Veggie valentinos know that animal suffering – which is inherent in the meat industry – is a big turnoff! Plus being humane and healthy is hot, so this Valentine's Day, treat your sweetie to a romantic vegan dinner.

Vegetarian aphrodisiacs – from chocolate and strawberries to tomatoes and peppers – are famous for their reputed arousing qualities, but did you know that there’s a scientific reason why meat-free cuisine is a recipe for romance? The cholesterol and fat in animal foods slow the flow of blood to all of a man’s vital organs – not just his heart – but healthy vegetarian foods will leave lovers full of energy and vitality.

Aphrodisiacs from the plant kingdom

For vegetarian lovers there are plenty of aphrodisiacs to choose from – for an appetizer select steamed asparagus with a light salad dressing, the main course could be oyster mushrooms sautéed with leeks and briefly sautéed cherry tomatoes served over quinoa or rice that has had a little turmeric cooked into it, and with a tiny bit of saffron mixed in, and then finish off with a selection of fresh figs, strawberries and bananas with a dark chocolate dipping sauce.

A valentine for your own heart

Don't forget to extend your love to include your health! You don't need to eat any animal, bird or fish to lead a healthy life. And it is a great way to help prevent avian flu and mad cow disease, and lessen your chances of cancer and heart disease. See our Health page for more information on how a vegetarian diet affects disease risk.

Valentine's Day recipes

Love is in the Fare
VegCooking.com's Classic Valentine’s Dinner: "Wine and dine your baby with a Baby Spinach Salad, Vegetarian Wellington With Madeira Wine Sauce, Roasted Red Potatoes, and sensually shaped Steamed Asparagus. We promise, by the time you serve the double-dose aphrodisiac dessert of Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries, you’ll have the object of your affection eating out of your hand."

Valentine's menu by Viva
A selection of recipes that use aphrodisiac ingredients. Includes: Orange and Passion Fruit Sorbet, Chocolate Mousse with Banana Cake Hearts, Roasted Pepper Pasta, Vegan Sushi with Avocado and Cucumber, Griddled Asparagus with Salsa Verde, and Strawberry Salad with Olives and Balsamic Vinegar.

Recipes for Romance
Fabio—Peta's favourite compassionate Casanova—shares one of his secret love potions: Portobello Passion. Plus recipes for: Asparagus Amore With Walnuts, Tantalizing Tomato and White Bean Crostini, Red-Hot Risotto, and Ripe-for-Romance Raspberry “Cheese” Cake.

Menu for St. Valentine's Day, by Anne Dozell
Recipes from Bryanna Clark Grogan's The (Almost) No Fat Holiday Cookbook: Sesame Saffron Crepes with Artichoke heart or asparagus filling, and Brandied Tomato Cream Sauce, and vegan Biscotti for dessert.

Giving from the heart

Don’t break any hearts this Valentine’s Day – show your loved ones you care for them and for animals. Cruelty-free gifts are a surefire way to win over the object of your affection. Try dark dairy-free chocolate, a home cooked vegan meal served with candle light, or a night out at an upscale vegetarian restaurant (to find one see our directory).

For gifts that don't involve food, try shopping for compassionate products online. Do a google search for "vegetarian valentines gifts". Pictured here is a T-shirt from PETA (no longer available). Or, consider a donation or membership in your lover's name to your favourite vegetarian, environmental, or animal charity.

e-Card

PETA's e-Card site has several animated Valentine's cards, but nothing as wonderful as the one pictured to the right. Found at PETA's Kids site, all you have to do is send someone an email and include this link.

It types out a cute poem, plays background music, and you can click on the little hearts for quotes.

Roses are red, violets are blue
Here is a Valentines message for you

Flowers are pretty,
Candy is sweet,
If you met a chicken, pig or cow
You'd stop eating meat.

Roses are red, violets are blue
In a lot of ways animals are just like you
They feel love, loss, and pain
They want to just sleep, eat, and play
So take meat off your plate for Valentine's day.

Roses are red, violets are blue
Make animal's Valentine's day great
And make mine happy, too.