Our mission is to unite Vegetarians, Vegans, and animal or planet lovers on Vanderbilt's campus! We are also open to the vegetarian-curious, since our primary goal is to educate others about the health and environmental benefits of a plant-based diet. As a group, we are fun-loving and open to new ideas for activities. Currently our members participate in gardening, cooking, documentary screenings, and service projects with farms and animals.
If you decide to join, you have lots of delicious food to look forward to!
Why would anyone decide to follow the path of a vegan lifestyle?
1. Save Animals' Lives
Following a plant-based diet saves over 100 animals a year. Innocent, voiceless animals are tortured and slaughtered in the most inhumane ways in our factory industry.
Eat with a clean conscience with no animal products on your plate! Many vegans follow the saying: I don't eat anything with a face or a mom.
2. Health Benefits
Without all the gross feces, bacteria, and unhealthy fats that come with meat, you're going to look and feel so much healthier! Vegans have a lower chance of having heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Don't worry, you can still get all the nutrients you need from plants! Protein, fiber, and calcium are all easy to find in nuts, legumes, soy, and those good 'ole leafy greens.
3. Reduce your Environmental Impact
To feed a cow to you, a cow has to *eat* and *drink* A LOT! The amount of grains and water used to grow meat could much better be used to feed and hydrate billions of impoverished, hungry people around the world.
Factory farms are also incredibly harmful to the environment. They are one of the largest producers of pollution and in effect, climate change.
These are just a few of the many many reasons that following the path of a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle can bring positivity to your life, animals' lives, and environmental change! If you need more convincing, try watching documentaries like Cowspiracy, Forks Over Knives, or *if you're brave* Earthlings. Ask us any questions you may have! Peta and Mercy for Animals are also great resources.
Here's a list of our favorite vegetarian + vegan places in Nashville:
§ Markets:
· The Turnip Truck: http://theturniptruck.com/
· Whole Foods Market: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/nashville
§ Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants (besides Grins...)
· The Wild Cow:http://thewildcow.com/
· AVO: http://www.eatavo.com/
· Woodlands - Indian Cuisine:http://www.woodlandstennessee.com/
· Coco Greens:http://nashvillegreensvegancafe.com/
· Sunflower Cafe:http://www.sunflowercafenashville.com/
§ Vegan and Vegetarian Friendly Restaurants:
· Mellow Mushroom:http://mellowmushroom.com/store/nashville
· The Treehouse:http://treehousenashville.com/
· Sloco Sandwiches:https://slocolocal.com/
· Cafe Coco: http://cafecoco.net/
Remember you can always ask for no cheese, butter, etc on your foods at many restaurants! Be careful about chicken broth in soup and always ask how fried foods are made. You can do it!
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN