On Saturday, MFA volunteers treated hundreds of New Yorkers to delicious, dairy free hot chocolate from Ghirardelli with Sweet & Sara’s vegan mini marshmallows and “Vegetarian Eating” brochures outlining the numerous benefits of plant-based living! As soon as the table was set up, people were swarming for free samples and information about adopting a compassionate, vegan lifestyle.
Feed-ins work because rather than telling someone what they can’t have, they showcase foods that are available. Many people were amazed to learn about the vegan marshmallows from Sweet & Sara that taste just as good, if not better, than their gelatin based counterparts. Others were delighted to discover that hot chocolate can easily be made vegan by using dairy free cocoa mix with water, soymilk or rice milk instead of cows’ milk.
Tasting is believing, and feed-ins bring the best flavors veganism has to offer directly to the mass public – setting up food sampling stations on busy downtown street corners, outside fast food establishments and at festivals and special events. These events reach countless people who otherwise would be reluctant to try vegan versions of their favorite fare – inspiring many to reduce or eliminate their consumption of animal products.
With the help of organizations like VegFund, which provides funding and support for vegan feed-ins and outreach events, animal advocates across the country can easily host their own vegan feed-in events and show their communities how easy it is to adopt a healthy and humane vegan lifestyle. Need some help getting started? Click here for a complete guide to organizing your own successful feed-in.
