Meatout 2015: Campaign Encourages Going Vegan for a Day

A soy latte and banana for breakfast, a bean burrito and salad for lunch, and you’ve already made it through most of the waking hours without a single animal product passing your lips. See how easy it can be? Vegan high-fives all around!

Pledging to go vegan for a week, 21 days or a month can seem like an insurmountable challenge, but today's Meatout 2015 - led by the non-profit grassroots organization Farms Animal Rights Movement - makes it easy with a pledge of vegan eating for just one entire day. The international campaign held on the first day of spring began in 1985 as a way to protest the U.S. Senate’s resolution at the time declaring January 27 to February 2nd as National Meat Week.

In these past 31 years, Meatout has blossomed to promote a meat-free diet for three overarching reasons: for the animals suffering on factory farms and slaughterhouses, for preserving precious environmental resources, and to promote good health and reduce incidences of heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes.

Or you could say “the animals, health and environment” for the cliff notes version.

Meatout is sponsored by countless animal rights and welfare groups like PETA and Compassion Over Killing, environmental groups like Rainforest Action Network, plant based food companies like Beyond Meat and Tofurky, famous folks like Russell Simmons and Ed Begley Jr.

It’s this one day of inspiration that animal welfare groups hope will lead to other more permanent changes.

“Pledges are an easy way to turn our desire for change into a reality,” says The Humane League’s Elyssa Diehl.

“By leaving meat off our plates on a day like the Meatout, we can jump-start healthy and compassionate habits which will lead to a better future for ourselves and others.”

Meatout also kicks vegan outreach into high gear for the da,y so chances are you will see a flyer or two at your campus, coffee shop or health food store and meet a friendly vegan offering samples of plant-based products. For more info on the day or to take the pledge head to meatout.org.