JANUARY IS VEGANUARY! Community member, Leila Muru shares her vegan story!

How to became a vegan?

How did I become vegan?

I started my vegan journey in September 2019 with a 10-day Health Challenge. I was attending an event that was about mind, personal growth, development and unleashing the power inside of yourself. The last day of the seminar was all about health and energy where we learned a lot about water, food, exercise, energy and what the best ways for our bodies to thrive were. On that day of the seminar, we got a 10-day challenge to cut out from our diet all the animal products; processed fats; dairy products; excessive caffeine; processed sugar; refined white foods; processed vinegar; alcohol; nicotine and drugs, and increase our green vegetables, almonds, avocados, lemons, limes. Before I started I thought that I would complete the challenge and then get back to eating meat, dairy, poultry and fish. But that challenge was life changing, - it never occurred to me to going back to my old eating habits. I had become a vegan and I proudly continued to being so. It’s funny how only about 5 years ago I used to make fun of my vegan friends. 

How much do you know about veganism?

I used to think that veganism is only about animal cruelty and that meat is a ‘must’ source of protein. From early childhood I was taught that meat must be part of the diet for healthy living. 

After the challenge was completed, I felt so energised and amazing that I wanted to know more about veganism and started to educate myself by watching different documentaries about animal cruelty, health and how a vegan lifestyle can prevent you from different diseases. Most of my family members have died of different types of cancer and all my life I thought that this is part of my blood linage and maybe somehow, I am destined to have some sort of terrible disease. I didn't have any clue that many diseases are related to our food and lifestyle habits. So, I dug deep into veganism, watching movies, reading articles and researching everything and I became sure I never wanted to eat meat again and begun openly promoting it among my friends and circle. 

Did you know that being vegan is better for the environment?

As time passed I developed a deep compassion for animals and couldn’t understand anymore why we as humans were eating meat in the first place. Why we were loving our pets so much, but we were treating other animals like piece of s*it and killing them cold heartedly.


One thing led to another and I got better informed and passionate about the effects of climate change, water waste and how much the meat industry contributed to this. I felt sick in my stomach - it broke my heart when I saw videos about how people are cutting down the rainforests to get more land to raise cattle, just because people love to eat dead animals on their plates. 

Your health will thank you if you change your diet to vegan diet

In 2019 I was slightly obese and my blood pressure was usually a little high. In my head, I thought that it’s normal because I was in a relationship and some people gain weight when they feel comfortable - it seemed normal. My boyfriend still loved me for who I was and I didn’t have a problem with my weight. After being vegan for about 2 weeks I joined the gym, started to attend group classes and meditate every morning, and did different breathing techniques. 

My blood pressure is now perfect and I feel amazing. I feel that my body has never been so clean, so energised and relaxed. 

Do i have to eat rabbit food, when I’m vegan?

If you are scared to become a vegan because you feel there’s nothing to eat except salad, then you are wrong! 

My favourite hobby right now is cooking - it feels so much easier to cook vegan meals than cooking meat. With meat, you have to be careful not to overcook or undercook, but with vegan food, it’s no big deal. It’s so easy to make different curries or soups with various vegetables and legumes. Just throw all the things in the saucepan, add some seasoning and when everything is cooked, just enjoy. If you feel that you cannot give up sausages, cheese or bacon, then don’t worry, every meat product you usually had, you can find a vegan version or a recipe online about how to make your own. But you have to balance your diet - you can’t just eat all the vegan junk food and think yourself as a healthy person, just because you are vegan! You still need all the nutrients in your body to thrive. Maybe someone who is vegan already or qualified nutritionist or dietician can help you to balance your diet, so you know what you should eat daily if you want to be healthy. There are also some supplements that are recommended to vegans. I take B12 and Omega 3, because it can be difficult to get these with a vegan diet. Some vegans are also taking iron supplements, but personally I don’t need them because I eat so much iron rich foods daily (chia seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, tofu, kale, lentils, beans, chickpeas, linseeds, dried fruits, quinoa, kale etc). 

I’m still clueless, so what can I eat?

Every day people are releasing more and more vegan recipe books, blogs with recipes, YouTube videos, Facebook pages, Instagram pages that you can follow. You can just search with hashtags. I also launched my Instagram vegan food page one year ago to show people my version of simple and healthy meals (@leila_plant.bas3d_meals).

Some people are afraid that they have to ditch their favourite meals, but actually you can modify every recipe to vegan. Good meat alternatives are mushrooms, legumes, tofu, seitan, jackfruit, beyond meat, impossible burgers, different soy products, tempeh and more. Some vegan products are expensive, but they aren’t needed - I recommend to adding some legumes to your diet to create affordable meals - there is a huge variety of beans, peas and lentils, and so many dishes to make with them: salads, curries, soups, gravies, chilis, stews and you can roast them and add them to anything or eat them like a snack. 

When should i make the change? 

You don’t need special time to change your eating habits. But it’s always hard to change your habit routine. That’s why January is easy for some people to change their current habits, to make new year resolutions. You can make some challenge with your friends to be a vegan one week or a whole month. Maybe you’ll stick with it, like me!

Here is one of my pumpkin soup recipes, which is so simple to make, delicious to eat and also very cheap. 

Pumpkin soup

1⁄2 kg pumpkin
1⁄2 onion
3 cloves of garlic 

Vegetable stock
2 small potatoes
1 carrot
3 sundried tomatoes 

4 sage leaves 

Salt & pepper
1 tsp chili powder

In the saucepan add some sundried tomato oil (or olive oil). When the oil is hot, add the minced garlic, diced onion, sundried tomatoes and sage. Mix it well for around 7 minutes on medium heat. Then add the diced pumpkin, diced carrot and diced potatoes (everything same size). 

Sautee all the vegetables around 5 minutes and add some salt & pepper and also chili powder, if you like your food a little bit spicy. Then add your vegetable stock to cover all the veggies. You can add some additional spices (coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric, oregano, basil, thyme, dried mix herbs etc.) 

When all the veggies are soft, then let the soup cool down. After cooling down you can blend it and then bring everything back to the boil. You can add some additional seasoning like salt, pepper, and more chili. 

I like to serve my pumpkin soup with pepitas and sunflower seeds and on the side, and munch some crispy toasted dark rye sourdough bread. Perfect comfort food for a rainy day or cold winter. It’s also very yummy when chilled. So, you can also enjoy a chilled version of it on a hot summer day with some fresh salad. 





December is Vegan Holidays month and Anna Adey takes us through the highs and lows of the silly season, and gives us an epic ethical gift guide!

Looking for gift ideas that don’t cost the earth, literally and/or figuratively? We’ve got you covered!

You’re not alone if this time of year gives you a nagging sense of discomfort. You may wonder if celebrating such a consumerist-driven holiday can be ethical at all. After all, we’re expected to use our forced days off to make up for the rest of the year we spent working by spending loads of money on things we don’t need. Our emails are flooded with ‘deals’, the products of which mostly came at the expense of human suffering, and our calendars are jam-packed with social obligations with animal suffering centred on the table, but who wants to be a Scrooge? No one!

Add to this the pervading narrative that we do all this in the spirit of ‘giving’ and to celebrate ‘kindness’ while inequality continue to surround us, the image of us coming together to feast on a brightly-lit table while we exchange gifts that will soon end up in landfill feels eerily like the French film ‘The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie’ (maybe sneakily swap the Love Actually DVD for that this year while your rellies are too passed out to notice). 

But hold up! Isn’t the holiday season supposed to be about together-ness? Can’t we give to people thoughtfully and show them how much they mean to us without supporting all the horrible stuff? Christmas isn’t going away anytime soon, so I see no harm in trying to offset some of the harm by flexing our purchasing power to direct our energies towards more sustainable, ethical and local business practices. I believe we can take part in seasonal celebrations without compromising our ethics. And I believe we can do that wherever we are on the time-money scale.  Less silly season, more giving season!

I love giving gifts. I am not a materialistic person in the slightest but I love finding things that remind me of someone, even if it’s just a small keepsake that would make someone smile at the knowledge that someone thought of them. I especially love finding gifts that the recipient may have never seen or thought of purchasing before, which is much more likely to be the case when you shop ethically. Because most goods advertised to us are mass produced, the more unique presents to be found locally and by small businesses. Or even better, handmade. And what is more thoughtful than a handmade or upcycled gift that they can either use or treasure for its sentimental value? 

I understand that many people find shopping, especially at this time of year, hectic and stressful. Which is why I have put together this guide for you. Take the time to ask yourself what this person would appreciate. Is there anything they really want and or need? Is there anything you could create yourself that would show this person what they mean to you? For example, I have recently been feeling homesick, and I bought myself a beautiful painting of the London skyline (I am currently waiting for someone nearby to produce something like these homesick candles). 

We’ll take a look at some thoughtful gifts that cost very little financially but have high creative investment. If you’re time-poor, I’ve also put together some ideas that you can buy online that will help support a community or cause. Most of the local listings will be Sydney-based, but I encourage readers to look at similar businesses where they live, there are some online stores that ship nationally too. 

Whatever you choose or not choose to buy, remember that it is the togetherness that counts, whether the thought is in a physical gift, a handwritten note or quality time over zoom playing card games with vegan-friendly eggnog

Practical Gifts for Almost Anyone

Books 

Jura Books is a volunteer-run not-for-profit library and book shop working towards a politically conscious social movement for all. Consider books by Aboriginal writers on Aboriginal issues and help ANTaR campaign for Justice, Rights and Respect for Australia’s First Peoples. Other great second-hand book stores are Gould's Books, which is Australia's largest retailer of used and rare books, and Elizabeth's.

Movie tickets

Event Cinemas now offer a vegan gold class bundle! Support independent film with gift vouchers to theatres such as Dendy and Palace Cinemas. To find an independent cinema near your recipient, click here

For more experience gifts, jump to ‘For the Explorer’

Wine

Let’s toast to the geniuses at Goodwill Wines who came up with the idea of drinking to support good causes! Their bottles also boast super gorgeous labels. Here are some amazing sanctuaries and non-profit causes who need our support - Peanuts Wellbeing Sanctuary; Maggie's Rescue; A Poultry Place; Brightside Farm Sanctuary; Freedom Hill Sanctuary; Little Oak Sanctuary; Lucky Stars Sanctuary; Where Pigs Fly Sanctuary; Vegan NSW; Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Reef Check Australia and Humane Research Australia

Wallets/purses 

You can’t go wrong with a wallet or change purse. Grab great quality ethical leather goods from Vegan Leather Co, or cork-made pieces from By The Sea. Flora and Fauna, an ethical online store also stocks a great range from uber-classy Matt & Nat to the latest leather goods made from pineapple! 


Fragrances

Amacyn is a luxury artisan perfume designer who trades at Sydney Vegan Market and The Rocks markets. Flora and Fauna also carries a variety of harm-free perfumes and colognes. 


Sanctuary Gifts

If your loved one is an animal lover, consider sponsoring an animal on their behalf. From just $25 you can provide the food, shelter and medical care for someone in need. A super thoughtful present that takes just a few clicks on your part and will mean the world to the animal in care. A win-win-win!

Many of these sanctuaries also sell practical and thoughtful gifts such as calendars, tote bags, travel cups, books, toys and t-shirts. Do all your gift shopping online and help a sanctuary all in a one! 

To find a sanctuary near you or your loved one, click here https://www.veganaustralia.org.au/vegan_farmed_animal_sanctuaries


Other Stocking Fillers

Need an eco-friendly Secret Santa or corporate gift? VNSW Marketplace and Flora and Fauna have you covered.

For the Foodie 

Great in the kitchen? Very few people would be unimpressed with a gift of baked goods. Cookies, cakes or muffins for the sweet-toothed or make your own chutneys or relishes. Put some old jars to good use and hand write personalised notes as labels. Here are some ideas to get you started if you’re not blessed with cooking skills or prefer to follow instructions: Homemade Christmas Gifts; 30 Edible Gift Ideas; 35 DIY Food Gifts

Also consider the Vegan Market Eats & Treats eBook and support local vegan businesses! 

 Savoury

Or put together a hamper. Grab a box or basket and line it with paper. Great ideas for contents include these Infused Olive Oils by Palestine Fair Trade Australia, some artisanal plant based cheeses such as these at La Petite Fauxmagerie or Sprout and Kernel . Add some crackers, a bottle of wine and this amazing All Stars Pack from Dibble of Sour Cream, Aioli and Chipotle Mayo. Et voila!

Low on time but can splash a little? How about these hampers by Dilectio. You can grab a Gourmet hamper for $39 or a Deluxe at $55.

For someone who loves to create in the kitchen, consider a Brew Your Own Beer or Make Your Own Vegan Cheese Kit. Or a box of  Indian Spices from Mum’s Kitchen. For the person who never gets time to cook, how about a week's worth of meals delivered? Check out the collections from Vegan NSW Marketplace here.

Coffee or tea lover? Mule Coffee Roasters are Colombian Coffee specialists who direct-trade with coffee farmers, indigenous groups and their communities, you can get a combo pack here. Neo Organic Tea & Skin Solutions have teas for every need as well as gorgeous tins and accessories such as this Unicorn Tea Infuser.

Craft beer fan? Take your friend to Yulli’s Brews to food and drinks or order some of their craft lagers online here

For ace comfort food gifts, take a gander at gift packs available from I Should Be Souvlaki (famous for their souvlaki but they also offer up incredible carbonara and cheesecake!). Or maybe a gift card for Southern Soul Sydney ’s mac n cheese and cornbread would be right up their street. 

Sweets

A gift box of Macarons makes a classy timeless gift. You can’t overlook Treat Dreams and their vegan chocolate gift box, not only good for their Dream Eggs! If your loved one loves a good old fashioned pick n mix, be sure to check out Candy Queens

For the sentimental 

For someone I know well, I love to give things that signify our connection. This could be in the form of anything from a framed image of you both to a poster map of where you have adventured together. If you have a way with words, consider writing a poem or a song. Handwritten playlists and recipe books are also WAY underrated. Click here or here for more DIY and crafty ideas. 

If you’re graphic design inclined, check out these ideas on PhotoShop and Illustrator

For fun and meaningful experiences, book a cocktail making class or take a trip together. You can book anything from mountain biking to a sanctuary tour. Where Pigs Flyand Peanuts Wellbeing both offer weekend packages in beautiful surroundings. Back 2 Earth offers a health retreat with massage and bodywork therapies, psychology practices including couples therapy and detox packages and workshops. Click here to find a sanctuary near you.

For the explorer

Have a google search for free guided or self-guided tours such as this one of the heritage of The Rocks. Also consider the Aboriginal-owned dreamtime tours

If you know the person well, museum or concert tickets are great gifts to look out for. Experience gift ideas include the harbour bridge climb, bungee jumping, escape room, or a street photography workshop. If you’re looking for a big travel gift once Covid is out the way, take a look at Make a Difference Tours. For a local trip with hiking, yoga and massages, consider an all-inclusive retreat at Govindas Valley

For adventurer swag, check out durable backpacks and duffel bags from Vegan Leather Co, gorgeous swimwear made from recycled plastic bottles from Dula, and travel-ready shoes from Hammerhead Threads. VNSW Marketplace and Flora and Fauna are one-stop-shops for travel essentials from hair bars, deodorant, shaving and skincare sets to bug balm and on-the-go cutlery.

For the Homebody 

The Vegan NSW Marketplace has goods galore on its Homewares page: Scrubba Body Candles such as this Tobacco & Oak Soy Candle , Natalie Levy Ceramics handmade pottery , a Treasure Map Picnic Blanket/Play Mat  by Glorious Difference, Don Massino French Press, adorable Coffee Mug by VP4A, Colourful Coconut Bowls by Eco Shop Co, The Wax Movement’s range of candles, oils and diffusers including this gemstone-infused candle , and personalised animal portraits printed on canvas by Pets and Colours.

Eyona has a selection of African-inspired homewares that could brighten up any home. Be sure to check out the home décor from Palestine Fair Trade Australia and bespoke Japanese ceramics by Zuko.

I dare you not to fall in love with these gorgeous pig-themed bookends and Salt and Pepper Shakers , the proceeds from which go to rescue the beautiful beings themselves. And lastly, here is a Vegan Interior Design Guide whose profits go towards NSW Hen Rescue. 

For the aesthetic-enthusiast

With COVID and the holidays coming up, there’s probably never been a better time to start making your own beauty products and accessories. Reuse some old containers or jars and make a batch of your own body scrubs with personalised labels for your friends. Here are some ideas for making your own upcycling gifts and beauty products

Jewellery 

Check out these quirky upcycled earrings from Maraca, Eyona’s Aztec Studsor this timeless engravable bracelet from Aaina. This stunning Maine and Mara  earrings and necklace set is definitely a win. 

Fashion 

From eco-friendly Sunnies, belts and streetwear to apple and pineapple leather shoes and animal rights apparel, you’re spoiled for choice in this category. For the best bags, don’t miss Matt and Nat or Urban Originals. Shoes-wise, check out Vegan Style and Vegan Wares.  Vegan Leather Co offer gorgeous shirts and shorts, sweaters as well as their classic bags. Great hoodies can be found at Moo to Ewe, and Peanuts Wellbeing Sanctuary offer these gorgeous baby onesies and plushies for kids. 

Beauty  

For beauty therapies, consider a gift voucher to this awesome vegan salon. Or this flawless complexion kit. For makeup brushes, you can’t go past Eco Tools and flashy beauty gifts calls for La Mav or Inika gift sets.

Tis the season!.png

November is WORLD VEGAN MONTHH!! Laura Cordaro tells us how it all started and how awesome being vegan truly is!

November is World Vegan Month! While this celebration of life and health started as a single day back in 1994 commemorating the Vegan Society’s 50th Anniversary, it has transformed into an entire month filled with millions of people passionately celebrating and committing to veganism all over the world. Most importantly, it’s a time to celebrate just how beneficial a vegan lifestyle can be for our health, the environment, animals, and our community at large. Now more than ever in the year of COVID is a plant-based lifestyle so meaningful and important for our future.

World Vegan Month is also a moment for us to recognise how far the vegan movement has come and just how accessible a vegan lifestyle is as we enter into the 2020’s. So, just how far has veganism come?

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Globally, veganism has genuinely exploded in the last five years. In America, six per cent of the population is vegan, that’s a staggering 19.3 million people as of 2017. That’s a 600% increase from 2014 statistics! In 2019 there was a 93% increase in vegan food and beverage companies launching in Europe from 2016. More than a quarter of all evening meals in the UK are vegan or vegetarian today. 

All of this incredible growth is largely because it's becoming more convenient, as we are now greeted by a huge range of dairy-free milks and many other vegan-friendly products. In 2017, the number of vegan products in Australia had increased by 92 percent since 2014, and this doesn’t capture the last three years. In 2019, Australia's packaged vegan food market was worth around $200 million and is set to reach $215 million this year, that’s a 7.5% growth in market in one year alone. 8.7 percent of new food products hitting grocers in Australia are labelled vegan or as having no animal ingredients.  CSIRO predicts the global anticipated demand for plant-based protein alone will reach $25 billion AUD by 2030. 

Today if we were to look back at a five year global interest in veganism from Google, Australia is the leading the world!


We have doubled our interest in the topic in just the last five years as a country and surprisingly South Australia is leading the interest, alongside Victoria (we can do better New South Wales!). 

According to research company Roy Morgan, in 2019 about 2.5 million Australians, or 12.1 percent, were on mostly vegetarian diets. While it’s not entirely clear, it’s estimated about 2 percent of Australians are vegan. Recent research says 14 percent of Australians intend to go vegetarian or vegan, while 22 percent plan on reducing their meat consumption. Australia is still one of the highest countries for meat consumption globally and there is a lot we can do to help this momentum toward ethical and sustainable lifestyle continue!


World Vegan Month is an opportunity for us to encourage and support those who are considering going vegan by guiding them to resources and helping them challenge themselves to step through the threshold of change.  


My wife has not fully transitioned (yet) to a fully vegan lifestyle, though she has cut her consumption of animal products by over 70% and greatly admires my choices (and my discipline!). This past week she accepted a challenge from me to eat an entire week fully plant based. It’s created an exciting opportunity for me to try new recipes that would please her palate and she’s feeling the impacts already of the health benefits with more energy! 

Here are some resources and tips for supporting those curious and open to trying vegan again or for the very first time this month:

  • Lend a book on plant-based living to a friend or leave a few leaflets or a magazine in a public waiting room or your office.

  • Encourage them to try new recipes and to start with choosing a reduction that works best for them (meatless monday, two meals a day, complete switch, etc.).

  • Take them to your favourite vegan restaurant, make them a meal, and bring them along to our Sydney Vegan Market November event!

  • Point them to helpful resources like veganeasy.org or vegansociety.org for additional support.

  • Help educate them on the beneficial impacts on their health, animals, and the environment with these infographics.

  • Watch a documentary like Forks Over Knives, Cowspiracy, Game Changers, What the Health or the many others.

  • Check out the local library some books like the China Study, Animal Liberation or How not to Die to name a few or share some of your own.

As vegans, we also celebrate the month by exploring and trying new recipes, going to vegan events like Sydney Vegan Market days, discovering new restaurants, and shopping with ethically sustainable brands. 

Here are some additional ways to celebrate:

  • Shop our Marketplace!

  • Join us 15 November for Sydney Vegan Market’s Third Birthday Market Day

  • Have a plant-based potluck with friends.

  • Connect with those most impacted by the farming industrial complex by visiting or donating to a farm sanctuary. We’re lucky to have a number of sanctuaries join us on our Market days. 

  • Share your story of compassion and change with us on social media!

  • Support local, plant-based, businesses! 

  • Consider volunteering with a non-profit in the sustainability, animal welfare space or becoming a member of some of some of the political activism groups. That includes Vegan NSW! We run SVM with the help of an incredible volunteer team, if you'd like to join us go here 


Why did you go Vegan? Share with us on Social media with #SVMWorldVeganMonth

Join us 15 November at Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park for our 3rd Anniversary Sydney Vegan Market!





A little cheesy interview with Brooke of The Vegan Cheese Shop

Brooke tells us about why she and her family started selling vegan cheese, her fave cheeses and throws in a recipe to boot!

What inspired you to start The Vegan Cheese Shop?

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I knew from my experience going vegan that giving up cheese was the biggest challenge. I had resigned to the fact that vegan cheese exists but it wasn't worth eating and was the quickest and most expensive way to ruin a pizza. I first tasted good vegan cheese at a market on the Central Coast in 2017, it was The Vegan Dairy Persian Feta (yum!).  In that moment I was inspired and excited that you can go vegan without missing out on the pleasure of good cheese! We went travelling through North America on a foodie adventure, sampling their vegan food scene in particular vegan cheese delis and providores and was blown away. Upon returning to Australia I began studying at vegan chef school and creating my own vegan cheeses. I was inspired by what magic you can do with plants. We also discovered there were incredibly talented Australian producers making genuinely good cheese alternatives however they weren’t available in NSW. Our mission became all about just finding the best in vegan cheese and getting it out there. The vegan community had become jaded with poor supermarket cheese options and we wanted to change that, to help more people switch to a vegan lifestyle. We were committed to offering free samples at our market stalls to change the perception of vegan cheese. To support these talented Australian suppliers and to reshape the industry and the expectation and demand for better quality alternatives. We proudly shipped Australia wide but unfortunately will remain a covid influenced hiatus due to shipping and courier network restraints but encourage you to continue to support our incredible Australian cheesemaker friends directly. 

What’s the response been like?

It has been described to us that our stall looked like front row of a mosh pit. The demand was beyond expectation as we were flooded with beautiful amazing supportive customers at every market we attended.  Not just vegan events either! We loved sharing tasters with non vegans at food fairs and changing their minds about vegan cheese. It was a real joy. 

 Fave cheese?

Oh boy. That is a tough one. If I had to single any out it would be;

Noshing Melty Blue, Dilectio Camembert and All The Things Brie for authenticity. 

The YAY Marinated Feta for a flavour sensation

Lauds Melt Me for cheese toasties

Hello Friend Mozzarella for versatility

The Vegan Dairy Herb & Garlic Boursin for any time of day

 Fave cheese recipe?

This was one of the first cheese sauces I ever made and still today is my favourite to make and share with friends

https://www.noracooks.com/easy-vegan-nacho-cheese-sauce/


October is Vegan Cheese Month!

Vegan cheese has never been so good! Jana Lepojevic explains why dairy cheese isn’t all its cracked up to be.

Cheese boards, chocolate, ice cream, cake; it sure seems like the best things in life involve dairy. But are we baby cows? And do we really need dairy to have fun? “Maybe not” I hear you say, “but we do need calcium and milk to grow big and strong” to which I ask again, are we baby cows? Do we really need the substance that helps calves grow 600 kilograms into an adult cow? I’m certainly not a baby cow (though I’d be a lot cuter if I was) and I’d hazard a guess that, no, we don’t.

Allow me to drop some brief nutritional knowledge on you for a moment. You may or may not be aware that milk contains a sugar called ‘lactose’. In order to digest lactose, the human body needs to create an enzyme called ‘lactase’, which can break down lactose. For those who are lactose intolerant, the body is not producing enough lactase to break down lactose effectively which causes intestinal upset and other issues. Around 65% of the human population have a reduced ability to digest lactose. When we are born, we produce lots of lactase in order to break down the lactose found in breast milk. After the age of about two or three (about the age when babies wean off breast milk) our production of lactase begins to reduce dramatically. This goes for all people, even those who do not go on to develop lactose intolerance. Our levels of lactase and our ability to produce it dramatically declines after infancy. Now I am not a scientist but it’s almost as if milk wasn’t supposed to stay part of our diet forever.

Beyond the observation that we are in fact not baby cows and maybe aren’t naturally built to consume cow milk there are environmental implications to consider. While there are different farming methods, and some are better than others. Livestock farming, including dairy farming, is generally bad for the environment in more ways than one. Dairy farming uses a lot of water. Consider the water used to clean milking equipment, hydrate the cows and water their feed (and cows eat a lot). There are about 1.6 million dairy cows in Australia and some dairy farms can use up to 38,000 litres of water per cow per year. You do the math. On top of this, the process of creating products from the dairy milk, such as cheese, is also water intensive. Livestock farming contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, land clearing and water pollution from waste and run-off. It’s clear that the sheer magnitude of cows and land required to meet the dairy demands of a large population calls into question whether ‘sustainable’ livestock farming is even an option.

So maybe dairy is bad for the environment, and maybe dairy is meant for baby cows. But it’s full of calcium so surely it’s healthy at least? Dairy may be high in calcium but that doesn’t mean it’s the healthiest source of calcium. Dairy is full of saturated fat which is exactly the type of fat we should be limiting in our diet. There are many other sources of calcium which don’t have the sugar or fat content of dairy and which may be a more efficient source of calcium per calorie. In fact, Osteoporosis Australia lists firm tofu as having the highest amount of calcium per serve. Other foods that are high in calcium include kale, sesame seeds, chia seeds and broccoli, and fortified plant-based milks and butters.

Lastly, dairy is just cruel. There’s no way around it. Cows are forcefully impregnated on a regular basis in order to keep producing milk. Their babies are taken away from them, often within 24 hours, so that we can have that milk. Male calves born at dairy farms are considered to be waste products by the dairy industry and are treated as such. Once no longer producing enough milk to be ‘profitible’, cows are sent on trucks to slaughter, often many, many miles away.  Usually at about age 4, when their natural life span is 20 years. This happens on most dairy farms whether they are free range, organic or factory farms. I could go on... Remember: “she makes milk because she is a mother, not because she is a cow”. 

Finally – most of us grew up with dairy and have grown familiar with the taste, which many of us enjoy. Luckily, now, more than ever, it’s so easy to find delicious dairy free versions of most things. You can have some fun with it, do some research, shop around and find what works for you. Below I’ve compiled a little resource of dairy free products to help get you started.

Milk

There’s a huge range of non-dairy milks in the market. Each one has different qualities so find one that appeals to your taste and consider the environmental/health impact. There’s soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, rice milk, nut milk, pea milk and probably more that I haven’t even heard of!

My pick – soy milk. I love bonsoy.

Cheese

As with milk, there’s a huge range of non-dairy cheeses. So many that it can be overwhelming to know which to choose! Below are some of my picks:

Sheese (Bute Island), in particular their mozzarella, I put it on all my pizzas! They also have cheesy vegan recipes on their website.

Bio Cheese, in particular their fetta, I put it in my Greek salads

Mozzarisella have a vegan blue cheese dip that I have recently discovered. It’s healthy too!

Hello Friends Vegan Haloumi

Hello Friends Vegan Haloumi

And of course our SVM, NVM and Marketplace favourites Dilectio and Hello Friend, sold by Green Wise Agency!

Cheesy recipes

This recipe for nachos produces the best nachos I’ve ever had with a super cheesy vegan queso to boot!

My favourite recipe for vegan mac and cheese is a crowd favourite for my vegan and non-vegan friends alike!

Chocolate

Vegan chocolate is easy to find nowadays and has always existed in the form of dark chocolate. My all-time favourite for vegan chocolate has to be Pico coconut chocolate, it’s so creamy!

Yoghurt

The probiotics found in some yoghurts are great for gut health, so I always try and include some vegan yoghurts in my diet. My favourites are coconut based. Coco Tribe, Cocobella and Nakula are all great choices.

Ice cream 

As with chocolate, vegan ice cream is commonplace nowadays and super delicious. You’re pretty much guaranteed deliciousness with any vegan ice cream and there are heaps to choose from so I will make it simple and just pick one.

Pana ice cream is my well known go to. They also do delicious vegan chocolate.

The Sydney Vegan Market is another great resource for dairy alternatives and you can find them all in the same place!

Very important links

https://bonsoy.com/

https://www.buteisland.com/

https://www.mylifebio.net.au/

https://www.mozzarisella.co.uk/

https://lovingitvegan.com/vegan-nachos

https://jessicainthekitchen.com/baked-pumpkin-mac-and-cheese-vegan/

http://picochocolate.com/

https://www.cocotribe.com.au/

https://purecocobella.com/coconut-yoghurt/

https://nakula.com.au/

https://pana-organic.com/product-category/dairy-free-ice-cream/

Dilectio cheeseboard!

Dilectio cheeseboard!

A NEW HOME FOR SYDNEY VEGAN MARKET

We are beyond excited to announce that we have found a new home! One that feels right, ticks all of the boxes and one that we know you’ll love.

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Ready??


Our new home is the ENTERTAINMENT QUARTER in Moore Park!

Free entry, close to public transport, 2000 space carpark, a heap of green space, existing infrastructure to sustain events like ours, and a vision that supports the kind of community engagement we are creating, we just know that this new partnership is the change we have been ready for.

Our first market at The EQ will be Sunday 19 August from 9am-4pm and will run on the third Sunday of the month after that.

It’s been a bumpy ride and we are forever thankful to COMMUNE for hosting us over the last 3 months and are looking forward to future collaborations with them, so watch this space.

WHAT TO EXPECT

A Sydney Vegan Market of old! We're talking over 100 stalls brought to you by Sydney’s best of the best in food, produce, beverage, homewares, fashion, art, cosmetics, skincare, activism and education. All plant based, cruelty-free and vegan!

Fancy a burger, a bowl of Mac n cheese or a heavenly Acai bowl? Need some more of your favourite oil cleanser, that body scrub or the new lip colour you’ve been dying to try? Or have you been eyeing off those gorgeous ceramics, yoga mats or candles? We have you sorted!

Alongside our incredible array of stalls, we have developed a free education space called TENT Talks.

TENT Talks gives members of our community the chance to speak about the amazing work that they do! We help small business owners, activists, experts and community figures craft short talks about their passions, ideas, journeys and hopes for the future. Through TENT Talks we aim to give a platform to voices that are rarely given the opportunity to take centre stage, in order to promote diversity within and beyond SVM’s loyal attendees and stallholders.

The entertainment curated by Earthlings Collective will set the vibe for the day, where local artists and musicians get to show us their talents and we get to dance it off on the grass! We have incredible acoustic performers, pianists, and soul singers plus our resident DJs bring the beats and really make your ears happy.

To top it all off we have free yoga and pilates with Plant Based Life, face painting, and a sausage roll eating competition run by Herbisaurus!

WHAT TO BRING

Our Info Stall will have free sunscreen, smiles and affordable SVM branded cotton tote bags and insulated bottles for sale on the day so make sure you bring your hat, umbrella, a picnic rug, your reusable cutlery and straw (if you forget these they will be available from some of our stalls), your dog pal, all of your mates and an empty tummy. There are ATMs onsite but those lines can get nasty so BYO cash is recommended.

HOW TO GET TO THE EQ

Our friends at the Entertainment Quarter have everything covered, including this handy transport guide.

SUPPORTING SVM

In order to produce this kind of event we heavily rely on the kindness, loyalty and brut strength of our volunteer team. If you’d like to join the team, please send us an applicationform and we will be in touch.

If volunteering isn’t your jam, we have donation buckets at the Info Stall and will gratefully accept a gold coin

See you on the 19th!

WINTER WAS WELL AND TRULY WARM WITH SVM @ COMMUNE ON JUNE 20

COMMUNE presents SVM in June

We were so excited to announce that the June edition of Sydney Vegan Market would be held on 24th June and that once again we had teamed up with our mates and venue partners COMMUNE to hold the market in their awesome space.

In June it ran from 10am to 4pm, with two sessions: 10am-1pm and 1pm-4pm and it was a huge success!

OUR DIRECTORY WAS HOT HOT HOT!

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TENT Talks

TENT Talks is a program that aims to give a platform to voices that are not normally heard in society. We encourage those of you who have never given a TENT Talk before, who come from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and/or the LGBTQIA+ community to work with us to give a talk!

At the June SVM we got to hear John of PlantBased Life and Michelle, President of Vegan NSW chat about the things that are passionate about and it was awesome to hear what they had to say.

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Don't forget to bring your dogs!

COMMUNE is a dog friendly venue, and the pup situation in June was a very good one!

ENTERTAINMENT @ SVM

We gathered a bunch of local vegan DJ's for June and what a vibe it was! We had folks dancing and hanging out in the sun and we cant wait to bring the tunes again for July!

 

WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU IN JULY!!!