VegNews Magazine

media & melanin

HOW CAN WE DO MORE than just post a black square? That’s the question I asked our team more than six months ago when we began planning this issue. By June 2020, I was left reeling by the killings of, among others, Ahmaud Arbery in February, Breonna Taylor in March, and George Floyd in May. And I wasn’t alone—these senseless deaths became the kindling that ignited the nation, and over the course of a few weeks, I found myself masked up and armed with bottles of hand sanitizer, joining tens of thousands of people to march peacefully through the streets of Los Angeles. Eight days after George Floyd’s death, #BlackoutTuesday (a collective action to literally “black out” Instagram and bring awareness to how institutionalized and pervasive anti-Black racism is in America) became…

your say

“I know the holidays are coming when I see the Holiday Issue of @VegNews. It’s one of my favorite magazines filled with good vegan recipes and so much more!”@vegan.ohana“@VegNews pulled out all the stops for the 2020 Holiday Issue … I don’t know how they did it, but this is one of the BEST issues I’ve ever seen!”@veggiechel“I always look forward to @VegNews Magazine, and this one did not disappoint! Need happy news and some vegan inspo? You’ll love it!”@frenchgirlwellness Tag your Instagram pics with #vegnews for a chance to be featured in the magazine! “Once my husband realized there’s an all-vegan magazine, he lost it! He won’t stop talking about VegNews’ Beef Wellington recipe.”@_lorri.sbach_ VEGNEWS.COM Must Reads! 1. The VegNews Guide to Vegan Black-Owned Businesses 2. We Tried Dozens of Instagram’s Hottest Wellness Products. Here…

contributors

HAILE THOMAS Let’s Talk About It, p.40 Where I live: Hudson Valley, NY Veg for: Six years My #1 wellness tip: Explore what nourishes you beyond your plate My at-home fitness routine: Tune into my body to see what it needs, whether it’s yoga, a hike, or rest My favorite healthy meal: Anything with tempeh, sweet potatoes, arugula, and tahini Who inspires me: Janaya Future Khan When the world opens up, I’m going to: Iceland CHARLIE FYFFE Pie is For Lovers, p.66 Where I live: Las Vegas, NV Veg for: Eight years My #1 wellness tip: Early dinners for better sleep, digestion, and immune defense My at-home fitness routine: Jumping jacks, yoga, and slow push-ups My favorite healthy meal: Salad with kale, avocado, curried chickpeas, tempeh, quinoa, and tahini dressing When the world opens up, I’m going to: Bali LEMEL DURRAH Heat Wave, p.60 Where I live: Compton, CA Veg…

feeding a revolution

The protests of 2020 were unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Up to 26 million people were estimated to have participated in the marches for George Floyd—a Black man killed in Minneapolis after ex-police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. This made the demonstrations the largest protests in American history, even sparking outrage globally, with protests against police brutality taking place in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America. But for all the international momentum, back in Minneapolis, Floyd’s death hit particularly close to home for restaurateur Louis Hunter. In 2016, Hunter’s cousin Philando Castile, a beloved elementary school cafeteria worker, was killed by police during a traffic stop in St. Paul, MN. The killing became national news, and after protesters took to the streets, Hunter…

news/now

GROCERY GO LD KROGER, the largest supermarket chain in the US, has expanded its Simple Truth line to include 50 new vegan products. After generating more than $2.5 billion in sales in 2019 alone, Simple Truth is increasing its plant-based products “to provide an expanded selection of affordable, delicious, and quality products for our customers.” Here’s what to look for the next time you’re perusing the aisles: MEAT plus: • Emerge Plant-Based Chick’n Grind • Emerge Plant-Based Meatless Grind CHEESE plus: • Plant-Based Queso Style Dip • Plant-Based Cream Cheese Alternative DESSERT plus: • Plant-Based Chocolate Chip Cookies • Plant-Based Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough It’s McHappening! McDonald’s will finally be joining the likes of Burger King, Carl’s Jr., and Dunkin’ when it launches a plant-based burger later this year, according to the fast-food chain. The history-making menu addition will be part of McDonald’s new global…

pinky’s promise

Ask yourself: how long would you wait for your favorite food? Would you wait an hour? Two? Maybe … five? For the greater Atlanta community, waiting five hours in line is nothing for a business that long ago surpassed humble food truck beginnings to become a bona fide movement. It’s called Slutty Vegan, and it’s not what you think. To be “sluttified” means you’ve been enlightened to a plant-based universe that’s not only full of flavor that pops and texture that fools, but for those who brave the snaking lines, this local (and national) vegan phenomenon promises a party once you enter its doors. Pinky Cole would have it no other way. To say Slutty Vegan’s owner is a millennial on a mission would be as much of an understatement as calling…