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The Green Mountain Animal Defenders (GMAD) tabled in the Davis Center to promote Meatout on March 20.

“Today is Meatout, and we’re here to promote a meat-free diet as it relates to the environment and from a health perspective,” volunteer coordinator for GMAD Brenna Galdenzi said.

Volunteers at the Meatout table offered suggestions for following a vegan diet that aimed to make it seem fun and simple. 

“A lot of vegan-friendly foods can be found at places like Shaw’s and Price Chopper, and can be incorporated into your diet really easily,” Galdenzi said.

The Meatout also appealed to the environmentally friendly students of UVM.

“It’s really hard to be an environmentalist if you’re a meat eater – a lot of times those things are contradictory,” she said. “I think it’s important for students to see how wonderful vegan food can be and how easily it translates into their diets.”

For students who live on campus, Galdenzi suggests thinking outside the box and exploring all the vegetarian options that are available on campus. 

“Once [students] realize where the meat comes from, I think they will be more inclined to avoid it,” Galdenzi said. “We’re really out here to raise awareness for students.”

While being a vegetarian is a step in the right direction, the volunteers at Meatout were very clear that going vegan should be the end result. 

“To be a vegetarian and not a vegan, you are really contributing to the meat industry,” Galdenzi said. “It’s a great starting point, but to really live by the principles and ethics, being vegan really embodies everything.” 

She suggested checking out some vegan literature and websites to get inspired. 

“A really great website is the Post Punk Kitchen,” Galdenzi said. “It’s a fun and entertaining blog about going from being an avid meat lover to becoming a vegan and the process of changing a diet so much.”

Erin Maurer, a first-year who follows a vegetarian diet, says she could never follow a vegan diet. 

“I really like milk and stuff,” Maurer said. “Getting protein in my diet would be so much harder as a vegan. I also really enjoy baked goods.”

Sophomore Hilary Hilmer said that she believes getting necessary nutrients for the body should be done naturally and not through taking supplements.

“I just love meat,” Hilmer said. “I love steak, hamburgers, ribs – you name it, and I just could never give it up. I also suffer from anemia, so cutting meat out of my diet would be really severe.”

Sophomore Taylor Morgan agreed. 

“The reason I could never be a vegetarian or a vegan would probably be Five Guys,” MacDonald said. “I couldn’t possibly live without it.”