It’s no secret that everybody is feeling the strain of the tough economy. There are riots in the news, cries for help on the internet, even advice exchanged in daily conversation between total strangers. On the home front, people are doing everything they can to simply keep the bills paid and food on the table. While nobody is able to ignore the recession, an increasing number of families are sacrificing nutrition when grocery shopping in order to keep costs down. For a new family struggling to raise small children, this is a dangerous reality.
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It’s easy to ignore the truth about where your food comes from, but the truth is that in order to retain your business, farms are cutting many corners to keep their prices low to meet your need. They do this by confining animals in cages for their entire lives, keeping them in the dark, feeding them a monotonous diet, and injecting them with hormones to increase unnatural growth. While this sounds to an amateur like a profitable business choice, the quality of the meat decreases. Nutrients are lost, and taste is compromised.
The Twin Cities’ most active resource for getting educated and involved in animal rights is Compassionate Action for Animals. Coming up on Saturday, November 19th of 2011 CAA will hold their annual Vegan Thanksgiving Potluck, and an open invitation is extended to everyone. Held at the Matthews Park and Recreation building, the potluck is always family friendly and maintains a fun and inviting atmosphere. The potluck runs from 2pm to 5pm. More information can be found at: http://www.exploreveg.org/events/2011-thanksgiving-potluck
You can do your part to help animals both locally here in Minnesota and also abroad by shopping smarter. Knowing where all your meat comes from makes a difference in taste as well as your family’s nutrition, and you can help a local business flourish in these tough times. Buying fruits that are in season will always have less unnatural added preservatives than fruits that need to be shipped from halfway around the globe.
If you’re really hankering to make a difference on the planet and also do something good for your body, you can start finding meat substitutes. That’s right, going vegetarian or vegan will cut down the amount of animals abused and meat slaughtered. There are many places in theMinneapolisarea that cater to your organic, local, vegetarian, or vegan grocery needs. By going to VegGuide.org, you can find somewhere to dine at any time! Many restaurants in the Twin Cities area have an animal conscious item on the menu upon request. There are many forums and sites online that can help you get ideas for dinner, starting with VegWeb.com as a great resource to keep your diet from feeling bland without having to dine out all the time. Some local markets to check out include The Wedge, Seward Co-op, and the Produce Exchange.
Think about your dog, cat, guinea pig, or even pet fish. Picture the look they give you when you forget to feed them, or neglect to hold them. Cattle, chicken, pigs, and all other farm animals can look you in the eye and do the same thing. If the thought that they never get to experience a real life enrages you, you are not alone. Don’t just sit there; do something! Go to Exploreveg.org and get involved with Compassionate Action for Animals today and do your part to make our world a better place for all the creatures who share it. While you’re there, print out some tasty recipes too!
Many people give personal testimony that they were experiencing a void in their lives that was only filled by becoming vegan. We invite anyone feeling the same way to contact us and get more information, because you never know where you’ll find the thing that completes you.
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