Would You Serve an All Vegan Wedding or Party?

This question came up onYumSugar, prompted by the recent wedding of Chelsea Clinton, a fellow vegan. She threw an all-vegan wedding, however, did offer a grass-fed beef. Allergic to gluten, she had a gluten-free cake, as well. The responses were mixed. Some people felt that the bride and groom were obligated to offer different types of food for their guests and make their guests comfortable. (How can veggies make someone uncomfortable)? Others felt that if the bride and groom are paying for it, they should serve whatever they like.

I was surprised by the amount of people who expected meat at a wedding. It’s ONE meal. And it’s free! I think serving an all vegan wedding would be such a fabulous opportunity to show people how amazing vegan food is. The problem is, (I think) is that people have a preconceived notion that vegan food is boring and tasteless, so they’ll hate it before they even taste it. VegNews highlighted several different vegan weddings that would inspire anyone!

What do you think? Do you feel obligated to serve meat at a party or wedding?

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Veggie Power!

Urban Veganista did a great post on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Health and Human Services’ (HHS) recent report of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. You can read the report here.  As Urban Veganista pointed out (and what got me so excited) is that the Dietary Guideline Committee suggests that Americans should transition to a plant -based diet of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes and whole grains., but fell short of promoting a vegan/vegetarian diet. Still, it’s awesome news.

“Our review indicated that intake of vegetable protein is generally linked to lower blood pressure, but this could be due to other components in plant foods, such as fiber, or other nutrients. Individual sources of vegetable protein have no unique health benefits so choice of plant protein sources can come from a wide range of plant-based foods.”

However, when I read, or should I say, tried to decipher, the report, I was a little frustrated. Studies they cited throughout the report were all “inconclusive”, especially regarding soy protein vs. animal protein. Luckily, there were some studies that helped propel a vegan view point:

• Processed meat is linked to cancer, particularly breast, prostrate and colorectal cancers
• Consumption of total meat and red and processed meat (combined) was linked to developing elevated blood pressure and hypertension
• Increase plant-based foods in order to combat obesity

The report clearly shows that there needs to be more research and studies done, but it’s a positive start and step in the right direction.

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“I abhor vivisection with my whole soul. All the scientific discoveries stained with innocent blood I count as of no consequence.”