Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and you know what that means: chocolate, chocolate, chocolate!
You don’t need to be in a relationship to indulge in all the sugary, cocoa-y delights Valentine’s Day has to offer. Even the grumpiest anti-Valentine’s Day-ers among us can hardly resist the sweet siren song of biting into a gooey caramel-filled chocolate heart or unwrapping a box of decadent truffles.
(Source: Peanuts)
And here’s a secret. Valentine’s Day is even sweeter when you celebrate it vegan style. Instead of limiting love to your favorite humans this Valentine’s Day, why not extend it to animals too?
Maybe you’ve been a long time vegan. Or perhaps you’re coming off of a stellar Veganuary and want to keep the cruelty-free living good times rolling.
Whatever your vegan vibe, you can tap into that this February 14th with these four vegan ways to spread the love this Valentine’s Day!
1. Choose vegan chocolate and candy
(Our Vegan Valentine's Day Bundle, which is now sold out)
There’s hardly a more iconic power couple than Valentine’s Day and chocolate. If you have any doubts about the dynamic duo’s popularity, know that Americans buy 58 million pounds of chocolate every Valentine’s Day.
Luckily for you, here at Trupo Treats, our love language is chocolate.
So, of course, we put together a Vegantine’s Day bundle that would make even Cupid lovestruck!
Our limited edition Valentine’s Day gift box has all the chocolate confections your heart could desire. Featuring our vegan milk chocolate and white chocolate hearts from Delaware Chocolate, this sweet bundle has everything you need to savor the flavors of Valentine’s Day. Although our Valentine's Day gift boxes have already sold out, you can still get some of our Vegan Rice Crunch bars to satisfy that craving.
And, to keep the love flowing, unlike traditional Valentine’s Day chocolates that contain butter, cow’s milk, heavy cream, and other animal products, our vegan chocolates don’t support the abusive dairy industry and cruelty towards cows.
By choosing vegan chocolates this Valentine’s Day, you show that you stand for cows and the need to show them kindness and compassion. On top of that, 25% of the proceeds from our vegan chocolate goes to sanctuaries and rescues that care for some of these cows and other rescued farmed animals (on days that we partner with animal sanctuaries)!
2. Make your favorite farmed or companion animal your Valentine!
(Source: Little Buckets Farm Sanctuary)
If you’re going in solo this Valentine’s Day, don’t despair! Who says your Valentine has to be a human?
Nonprofit farmed animal sanctuaries and companion animal rescues like the ones we support with our chocolates’ sales depend on donations from animal lovers like you to help them afford the expenses of caring for their animal residents.
Try reaching out to your friends and vegan communities to see what rescues and sanctuaries are seeking out Valentine’s Day donations.
Because we 💖 you, we’ll give you a head start in your search!
Sleepy Pig Farm, a farmed animal sanctuary we’ve partnered with twice, has a Valentine's Day campaign going! For a small donation, you can send a valentine to any of Sleepy Pig Farm’s residents. Then, on February 14th, the valentines will be shared on Instagram and Facebook!
But suppose you can’t find any other specific Valentine’s Day donation programs running. In that case, there are still other ways you make a farmed or companion animal your Valentine!
For one, you could make a one-time donation to an animal rescue that means the most to you! You could contact the rescue’s founders to see if you could make a donation to your favorite resident goat, pig, cow, chicken, or cat. There’s hardly a better feeling than knowing that your dollars are going directly to the care of your furry (or feathered) friends.
You could also use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to donate to rescues or sanctuaries in the names of your loved ones! Imagine their reaction when they hear about the special needs goats, formerly abused horses, or rescued cats and dogs that’ll get the care they need from a donation in their name!
So, be the Valentine you wish to see in the world! Or… something to that effect!
3. Cook, bake, or take out a vegan Valentine’s meal or dessert!
(Source: Vegan Runner Eats)
If food is the way to your loved one’s heart, why not kick off your V-Day by whipping up a vegan meal or dessert?
Vegan cooking uses wholesome vegetables, fruits, grains, tantalizing spices, herbs and plant-based proteins. Cruelty-free cuisine is easier than ever to create with the dozens of plant-based proteins out there, like beans, tempeh, seitan, and one of our personal favorites, Plant Strength Performance’s high protein soy-based Chick’n Bites! (Which we happen to love pairing with the bee-free “honey” mustard dipping sauce we make with Humble Honee!)
As for vegan baking, plant-based milk, flaxseeds, and vegan butter are the key to making delicious desserts that don’t support the abusive dairy and egg industry.
Try melting down or chopping up some of our classic vegan milk chocolate bars to make decadent fudgy brownies, rich chocolate cupcakes with cocoa buttercream, or a silky smooth chocolate mousse.
But if cooking isn’t your thing and you’d rather not spend forty-odd minutes panicking over a pot of risotto, we hear you!
The solution? Takeout! Instead of taking on the task of creating the perfect dinner and dessert, you could order whatever dish your heart desires from your favorite vegan restaurants and bakeries! Not only does this support your local businesses, but it’s also an active way for you to stand up for human rights.
Yes. You read that correctly! It can be easy to forget that veganism is as much about human rights as it is about advocating for animals and the environment.
Factory farming’s widespread abuse extends to its workers and the people who live around the farms.
People who live in areas populated with dairy farms often face very harmful, polluted conditions. They’re at serious risk to develop potentially life-threatening conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, and nervous system inflammation from the tainted air and water.
Factory farm workers also face rampant illnesses like severe respiratory problems and are prone to getting debilitating injuries, like skull fractures, that could end in hospitalization or even death.
Choosing vegan meals on Valentine’s Day is a way for you to express your commitment to a compassionate and cruelty-free lifestyle for all. Show that you’re against violence, abuse and suffering aimed at any living being!
4. Go on a sanctuary tour date
(Co-founder Brian Trupo visiting an animal sanctuary)
What would Valentine’s Day be without going on a date?
We don’t mean one of those dull been-there-done-that dinner and movie deals, though. We have a different sort of date in mind...touring a farmed or companion animal sanctuary!
Spending one-on-one time with animals who’ve survived some of the most horrendous abuse imaginable has no comparison.
But, because we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, it might be a little tricky to find sanctuaries and rescues that are currently running physical tours. Enter virtual options!
More and more farmed animal sanctuaries and companion animal rescues are running virtual tours! Charlie’s Acres in sunny Sonoma County California is one farmed animal sanctuary that has recently gone digital with their tours!
On these virtual getaways you could get to know all about the fantastic animals and their human caregivers from the comfort of your couch. And you’ll be making a real difference in their lives!
The proceeds from these tours go towards caring for the sanctuary or rescue’s animal residents. And towards helping with efforts to save more animals from abusive situations!
Going on a virtual date to a sanctuary is a beautiful way to embrace the essence of Valentine’s Day: togetherness, generosity, and boundless compassion.
Can dinner and a movie do that? 😉
Whatever your relationship status may be, cultivate kindness, spread the love, and indulge in chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate with these four vegan ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day! 💘