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Animals endure immense suffering on factory farms, and many individuals and organizations are working to improve their living conditions. But are these efforts enough?

Toni Vernelli, former head of communications for the Veganuary program, believes they are. She argues that eliminating animal products from one’s diet is a waste of time and has said that “diet change shouldn’t even be a part of the conversation.” Vernelli now works for FarmKind, an organization that encourages people to set aside personal dietary change and […]

My dinner last night was an amazing salad with lots of greens and chopped vegetables,  almonds, quinoa, chickpeas, and strips of plant-based chicken. Plus a splash of red wine vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil. It was super-satisfying and healthy. Yes, healthy even with the processed plant-based chicken.

There is a lot of fear around plant-based meats and their ingredient lists. It’s a fear that is exploited by the meat industry and by pro-meat wellness influencers. But even some advocates […]

Just after the election last year, I wrote about veganism as a source of empowerment. That is, every time you choose a vegan meal, you take a stand against injustice. It might feel like a small thing, but it’s a daily reminder that change is possible.  

I hope you’ll take a peek at my new substack newsletter Resistance Kitchen. It’s a place where I hope to explore the ways in which food choices can be one way we push back […]

Advocates for animal agriculture and for the meat, egg, and dairy industries are eager to disparage plant-based alternatives of all kinds. They do it by focusing on ingredient lists and the fact that these foods, particularly veggie meats, are “ultra-processed.”

We vegans should be careful that we don’t help them. Too often, people advocating for a plant-based diet support the idea that healthy eating relies on foods made with “clean” ingredients. I see it in the comments on social media when I post […]

My husband and I are scheduling a short trip to visit friends this month. I’m a planner, which means I’ve been busy reading restaurant menus online and compiling a list of any that look promising for vegan dining. I wasn’t surprised to see that several restaurants boast that none of their dishes contain seed oils.  

It’s not my first personal run-in with the anti-seed oil crowd. At a recent gathering, a family member recoiled in absolute horror […]

Seven years ago, Carol Adams and I wrote Protest Kitchen to explore the impacts of plant-based diets on injustice and oppression. We wrote it in response to the election of Donald Trump and wanted to call it The Anti-Trump Diet. The editors thought it would become outdated too quickly with that title.

If only it were so.

I spent most of yesterday, the day after the 2024 election, talking to […]

No matter how often it happens it’s always big news when a vegan celebrity starts eating meat. I’m not sure I even knew that Lizzo was eating a vegan diet until she stopped eating a vegan diet. She says she needed to add more protein to her diet and that adding animal foods cured her brain fog. (This is according to People magazine, so take it for what it’s worth.)

I don’t know Lizzo’s situation– maybe she really did need […]

When I first moved to western Massachusetts, a new acquaintance invited my husband and me to dinner with a couple she wanted us to meet. She said we had a lot in common with them because of the “food thing.”  I wasn’t entirely surprised to learn that this meant that one half of the couple avoids GMOs and gluten and is interested in juice fasting. She ordered chicken meat for dinner, so we clearly didn’t have a lot in common over the “food thing.”

Earlier this year, I spent a weekend with family members who my husband and I don’t see often but with whom we remain close. We had organized the weekend, helping with travel arrangements and costs, and — as more or less the family elders–we were looking forward to hosting everyone for dinner on our arrival evening. But when I suggested a vegan restaurant –an especially lovely one—I was told that we needed to find a place that was more “inclusive.” Apparently one family member was eating only meat.

For those of us who […]

Here in western Massachusetts, there is a blanket of snow on the ground, but I’m dreaming about my garden. It’s what gardeners do. If we’re not out and about among the flowers, we’re planning and reading and dreaming about them.

One of the most consequential books I read last year about gardening is A New Garden Ethic by Benjamin Vogt. It advocates for gardening with native plants but is much more than a gardening book. It’s a plea for justice and fairness in the way we view our landscapes and those who […]