Groundbreaking Vegan Support System Launches

Last week, animal-rights organization Mercy For Animals (MFA) launched sister website The Green Plate. The new resource is a comprehensive support system aimed to make veganism more accessible thanks to a meal-planning tool, Facebook community, nutritional advice, grocery shopping lists (enabled with a tool to order ingredients from delivery service Instacart), an informative blog, and a host of recipes—such as Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes, Chik’n Fried Rice, and Five-Minute Chana Masala. The Green Plate also includes guides to ordering vegan food from meal delivery services, chain eateries such as Taco Bell, and a tool to search local vegan-friendly restaurants with the help of Happy Cow. Geetika Sripathi, vice president of education at MFA, tells VegNews that the launch of The Green Plate coincides with the growth in popularity of plant-based foods—an industry that exceeded more than $5 billion in sales last year, according to a March report by data company firm SPINS. “As more and more individuals reduce and eliminate their consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs,” Sripathi said, “The Green Plate will serve as a comprehensive resource to help them go and stay vegan.”