Breaking News- SEPTEMBER

“The Game Changers” Movie Premieres!
Produced by James Cameron (“Titanic”), Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan, this groundbreaking film documents the explosive rise of plant-based eating in professional sports, mixing real-time, innovative science with cinematic stories of struggle and triumph. This must-see film debunks the myth that athletes need meat to excel.  James Cameron says, “We need to wake the f-k up… food is the biggest and most important way we can effect change.”

KFC Sells Out of Beyond Meat Fried Chicken
Customers lined up at a KFC in Atlanta to be among the first to try Beyond Fried Chicken, a plant-based option made in partnership with Beyond Meat.  While I don’t encourage eating processed food, anything that spares the lives of chickens is a huge accomplishment! 

NYC Wants to Ban Foie Gras
A bill sponsored by Carlina Rivera, a city councilwoman who represents Manhattan neighborhoods, would prohibit the sale of the foie gras, and levy fines of up to $1,000 to businesses that violate the ban.  Foie gras (fatty liver in French) is made by force-feeding grain to ducks and geese, several times a day, for up to a month. Their livers then expand up to ten times their normal size, with large deposits of fat. Horribly inhumane, this practice is barbaric and should be banned nationwide, if not globally. 

Morning Star Farms Going All Plant-Based by 2021
Morning Star Farms, a division of the Kellogg Company that produces vegetarian variations of meat-based products like burgers, bacon and sausage patties, will convert its entire product line to be 100% vegan by 2021.  The company confirmed it will remove more than 300 million egg whites annually from its products, which sell at national retailers like Target, Walmart  and Amazon.  Morningstar will also stop using all dairy ingredients in its recipes. Morning Star also just introduced a new brand of vegan meat called Incogmeato—burgers, chicken tenders and nuggets– look for it in the refrigerated section of your grocery store!

California Moves to Ban the Sale of Fur
California is one step closer to banning the sale of fur; the landmark bill just passed a Senate floor vote. If the Governor signs the bill into law, California will become the first state in the U.S. to impose a statewide ban on fur sales. This will save countless animals from unnecessary, agonizing deaths for the sake of trivial fashion statements. The bill prohibits animal fur products from being sold, manufactured, offered for sale, displayed for sale, traded, donated, or distributed in any way in the state.

IKEA Introduces the Veggie Dog
In addition to their famous veggie meatballs, IKEA now offers a delicious veggie “hot dog”. According to an IKEA press release, “Adding the veggie hotdog to the food offer is contributing to IKEA Food’s goal to include more plant-based ingredients in the range at affordable prices, and most importantly it is delicious.”  The veggie dog is made with a mix of kale, red lentils, carrots, and ginger. It has a CO2eq emission/kg that’s approximately seven times less than that of a classic hot dog. I tried it with all the fixins and really enjoyed it! 

Meat-Heavy Diets Now Kill More People than Tobacco
A new study on meat consumption funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation reveals that that meat consumption may be responsible for more deaths than tobacco use. A new study has shown meat-heavy diets have higher health risks and may kill more people than tobacco.  The study tracked consumption trends in 195 countries by looking at data from between 1995 and 2017, it shows that a poor diet can be associated with one-fifth of deaths worldwide. 

Taco Bell Announces New Vegetarian Menu
Taco Bell will have its “first-ever dedicated in-store vegetarian menu board” and is introducing two new menu items. The menu boards will list four items including the new Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme and new Black Bean Quesarito, 7-Layer Burrito and Bean Burrito. They are also providing a how-to-eat vegan guide. Bravo! 

Impossible Burgers coming to Grocery Stores!
The soy-based meat substitute will be sold first in Southern California, and later this month, the product will become available in grocery stores on the East Coast.

“How Not to Diet” Now Available
Every month seems to bring a trendy new diet or weight loss fad―and yet obesity rates continue to rise, and with it a growing number of diseases and health problems. It’s time for a plant-based approach! Discover the cutting-edge science behind long-term weight loss success, in this powerful new book from the New York Times bestselling author of How Not to Die. Available in bookstores and online!