Students Dish Out Free Greggs Vegan Sausage Rolls Across UK Campuses

From peta.org.uk/news 

By Polly Foreman

PETA’s youth outreach initiative is off to a delicious start – thanks to passionate student animal defenders serving up free Greggs Vegan Sausage Rolls and starting conversations about kinder food choices.

Working with university societies across the country, three groups stepped up to take part: the Animal Rights Society at De Montfort University, the Vegetarian Society at the University of Exeter, and the Animal Law Society at Northumbria University. Acting on behalf of animals, each society hosted its own campus stall – giving away 100 vegan rolls and engaging fellow students in positive, eye-opening discussions about plant-based diets.

Real Conversations, Real Impact

Students from the Animal Law Society at Northumbria University

In total, nearly 300 vegan sausage rolls were handed out – with many students trying the pig-free option for the first time. The universities also reported excellent feedback from fellow students:

“Had some really great conversations and a lot of people had positive attitudes towards our cause.”

Animal Rights Society, De Montfort University

“We said to people, ‘Just try one and see whether you like it’. A lot of people did actually try it … and agreed they taste exactly the same as meaty  sausage rolls.”

Animal Law Society, Northumbria University

“Having people that otherwise wouldn’t have tried a vegan alternative … be able to try them because they were free was great. I personally loved seeing people’s surprise at how good and similar the vegan sausage rolls tasted.”

Vegetarian Society, University of Exeter

A Simple Swap

The Vegan Roll Pork-Free, a beloved part of the Greggs menu, has become a staple on UK high streets and university campuses alike – and it costs the same as the meat version.

By giving students the chance to try the roll for free, these outreach events showed that choosing vegan food couldn’t be easier. It can be just as convenient, far more delicious, and far kinder to animals.

Powered by Students

Students from the Vegetarian Society at the University of Exeter

The success of these events is thanks to the dedication of the student societies, who organised and ran their stalls on campus, and to PETA’s Youth Outreach Coordinator  who supported the initiative by arranging materials and supplying the vegan rolls.

Together, they created welcoming spaces where students could explore new foods, ask questions, and rethink what’s on their plate.

A Growing Movement

These events are a glimpse of what’s possible when student activists are empowered to speak up for animals.

With more outreach planned, PETA will build on this momentum – reaching even more students, inspiring more conversations, and making vegan options the go-to choice on campuses nationwide.

Because sometimes, all it takes is one bite to change minds.

https://www.peta.org.uk/news/students-greggs-sausage-rolls/

10 Ways to Eat Quinoa for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

From onegreenplanet.org

By Alexandra Evans

Quinoa is much loved by plant-based eaters because it gives us protein and contains significant quantities of essential vitamins and minerals including manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, folate, and copper. A cup of cooked quinoa also contains eight grams of complete protein and five grams of fibre. This superfood is also gluten-free! Nutritionally speaking, quinoa is quite the rock star.

If you’re looking to make a dinner that several people with varying dietary needs can enjoy, this grain is a great choice. Vegans, meat-eaters, gluten-free eaters, and those watching their weight can all sit at the table with quinoa. Check out these 10 ways to eat quinoa for breakfast, lunch, and dinner:

1. Healthy Vegan Pomegranate Quinoa Porridge

Forget traditional oatmeal. Take your breakfast to the next, more nutritious level by using quinoa for porridge or oatmeal. Pair with some fresh fruit slices and homemade nut milk or nut butter.

2. Quinoa Salad with Figs, Purslane, and Goji Berries

This dish is absolutely gorgeous and deserves a place in the centre of the table at your next dinner party. Even those more adverse to healthy eating can’t help but eye this dish’s beauty (and hopefully take a spoonful or two!).

3. Pineapple Fried Quinoa

Who needs unhealthy, fried rice when you can employ a similar method to quinoa? You’ll need to grab some soy sauce for this recipe.

4. Healthy ‘Digestive-Friendly’ Quinoa Pizza Crust

This pizza is dense and filling enough to be satisfying, yet light enough to ease good digestion.

5. Easy Breezy Grilled Artichoke and Quinoa Lettuce Wraps

For a grilled meal that is more on the healthier side, this recipe for grilled artichoke and quinoa lettuce wraps is a good alternative to grilling burgers, hot dogs, or store-bought, faux meat products.

6. Quinoa and White Bean Burger

Quinoa looks beautiful in salads or stir-fried, but don’t be afraid to work with it a little and mash it into patties for veggie burgers.

7. Roasted Root Vegetables on Quinoa with Yogurt Sauce

The secret ingredient in this dish is the pomegranate molasses, which helps marries all of the flavours together. Top with fresh dill for extra oomph.

8. Cajun Quinoa Cakes & Lemon-Dill-Sriracha Remoulade

Sriracha sauce is already a tasty condiment for plant-based foods, but pairing it with lemon and dill in this recipe will perk up your taste buds even more. Yum!

9. Quinoa Lavender Cookies

Saying yes to dessert can be a healthier decision when you’ve got these Quinoa Lavender Cookies to grab. The lavender is surprising and pairs perfectly with the lemon, pistachios, and chocolate chips in this recipe.

10. Quinoa Date Nut Truffles

These little truffles are jam-packed with healthy ingredients like dates, pecans, cashew butter, cinnamon, and quinoa.

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental well-being, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and prostate cancer, and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 20,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/ways-to-eat-quinoa-for-breakfast-lunch-and-dinner/#goog_rewarded 

Planning a trip to Europe? This new initiative is making it easier for vegan travellers

From veganfoodandliving.com

A new partnership spanning over 80 hostels is making vegan travel easy across Europe by celebrating local, naturally plant-based continental flavours

Vegan travel across Europe is about to get a major upgrade as more than 80 hostels launch a continent-wide push to expand their plant-based menus.

Europe’s Famous Hostels, the leading association in the budget accommodation sector, is aiming to drastically reduce its food-related greenhouse gas emissions. It’s working in partnership with non-profit organisation Scope 3 Action, which specialises in helping businesses reduce their scope 3 (indirect) emissions through protein diversification.

The initiative will see more than 80 hostels across 23 countries overhaul their food offerings, integrating sustainable, plant-rich choices into breakfasts, bar snacks, and shared dinners.

For years, plant-based backpackers have had to navigate hit-and-miss catering, but this collaboration aims to make sustainable dining a standard part of the European hostel experience.

Photo © BullRun/Adobe Stock

Why protein diversification matters for vegan travel

Food production is a massive driver of climate change, and shifting toward plant-rich diets is widely recognised by bodies such as the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation as vital in meeting climate goals. Because plant proteins require significantly less land and water than animal products, updating menus is the most cost-effective way for the travel industry to shrink its carbon footprint.

Crucially, for initiatives like this to work, the transition to more plant-based proteins needs to feel natural, particularly for non-vegan guests who may feel ‘forced’ into eating sub-par meat-free meals. But Marian Milec, Programme Manager at Scope Three Action, is confident in the initiative’s focus on increasing the overall appeal and availability of vegan options without stripping away guest choice.

“Sustainable food is often seen as a compromise,” she says. “In reality, some of the most successful hospitality businesses are showing that serving more plant-rich meals can reduce emissions, expand choice and enhance the guest experience.

“This partnership will help more hostels across Europe unlock that opportunity,” she concludes.

Experiencing cultural plant-based foods in Europe

The rollout spans 60 locations, from Aarhus to Zwolle, giving vegan travellers unprecedented peace of mind when booking accommodation in cities across Europe. Rather than relying on ultra-processed substitutes, the initiative emphasises dishes that are already inherently plant-based and deeply woven into regional European cuisines.

In a joint statement, Zoe Bowthorpe and Valentina Rodoni, co-founders of Europe’s Famous Hostels’ ESG Committee, explained: “Hostels have always been innovators and change-makers, and food is the next frontier…

“Some of the best dishes in Europe are already plant-based, rooted in local culture and national flavours. We just need to start celebrating them.”

By shifting the focus to cultural, plant-rich dining, the initiative ensures that reducing travel emissions doesn’t mean compromising on the authentic holiday food experience.

https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/news/vegan-travel-europe-hostels/