Plant-based savings
July 2023
I refer to your story “Purloin steak: mums, dads steal to survive” and the general cost of living and major challenges of large mortgages due to inevitable interest rate rises.
Low-income earners fighting inflation are collateral damage of world influences.
One change people can make is to carefully plan how and what they eat.
It has been shown that eating plant-based food is much cheaper than the present Western diet.
If it is possible to go to a supermarket, it’s possible to go to a library for recipe books or do an internet search and find access to thousands of tasty, nutritious recipes for vegetable-based dishes.
Buying a few basic essentials such as spices and cheap dried beans in bulk and in-season fruit and vegetables provides filling nourishment that will definitely lower the shopping trolley load.
Phil Cornelius
Positive for vegans
March 2022
With bad news such as war, floods, and other suffering, what a great change to read the article “Farmers toast our vegan revolution." a wonderful new dawn in agriculture with massive investments by a consortium of food companies efficiently turning grains and legumes into protein-rich food. Instead of the horrendous cruelty of meat production, we have this fantastic alternative.
Think of all the poor creatures that will be saved from cruelty, mistreatment and death.
Full marks to everyone involved. Let us hope this industry expands further.
Christine Pierson
Eat more plants
February 2022
AUSTRALIANS are spoiled rotten for food choices – and some choices we would be better off without.
I refer to meat and dairy.
They are products of cruelty and immense suffering to farmed animals.
There is no ethical justification for raising and slaughtering animals to eat in contemporary society given the vast array of plant foods available to satisfy our nutritional requirements.
Animal welfare laws for factory farms and abattoirs are manifestly inadequate and ineffective.
The trauma to sensitive creatures incarcerated in cages – sheep in paddocks without shade in summer or protection from freezing temperatures in winter – and trucked to abattoirs is something animal activists are painfully aware of.
Animal activists experience a kind of secondary trauma standing in solidarity with billions of animals as we work to bring about a shift in community consciousness around living our lives in harmony with all beings.
SIMONE HUNTER, Hove
Fair go for animals
January 2022
Around this time of year, Australians are bombarded with advertising telling them they should eat slaughtered baby animals to celebrate Australia Day. Australians already consume more meat per capita than any other country, and the research is overwhelming that eating meat regularly increases a person’s risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, pneumonia, and other serious illnesses.
As well as being dangerous to our health, there is overwhelming evidence of the environmental cost of destroying forests to graze animals or grow feed. Research has shown that a vegan world would lead to a 49 percent drop in food-based greenhouse gas emissions, 50 percent less acidification on land, and a 49 percent fall in excessive nutrient levels in bodies of water. It would also use 19 percent less water to meet our food-energy demands.
Remember the immense suffering of the animals who are confined in cramped, filthy factory farms, branded, dehorned, castrated, or artificially inseminated, and finally transported, terrified, to an agonizing slaughter.
Let’s celebrate the national day not with cruelty but with delicious vegan food, and a good, old-fashioned “fair go” for all animals.
Mimi Bekhechi, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Sydney
Vegan for life
January 2022
The article “Veganism could be bad for your health” touched on the fact many intelligent young people are researching veganism’s huge benefits for sustainability, animal and human health.
Their conclusions lead to a permanent lifestyle, not “just a phase”.
The arguments in the article neglected to mention the health implications of animal products such as artery-clogging leading to heart disease and stroke.
Also, high cholesterol, bowel cancer, other cancers and type 2 diabetes.
An Oxford University study concluded: “Vegan is a sustainable, cheaper and healthier eating option.”
The leading researcher, Joseph Poore, said: “Converting grass into meat is like converting coal to energy. It comes with an immense cost in emissions.”
Any ill-planned diet, whether vegan or carnivore, is problematic.
Becoming vegan is a journey of discovery and is helped by healthy, inexpensive recipes on the internet and in libraries.
Diane Cornelius
Vegans’ time
November 2021
November is World Vegan Month, which again began here with the popular Vegan Festival Adelaide, featuring delicious food options and stallholders promoting the benefits of the lifestyle.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison will be offered vegan dishes at the COP26 climate conference, as plant menus will be on offer.
His government knows animal agriculture is one of the most damaging sources of greenhouse-gas emissions and deforestation.
He has been photographed viewing impressive vertical vegetable crops grown in massive sheds using hydroponic methods and solar panels.
We have no need to breed and slaughter millions of animals in order to feed our burgeoning human populations.
As vegans, we can live healthier, kinder and more sustainably.
Diane Cornelius
Left in the dark
August 2021
I partially agree with Dr Jasper Lee in his letter about plant-based meats (“ Meat alternative”).
He says “consumers aren’t silly” and “meat growers shouldn’t treat them as such”.
But that’s actually what meat growers have relied on in order to market their products.
If most people could see what really happens to animals in the production of meat and dairy products they would be horrified. Makers of animal products expect their consumers to remain ignorant so the appalling treatment of animals stays hidden.
Janine Clipstone
Global meat tax
August 2021
A further concern for meat producers, along with plant-based meat alternatives being marketed with meat names, is the push to tax meat and subsidize vegetables in Australia and other major economies.
A plan to put a carbon tax on meat will be presented to global leaders at the UN Climate Change Summit in Glasgow, Scotland.
The True Animal Price Protein Coalition is behind a major campaign under a UN food summit. It is targeting 88 countries, claiming reducing the consumption of animal products is vital for human and environmental health.
Countering this push, Australia’s Red Meat Advisory Council says anti-livestock regulatory proposals are misinformed, as the industry has taken great steps in emissions reduction and environmental stewardship. The federal government says it is committed to developing more sustainable food systems.
Simone Hunter
Business plan
March 2021
At last, food manufacturers are seeing the plants for the trees.
Massive opportunities are burgeoning for the agriculture sector and meat producers through encompassing plant-based food products.
US and Chinese companies are seeing the world markets and this is warranting huge investments.
Australia is in a prime position for domestic and South-East Asian market expansion.
Entrepreneurs step up, invest and profit.
Phil Cornelius
Happy vegans
November 2020
Veganism has, indeed, become very mainstream, this isn’t really surprising since a majority of people are animal lovers. More than two-thirds of South Australians share their home with an animal, mostly cats and dogs. Australians, in general, care about animal welfare, as evidenced by the outrage generated by media stories about cruelty.
The steady increase in veganism suggests more people are now applying their concern for animals to the choice of food on their plate.
More people want to avoid the suffering involved in animal products. Whether it be cows and sheep in paddocks with no shade in searing heat, or pigs and chickens crowded into factory farms – not to mention the final transport to slaughter.
The Body + Soul article also notes that the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, Australia’s leading killer, can be reduced by 32 per cent by eating a plant-based diet.
More and more people are now heeding the motto of Edgar’s Mission farm sanctuary: “If we could lead happy healthy lives without harming others, why wouldn’t we?”
Dr Suzanne Pope
Day of vegies
November 2020
The Vegan Society was established in 1944, and 50 years later World Vegan Day was commemorated on November 1, 1994.
Today vegans enjoy a wide range of food the world has to offer derived from healthy fibre-filled plants and delicious substitutes for those that involve animal cruelty.
The internet abounds with a huge range of vegan recipes.
A cruelty-free world is on our doorstep.
Why not investigate it at this weekend’s exciting Vegan Festival Adelaide?
Phil Cornelius
Seasonal plants
November 2020
I was pleased to read Susie Burrell's article highlighting the gut and real health benefits, extensive variety and the economical advantages of eating seasonal plant foods. Consumers who choose to not to eat animal products do so for environmental, human health and ethical reasons. Susie, your article was excellent, but misleading by stating that plant-based diets include small amounts of animal products. This is not so.
The terms plant-based and vegan both refer to people who choose a kinder more sustainable lifestyle without harming other sentient creatures.
Diane Cornelius
Time’s up, carnivores
June 2020
An article in your Farming First supplement, ‘‘An exciting time to be in farming," made the mistake that the world’s burgeoning human population can continue to be carnivorous. This ignores the adverse effects of meat eating on human health, and of excessive land and water use.
Farmers need to think outside the box, with vertical, hydroponic cropping techniques using solar panels as the way forward. The land and water use is efficient, making these systems a game-changer.
Diane Cornelius
Family Planning
April 2020
What an excellent letter from Warren Jones. “Prophetic voices," made my day; to finally hear someone with common sense agreeing that birth control and family planning should have been a global priority.
If humane prevention of breeding through fertility control, coupled with veganism, had been the chosen course for our species, we would not now be facing this coronavirus pandemic.
Christine Pierson
Heart Health Month
February 2019
As February is Heart Health month, what better time to take steps to reduce the risk of heart disease and protect heart health with plant-based food, by simply checking out the amazingly easy, delicious vegan recipes on the internet or in libraries?
Diane Cornelius
Cheap and vegan
December 2019
Our fast-food outlets such as McDonald’s and Hungry Jack’s and all restaurant owners know their businesses must keep up with mainstream food choices and are introducing vegan options (“ What does it cost to become a vegan?”)
Supermarkets have an increasing variety of vegan ready-to-eat and frozen alternatives for people who want to quickly transition to vegan diets.
I have been vegan for many years and know it is cheaper to buy in-season fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, legumes and grains and because they combine so well. They make easy-to-prepare, delicious, inexpensive meals.
Of course, my answer is we can live very cheaply as vegans.
Just look on the internet for inspiration.
FAY MATHEWS
Save on food
October 2019
According to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s Money-Smart meat is one of the most expensive food items.
This makes a kilogram of dried chickpeas or black beans at $5 a kg an inexpensive and healthier choice. These can feed a family of four for several meals.
By adding in-season vegetables and different herbs, they can become flavoured as Mexican, Italian or Moroccan. Easy meals can be found on the internet.
Veganism provides all the nutrients we need and we can get vitamin B12 from supplements and omega 3 from flaxseeds.
Too easy.
Fay Mathews
Flexible food
October 2019
It is good news that people are diversifying their food choices and eating less meat in favour of flexitarian diets.
The wide spectrum of nutritious foods, fresh and manufactured, available in Australia really does make us the Lucky Country.
Eating plant-based foods, including fake meat, ticks all the boxes for health-high fibre, no cholesterol or saturated fats, environmental ethics and animal ethics.
Food producers and companies pioneering cell-based meat by cultivating animal cells in laboratories rather than using animals, is innovative work in progress to becoming available to consumers.
Simone Hunter
Happier taking my chances by eating a meat-free diet
September 1-2019
Scientists have established a vegan is 22 per cent less likely to suffer from heart disease overall.
Vitamin B12 is a micro-organism found in the soil and it is necessary for all human health.
Vegans are well aware they need to have their levels checked and only need to take a B12 supplement to be sorted.
On the other hand, meat and animal product eaters are more likely to have heart disease, with experts warning regular consumers are likely to be fatter, have high blood pressure and cholesterol and diabetes issues.
Bowel cancer and other cancers are another real risk for carnivores.
I know which camp I’m happiest in and will take my chances as a long-time vegan.
Diane Cornelius
So, don’t eat that
September 2019
Congratulations to Rosie Mullender (“ Could you be a conscious carnivore?”)
for acknowledging that a diet without meat is kinder to the planet, to animals and to our body.
Congratulations, in particular because although she finds the meat-free path difficult to follow consistently, she has not given in to the all-too-common apathy and inaction.
Faced with any problem, it’s easy to feel that our individual contribution is too small to make a difference, or that unless we follow our chosen path perfectly, we may as well not bother. Rosie Mullender offers a middle path between being perfect and doing nothing.
The average Australian eats far too much meat. The conscious carnivores described by Rosie rarely eat meat, and when they do choose only free-range.
While I am happy being a vegan, Rosie’s approach is definitely better than giving up because it all seems too hard.
Dr Suzanne Pope
More vegans
September 2019
DAVID Bishop is right (“ Population key”): “More people equals more food, equals more land cleared, equals the need for more water.”
But breeding animals for food multiplies all this by 100 times. So we need more vegetarians and vegans.
What we need is both. Reduction in the breeding of all animals used for food, and reduction in the human population as well, by humane fertility control.
Christine Pierson
Meaty Episode
September 2019
Many thanks to the ABC for its Foreign Correspondent program.
Times of change are coming and the look at lab or fake meat was fascinating. As a longstanding vegan, I will stick to pure plant-based burgers in preference.
Alice Shore
Animals suffering for the sake of man’s diet
September 2019
RM asks “what more could one ask in life?” after describing how water that has been used to cook a body part of an animal can be turned into soup.
My answer would be for him to go online and take a few minutes to watch the free Australian documentary Dominion, which will leave him in no doubt his carnivorous diet is causing millions of animals and birds to suffer horrendous fates. I want no part in that or your lifestyle, thanks RM.
Diane Cornelius
Eat what you like, but not who you like
August . 2019
Paul Murray conveniently ignores the fact that meat is the body of an animal who desperately wanted to live but had his/her life violently, brutally and prematurely taken (Big snag in meatless future).
I agree with you, Paul, that we should be allowed to eat “what” we want, but not “who” we want.
The animals we so callously and casually kill are not mindless blobs.
They are intelligent, sensitive individuals who value their precious lives every bit as much as we value ours.
They don’t want to be violently killed any more than we would. And nor do they deserve to be. Thankfully, more and more people these days are recognising the injustice of needlessly hurting and killing these innocent animals and are switching to a kind and compassionate vegan way of life.
Jenny Moxham
Awareness of other cruelty is assured
August 2019
I REFER to RM’s letter and can assure him that the last thing Jenny Moxham would want to eat is the flesh of any animal.
I have not met Jenny but I’ve read her compassionate letters over many years and understand her desire to help consumers become aware of the kind of animal cruelty horrors they are supporting when they chose to eat animal products. I am quite sure Jenny is concerned about the loss of insects and the demise of animal and bird life due to toxic spraying. Australia has a bad track record for using poisons such as 1080 when other countries banned them years ago.
We have a limited space to enable us to address all our issues of concern.
Diane Cornelius
Oceans need water too
August 2019
The article "Liquid Assets" filled me with dread and a sense of hopelessness. Has Gina Rinehart got no idea at all about the damage being done to the planet’s environment and atmosphere by millions of very water-hungry meat animals being grown to feed what is now recognised as a totally unsustainable world population? How can anyone place profits ahead of the future of our finite world? Australia is already in trouble in regards to water and this issue has indeed recently been the focus of national attention. In my opinion, to even consider taking thousands of gigalitres of water from the Fitzroy River to facilitate the profits of a private cattle breeding operation is appalling.
Alex Hodges
Meaty subject
August 2019
There is some objection by carnivores to the use of the word “meat” to describe lab, fake or plant-based meats.
In the Bible, in Genesis 1, we are told to eat the seeds and nuts and fruits and “they shall be as meat unto you." Arguments can be “meaty."
And a person can find themselves in the uncomfortable position of being “the meat in a sandwich."
There is a strange objection to the use of “milk” to describe all the plant-based milk now on our shelves. But we have plants called milkweed and milk-thistle.
Alice Shore
Milk of kindness
August 2019
In reference to the letter “Meaty Subject” on plant-based meat and milk, and the meaning of these words, the literary phrase “the milk of human kindness” from Shakespeare’s Macbeth springs to mind.
Milk here means compassion and benevolence.
People I know who consume milk made from the seeds and fruits of plants, as an alternative to dairy milk, do so out of their personal “milk of human kindness” for cows and other mammals. These produce milk for their young but it is taken by humans.
Simone Hunter
More to meat
August 2019
The English language is full of words with multiple meanings.
Many articles and news items are noting that farmers and carnivores are claiming the word “meat” only applies to animal flesh.
Actually, the English word is years older than farming, and it once referred to “food, nourishment, sustenance a meal or repast”.
So there is no reason why non-animal food cannot be referred to as meat.
The same applies for delicious almond, soy and oat alternatives to cows’ milk.
With these planet-saving alternatives available today, we should embrace them, no matter what we choose to call them.
Fay Mathews
Growing industry
June 2019
“Plant-based burger maker beats forecasts” reports on the massive boom in plant-based burger meat.
Wouldn’t it be nice to see that economic growth in SA rather than another abattoir expansion at Murray Bridge built on the appalling suffering of animals that is endemic in the real meat industry.
Keith Preston
Vegans in the bush
June 2019
I enjoyed reading the list of eclectic people living in Shane Dupree’s township, Wudinna.
But, Shane, you did not mention vegans and vegetarians in your list.
It’s 2019 and, as a resident in a rural township, I am certain people who live on plant-based diets are living in Wudinna.
Alice Shore
A meaty issue
June 2019
Thanks to the ABC for Landline, June 2nd. The program raised so many issues concerning the changing perception of meat animals in our society.
As a vegan, I appreciated the emphasis that not all vegans are animal activists and the interviews with Emma Hurst, elected NSW member of the Animal Justice Party, Chris Delaforce from Aussie Farms and the RSPCA and short scenes of abattoir abuse from the film Dominion.
The program tried to give balance with interviews from some farmers and activists and an analysis of the stupidities of social media on both sides.
A section on alternatives to meat would have been a nice ending. Another program coming?
Alice Shore
Animal food producers seeing benefits of veganism
May 2019
It was refreshing to read Bruce Bisset’s column, “Oh no — vegans were right,” highlighting the benefits of plant-based foods for human health, our ecosystems and animal welfare. As a longtime vegan I can recommend using the internet or libraries for health information and easy, inexpensive and delicious vegan recipes for everything from main meals to snacks and desserts.
Some of the world’s largest animal food producers such as Tyson, Cargill and Memphis now have huge vegan arms of their businesses.
Bruce is right, native animal extinctions are due to habitat loss from urban sprawl, and methane from sheep and cattle is a main cause of destructive climate change.
Diane Cornelius
Go with the vegan
April 2019
I read with interest Doug Killeen's letter and his indignation about to his desire to order an egg and bacon roll. Lord of the Fries advertises that it serves vegan food. The options are much healthier as animal products are full of saturated fat and cholesterol. It is well-established that animal products, particularly processed meat such as ham and bacon, are a leading cause of bowel cancer. Fibre is so important for gut health and is only available in plant foods such as grains, beans, fruit, vegetables, nuts etc. So for your well being Doug, I suggest you try the vegan option, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Diane Cornelius
Save the animals
April 2019
What wonderful articles in SAWeekend. Reading ‘Living on the veg,' I now think maybe there is a future for our planet. If everyone changed to a vegan diet, what a difference it would make. We’d reduce climate change, relieve pressure on our medical system and save millions of animals from torture and death.
Also, there would be so much more food for those starving to death in third world countries, because the plant-based foods would go directly to feed them instead of to animals which would be killed for meat.
I will be voting for the animals at the next election and hoping that many others will also do the same.
Christine Pierson
Denigrating others won’t save the planet
March 2019
TERI Robertson’s letter clearly shows she doesn’t realise the necessary steps required to have a habitable planet for our burgeoning world population to live on, and requires huge changes in our western way of life.
She denigrated the work of Animals Australia and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) volunteers who want a kinder world by eliminating the slaughter of billions of gentle animals.
Rather than being forced off the land, climate change and market pressures will be the change agents.
Largest meat producers, Tyson, Cargill and Memphis meats now have huge vegan branches as they see the writing on the wall and are diversifying.
Yes Teri, vertically hydroponically grown vegetables and drought-resistant crops are necessary. Unsustainable land and water use for animal production causes massive ecosystem destruction and native species loss.
Eliminating human activity-induced CO2 and methane emissions will give our grandchildren a liveable world.
Diane Cornelius
Vegans encouraging kindness and compassion
March 2019
I can assure Teri Robertson she has nothing to fear from vegans because veganism revolves around non-violence (Offended by Vegan Pronouncements).
Vegans believe in treating others the way we would like to be treated if we were them.
Animal farmers, on the other hand, believe in exploiting and killing animals purely for financial gain.
How would Ms Roberson like it if her beloved siamese cat had the skin sliced from his backside with no pain relief?
Or was branded with red hot irons? Or had his testicles cut out while fully conscious?
These are but a few of the agonising procedures that farmed animals are routinely forced to endure at “our” hands.
Yet they feel pain in exactly the same way as our pets.
Teri, those who encourage kindness and compassion to all beings are not the “evil” ones.
The “evil” ones are those who cruelly and needlessly exploit other life-loving sentient beings purely for personal gain.
Jenny Moxham
Produce vegan foods
Januar2019
How depressing Thomas Food's plans for expansion. So depressing for those of us seeking a kinder world. I hate seeing the daily sheep trucks going to their abattoir at Lobethal, all those confused eyes. What a waste of life. Sheep are sentient, intelligent creatures. There is no need for us to be eating them. What a shame they don't show concern for all forms of life and join the ever growing moves to a plant-based diet.
I look forward to the time when Thomas's are socially mature enough to produce vegan foods.
Alice Shore
A great recipe for narrowing your blood vessels
January 2019
I took Michael Setter’s advice yesterday and looked up the true facts of LDL (Low-density lipoproteins) which carry bad cholesterol through all the blood vessels of the body.
High levels of LDL definitely raise the risk of heart disease, stroke, erectile dysfunction and other health issues, as it builds up on the walls of blood vessels as plaque, causing the vessels throughout the body to narrow.
So, Mr Setter, you are ill-informed, as animal products contain saturated fats and cholesterol, but have no healthy fibre to eliminate the unwanted toxins from the body.
I have practised veganism for many years and have studied extensively its many benefits for human health, the health of the planet and for the billions of animals that are unnecessarily slaughtered for food. The question we are most often asked as vegans is, “Where do you get your protein?” My reply is there are no hospital wards in the world for “protein deficiency”. Protein, and in fact all the necessary nutrients, are available in plant foods, even in the humble potato. Small amounts of vitamin B12 are necessary to us all and it is readily obtained in fortified foods. I rest my case.
Diane Cornelius
Call for vegan life is compassionate
January 2019
What a compassionate letter by Jenny Moxham (Respect vegan ‘live and let live’ motto).
I have been vegan for many years and know how good it is knowing that I do not intentionally harm any fish, birds or animals.
Jenny said, “. . .more and more people around the globe are switching to a vegan diet because they recognise all beings — not just human beings — have a right to live”.
I agree with her and I recommend people go to the website of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) for vegan information as we have a huge choice of delicious foods and a well-balanced vegan diet of vegetables, fruit, grain, beans, nuts and seeds contains all the nutrients required for all stages of life, including pregnancy, childhood, adolescence, old age and for athletes, too. It is lower in saturated fat, has none of the cholesterol and hormones in animal products, which are linked to health issues such as stroke, heart disease, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, obesity, bowel and other cancers.
The internet has thousands of kinder, healthier, easy vegan recipes. “Bosh recipes” is my favourite.
Diane Cornelius
Why laboratory-made meat should be on our menus
January 2019
Robin Grant disparages me for correctly using the word corpse to describe the dead body of a turkey. He then says, “We know it’s a corpse, but we don’t care.” Robin, if you know it’s a corpse and you don’t care why are you getting so irritated?He calls cultured meat created in a laboratory “disgusting” yet he finds kidneys and liver “lip-smacking delights”. Robin, these body parts are far more “disgusting” than cultured meat. The liver and kidneys are the body’s waste filters that filter out chemicals and impurities from the blood – including those from drugs and medication. They are definitely not things we should be putting in our mouths. And have you ever looked at the way the animals are “processed”? In the book “Slaughterhouse” by Gail Eisnitz, a worker speaks about the worms that must be cleaned out of the animal’s intestines – along with faeces – so they can be used for sausage skins. “Nine times out of ten those hogs have roundworms as long as this table. You’ve got 12 inch roundworms hanging on your foot as you’re walking and you’re dragging these worms. Are you going to get up in the morning and fry some bacon? Or sausage? Could be ground up worms making that sausage.”Robin then wishes “everyone” a happy New Year. My wish for 2019 is that it will be a happy year, not just for humans, but for all of Earth’s inhabitants. The best way to make this happen, of course, is to switch to a vegan diet.
Jenny Moxham
Veganism about justice
January 2019
In a nutshell, veganism is all about justice.Robbing our fellow sentient beings of their precious lives, for something as frivolous and unnecessary as taste bud pleasure, is simply unfair.
Jenny Moxham
Veganism very viable
January 2019
I refer to Mike O’Shaughnessy’s letter and totally agree that veganism is a lifestyle and diet is just one aspect that vegans seek to change as non-human animals are cruelly exploited for experimentation, sport, food, clothing and entertainment.
However, a well-balanced vegan diet, containing vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds and grains contains all essential nutrients, is scientifically proven by the World Health Organisation to be adequate for all life stages, and including during pregnancy.
Vit B12 is essential and is available to vegans in fortified foods or as a supplement. Changing dietary habits can affect humans and beans were mentioned as sometimes culprits for methane production. To aid their digestion, the easy solution for beginner vegans is to soak uncooked beans overnight, then discard the soak water, replace it with fresh water and cook until beans are tender. Then drain and blend them before adding them to recipes.
All plant foods are full of fibre and nutrients for gut and bowel health and soon become part of inexpensive vegan meals.
The internet addresses animal cruelty and environmental issues, has vegan health advise and has thousands of deliciously easy recipes.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is just one excellent resource and ‘‘Bosh’’ recipe ideas are fabulous.
Diane Cornelius
Vegan diets suitable for all
January 2019
I note that poor diets are bad for all ages, whether vegan or carnivorous. We know infants fed on junk foods will not thrive.
However, a well-balanced vegan diet, containing vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds and grains contains all essential nutrients, is scientifically proven to be the healthiest diet for all life stages, including pregnancy.
Vit B12 is essential and is available to vegans in fortified foods or as a supplement.
The internet has vegan health advise and deliciously easy recipes.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is an excellent resource.
Calcium and iron for growing bodies are available in green leafy vegetables and chickpeas, and sunshine for Vitamin D for absorption.
Huge animal product producers such a Tyson, Cargill and Nestle now have vegan divisions of their businesses, that billionaires Bill Gates and Richard Branson are investing heavily in, knowing that for our burgeoning world population, eating animal products is unsustainable.
After all, our world’s largest land animals, elephants, are vegan.
Diane Cornelius
We can cope without meat
January 2019
Elizabeth Farrelly avoids the realities of the volumes of meat needed to "satisfy most of us". He then goes on to promote intensive chicken farming. Is he talking about "satisfying" our taste buds? If so, why should our momentary taste bud satisfaction take precedence over an animal's right to live? No animal deserves to be condemned to a life and death of suffering when we can live healthily and happily with no animal products in our diet.
Jenny Moxham
No bok choy has been found to have a brain
January 2019
Michael Setter makes some very strange statements. He claims plants are sentient, yet no reputable study has ever shown that plants feel pain – they do not have a nervous system or brain. The word “sentient”, as defined by the dictionary, means the power of perception by the senses characterised by sensation and consciousness to think and feel.
I challenge Mr Setter to watch two documentaries, both available on the Internet, and then speak of conscious awareness, which I believe only comes when people are willing to face the truth about what they place on their forks.
The first is “Lucent”, the inside story of pig farming in Australia, produced by Aussie Farms. The second is “Peaceable Kingdom”, about a former dairy farmer. If you are still not convinced, I suggest you take on “Dominion”. They will change your life and outlook for the better.
Diane Cornelius
Give vegan a go
December 2018
I referred to John Lewis’ News column and I agree there is no need for slaughter or feather plucking to enjoy fabulous food. We have an amazing choice of fresh plant food at our fingertips; supermarkets now have vegan sections and eateries are shooting up everywhere in answer to our desire to live cruelty-free.
The internet and libraries abound with thousands of delicious, inexpensive, easy vegan recipes to experiment with. I recommend Googling ‘Bosh recipes’ for inspired cooking ideas.
As a long-time vegan, I know the health benefits alone are worth pursuing, so why not make a new year resolution to give a vegan lifestyle a go?
Diane Cornelius
Poor diets are always bad
December 2018
I refer to the article about Mothers referring to give their children plant based food.
We know infants fed on junk foods will not thrive and that poor diets are bad for all ages whether vegan or carnivorous.
However, a well balanced vegan diet, containing vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds and grains contains all essential nutrients, is scientifically proven to be the healthiest diet for all life stages, and including pregnancy.
Vitamin B12 is essential and is available to vegans in fortified foods or as a supplement.
The internet has vegan health advise and deliciously easy recipes.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is an excellent resource.
Calcium and iron for growing bodies are available in green leafy vegetables and chickpeas, and sunshine for Vitamin D for absorption.
Huge animal product producers such a Tyson, Cargill and Nestle now have vegan divisions of their businesses, that billionaires Bill Gates and Richard Branson are investing heavily in, knowing that for our burgeoning world population, eating animal products is unsustainable.
After all, our world’s largest animals, elephants, are vegan.
Diane Cornelius
Healthy/humane choice
December 2018
Agriculture Minister Littleproud claims red meat is “essential” to a healthy diet. (Minister slams meat tax) Not according to one of the world’s strongest men, Patric Baboumian.
He says, “Almost two years after becoming vegan I am stronger than ever before and I am still improving day by day. There are plenty of plant-based protein sources and your body is going to thank you for stopping feeding it with dead food.” And, clearly, the animals will thank you too.
Jenny Moxham
Sausage warning
November 2018
Are sausages dangerous? Absolutely . But it isn’t the onions that are the problem. Cancer Council Australia accepts that red and processed meat cause about 2600 new cases of bowel cancer annually.
So, is eating sausages just a form of risk-taking that should be perfectly acceptable? Sure, if they were labelled something like cigarettes so that people knew what they were eating.
Geoff Russell
Eat your greens
October 2018
Re "The high cost of living leaves thousands hungry" and the cost to the government. Interestingly, last Tuesday was "World Food Day."
As consumers are becoming aware of the unsustainability of animal agriculture in our arid, water-poor country, they are seeing the value in plant-based options.
Prime Minister, Scott Morrison recently visited a hydroponic vertical tomato growing centre using new technology, only small quantities of water and solar panels for power.
Hydroponics is proving to be the way of the future. Seed banks contain grains that are drought tolerant.
With animal farmers destocking their farms, the federal government could be supporting them to diversify into more sustainable farming.
Families can eat well and enjoy easy, nutritious vegan recipes including Mexican, Italian, Indian and Chinese available on the internet, using cheap bulk dried beans and rice. Easy.
Diane Cornelius
Green model
October 2018
The photo and article ‘Model's reach greatest’ about the gorgeous model, Sheridyn Fisher's massive social media following and her book on living without doing harm, Vegan Living, is attracting far more interest from followers about ending the cruel live animal export trade, than policy-makers such as Agriculture Minister, David Littleproud.
The article mentions Australia's “clean, green reputation” is being damaged. It has been ruined already by our huge native species loss and commercial kangaroo massacre.
Diane Cornelius
Food is a great source of pleasure
October 2018
It was very exciting to read Bee Wilson’s article “Food is a great source of pleasure.” Forget that, and we’re doomed to eat badly. As a newlywed I thought having to cook every day was akin to a “life sentence” until I learned about the benefits of a vegan diet and a whole new world of taste sensations opened up, without having to use animal products.
The internet has a huge array of easy, inexpensive vegan recipes from Indian, to Chinese, Mexican, and Italian, and the list of delights goes on. I went on to teach vegan cooking and had fun showing people how to live healthily without harming any living being.
Diane Cornelius
Canada putting plants on a pedestal
September 2018
I’m sure if Robin Grant did his research, he would learn that industry-commissioned reports are excluded from consideration in the Canadian government’s new draft report for healthy eating.
The report promotes evidence-based eating choices and recommends the importance of a high proportion of plant-based foods, among which legumes rank highly.
Since the 1940s, animal industries have been promoting their unsustainable, environmentally devastating products. The truth is that a diet of meat and dairy contains unhealthy saturated fats and cholesterol and has none of the healthy fibre of plants. As consumers learn how we have been duped for generations, we need to be heard.
Diane Cornelius
Benefits of being animal free
August 2018
In his letter Nev Richards refuses to accept the benefits of eating animal free foods.
Irrefutable evidence has been provided by Michael Gregers MD, who has won the Lifestyle Medicine Trailblazer Award for his internationally recognised speaking on vegan nutrition and human health.
His best selling book How not to die was an instant best seller.
Nev, I have spent many hours travelling through our dry, gibber plains and semi desert and have seen massive cattle stations that go on for hundreds of miles, with poor cattle, hardly able to walk on the jagged stones with a ratio of one animal per kilometre because of the lack of vegetation.
They have to be rounded up into feedlots for months to be fattened for slaughter or export.
I know it is no place for farmed animals.
Yet our native animals would thrive if they were allowed back into their native habitat, instead of being culled as “pests”, and if the farmers would diversify into sustainable industries, with sensible government assistance.
Diane Cornelius
Cupcake cruelty
July 2018
The SPCA is urging us to bake cupcakes to protect animals “that don’t have a voice”. Ironically, the four recipes pictured on their website contain ingredients derived by cruelty to animals “that don’t have a voice”. I’m referring to eggs and dairy.
All egg-laying hens — even if they are free range — meet a hideously cruel death at just 18 months of age. Shackled by their ankles to a conveyor belt, those who succeed in avoiding the stun bath and automated throat cutter are simultaneously boiled and drowned in the scalding tank.
In order to “produce” milk, farmers deliberately bring calves into the world then mercilessly slaughter them. Each year in New Zealand almost two million of these sweet, newborn calves are callously killed in their first week of life. Their mothers meet the same terrifying and brutal death as soon as their milk supply declines. If the SPCA genuinely cares about animals, why aren’t their recipes cruelty-free?
Jenny Moxham
Cupcake day
July 2018
The RSPCA’s web site promotes its Cupcake Day fundraiser on August 29 as “baking to fight animal cruelty”; yet, of the seven recipes that they feature, six of them contain eggs, milk and butter, which are all derived from animals that suffer in these cruel industries.
Of the only one that is vegan, the author Emily-Jane states: "Any food can be veganised and easily made to not involve any harm to animals”.
As awareness of suffering grows, surely it is time for the RSPCA to heed its motto, “For All Creatures Great and Small”, and mention how easily baking, like all food, can be cruelty-free. The internet or libraries have heaps of kinder, delicious vegan recipes.
Diane Cornelius
Vegans refer to scientific evidence, not hearsay
July 2018
NEV Richards’ letter in, July 24, states vegans need to know the “real facts about animal products and activities”.
Actually, instead of opinions or hearsay, vegans refer to scientific evidence, and websites such as the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and hear what David Attenborough has to say about the burgeoning worldwide human population and its effect on our natural environment and ecosystems.
We would need another planet to feed them on unsustainable animal products.
More grain needs to be fed to fatten cattle for market that could be eaten directly by humans. By referring to “animal activities”, Nev, I assume you are referring to the massive pollution involved in the run-off from slaughterhouses, the methane that the billions of animals produce, the water use needed in dairies, and the transport and refrigeration required.
Veganism wins on every count.
Diane Cornelius
French vegans misconstrued
July 2018
The article 'Let them eat steak,' butchers tell French vegans (6 July) highlights how butchers are overreacting to the actions of vegans who want people to understand that eating animals and their products is unsustainable. We don’t have a Planet B to utilise to feed the burgeoning human population. Crops could be fed to people directly, rather than via farmed animals.
If the French population would take the time to educate themselves, they would know we are a growing group of people who want a better future for the younger generation who will inherit the mess we are making of our planet. Diversification into more sustainable food enterprises is desperately required.
Diane Cornelius
What motivates vegans
June 2018
Robin Grant’s letter overreacted to the actions of vegans impatient and frustrated to want people to understand that eating animals and their products is completely unsustainable.
As the arable land, feed and enormous water wastage for tastebud satisfaction that he insists on rubbing our noses in. We don’t have a “planet B” to utilise to feed the burgeoning human population.
Crops could be fed to them directly rather than through farmed animals. I have never met a violent or threatening animal activist. I know they use fake blood at times to stress their point.
If Mr Grant would take the time to educate himself he would know we are not a single issue pressure group, but rather a growing group of people who want a better future for the younger generation who will inherit the mess we are making of our planet, their very survival depends on scientific research being listened to.
Diane Cornelius
Crops for the Future
June 2018
ACCORDING to the inspiring Prof Sayed Azam-Ali, CEO of Crops for the Future, Research Centre for Global Food Security, who stated that for wherever we live we are increasingly in the eye of the storm, due to population growth, depleting natural resources and climate change.
The world’s major crops of maize, rice, wheat and soy beans may fail in volatile environments.
He says we can no longer afford a business as usual approach.
Through history, of 7,000 crops grown, many are climate resilient and thrive in marginal soils, that we can explore for nutrition and income options by what he calls our “agripreneurs of the future,” to ensure continuous food security and sustainability.
Thus reducing the world’s dependence on unhealthy, unsustainable animal products.
Benefits for humanity, our health and our planet, could not come at a better time as farmers are finding animal farming and export options are failing to support our burgeoning human population.
Diane Cornelius
Living proof
June 2018
DAIRY farmers Jenny and John Cameron's letter posed the question, how will our bodies adapt to a vegan diet? As a very long time vegan who was extremely ill before my body readily adapted to a vegan diet, in fact, my doctors were amazed at my test results after just a first few weeks free from all animal products.
Like me, many people find that our western diet of meat, eggs and dairy impacts negatively on our health by making us subject to cardiovascular disease, stroke, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, obesity and bowel cancer.
We can definitely live kinder and healthier without any animal products, I am living proof of it.
Diane Cornelius
Eating vegan isn't about perfection
June 2018
While the discovery of meat traces in vegan and vegetarian ready meals (‘Meat found’ in vegan food, 9 June) will have come as a shock to many – including, I suspect, those producing these foods – the reality is that we live in a world where animals are routinely killed by the billions for their body parts, and worrying about trace amounts of animal-derived foods in vegan products won’t help them. It’s no different from eating a veggie burger at a restaurant that also serves meat or off the grill at a friend’s barbecue – there’s always a chance of cross-contamination. What we have to remember is that the packets of bacon and beef sold by supermarkets are composed 100% of dead body parts – so those are the products we should avoid if we want to help animals.
Eating vegan isn’t about “perfection” or a quest for personal purity – it’s about achieving real change for animals suffering in the food industry. Choosing a vegan burger over a meat-based one is a win for them, the Earth and one’s arteries, and Peta offers a free vegan starter kit for anyone wanting to make the shift towards a more compassionate way of living.
Jennifer White. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Meat off the menu
June 2018
Thanks to SBS for the Dateline program examining cruelty to farm animals and the growth of veganism. It was good to hear Dr. Michael Mosely say, “We don’t need to eat meat.” Vegans are compassionate people, wanting to create a kinder world.
The noise from the pigs being gassed was very upsetting... sentient creatures fighting for their lives.
Alice Shore
Catching on
June 2018
When my husband and I became vegan many years ago people had rarely heard the term vegan and we thought we would be isolated because of it. But as we saw on May 29, SBS Dateline program Extreme Vegan so many young people are learning about the benefits of a kinder, healthier way to live, by not eating any animal products.
People’s health will improve, the earth’s ecosystems will recover, as animals will not be produced in their billions, worldwide.
We can now go to restaurants and supermarkets and buy delicious vegan food, easy vegan recipes are flooding the internet as vegan becomes mainstream.
These are exciting times for people who want to see an end to animal suffering, for temporary tastebud satisfaction.
Diane Cornelius
We can live without animal products
June 2018
A phrase Prime Minister Gough Whitlam made famous in 1972 was “It’s time”.
Well, I'm suggesting that “it's time” for all of us to take a stand against the merciless and heartless exploitation of our gentle and inoffensive fellow creatures.
“It's time” to move towards a kinder, more civilised and more compassionate world.
The consumption of animal products is not “set in concrete”.
We can change this cruel tradition – and we should.
Australia is the third-fastest growing vegan market in the world. Why? Because increasingly people are recognising that killing animals – just because we enjoy the taste of their flesh, eggs and milk – is cruel and unjustifiable.
In recent weeks we have been outraged by the cruelty to our exported sheep but, if you think about it, why should any animal be needlessly condemned to a brutal, terrifying and premature death?
As a long time vegan I can assure you that we can live healthily and happily without any animal products whatsoever in our diet.
Jenny Moxham
Future of food
May 2018
Last year, the dairy industry attempted to ban the use of the word “milk” for plant-based drinks like soy and almond milk.
We pointed out that, if accuracy is their goal, their bottles should be labelled a 'mammary secretion.'
Now, the Cattle Council wants to ban the word “meat” from vegan products that look like animal flesh but are clean, cruelty-free and better for our health.
They want the law changed to define meat as “coming from the flesh of a slaughtered animal”.
We do hope they’ll print that on every package – they’ll will win our campaign for us in the first week.
Very soon, clean meat grown from stem cells in the laboratory under sterile conditions and without any animals being tormented and slaughtered will be widely available.
Forward-thinkers like Bill Gates, who recently invested millions into clean meat, know that it is the “future of food”.
Consumers are far smarter than the meat industry believes.
They know that regardless of what they’re called, vegan and clean meats are the humane and sustainable choice.
Desmond Bellamy, Special Projects Coordinator PETA Australia
Healthy vegan children.
May 2018
The article "Vegan diet can cause devastating health issues in children," was quite misleading, when in fact there are risks in providing any young people with "wrong" diets and can be done easily by feeding them the huge variety of refined, processed baby foods that are deficient in nutrients.
Plant based foods are iron, calcium and protein rich. The only missing link is Vit B12 which humans need in minuscule, but extremely necessary amounts. B12 is a microbe found in the soil, animals eat it and humans get it second hand by eating animals. Now consumers are learning about the" devastating" health effects of eating animal products they are choosing the kinder, healthier option, which is definitely not a "fad."
Vitamin B12 is available to vegans in cheesy tasting nutritional yeast flakes from health food shops, or from a readily available supplement taken by expectant vegan mothers and given to their babies which stops any possible health problems. Nothing is said in the article about animal products lacking in healthy fibre, which causes chronic constipation in little ones.
As a long term vegan I have known very strong, healthy and bright vegan children whose arteries are unclogged by unhealthy aeliusnimal products. Cows' milk is meant for calves to grow into huge animals.
Diane Cornelius
Healthier food alternatives on market.
May 2018
I REFER to Samual Carroll’s letter “No cows involved in Impossible Burger.”
The National Dietary Guidelines now clearly state that a vegan diet is healthy and suitable for all stages of life.
Tyson Foods, Cargill and Memphis meats, America’s largest producers of animal products, are diversifying into huge plant food arms of their businesses, as they adapt to people wanting more sustainable, healthier alternatives.
Billionaires Richard Branson and Bill Gates are also investing as clean meat is going mainstream, and is cheaper than animal products.
Mr Carroll is correct to say, “... making this plant-based meat uses 95 per cent less land, 74 per cent less water, 87 per cent less greenhouse gas than traditional beef production, and 0 per cent cows.”
If animals were not purpose-bred for slaughter, there would be no need for any slaughterhouses or the massive pollution they create.
Diane Cornelius
Showing care for animals isn’t a matter of militancy
May 2018
There is always a “first” time for anything, but Nigel Pike’s letter (May 8) claiming I am “militant pro-animal” for caring about the abuse of animals is definitely a first.
Having studied the cruel way we treat animals caught up in the food chain, I attempt to help people see that there is a kinder, cleaner, more sustainable way to live.
Hardly combative or extreme, the vegan lifestyle’s foremost motto is, “Do no harm.”
Diane Corneliu
How to make an informed choice on diet.
March 2018
Scientific evidence not evangelising, is how to make an informed choice on diet
Robin Grant wants more scientific proof that vegan diets are the healthiest. Rather than being “evangelistic” about vegan diets, I have researched them and would suggest others do too. A good start is the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and onegreenplanet.org, which offers advice for cruelty-free/green living.
Or how about the Journal of the Nutrition and Diatetic Association’s report that appropriately planned vegan diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may help prevent and treat certain diseases? Vegan diets contain less saturated fat, and more important dietary fibre, that animal products lack.
A vegan diet lowers blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart disease, strokes, certain types of cancers, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Vegan diets are appropriate for all stages of life, from pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood and for athletes.
Also Robin, vegan diets are environmentally more sustainable than animal products, because they need less natural resources and are associated with less environmental damage.
Diane Cornelius
Murray Bridge abattoir inferno.
March 2018
I'm sure I speak for every South Australian relieved that the Murray Bridge abattoir inferno did not cause any human deaths. Thomas Foods, Murray Bridge facility alone processed 52,500 sheep and lambs and 5,000 cattle every week, was the biggest "multi-species" slaughterhouse in the world, which was due for a multi million dollar upgrade.
It is one of three other TF slaughterhouses in Australia. Now Tyson Foods, America's largest producer of animal products is diversifying into a huge plant food arm of it's business, as they adapt to people wanting alternatives.
Billionaires Richard Branson and Bill.Gates are investing in "Beyond Meat" stating plant based protein alternatives are going mainstream, and are cheaper than equivalent animal products.The National Dietary Guidelines from more and more countries now clearly state that a vegan diet is healthy and suitable for all stages of life.
Thomas Foods and farmers would do well to take advantage of their situation and diversify as well, producing kinder, more wholesome and sustainable foods. If animals were not purpose bred for slaughter there would be no need for any slaughterhouses or the pollution they create.
Diane Cornelius
World Vegan Day.
The first celebration of World Vegan Day (Nov 1st, 1994) has now been extended to World Vegan Month and includes World Cruelty Free Day, when we acknowledge non-violence and compassion towards all nature's creatures, which is at the heart of vegan philosophy.
It is now indisputable that animals share most emotions and suffer as we do. We exploit animals for entertainment, food, experimentation, clothing and more. Vegans do not replace compassion for people, but rather extends protection from cruelty, granted to humans, to embrace all animals. Veganism is about health almost as much as it is about ethics.
Plant foods are very high in fibre and low in fat and cholesterol, which creates health benefits such as reducing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer and obesity. Why not try the kinder, healthier and deliciously easy recipes that abound on the internet and in libraries.
Diane Cornelius