Sinfully Good and Cruelty-Free: Vegan Recipes for Valentine's Day (PHOTOS)

What does Valentine's Day mean to you? A commercialized holiday promoting consumerism in the name of love and romance, or a day that reminds you to appreciate loved ones in your life?

If you're trying to be mindful of your lifestyle choices, this day presents some unique challenges. Let's start with chocolate and flowers, two of the most popular gifts that also happen to be the worst offenders.

Unfortunately, most of the world's cocoa production occurs in West African countries like Ghana and the Ivory Coast, where child labor, human trafficking, poor wages and terrible working conditions are commonplace. Workers on cocoa farms are exposed to toxic chemicals and children as young as seven have been found working in the fields. Doesn't sound very decadent, does it?

But don't despair, because you can still enjoy chocolate sourced from areas that are not steeped in slavery. And while you're at it, avoid milk chocolate and the cruelty that is inherent in the dairy industry.

When it comes to flowers, a majority of the cut flowers sold in the U.S. are imported from countries like Colombia and Ecuador, where flower workers are paid poverty-level wages to work long hours. In addition, flowers are one of the top pesticide-intensive agricultural crops and workers face a range of health issues as a result of it. Hardly very romantic!

If you want to gift someone flowers, try to find locally grown ones, or better yet, gift a potted plant.

Want to really show your love and appreciation? Make something delicious from scratch! Here are some amazing vegan Valentine's Day recipes to get you started. All recipes that require chocolate include information about companies that do not source their cacao beans from areas known for unjust labor practices. Not to mention, they are all free of dairy and other animal products, without compromising on great taste.

So, that's how you can have your (Valentine's Day) cake and eat it too (if you choose to), while minimizing your negative impact on people, animals and the planet!

Got a good vegan recipe you'd like to share? Please contact us to find out how you can get involved.

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Comments

[plantbasedpunk]

10:33 AM on 02/14/2012

Love the red quinoa loaf. Robin Robertson is one of my favorite cookbook authors. Unfortunately, we won't have much time for cooking this V-Day. We decided to try the vegan fare at a new Ethiopian restaurant. And then go bowling, because everyone knows there's nothing more romantic than bowling.

[michelleobamaok]

01:14 PM on 02/13/2012

......I guess eating or creating RAW CUPCAKES is the "new" Civil Rights?

[merieve]

09:00 AM on 02/13/2012

none of these recipe links work

[Lesann]

10:01 AM on 02/13/2012

onegreenplanet.org

[Veganconnie]

05:02 PM on 02/12/2012

Thank you, thank you thank. I can't wait to try these.

[Artemesian]

03:06 PM on 02/12/2012

Some of these recipes are outstandingly delicious looking. Looking forward to trying them.

[cybermome1207]

10:29 AM on 02/11/2012

and most Vegan products use non dairy type butters that contain Palm Oil
really bad for you and one of the most exploited products

Better to eat a little organic butter

[cathyeats]

07:39 AM on 02/13/2012

I agree, and thanks for bringing this up. But not all vegans endorse the use of non-dairy butters. I blog about heart-healthy food and palm oil definitely isn't on my ok-to-eat list. Hope you try the dark chocolate almond bark!

[Lesann]

09:19 AM on 02/14/2012

I certainly will - it looks delicious.

[plantbasedpunk]

10:30 AM on 02/14/2012

Better to do what you can with the resources you have available than to do nothing at all. I've found that my own veganism has vastly evolved over the years. Each year I become increasingly aware of how I spend my dollar and palm oil is one of those things I'm mindful of and strive to avoid. It's a journey. And one I likely would not have ever embarked on had it not been for veganism.

[Happy Kine]

08:56 PM on 02/10/2012

I disagree with the term cruelty free. Aside from the smugness of the term, it is erroneous, it is impossible to harvest wheat, rice or many other crops without killing cute bugs, baby deer, rabbits and all those other cute and cuddly critters.

But if it says vegan on the can, nothing died or suffered right? LOL.

[sabelmouse]

08:32 AM on 02/11/2012

i was just gonna say that. .

[Fromageball]

05:24 PM on 02/11/2012

Was thinking the same...

[onionboy]

06:32 PM on 02/10/2012

Cruelty-free Valentine's Day is an oxymoron.