Not to be all, “back when I was your age…” but back when I was your age, it was hard to find other people in my culinary situation to connect with. None of my friends at school were VegHeads; neither was anyone I knew at camp. And without other teenage vegetarians to commiserate with in the real world (or enable me to not be the only one at the barbecue eating veggie burgers, again), I had very little sense of community—or that there even was a community of people like me out there. I thought I was just a little weird.
Now today, we have this amazing invention called the Internet (yes, the Internet existed when I was grappling with many of the same issues you are…but let’s just say it wasn’t quite what it is today). In all seriousness, your computer is an amazing tool when it comes to finding your people—vegetarians, the vampire-obsessed, cupcake fiends—whatever it is that defines you. So even if you haven’t encountered other VegHeads in real time, there are a number of resources that can allow a Red Head in New Jersey to help one in Arizona figure out a kind way of explaining to Grandma for the eight-thousandth time that she doesn’t want to eat her famous meatballs anymore. Another way you can use the Internet to your advantage: a quick Google search can help you track down local groups that might host events like vegetarian food fairs or dinners out at veg-friendly restaurants where you can connect with real people.* Searching around on the Web can also help you find national organizations that provide support in the form of information to support your case for going veg, resources for getting more VegHead options at school, recipes, and more.
*Disclaimer: Never, never, never meet someone you’ve met on the Internet alone or in private. Busy coffee shop, diner, or mall. Friend by your side. Got it?
In addition to that newfangled Internet thing, there are a number of books, magazines, and movies that can help you arrive at your happy place on the VegHead spectrum, ensure you’re well fed at all times, and give you ammunition to support your decision should difficult relatives try to get in your way.
Below, some of the top sources to help you on your journey.
If you haven’t yet, take a few minutes to check out this organization. As I’ve mentioned just a few times in this book, the goal of Meatless Monday is to get everyone to start each week with a meat-free day to improve their health and that of the planet. If you’re just getting started, you can take a pledge to go meatless on Mondays, which may give you the accountability you need to follow through on that goal. You’ll also find resources for helping your school, family, and more participate in Meatless Monday, as well as up-to-date news on plant-based diets and tons of vegetarian recipes.
This nonprofit organization is dedicated to educating the public on vegetarianism. Their website is a terrific place to visit for far more detailed coverage of surprising sources of meat and animal products than I was able to cover in this book, results of the many polls the organization takes of vegetarians, information for vegetarian athletes, as well as Frequently Asked Questions for vegetarian teens, and information about a college scholarship for vegetarian high school students.
This vociferous animal rights organization speaks up against animal cruelty in all forms and is a staunch supporter of vegan diets. Depending on your views, PETA might be a bit extreme for your taste—they tend to use attention-grabbing tactics to get headlines. But if you care to, you’ll learn a lot from PETA’s articles on factory farming, the impacts of meat production on the environment, and more. You might also want to check out PETA2 (www.peta2.org), PETA’s youth division, for fun features like their Most Vegan-Friendly College Contest and Cutest Vegetarian Alive awards.
This database of vegetarian restaurants can help you locate a suitable spot in any corner of the world you may find yourself in, from Austin, Texas, to Zurich, Switzerland. It also includes veg-friendly stores for picking up groceries. In addition, the site has a community section where you can connect with others; message boards cover topics ranging from being a vegetarian runner to converting from vegetarian to vegan.
The website for this magazine is not just for vegetarians; however, I love to send non-meat-eaters to it for the wide range of recipes as well as their sound nutrition advice, reasonable articles, and blog posts that can help you move toward a more plant-based diet. And since Eating Well is a food magazine above all, the focus always is where it should be—on the yumminess. With features like “5 Amazing Thanksgiving Entrees for Vegetarians” and “Vegetarian St. Patrick’s Day Menu,” you’ll forget all about turkey and corned beef.
What started as a cable access TV show about vegan cooking has morphed into a community-based website and line of sassy vegan cookbooks (Vegan with a Vengeance and Veganomicon, to name a few). Isa Chandra Moskowitz pens hearty recipes like tamale shepherd’s pie and quarter pounder beet burger, as well as a blog highlighting her adventures in vegan cooking. And the very active “Forum” section houses conversations on everything from where to get a certain meatless meat product in your city to cruelty-free nail polish brands (who knew?).
This site has nothing to do with vegetarians at all, but can be very helpful if you are one. A network of local groups, Meetup can help you find a group of people who share your interests in your city or town who “meet up” for in-person get-togethers. When I plug in my zip code and search “vegetarian,” I get a choice of more than thirty groups that meet regularly. My favorite one is called “V-Rock!,” a group that sounds very VegHead in its approach and meets up for activities like dinner at a hip new pizzeria (with veg and vegan options) and a picnic at a fun park on the water—maybe I’ll join them for their next event. You need to be eighteen or older to sign up for Meetup—if you’re not old enough, team up with your mom or dad to join and seek out interesting groups; there may be a family meetup with your names written all over it.
The online home of this book—enough said!
By Michael Pollan
The young reader’s edition of this popular adult book (the original is titled The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals) takes you on an undercover journey to the supermarket, exposing what’s really in the foods we all eat and how they got from field, farm, or factory to your plate. If you’ve ever wondered where that chicken nugget really came from or what it means when an apple is labeled “organic,” this is the book for you.
By Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson
After reading this young reader’s adaptation of the adult book Fast Food Nation, that Happy Meal you used to love may not put much of a smile on your face anymore. Schlosser takes a close look at what really goes on at the large-scale farms, slaughterhouses, and meatpacking plants that supply fast-food restaurants; he also packs the book with fascinating information about how companies target their advertising and marketing efforts directly at you, the young consumer. The best part, however, is the action steps telling you what you can do to fight against the distasteful practices you’ve just read about (and going vegan, while it’s one approach you can take, is not the only option).
Vegetarian and vegan is the focus of this magazine, with a website that touts “the world’s largest collection of vegetarian recipes.” And while meal ideas pack the magazine’s beautiful pages, it’s also filled with useful articles on green living and staying healthy. You don’t have to be a full-time veg to enjoy this magazine; it welcomes flexitarians who are experimenting with plant-based diets as well.
This magazine’s tagline sums it up: “Vegan. Think. Eat. Thrive.” VegNews will keep you up to date on the latest news about veganism, delicious new products, vegan recipes, interviews with veg celebrities, and more. You can also sign up for a newsletter and recipe club on their extensive website.
This film exposes some hard-to-watch realities about the food industry that supplies most of what we eat here in the U.S. Do corporations and even the government put profits ahead of the health of our citizens and the environment? We’re producing more food that’s bigger and better than ever…but at what costs? This movie has its opinion, but it’s up to you to decide whether or not you agree with what it has to say. And rather than end on a depressing note, it culminates with easy steps you can take in your life to fix the food system (if you’re reading this book, you’ve already taken one of them—go you!).
www.morganspurlock.com/super-size-me
Surprise! Fast food isn’t good for you. So it’s not rocket science. But how bad is it really? Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock sets out to learn just that. For thirty days, Spurlock is his own guinea pig, eating nothing but McDonald’s for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Not only does he gain nearly twenty-five pounds, Spurlock also sees his cholesterol shoot up and his liver begin to develop fatty deposits, and experiences mood swings and other unpleasant side effects. Now, does eating McDonald’s every once in a while have the same impact as having it three meals a day for a month straight? Unlikely. But this movie uses his experiment to take a closer look at the influence the fast-food industry has on how we eat in this country and is an interesting story for VegHeads and meat-eaters alike.
If you’re wondering how going veg can improve your health, this film will provide you with loads of compelling evidence. It highlights the research of two scientists, T. Colin Campbell and Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., whose research at esteemed institutions Cornell University and the Cleveland Clinic respectively have concluded that diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer can be prevented or even reversed by eating a plant-based diet. Because of its focus on diseases that many adults struggle with, Forks Over Knives may be the perfect film to share with parents and grandparents who have questioned your decision to move toward a plant-based diet.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to just go “cold Tofurky” and give up all animal products? This documentary makes an experiment of just that: the filmmakers track three meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers who pledge to go completely vegan for six weeks. Their experiences living in the real world and dealing with skeptical relatives may sound familiar to a lot of VegHeads. And their education into the meat and dairy industries will teach you a few things that may inform your own decisions about what you eat.