8 Powerful Vegan Moments From 2018

Posted on 30 October 2018 at 8:30AM by Laura Weyman-Jones

It’s been a huge year on the vegan scene, and it’s clear that more Aussies are celebrating World Vegan Month than ever before.

A study conducted by Roy Morgan Research found that between 2012 and 2016, 400,000 Australians stopped eating meat. That’s one person every five minutes, and from all reports, the numbers just keep growing!

Here are some of the biggest #VeganCulture shifts of 2018 (so far!):

Vegan Food Went Mainstream

From the minute Forbes ran an article titled “Here’s Why You Should Turn Your Business Vegan in 2018,” businesses have been doing just that. Restaurants, cafés, and fast-food chains have been adding vegan options to their menus all across Australia. Vegan eating has become so mainstream that Hungry Jack’s launched a vegan cheeseburgerin all of its 400 Australian stores, Domino’smade vegan cheese a permanent fixture on its menu, and San Churrolaunched a new menu with 24 vegan options.

Check out the plethora of other mainstream food chains which have vegan options here.

Dove Goes Cruelty-Free

Just recently, Dove – one of the most widely recognised and conveniently available personal-care product brands in the world – banned all tests on animalsanywhere in the world. This move marks a seismic shift in the effort to spare animals excruciating tests and a lifetime of suffering.

Check PETA US’ Beauty Without Bunnies list to see if specific cosmetics are cruelty-free:

IS YOUR MAKEUP CRUELTY-FREE?

Game-Changing Documentary ‘Dominion’ Is Released

It’s hard to overstate the importance of documentaries to the vegan movement. Now free to stream online, the new Australian documentary titled Dominion is changing the hearts, minds, and food choices of millions of caring people all over the world.

Chris Hemsworth’s Vegan Body … of Work

Chris Hemsworth’s physique might look like it’s sculpted by the gods in his latest superhero flicks, Thor: Ragnarokand Avengers: Infinity War, but in reality, “the God of Thunder” is powered by plants.

This March, Hemsworth’s personal trainer, Luke Zocchi, told Today Extra that “Thor” went vegan during the filming of Ragnarok. “That was a big experiment we tried [to see] if he could keep the muscle eating vegan,” said Zocchi. Spoiler alert: he could.

Of course, Chris isn’t the only vegan in the Hemsworth family – as his famous brother, Liam, is also – and he’s hardly the only celebrity to talk about plant-based eating this year. Other Aussie stars – including Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood, DJ Tigerlily, Ruby Rose, Courtney Act, and so many others – have spoken out about their vegan lifestyles during 2018.

Plant-Based Mince in the Meat Section

Most supermarkets have been busily expanding their vegan offerings all year, but for the first time ever, Woolworths put plant-based mince in the meat section. This is a significant step in the effort to save animals’ lives, since this is where the product will be seen by the greatest number of people who aren’t already eating vegan meals. And despite being plant-based, it looks and tastes like the real thing.

Zhivago Goes 100 Per Cent Animal-Free

This year has had some huge moments for vegan fashion. Not long ago, most people didn’t know what mohair was, but now, following a PETA exposé of cruelty in the industry, more than 300 designers have banned the material worldwide. Countless more have dropped fur, and household names, such as Hugo Boss, have started using vegan leathers in some of their products. In addition, one of Australia’s most revered fashion labels, Zhivago– worn by the likes of Jennifer Hawkins, Dannii Minogue, Delta Goodrem, and JesintaFranklin– went 100 per cent cruelty-free. For its efforts, the label was named “Most Animal-Friendly Label” in PETA’s inaugural Fashion Awards.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmvPPB2FCh2/?hl=en&taken-by=_zhivago_

Kyrie Irving Promotes Vegan Eating in a Nike Ad

Not only is Australian-born Kyrie Irving a powerhouse player for the Boston Celtics, he also claims that going vegan has done wonders for his body and energy levels, which he even mentions in his latest Nike commercial.

Of course, he’s hardly the only athlete noticing the benefits of cutting meat, eggs, and dairy “products” from his diet. From footy players and cricket stars to bodybuilding champions, plant-powered athletes have definitely demonstrated their prowess in 2018.

Google Trends Vegan Boom

People’s growing concerns about cruelty to animals, climate change, and their own health have led Google searches for the word “vegan” to increase to an all-time high.

And for the third consecutive year, Australia is leading the charge when it comes to investigating all things vegan online. Every person who googles the word “vegan” is finding information that will improve not only their health but also the environment and the lives of animals.

There’s no better time than now, during World Vegan Month, to make the switch to a vegan lifestyle and discover a whole range of benefits – from helping animals and reducing your carbon footprint to boosting your health. Sign the pledge here for e-mails and resources to help you through your first 30 days:

I'm Ready to Take the Vegan Pledge