These days, more and more hearty vegetarian meals are popping up at sports venues across the continent. So, after years of ranking the most vegetarian-friendly Major League Baseball parks and NFL stadiums, PETA has surveyed the top vegetarian-friendly NBA arenas, and the results are in:

 1. STAPLES Center 

Because Lob City is playing its best basketball in years, thanks to Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, Clippers fans may have more to cheer about this year than Lakers fans do. But fans of both teams have reason to celebrate the STAPLES Center's awesome vegetarian fare. With vegan sloppy Joes, a veggie burger, vegan sushi, a grilled veggie sandwich, and a hummus-and-pita plate, the STAPLES Center's vegetarian concessions are a slam dunk for fans, no matter which team they're rooting for.

 2. Air Canada Centre

The NBA's only international team fittingly offers a menu with international flair. Fans in general seating can choose from a vegan burrito, a hummus-and-veggie wrap, a veggie dog topped with tomato and scallions, or a Bollywood veggie dog with potatoes, tamarind ketchup, papadum, and mint chutney. In premium areas, vegetable sushi and chilled Vietnamese summer rolls are on the menu. Fans flocking to see new arrival Rudy Gay won't be disappointed with his performance or with the food at halftime.

 3. Wells Fargo Center 

When Andrew Bynum will suit up for the Sixers remains a mystery, but one thing is certain: Fans looking for delicious, animal-friendly fare have come to the right place. Veggie dogs, two kinds of veggie burgers, and roasted butternut squash soup round out a starting lineup of vegetarian superstars that give Philly fans plenty to cheer about.

 4. BMO Harris Bradley Center 

Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis were All-Star snub victims, but vegetable-loving Bucks fans are welcomed with open arms at the BMO Harris Bradley Center's concession stands. They can choose from vegan tempeh sloppy Joes, hearty veggie burgers, traditional PB&J sandwiches, fresh fruit, and baked potatoes. Meanwhile, fans in premium areas can enjoy hot flatbread sandwiches made with marinated tofu, pesto, and chipotle Vegenaise. And we can't help but wonder if the vegan energy bars are what give Larry Sanders his impressive energy.

 5. Oracle Arena 

Second-year head coach Mark Jackson has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround for the rejuvenated Golden State Warriors. But fans crying foul because Stephen Curry was left out of the All-Star game certainly won't feel cheated when they sample the tasty vegetarian fare at Oracle Arena. A Vietnamese ginger-garlic tofu sandwich, tofu lettuce wraps, and Vietnamese noodle salad lead an All-Star lineup of healthy, animal-friendly snacks that are sure to have fans rebounding for more.

 6. Rose Garden 

Number six overall draft pick Damian Lillard is favored to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, so it's only fitting that Portland's Rose Garden has netted sixth place on PETA's list, thanks to a variety of options like veggie burgers, vegan protein shakes, vegetable sandwiches, a broccoli stir-fry with rice or noodles, and granola with berries, bananas, and vegan protein powder at concession stands—plus, stir-fried soy strips with pineapple and teriyaki sauce in the suites.

 7. United Center 

Derrick Rose may not be returning any time soon, but the delicious meat-free fare at the United Center gives Bulls fans plenty to smile about. A vegan tempeh sloppy Joe, a veggie burger, and a baked potato lead the charge.

8. AT&T Center 

For yet another year, the Spurs find themselves with one of the best records in the NBA, and now they can tout another accomplishment: earning a spot on PETA's top 10 list. It's fitting that familiar favorites, including bean burritos and tacos, vegan apple turnovers, and, in premium areas, vegan sloppy Joes, would be found at the home of the veteran team.

9. Bankers Life Fieldhouse 

Indiana's faithful should be proud, as suffocating defense and physical play have kept the Pacers in the mix in the East, even without leading scorer Danny Granger. Another source of pride? Bankers Life Fieldhouse's hearty vegan sloppy Joes, veggie burgers, and garden-fresh salads, which have animal-friendly fans swarming to the concession stands just as their Pacers swarm to the ball.

10. The Palace of Auburn Hills

We know that the days of violence at The Palace of Auburn Hills are behind us, so if you're a Pistons fan, why not indulge in some cruelty-free fare, including vegan sloppy Joes, fresh fruit, smoothies made with soy milk, and quinoa-and-lentil salads? Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond clearly have bright futures ahead of them, and Pistons fans can, too, thanks to healthy and delicious meat-free meals.

Bear in mind that we've just mentioned a small sampling of the vegetarian food being offered—and that these arenas are just the best of the best. Many other venues also offer a wide variety of vegetarian options, including honorable mention awardees Madison Square Garden (falafel, veggie sushi, edamame), Philips Arena (vegan sloppy Joes, pasta, baked potato), Time Warner Cable Arena (lentil veggie burger, grilled vegetable kebab, vegetarian panini), Sleep Train Arena (vegan sloppy Joes and veggie burgers), and Amway Center (vegan sloppy Joes and veggie burgers). 

No matter which team gets your blood pumping, you can help make sure that you're around to cheer them on for many years to come by choosing healthy vegetarian snacks. To paraphrase vegan NBA champ John Salley, it's the best damn way to eat. Period.

The results are in! Here are the minor league ballparks across the country that are swinging for the fence for animals:

1.      Fort Myers Miracle's Hammond Stadium
Hammond Stadium is holding onto its title, earning the number one spot for the second year in a row. It's no surprise, with offerings like veggie burgers (with optional vegan cheese), veggie tacos, veggie dogs, a veggie Philly sandwich, a fruit-and-vegetable tray, and vegetarian baked beans.

2.      Rochester Red Wings' Frontier Field
Narrowly defeated by Hammond Stadium for the second year in a row, Frontier Field claimed another silver medal. Is this the beginning of a rivalry? Red Wings fans can be found noshing on vegan pizza, vegan hot dogs, veggie or portobello mushroom burgers, pasta with tomato sauce, baked potatoes, and fruit platters.

3.      Durham Bulls' Athletic Park
Bull Durham often scores a spot on lists of top sports movies, and Durham's real-life stadium is once again deserving of honors for its cruelty-free fare. Bulls fans can enjoy veggie sausage, veggie dogs, black-bean veggie burgers, salads, fruit cups, and a tofu burrito.

4.      Wilmington Blue Rocks' Frawley Stadium
It's been several years since Frawley Stadium has made an appearance in the top 10, but when this team makes a comeback, it does it right. Frawley now offers a long list of vegetarian and vegan fare, including veggie hot dogs and burgers, vegetable and fruit platters, ziti marinara, garden salad, vegan pasta salad, and vegan coleslaw, and the cooks can even prepare custom dishes.

5.      Tulsa Drillers' ONEOK Field
ONEOK is A-OK with animal friends because of its mouthwatering selection, including a veggie frank, Boca burger, bean burrito, vegetarian taco salad, vegetable wrap, hummus-and-tabouli platter, three-bean salad, and fresh green salad.

6.      Fort Wayne TinCaps' Parkview Field
Parkview Field is enjoying its inaugural spot on the top 10 list, thanks to an extensive menu of delicious options, such as the black-bean burger, veggie burrito, spinach veggie wrap, roasted tomato veggie wrap, PB&J, hummus with vegetables, fresh fruit, beans, rice, corn, salad, and grilled or fresh vegetables.

7.      Eugene Emeralds' PK Park
Also making its debut on the top 10 list, the Eugene Emeralds shone for animals this year, giving fans yummy choices like veggie hot dogs and burgers, veggie burritos, grilled corn on the cob, apples, and fruit cups.

8.      Albuquerque Isotopes' Isotopes Park
The Isotopes got their name from the long-running Fox series The Simpsons, and vegetarian Lisa Simpson would agree that the team has done meat-free fans proud. Albuquerqueans can munch on veggie dogs and burgers, bean burritos, veggie wraps, wok-fried soba noodles with veggies, veggie kabobs, fresh salads, and fruit or vegetable trays.

9.      Pawtucket Red Sox's McCoy Stadium
The PawSox returned to the top 10 with a fury after a long absence, hitting a grand slam with dishes like hummus and pita chips, a fresh-cut veggie tray, fruit salad, fried green-bean straws, vegetable crudités, a garden or tossed salad, veggie dogs, and veggie burgers.

10.  Nashville Sounds' Herschel Greer Stadium
It sounds like Nashville is full of animal-friendly sports lovers, with Herschel Greer Stadium serving up veggie dogs and burgers, nacho salad, grilled vegetable wraps, and seasonal fruit displays.

Congrats to the Carolina Mudcats' Five County Stadium, the Memphis Redbirds' AutoZone Park, the Frederick Keys' Harry Grove Stadium, and the Connecticut Tigers' Dodd Stadium for scoring honorable mentions. And a big thank-you to Veggie Happy for also working hard to get more and more excellent vegetarian and vegan dishes at stadiums nationwide.

It used to be that a day spent watching the great American pastime could do some serious damage to our great American waistlines. Not so much now, with hungry fans making the healthy vegetarian and vegan options that stadiums are offering disappear like a Ryan Braun homer. Here are our 2012 picks for major league stadiums that knock it out of the park when it comes to delicious veggie fare:

Ballpark: ©iStockphoto.com/AdamKazmierski • Pig: ©iStockphoto.com/Anatolii Tsekhmister

1. Philadelphia Phillies' Citizens Bank Park: PETA pal Chase Utley has returned from the disabled list, and Citizens Bank Park has returned to the top of our list, thanks to its array of meatless options, which include a vegan chicken-steak sandwich, veggie "pit beef" smothered in barbecue sauce, an Italian vegetable grinder, and ever-popular veggie dogs and black-bean burgers.
2. Seattle Mariners' Safeco Field: Ichiro is a legend in Seattle, in Japan, and around the world—and many of Safeco Field's vegetarian offerings, including the IchiBan veggie dog, the Seattle chili veggie dog, and the Bombay veggie dog, have international appeal as well. With so many great new vegetarian options, it's no wonder that Safeco Field has moved up in our standings.
3. Detroit Tigers' Comerica Park: There's a trio worth cheering for at Comerica Park—and we're not talking about Justin Verlander, Prince Fielder, and Miguel Cabrera. We mean the stadium's vegetarian Italian sausages, veggie riblets, and vegan hot dogs. With these and other great-tasting vegetarian choices available, Tigers fans can show that they care about cows, pigs, and chickens, too.
4. Oakland Athletics' O.co Coliseum: O.co Coliseum is pitcher-friendly and vegetarian-friendly. The veggie dogs, veggie burgers, bean burritos, ancho chili and mushroom fajitas, and other vegetarian items are as welcome to compassionate fans as Josh Reddick's great season has been.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers' Dodger Stadium: With new ownership and delicious meat-free creations, such as the vegan sloppy Joe, veggie sushi, and edamame, things are looking up for true-blue Dodger fans!
6. New York Mets' Citi Field: Johan Santana, David Wright, and R. A. Dickey aren't the only big draws at Citi Field. Mets' faithful are also flocking to the stadium for the veggie patty sandwich, veggie dogs, veggie burgers, grilled vegetable heroes, and other meatless meals.
7. Los Angeles Angels' Angel Stadium of Anaheim: The Halos' roster is loaded with stars—from Pujols to Trout to Trumbo—and the concession stands at Angel Stadium of Anaheim are loaded with winning vegetarian eats, including veggie dogs, black-bean burgers, bean burritos, veggie wraps, and California cucumber rolls.
8. Washington Nationals' Nationals Park: Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, and Gio Gonzalez have helped make the Nats a winning ballclub, and the vegetarian selections at Nationals Park—including chili made with mock meat, veggie burgers, tofu sandwiches with Vegenaise, and falafel—have won the stadium a spot in PETA's standings. Maybe someday Teddy will even win the Presidents Race.
9. Pittsburgh Pirates' PNC Park: The Pirates are moving up in the standings in more ways than one—this season, PNC Park scored a spot on PETA's top 10 list of vegetarian-friendly stadiums after earning an honorable mention three years in a row. With veggie burgers, pasta primavera, vegetarian lo mein, salad with fried green tomatoes, and other vegetarian fare, the choices for compassionate fans are even stronger than the Bucs' bullpen and more satisfying than a game-saving grab by Andrew McCutchen.
10. Minnesota Twins' Target Field: Baseball is as American as Target Field's "accidentally vegan" apple pie. The stadium's other vegetarian picks, which include a veggie "walk-a-taco," veggie dogs, vegan mousse martinis, and vegetarian stir-fry, and a big hit with Twins' fans, too-no matter where the team is in the standings.

Congrats to the Chicago White Sox's U.S. Cellular Field, the Boston Red Sox's Fenway Park, the Colorado Rockies' Coors Field, the Atlanta Braves' Turner Field, the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field, and the San Francisco Giants' AT&T Park for earning honorable mentions. Many thanks to the sporty folks at Veggie Happy for helping to get more vegetarian and vegan options on stadium menus nationwide.

Fighting for truth, justice, and the cruelty-free way, PETA's caped crusaders descended on the Ottawa Comiccon to ask fans to be superheroes for animals by going vegan. 

The meat and dairy industries are colder to animals than Mr. Freeze, but all people can fight for good every time they sit down to eat.

Ready to fly faster than a speeding bullet, be more powerful than a locomotive, and leap tall buildings in a single bound? Just get rid of the kryptonite, er, animal products. 

PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman, who's also the mother of a child in the California public school system, has written to the administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service asking that the service pull all beef and cow's milk from school lunches after mad cow disease was discovered in an animal at a California rendering plant.

A group of parents who are "DAM MAD" (Dads Against Meat and Mothers Against Dairy) also converged on the Sacramento headquarters of the California Department of Food and Agriculture to urge it to protect children by pulling meat and dairy products from school lunches.

Playing Russian Roulette With Kids' Health

What's truly mad is continuing to feed beef and cow's milk to students, especially because "spent" cows, whose milk supply is exhausted by the dairy industry, are the primary concern when it comes to mad cow disease and are likely to end up as the kind of cheap ground beef that is fed to schoolchildren.

Given that the USDA has expanded its quarantine to a second dairy farm, that it still has not located the infected cow's mother or siblings (who may also have the disease), and that it doesn't even know what the California dairy industry is feeding its cows (because that's considered a "trade secret"), the USDA must stop risking our children's health and remove beef and cow's milk from school cafeterias right away.

Protecting Factory Farms, Not Consumers

Tracy's letter and the demonstration by the DAM MAD parents coincided with another PETA appeal to the USDA urging Secretary Tom Vilsack to correct misleading statements that he made regarding the detection of the disease—also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)—that created a false and dangerous sense of security by erroneously claiming that the nation's human and animal food supply is safe.

In the letter to Vilsack, PETA points out that there is no way to know how many other animals are infected with mad cow disease because only a tiny fraction—about 0.1 percent of the nearly 34 million cows who are slaughtered every year—are tested for BSE. It's also likely that milk from the cow who tested positive entered the food chain, and contrary to the USDA's assurances about the safety of milk, studies have already shown that another form of the disease can be spread from mother to baby through milk.

How to Help Stop the Threat of Mad Cow Disease

Worried that tainted milk or meat may be on your child's lunch tray? Don't wait for the USDA to act. Protect your kids (and yourself) by packing healthy and humane vegan lunches—and keep it up at breakfast, dinner, and snacktime, too!

For helping race fans rev up their own engines on healthy vegan food, NASCAR, IndyCar, track owners Speedway Motorsports, and food-service provider Levy Restaurants are each driving off with PETA's first-ever High Octane Award.

All four racing aficionados have teamed up to offer fans animal-friendly food at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Whether they're for Team Lally, Earnhardt, Hamlin, Stewart, Patrick, or anyone else, race fans always have a reason to cheer when they're treating animals and their bodies well with racetrack fare such as the Going Green Salad With Fried Green Tomatoes, the Summer Vegetable and Tofu Flatbread, or the ever-popular Sloppy Jane made with tempeh, peppers, onions, and molasses and brown sugar barbecue sauce.

Ready to leave meat behind in the pit? Gentlemen (and ladies), here's how to start your engines. 

What happens when you get a bunch of over-the-top meat-centric YouTubers who seem to not give a hoot about their health, animals, or the nastiness of their gluttonous creations (e.g., steak-bacon-ham-cheese-sauce version of a ginger-bread house)? "Epic Meal Time."

Feeling nauseous now? Me too!

Luckily, some vegans in a hissy one-upped that show with their incredibly funny spoof: "Vegan Meal Time." Get ready to feast your eyes on a tofu/seaweed/spaghetti/soy sauce feast that's out of this world!

Written by Sunny Subramanian