Being vegan..what does it mean to you?

JuzaMum

I am vegetarian and don't like eggs or milk. OH has always liked his meat. Recently he has become more concerned about the environmental impact of eating meat and has joined me with the plant based meals. As he likes meat he enjoys having the options of facon (fake bacon) and 'meaty' burgers. Fake meat is great for him. I prefer a plate of veg.

As a family we eat lots of vegan meals now. I stopped having meat and milk 38 years ago and it was not so easy then. There was very little choice and it was weird. I remember my home economics teacher being quite angry with me for daring to substitute ingredients. I love being able to go out and have a meal that's not salad and chips now. However you won't find me having a vegan KFC because I don't think it's good food or an ethical company.

I don't understand meat eaters ranting about not wanting to eat vegan/veggy food. I find if you don't tell people a cake is vegan they don't realise.

Binkie_Huckaback

JuzaMum wrote: »

I don't understand meat eaters ranting about not wanting to eat vegan/veggy food. I find if you don't tell people a cake is vegan they don't realise.

I'd love to have a go at baking cake without using eggs, but haven't yet found an idiot-proof recipe

need_an_answer

JuzaMum wrote: »

. However you won't find me having a vegan KFC because I don't think it's good food or an ethical company.

I don't understand meat eaters ranting about not wanting to eat vegan/veggy food. I find if you don't tell people a cake is vegan they don't realise.

That is my exact point.

Why oh why are the like of KFC and McD even trying to go there...its not what vegan is about I don't think.

Until recently I had never really thought about cakes and vegan alternatives until I had some...I have to say I enjoyed them very much and no as a meat eater it didn't offend me.

I "get " the need to label food for specific dietary needs although again wonder why there are more reported cases of nut allergies nowadays than maybe 20 years ago...I don't remember growing up in a sterile environment where there were so many restrictions on food labeling or indeed so many who needed to opt fo a diet because of intolerance.

I also wonder what the likes of Linda McCartney would have thought of the commercialism of substitute foods in the days of course before she too jumped on the veggie sausage wheel of fortune.

The new era of plant based cant sit that comfortably with the true vegan can it?

OldMusicGuy

I would hope that many vegans are questioning the ethics of much of the over-processed crap that is marketed as vegan foods. It's not particularly healthy or sustainable.

elsien

I have a colleague who is vegan for health reasons. He is prone to sores and ulcers and believes that it has helped his skin integrity. I'd be more convinced if his vegan intake was a little less based on fast food and crisps.

need_an_answer

OldMusicGuy wrote: »

I would hope that many vegans are questioning the ethics of much of the over-processed crap that is marketed as vegan foods. It's not particularly healthy or sustainable.

you would wouldn't you...but it appears that commercialism has this hold or they really are not listening.

caprikid1

need_an_answer wrote: »

you would wouldn't you...but it appears that commercialism has this hold or they really are not listening.

I think they are too busy telling people they are Vegan too listen.

thorsoak

Step granddaughter went from vegetarian to vegan some five years ago ....and she went the whole hog - she gave away her beloved Doc Martins (they were leather), gave up her leather flying jacket as well as her vintage afghan coat - plus all her leather handbags/belts and purses. It also entailed an awful lot of examining labels on things that she would eat as a veggie ..... Six months later she went home from Uni for Christmas and said that for Christmas day and for old times' sake, she would forgo veganism and enjoy her mum's Christmas dinner!

When I left three days later, she was going to return to veganism after the new year ...........

She is now vegetarian again - apart from Christmas day!

onwards&upwards

Lol, it does make me laugh how worked up some people over some other people not wanting to harm animals, even deciding that there are ‘true vegans’ and presumably ‘false’ vegans? Why does it matter so much to you what other people do or do not eat?

Stay away from anything with Piers Morgan in it is my advice, very bad for the digestion.

Smodlet

If people want to be vegan, let them be vegan; if people want to be vegetarian, let them be vegetarian: Really, unless you work in the food industry, who cares what other people do or do not choose to eat?

The one thing I can't stand is the hypocrisy: I have worked with (widely) self-proclaimed "vegetarians" who ate fish because, "You can't get everything you need from vegetarian food." They were "fish-and-chipocrites" (love that) They also widely proclaimed their teetotal status... Until one of them posted pictures of himself drinking beer (under the title, "Drinkin' beer") on his website.

All this concern for animal welfare, IF that is what drives your particular brand of veganism (it's not a religion) is somewhat misguided, imho. Were we all to abandon eating meat, pigs and almost all sheep would have no reason to exist. Who uses wool nowadays? There would still be cows while dairy products were allowed and chickens so long as we could still eat eggs but, were we all to become vegans, there would be no reason for farm animals to exist so they would cease to do so.

Sure, methane emissions might fall but I really wonder why no-one ever blames our species for those, especially with all the faddy foods we eat...