Earth Day and Desserts Greta Thunberg Would Approve of
Earth Day needs little to no introduction so we’ll keep it brief. First celebrated on 22 April 22 1970, it’s recognized as one of the largest civic events acknowledging climate action. We here at Dessert Advisor believe any celebration ought to involve something sweet and this time, it’s vegan desserts.
Coinciding with the UN’s declaration of 2020 being the International Year of Plant Health, we’ll explore some vegan-friendly, plant-based desserts. But first, let’s look at a quick history of veganism.
How It All Started
The term ‘vegan’ was first coined in the 40s by Donald Watson, founder of the Vegan Society, referring to non-dairy vegetarians who refrained from exploiting animals for their eggs, honey, and milk products. Skip forward to the 70s and we saw the alternative food movement gain more traction. We owe much of this traction to researcher and activist Frances Moore Lappé’s meatless cookbook entitled, ‘Diet For a Small Planet’. Adding more decades of research to the mix only strengthened the argument associating meat-eating with environmental damage.
Vegan Options Have Expanded
Now a commonplace term, many supermarkets, restaurants, and bakeries have branched out to offer a multitude of environmentally conscious goods to enjoy. Some even specializing completely in vegan desserts and products. Mind you, we don’t have to only limit our options to chia seed puddings, granola bars, and banana bread. The offerings include cookies, brownies, pies, and cakes made with fruit purees, seeds and nuts, plant-based oils, and other alternatives.
Ironically, vegan cheesecake is quite a popular choice among consumers. Vegan cookies like Oreos make the crusts. While fillings are often made from sweetened silken tofu, cashews, and even vegan cream cheese. Plant-based toppings are endless when considering all of our fruit options, but let’s not forget caramels, chocolates, and nuts!
So what are you waiting for? Jump on your bicycle and hightail it to a bakery near you to stock up on some lower carbon emission vegan desserts.
