All attendees of the New Mexico Humane Conference receive access to complimentary vegan meals and snacks as part of conference registration. Vegan breakfasts, lunches and break snacks are served both days of the conference.
We are sometimes asked why the included meals are vegan. Several years ago the New Mexico Humane Conference decided to serve only vegan meals and snacks at its conferences, as did many other conferences, both nationally and locally. As an educational event dedicated to exploring many different facets of animal welfare, we want to ensure our meal selections reflect our dedication to the welfare of farm and food animals as well. Serving a vegan menu allows us to do that, and offers many of our attendees who are not vegan an opportunity to explore a different dietary lifestyle for the two days they are with us.
It is, of course, up to each individual to determine his or her own lifestyle and food choices, but we hope our vegan menu inspires curiosity to learn more about why many in our country–and particularly in our field–have chosen vegan or vegetarian dietary paths.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of a vegan lifestyle for you and for animals, explore the below links and additional resources!
For Individuals:
There are many websites with useful information on vegetarianism and veganism. Here are just a few:
On Health Considerations:
Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)
On the Animal Welfare Impact of Veganism/Vegetarianism:
Humane Society – Humane Eating
Recipe and Nutrition Resources
Excellent vegan cookbooks include:
Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson
Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskovitz
Vegan Scoop by Wheeler del Toro
Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Isa Chandra Moskovitz
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Moskovitz
and hundreds more
DVDs worth renting include:
Peaceable Kindom
Food, Inc.
For Organizations:
Many animal welfare organizations are opting to adopt vegan or vegetarian menu policies for their hosted events. The organization Food For Thought facilitates shelter and rescues in initiating a dialog with staff and donors about the benefits of adopting a compassionate menu, offers feedback on policy language, numerous implementation tools to help organizations, and provides grants to help making a vegan event menu possible for shelters and rescues. Discover more on their website: http://www.foodforthoughtcampaign.org/
