Top 10 vegetarian web sites

Image used with permission of VegNews magazine

With the incredible number of vegetarian web sites out there, the online veggie world can be hard to navigate. Here is a list of the Top 10 vegetarian sites as determined by VegNews, a popular award-winning magazine that covers topics including food, restaurants, business and political news, and travel.

The sites on this list are nominees for “Favorite Website” from the VegNews 2009 Veggie Awards; this is the 7th year the awards have taken place. Each year, the nominees are determined by the sites that received the most votes in the previous year’s survey – more than 30,000 people vote, so the sites are definitely well-loved. Other categories the survey includes are “favorite vegetarian restaurant,” “favorite vegan chocolate, ” and “favorite condiment.” VegNews was first published in 2000; although it’s based in San Francisco the magazine’s content is far-reaching. Recent article topics have included destinations Orange County and Tokyo.

Top 10 (in alphabetical order)

1. ChooseVeg.com
   This online resource, operated by the organization Mercy for Animals, offers various ways to have a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Topics include health, the environment, and animal cruelty. See “Making the Switch” for a thorough list of vegan substitutes for many foods.
2. Compassionatecooks.com
   Cookbook author, animal activist, vegan, and cooking instructor Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is the site’s founder. Free information includes podcasts (one topic is eating healthfully in a recession; Patrick-Goudreau produces podcasts weekly) and nutrition tips. Recipes are for sale: $5 for a set of five, delivered via email.
3. Goneraw.com This site specializes in raw, vegan recipes and information. Its large forum section features online discussions on topics including “Talk It Up” (promote raw events, web sites and products), “Being Raw” (talk about day-to-day raw, veganism) and “New to Raw” (info for newbies, transitioning to raw diet, etc.).
4. Goveg.com
   PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Inc.) operates this site. Features include recipes, vegetarian news, and “meet the animals” with facts, statistics and videos on animal cruelty. Also available for instant download: a free “vegetarian starter kit” which includes tips on how to become vegetarian.
5. Happycow.net  Subtitled “compassionate eating guide,” HappyCow is a searchable directory of vegetarian and vegan restaurants and natural health food stores. The site includes more than 9,000 listings from 100 countries, over 16,000 reviews, and a community forum.
6. Supervegan.com  SuperVegan is based in New York City, so it specializes in information on NYC restaurants and events. But it also offers an online forum, plus a blog written by various staff members that covers topics including vegan products, books (non-fiction and cookbooks), and news.
7. Thetravelingvegetarian.tv
   The Traveling Vegetarian is a TV show about vegetarian restaurants and travel. The show’s host, Yvonne Smith, has created a few segments and is looking for a network to serve as its home. These segments, plus many written and video blogs of Yvonne’s travels, are viewable online.
8. Tryveg.com
   The group Compassion Over Killing operates this site. Features include vegetarian news and product information, recipes, video clips, and an action center with tips on animal advocacy. Also available is a downloadable “vegetarian starter guide.”
9. Veg.ca  This is the site for the Toronto Vegetarian Association, which was founded in 1945 and operates North America’s largest annual vegetarian food fair. Content includes many podcasts, vegetarian meal suggestions, and information on health and the environment.
10. Vegcooking.com
    PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Inc.) operates this site, which includes recipes, cooking videos, and a vegan grocery shopping guide. The guide is divided into sections such as “baking” and “condiments” and lists both generic and brand-specific products.

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