatives. There is still a demand for milk in your coffee or cereal, but it doesn’t have to be dairy. Dairy alternatives like soy, almond, rice, coconut, flax, and hemp milk are on the rise. Take SILK for example. They’re owned by Dean Foods, the largest Dairy company in the world. SILK makes Dean Foods a lot of money. But let’s look at other examples to show why this argument is invalid: The hypothetical “what if the world went vegan over night” is completely illogical. Change happens over time. Did we stop using VHS tapes over night? No. We gradually shifted to DVDs, just like we gradually shifted to online streaming. Do we still use rotary phones, pagers, tape cassettes, or floppy disks? No. But does that mean jobs were lost because those industries went under? No. We started making smart phones, iPods, and flash drives. Economy’s that don’t move on, suffer. Failure to “kill off” your weak industries, drags the entire economy down. A perfect example is Japan’s economy. Instead of creating new and innovative products like their competitors Apple or Samsung, they continued to sell old technology. Most people in Japan still use flip phones. Sony and Panasonic, the former titans of the tech industry, are now just shells of their former selves. They’ve taken a huge blow because they didn’t move forward. Staying behind and supporting dying industries is far worse for the economy.There is no money to be made manufacturing obsolete products. New innovations create new jobs. Eating animal products is not sustainable. Veganism will not happen over night, but as time will tell, a plant based diet is the future. #VegansofIG http://instagram.com/p/VXLF2pmicp/

One argument I hear a lot from omnivores is their concern over the loss of jobs if the meat and dairy industries go under. One can only argue a loss of jobs without understanding how a strong economy works. There’s money to be made with vegan alternatives. As one industry fades, a new industry emerges. It’s the survival of the fittest.

New jobs are created with new products in demand. A dairy factory could easily shift into a factory of dairy alternatives. There is still a demand for milk in your coffee or cereal, but it doesn’t have to be dairy. Dairy alternatives like soy, almond, rice, coconut, flax, and hemp milk are on the rise. Take SILK for example. They’re owned by Dean Foods, the largest Dairy company in the world. SILK makes Dean Foods a lot of money.

But let’s look at other examples to show why this argument is invalid: The hypothetical “what if the world went vegan over night” is completely illogical. Change happens over time. Did we stop using VHS tapes over night? No. We gradually shifted to DVDs, just like we gradually shifted to online streaming. Do we still use rotary phones, pagers, tape cassettes, or floppy disks? No. But does that mean jobs were lost because those industries went under? No. We started making smart phones, iPods, and flash drives.

Economy’s that don’t move on, suffer. Failure to “kill off” your weak industries, drags the entire economy down. A perfect example is Japan’s economy. Instead of creating new and innovative products like their competitors Apple or Samsung, they continued to sell old technology. Most people in Japan still use flip phones. Sony and Panasonic, the former titans of the tech industry, are now just shells of their former selves. They’ve taken a huge blow because they didn’t move forward. Staying behind and supporting dying industries is far worse for the economy.There is no money to be made manufacturing obsolete products. New innovations create new jobs.

Eating animal products is not sustainable. Veganism will not happen over night, but as time will tell, a plant based diet is the future. #VegansofIG

http://instagram.com/p/VXLF2pmicp/

Have you ever posted a picture of vegan food and had one of your omnivore friends comment “where’s the beef?” Yeah… This is the perfect answer because when you go vegan, no body gets hurt. ✌ #VegansofIG http://instagram.com/p/VXABqdGiSS/

Have you ever posted a picture of vegan food and had one of your omnivore friends comment “where’s the beef?” Yeah…

This is the perfect answer because when you go vegan, no body gets hurt. ✌ #VegansofIG

http://instagram.com/p/VXABqdGiSS/

After the success of our first meetup at Mohawk Bend, we’ve decided to make them a monthly shindig on the last Saturday of the month. Our next meetup is on February 23rd at The Pub at Golden Road from 8-11pm. Golden Road is a huge space, so they’ll still be plenty of room for all of us. Yes it is a pub, but they have a lot of vegan options. However, since I am reserving tables, I’ll need a rough idea of who’s coming so I can group everyone together. When you arrive, you can tell the front desk you’re part of Amy’s party. (That’s me) I’ll have signs at each table that say *Vegans of Instagram.* If you’re on FB, you can find all of the upcoming events at: Facebook.com/VegansofIG/events For future meet ups we had a couple of cool ideas. @jessetenorio suggested we take a trip up to Farm Sanctuary’s Animal Acres when they have group tours on Sundays. @viva_la_vegan suggested we have potlucks during the summer. ☀ I’m totally down for both if you are. I’m trying to announce vegan events going on worldwide. So if you hear of something fun or are organizing a meet up in your city, let me know and I’ll be happy to re-post it here. I’m sorry I’m limited to hosting events in LA, but I encourage you to plan something of your own. Okay. Sound good? Hope to see ya soon! #VegansofIG  http://instagram.com/p/VUmqKBGiTC/

After the success of our first meetup at Mohawk Bend, we’ve decided to make them a monthly shindig on the last Saturday of the month. Our next meetup is on February 23rd at The Pub at Golden Road from 8-11pm.

Golden Road is a huge space, so they’ll still be plenty of room for all of us. Yes it is a pub, but they have a lot of vegan options. However, since I am reserving tables, I’ll need a rough idea of who’s coming so I can group everyone together.

When you arrive, you can tell the front desk you’re part of Amy’s party. (That’s me) I’ll have signs at each table that say *Vegans of Instagram.* If you’re on FB, you can find all of the upcoming events at: Facebook.com/VegansofIG/events

For future meet ups we had a couple of cool ideas. @jessetenorio suggested we take a trip up to Farm Sanctuary’s Animal Acres when they have group tours on Sundays. @viva_la_vegan suggested we have potlucks during the summer. ☀ I’m totally down for both if you are.

I’m trying to announce vegan events going on worldwide. So if you hear of something fun or are organizing a meet up in your city, let me know and I’ll be happy to re-post it here. I’m sorry I’m limited to hosting events in LA, but I encourage you to plan something of your own.

Okay. Sound good? Hope to see ya soon! #VegansofIG 

http://instagram.com/p/VUmqKBGiTC/

Valentine’s Day is coming up so it’s the perfect time to give you the 411 on flowers. More than 70% of the world’s cut flowers are grown in South America, especially in countries where stringent pesticide restrictions do not exist or are extremely limited. To produce flowers quickly and cheaply, industrial flower farmers use massive amounts of carcinogenic pesticides and herbicides, using energy-consuming, growth-stimulating strategies. Heated greenhouses, intense fertilizers, growth hormones, and artificial lighting are used to force flowers to grow faster and out of season. Because flowers are not consumed, they are not tested for pesticide residues, and there is no legal requirement to do so. Flowers are literally drenched in pesticides and preservative prior to shipment. Our environment takes a heavy hit as the runoff from the fertilizers and chemicals washes off into surrounding streams, contaminating the plants and animals in the environment. Buying fair trade flowers is VERY important because workers are underpaid and often get sick exposed to so many toxic chemicals. Thing is, all of this is easily avoidable if you don’t buy commercial flowers. So where can you find chemical-free, unprocessed flowers? All natural markets (like Whole Foods) will carry organic, fair trade flowers. If you’re sending someone flowers online, there are a ton of organic flower companies that deliver like OrganicBouquet.com. Or you can always pick your own flowers, or screw the flowers and just give some vegan chocolates instead. Have a happy, environmentally friendly Valentine’s Day everyone! #VegansofIG http://instagram.com/p/VSTxWymiR5/

Valentine’s Day is coming up so it’s the perfect time to give you the 411 on flowers.

More than 70% of the world’s cut flowers are grown in South America, especially in countries where stringent pesticide restrictions do not exist or are extremely limited. To produce flowers quickly and cheaply, industrial flower farmers use massive amounts of carcinogenic pesticides and herbicides, using energy-consuming, growth-stimulating strategies. Heated greenhouses, intense fertilizers, growth hormones, and artificial lighting are used to force flowers to grow faster and out of season.

Because flowers are not consumed, they are not tested for pesticide residues, and there is no legal requirement to do so. Flowers are literally drenched in pesticides and preservative prior to shipment. Our environment takes a heavy hit as the runoff from the fertilizers and chemicals washes off into surrounding streams, contaminating the plants and animals in the environment. Buying fair trade flowers is VERY important because workers are underpaid and often get sick exposed to so many toxic chemicals.

Thing is, all of this is easily avoidable if you don’t buy commercial flowers. So where can you find chemical-free, unprocessed flowers? All natural markets (like Whole Foods) will carry organic, fair trade flowers. If you’re sending someone flowers online, there are a ton of organic flower companies that deliver like OrganicBouquet.com. Or you can always pick your own flowers, or screw the flowers and just give some vegan chocolates instead.

Have a happy, environmentally friendly Valentine’s Day everyone! #VegansofIG

http://instagram.com/p/VSTxWymiR5/

Here’s another chapter of the vegan, cruelty free, and eco friendly pet series. This post on pet accessories and toys: 1⃣ Sometimes dogs can have some seriously foul breath. Often times it’s diet related, but sometimes dogs eat poop and you literally have to clean that shit up. I used Kissable All Natural Pet Toothpaste. No nasty chemicals or added chicken flavoring. When dogs have bad teeth it can lead to a number of health problems, so the occasional brushing will help with healthy teeth and gums. 2⃣ Simply Fido Organic Pet Toys are awesome! If your pup is going to be chewing on a toy for hours, it’s best to make sure your little one isn’t ingesting any icky chemicals. SimplyFido toys are made with organic cotton and colored with low impact dyes. Not only do the dyes use less water and generate less waste, but they’re non toxic. Most importantly, my three dogs really enjoy playing with them. 3⃣ West Paws Design offer a number of eco friendly, made in the USA dog toys. Their products are made from recycled materials. ♻ Don’t like giving your dog an animal bone or a pig ear to chew on? Me neither. Their “Hurley” dog bone is durable and can withstand lots of chewing. It can work as a ball, bone, or stick. Plus it’s made from 100% recycled materials and is non-toxic. 4⃣ A lot of pet related illnesses come from a poor diet. However some pets have allergies or pre-existing conditions. For example, my dog Jesse James was found in a dumpster with burn marks all over his back. His skin has always been super sensitive. I add one teaspoon of The Flying Basset’s Essential Fatty Acid Oil to his food. All plant based, organic ingredients. Neem oil is really good for dry skin as well, which is why I really like Doggie Sudz Organic Shampoo & Conditioner. What products do your pets enjoy? Oh, and in case you were wondering, I buy all of my pet’s products from  Healthy Spot and VeganEssentials.com #VegansofIG http://instagram.com/p/VSTxWymiR5/

Here’s another chapter of the vegan, cruelty free, and eco friendly pet series. This post on pet accessories and toys:

1⃣ Sometimes dogs can have some seriously foul breath. Often times it’s diet related, but sometimes dogs eat poop and you literally have to clean that shit up. I used Kissable All Natural Pet Toothpaste. No nasty chemicals or added chicken flavoring. When dogs have bad teeth it can lead to a number of health problems, so the occasional brushing will help with healthy teeth and gums.

2⃣ Simply Fido Organic Pet Toys are awesome! If your pup is going to be chewing on a toy for hours, it’s best to make sure your little one isn’t ingesting any icky chemicals. SimplyFido toys are made with organic cotton and colored with low impact dyes. Not only do the dyes use less water and generate less waste, but they’re non toxic. Most importantly, my three dogs really enjoy playing with them.

3⃣ West Paws Design offer a number of eco friendly, made in the USA dog toys. Their products are made from recycled materials. ♻ Don’t like giving your dog an animal bone or a pig ear to chew on? Me neither. Their “Hurley” dog bone is durable and can withstand lots of chewing. It can work as a ball, bone, or stick. Plus it’s made from 100% recycled materials and is non-toxic.

4⃣ A lot of pet related illnesses come from a poor diet. However some pets have allergies or pre-existing conditions. For example, my dog Jesse James was found in a dumpster with burn marks all over his back. His skin has always been super sensitive. I add one teaspoon of The Flying Basset’s Essential Fatty Acid Oil to his food. All plant based, organic ingredients. Neem oil is really good for dry skin as well, which is why I really like Doggie Sudz Organic Shampoo & Conditioner.

What products do your pets enjoy?

Oh, and in case you were wondering, I buy all of my pet’s products from  Healthy Spot and VeganEssentials.com #VegansofIG

http://instagram.com/p/VSTxWymiR5/