Few people are born vegan. Not all of us will likely have vegans like Mayim Bialik or Joaquin Phoenix as our parents. Instead, most of us are raised on a diet that includes meat, cheese and other non-vegan products. SpaghettiOs and mac & cheese, anyone?
For many of us vegans, we reach a point in our lives when we decide to stop consuming animal products and say “no” to the exploitation and environmental degradation that they present. Perhaps we see a video on factory farming and the horrible conditions the poor animals live in, or we get sick from a piece of hormone-addled meat.
Maybe we realize the negative effect that meat production is having on the planet, or we see how mama cows are impregnated just so they can produce milk for us.
Jo, the main character in the new movie “Coffee Wars,” began her vegan journey when her beloved cow was slaughtered. Her parents, who own a farm in the English countryside, served the cow for dinner one evening. Jo was fittingly disgusted. After that, Jo, brilliantly played by real-life vegan Kate Nash, decides she’s done with meat and dairy products for good.
When Jo grows up, she opens a vegan coffee shop and educates her customers about veganism as well. In a legendary rant in the very first scene, she hilariously goes off on a potential customer who asks for dairy milk, screaming about how dairy milk is made and what it does to the cows.
Later in the film, Jo enters an international latte-making contest to save her coffee shop when it’s in danger of being closed. While other contestants use dairy milk, she enters with an almond milk latte recipe. You’ll have to watch “Coffee Wars” to see what happens next.
Like Jo, we all have our own vegan journeys. Perhaps you’re on one right now. You might be dipping your toe into veganism, starting with Meatless Mondays or substituting meat and cheese with vegan products instead.
Thankfully, these days, it’s easier than ever to go vegan. Brands like Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, Daiya, and Tofutti – among countless others – put out tons of tasty vegan products. Plus, many fast-food restaurants now offer at least one vegan option. You don’t have to feel out of place when you go out with your friends to eat anymore.
If you’re trying to keep a clean diet, it’s super easy when you’re only eating vegan foods. Instead of consuming processed products, you can make your own veggie burgers with black beans and other fruits and veggies. You can create a whole host of other delicious, natural foods. Going organic and buying local from your farmer’s market are always recommended as well.
Like Jo, you, too, can become a super vegan. It may take some initial work, but once you start eating vegan, you won’t want to go back. The animals—and the planet—will thank you.
