Recently I was having a nice evening in my backyard, toasting marshmallows with my parents and our new neighbors. One of my neighbors said that she was allergic to marshmallows, which led my mom to investigate the ingredients. She finally had to tell me that I, a devoted vegetarian, had been eating marshmallows with animal produucts in them. As if this wasn't enough, it turns out that those same products are used in many gummy candies. Next I recieved an email from PETA saying that tea (which my parents drink a lot of) from a certain company was tested on animals.
It was like a nightmare come true. I couldn't believe it. Had I really been participating in cruelty my entire life without knowing it? After spending a few days in stunned denial, I realised there was something I could do about it. I realised that I could help other kids avoid these products and find animal-friendly alternatives. So here they are:
PRODUCT: Stay Puffed Marshmallows
ALTERNATIVE: Find organic vegan marshmallows at your local grocery store. Whole Foods carries many vegan products.
PRODUCT: Nestea Tea
ALTERNATIVE: Try Good Earth or other organic teas.
PRODUCT: Meat
ALTERNATIVE: Although there are not a lot of alternatives that taste the same, you can get the most important nutrient that is in meat--fiber--through foods like whole graain breads, dry fruit, or nuts.
It was like a nightmare come true. I couldn't believe it. Had I really been participating in cruelty my entire life without knowing it? After spending a few days in stunned denial, I realised there was something I could do about it. I realised that I could help other kids avoid these products and find animal-friendly alternatives. So here they are:
PRODUCT: Stay Puffed Marshmallows
ALTERNATIVE: Find organic vegan marshmallows at your local grocery store. Whole Foods carries many vegan products.
PRODUCT: Nestea Tea
ALTERNATIVE: Try Good Earth or other organic teas.
PRODUCT: Meat
ALTERNATIVE: Although there are not a lot of alternatives that taste the same, you can get the most important nutrient that is in meat--fiber--through foods like whole graain breads, dry fruit, or nuts.
