As a child I never thought about the consequences of eating
meat, though my hometown smelled of a slaughterhouse. Now I’ve
happily eaten a meat-free diet for over 23 years and am moving
toward shunning dairy foods altogether.
Gandhi and Thoreau would approve. ‘I have no doubt that it is a
part of the destiny of the human race, in its gradual improvement,
to leave off eating animals,’ the Concord bean farmer wrote in
Walden.
Whether or not humankind is improving, a handful of worthwhile
magazines foster the joys of eating a plant-based diet while
informing readers about political, environmental, and health
effects of their dietary decisions.
Herbivore, now in its third year, is a magazine
for vegans — people who choose to eat only plant foods, as Gandhi
did. Far from being ascetic, the magazine is written by and for
people interested in zines, Internet culture (for example,
vegporn.com), animal rights activism, and alternatives to leather.
A few pages of each issue are devoted to recipes, such as ones for
‘vegan comfort food.’ $15/yr. (4 issues) from 5254 NE 32nd Pl.,
Portland, OR 97211;
www.herbivoreclothing.com.
VegNews, another vegan magazine, started five
years ago as a black-and-white paper and has grown into a
substantial, colorful bimonthly covering topics from genetically
modified foods and organics labeling to vegan weddings. Each issue
contains nutrition and health columns, new-product info, ‘taste
test’ comparisons, and plenty of recipes. $20/yr. (6 issues) from
Box 320130, San Francisco, CA 94132;
www.vegnews.com.
Vegetarian Journal looks like — and is — a
venerable publication. In its 24th year, the project of the
Vegetarian Resource Group is run on a small budget. Its publishers
accept no paid ads and the magazine focuses on vegan recipes.
Summaries of scientific papers, product and book reviews, a
nutrition column, and a profile of a vegetarian activist round out
each issue. $20/yr. (4 issues) from Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203;
www.vrg.org.
American Vegan, another dated — looking but
timeless magazine, is published by the American Vegan Society. Its
pages integrate material about diet and food preparation with
coverage of other issues related to compassionate living and the
Sanskrit concept of Ahimsa — ‘non-killing, non-injury,
non-harming.’ $20/yr. (4 issues) from Box 369, Malaga, NJ 08328;
www.americanvegan.org.
Vegetarian Voice is a magazine offering
‘perspectives on healthy, ecological & compassionate living’
since the mid-1970s. Published by the nonprofit North American
Vegetarian Society, it devotes its pages to mail order book
listings, vegan recipes, news about political and environmental
issues, and articles on topics from vegan health to animal
behavior. $22 membership/yr. (4 issues) from Box 72, Dolgeville, NY
13329;
www.navs-online.org.
Also noteworthy: Satya, a monthly focusing on
vegetarianism, environmentalism, animal advocacy, and social
justice ($20/yr. from 539 1st St., Brooklyn, NY 11215;
www.satyamag.com) and
Vegetarian Times, a glossy magazine aimed at upscale readers who
eschew meat but not cheese beignets ($19.95/10 issues from Box
420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142;
www.vegetariantimes.com).
This Just In
The Tracking Way (‘Nature, Art, and Cultural
Identity for Young People’) is a new magazine published by In This
Place, a nonprofit founded in 2001. Geared toward teenagers, but
not dumbed down, the initial issue features writings on gratitude,
Mohawk language immersion, storytelling, old-growth forests, bobcat
tracking, and how to start a fire without matches. $24.95/yr. (4
issues) from Box 217, Wendell, MA 01379;
www.inthisplace.org.
