19 Vegan Memes You Can’t Unsee

Veganism is all the rage right now. And like anything that gets people talking, the vegan movement’s growing popularity has resulted in many, many glorious memes. And we just couldn’t get through 2019 without talking about them.

What Is the Vegan Diet?

A vegan or plant-based diet includes no animal products. So meat, dairy, eggs, honey, and gelatin are off the cards. A vegan lifestyle spans a little further than diet, also including non-food animal products like wool, leather, and animal-tested beauty products. Thankfully, being vegan in 2019 means you don’t have to miss out on the things you love.

Best Vegan Memes — Burger King now has a meat-free Impossible Whopper. | Burger King

Veganism Goes Mainstream

Major companies are keen to profit from the rising number of people who prefer plant-based products. KFC U.S. recently added vegan fried chicken to its menu for the first time, and its UK locations launched a vegan chicken burger in June (and it performed 500 percent better than the average new product).

Burger King experienced a surge in sales thanks to its vegan burger launch. The American fast-food chain introduced an Impossible Whopper in April. The launch was quickly followed by a 28 percent increase in sales. The product was trialed in 59 restaurants but after high demand, Burger King decided to roll the burger out to its more than 7,000 restaurants.

Eager to keep up, McDonald’s Canada teamed up with Beyond Meat to launch a P.LT., short of plant, lettuce, and tomato.

The growth of the vegan movement isn’t confined to the food sector. British pharmacy chain Superdrug noted a 750 percent increase in the sales of vegan cosmetic products earlier this year. Cruelty-free fashion is also rising. Prada, Chanel, Coach, and Burberry have all ditched fur following animal welfare concerns. And while animal-derived materials get dropped, innovative new vegan materials enter the mainstream market. Late last year, Walmart launched a range of vegan leather bags, backpacks, and accessories. In April 2019, Topshop launched its first vegan shoe collection. The 12-piece line is handmade in Spain and features six styles like chunky sandals, high heels, and vegan snakeskin mules.

Major automobile companies including Tesla, Porsche, Nissan, Volkswagen, and Subaru are using vegan leather in their latest car designs. Bentley recently unveiled an electric car concept that’s made with sustainable vegan leather. The cruelty-free material is made in Italy from wine manufacturers’ leftover grape skins.

Famous Vegans

Sixteen-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg has been making waves lately, delivering her awe-inspiring speeches to some of the world’s most influential people. Most people with the internet know her name, but not everyone knows the young activist is vegan. Thunberg has said that the meat, dairy, and egg industries are “stealing” her generation’s future due to their heavy environmental impact. James and Suzy Amis Cameron were also motivated by the planet to adopt a vegan diet.

Musician Miley Cyrus, former Smiths frontman Morrissey, and former “Baywatch” star Pamela Anderson are vegan for ethical reasons. Anderson penned a letter to Kim Kardashian asking her to stop wearing for on animal welfare grounds. Kardashian later announced on Instagram that she had ditched all of her fur products.

Woody Harrelson, will.i.am, and Lewis Hamilton often tout the health benefits of their plant-based diets. Harrelson — who inspired Liam Hemsworth to go vegan, too — said his diet is “crucial” to his youthful appearance. Will.i.am said going vegan helped lower his cholesterol and blood pressure without medication. Hamilton said he could never go back to eating meat since his vegan lifestyle has helped him feel “the best I’ve ever felt in my life.”

Rock ‘n’ roll legend Paul McCartney, Aussie actor Ruby Rose, rapper RZA, “The Joker” star Joaquin Phoenix, Scottish “X-Men” star Alan Cumming, professional basketball player Kyrie Irving, New Jersey senator Cory Booker, and pop star Sia are just some of the celebrities who follow a vegan lifestyle.