Veg Out Charlotte, a month-long initiative sponsored by The Humane League and Nourish, launches on Sept. 1. The 30-day challenge asks the public to go plant based for a month, whether it’s having a plant-based meal a day or eliminating all meat and dairy from your diet for the month.

Freshlist executive chef Matthew Martin, part of the VegOut planning team, says he became vegan and realized he felt better and had much more energy, and his new diet didn’t cause harm to animals. There are many environmental benefits to vegan eating, too; we have previously written about how we’re amid a meat crisis.

Martin, along with Nourish owner Julia Simon, has been working to get chefs on board with the event. Many local restaurants are supporting the challenge by offering a plant-based dish on their menus in September. Among them are 300 East, serving a composed vegetable plate that will change weekly based on what farmers have available; Dot Dot Dot, which will offer beet risotto with vegetables; and Orrman’s Cheese Shop, where diners can find a grilled cheese using Viva Raw’s cashew cheese.

There’s also a competition piece of the challenge, in which diners vote on the best vegan dish they’ve eaten. Photos and ratings of the dishes can be shared on the Vegan City Charlotte Facebook page and on Instagram with the hashtag #VegOutCLT2019.

Those who take part in the challenge are encouraged to eat vegan at home, too. To help make the switch, Martin suggests trying adjust your current eating habits to be plant-based.

“The thing I always tell people is very simple: don’t start eating vegetarian or vegan and try to change a bunch of other things at home,” Martin says. “Eat the way you usually eat. If Monday night is always pasta night, just simply Google “vegan pasta” find something that is comparable to what you usually eat, make it, experiment, have fun, and then build upon that.”

Restaurants and diners can sign up for the challenge here. —Kristen Wile

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