Veganism on TODAY

screenshot from today.com

Yesterday, this segment about veganism aired on TODAY as part of their series about "diet trends."

Now, don't get me wrong, I think it's awesome that TODAY showcased veganism! Really, I do. But I can't help feeling like they missed the mark a little bit.

I'll take a pass on the whole veganism-as-a-diet-"trend" part, but there are a few other points that I'd like to take a moment to address:

1. You *do not* have to "go out of your way" to make sure you're getting enough protein. There is protein in practically everything, including beans, nuts, and especially meat substitutes. Also, Americans are largely over-proteinated.
2. B12 does not come exclusively from animal sources, that's why you can find vegan B12 supplements! The easiest way to make sure you're getting all your vitamins (including B12) is by taking a vegan multivitamin every day. Actually, I think just about everybody should probably take a multivitamin. Don't assume that a non-vegan diet is any healthier than a vegan diet, or that it guarantees you're getting all your vitamins and minerals!
3. There is so much more to vegan food than just hummus and stir-fry. I'm really disappointed that they didn't use this opportunity to showcase some of the more enticing vegan meal options available. I'm a big fan of the expression, "Anything you can eat I can eat vegan!"
4. Sorry if I'm bursting anyone's bubble here, but not all wines, beers, and liquors are vegan. Barnivore.com is a great resource for determining what is and isn't.

All that aside, this clip is a really great introduction to veganism, especially for those who might be confused about what "vegan" means. It would be a great resource to share with friends and family members who are having trouble wrapping their brain around your veganism, this is probably the perfect thing to send their way.

Or, if you're not a vegan or vegetarian but you have a vegan in your life, I HIGHLY recommend giving it a watch.

TODAY, I have a simple suggestion for you: next time, have your segment about veganism be presented by an actual vegan. :)

I assure you, nobody rocks at explaining how to be vegan quite like us vegans!

screenshot from today.com

[Click the image above to watch the full video of the segment on today.com]

Meet Me, Part 2: VA Life

Hey, y’all! Welcome back to Vegan in VA for the second installment of my Meet Me Series. In Part 1, I gave you a basic introduction to me and now I’d like to briefly introduce you to my home - Hampton Roads, VA. _________________ I’d like to begin by clarifying something for those of you who aren’t familiar with my little corner of VA. The area where I live is referred to by several names: Southeastern Virginia, Tidewater, Hampton Roads, the 757, and, most recently, Coastal Virginia. It’s kind of a running joke that our area has a bit of an identity crisis and I honestly pity any non-locals who try to keep it all straight. I’ll probably use all of those names at some point so just know that, whatever I call it, I’m talking about the same area, which includes Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News, Hampton, Suffolk, and Isle of Wight County.

Melody loves technology,
even if she's not always
the most helpful officemate

But anyway, let’s get back onto the topic at hand, shall we? I share an apartment with my husband and our grumpy (and slightly neurotic) old cat named Melody. We live in one of Norfolk’s many beautiful, historic neighborhoods, in delightful proximity to a ton of shops, restaurants, and places for entertainment. Best of all, we are in the best part of Hampton Roads (aka HRVA) that a vegan could be. We’re lucky enough to have a wide range of restaurants, grocery stores, and farmers markets that offer all kinds of veg-friendly fare. Living here makes a vegan lifestyle so easy! It’s really fantastic and we are grateful every single day to live in a place that is so understanding and accepting of our lifestyle.

that time a giant rubber
duck appeared in the
Hague in front of the
Chrysler Museum

As much as I love food (and I love food A LOT!) there are so many other reasons why living in HRVA gets me stoked. Living here means I’m just a short drive from the Atlantic Ocean. The beach is one of my favorite places to be, so this is a Big Deal for me. There are also various museums (many of which don’t exploit animals for entertainment, thankfully) that cover science (the Air and Space Museum), local history (the Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe), art (the Chrysler Museum), and much more. Plus, there’s an abundance of outdoor activities available like kayaking, hiking, surfing, and biking - which is my personal favorite! In addition to all that awesomeness, HRVA is also a great place to be a geek (and I’m a big one). We have locally-owned video game and comic book stores, the Tidewater Comicon, and an annual lightsaber battle every May. I’m a history nerd, too, and since VA is literally where America began there is no end of cool historic things to do - including visiting the Historic Triangle (i.e. Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown).

live music at Harborfest, an
annual event on the
Elizabeth River

What I love most though is that, even though I’ve lived my whole life here in Hampton Roads, I’m still discovering new and exciting things to do and see and places to go. Plus, with our wonky but awesome weather, you can do just about anything at just about any time of the year. Some people might find it lame that I’ve lived in the same place my whole life, but I tell you what: I love it here! HRVA has been a wonderful place to grow up and start my family. I can’t even imagine any place else being able to offer all that HRVA can. But what about you: What do you love about your hometown? Tell me in the comments! Click here to read the previous post in this series < Meet Me Part 1: Welcome to Vegan in VA

Click here to read the next post in this series

Meet Me Part 3: Going Veg >