How to Use Google to Learn about Veganism 

Last summer I organized a picnic for a few friends at a park near my apartment, making a pot of vegan macaroni ’n cheese and folding in peas and tofu “bacon” bits. It was very tasty, if I do say so myself, and my omnivorous friends agreed.

“I’d have you over for dinner,” one of them said casually, “but I wouldn’t know what to feed you besides celery.”

Isn’t it funny how we pick up our phones to Google the most random things—“Where is the tallest building in the world?” “Are penguins monogamous?” and “Which film director has won the most Academy Awards?”—but we just shrug when it comes to “easy vegan recipes”?

Resourcefulness is an essential element of creativity, my friends. So, use Google for answers to the obvious questions:

Why do people choose not to eat or wear any animal products?
What are the health benefits of a plant-based diet?
How does a vegan get protein? Calcium? Iron?
Why is dairy bad for me?
How can I do a plant-based diet on a tight budget?
What vegan dishes can I cook so I still feel satisfied?
Why isn’t honey vegan?

And when you’re ready, try searching for the disturbing things like “undercover factory farm footage” or “animal agriculture environmental effects.” There’s a ton of information out there that’s infinitely more important than where Taylor Swift went to high school, but it’s up to you to type it in.