Taking Back Sunday's
Fantastic Fred

Taking Back Sunday's guitarist and backing vocalist, Fred Mascherino, has been a vegetarian for nine years and a vegan for seven. We caught up with him on tour, and he was cool enough to share some of his insights on being vegan and changing the world.

Why He Doesn't Eat Meat
"[You can] argue the health and the environment [as reasons for going veg], [but] if those arguments weren't there, which they are, I would still care about the animals enough to not eat 'em."

On Making the Switch
"You just keep trying, you know. Don't think like, 'Oh, I tried but couldn't do it.' I remember eating a cheesesteak—'cause I'm from Philly—I remember saying, 'Man, I could never give this up, man.' But I just tried it for a month, and then that was it; I never went back. So, it worked for me, anyway."

Baby Steps
"Even small changes that you make for yourself will make a difference ... I really believe that. And if you get one person to agree to see your way and … even if they're mild about it and they don't totally become vegan, [if] they just get interested in another kind of food and eat that, you know, a couple of times a week—whatever you can do. Small things make big differences, I think."

Well said, Fred! Some people don't realize how easy it is not to eat meat. Steer them to VegCooking.com, where they can find tons of cruelty-free recipes that taste as great as they make you feel.