13 Truths You Should Know About Vegans
Becoming vegan is one of the most rewarding things I’ve committed to. I’ve been vegetarian for about 8 years and vegan now for over 2 — and I’ve never looked back. Don’t get me wrong, there are learning curves but at the end of the day, we’re just doing the best we can like everyone else, amiright?
Let me preface this list by saying that I’ve been extremely lucky to have a supportive husband, family and group of friends in an area where veganism is not too common, but beyond that, it’s not always welcomed.
So just to clarify a few things, here are some real answers to common questions:
- Yes the unoriginal jokes are annoying and it’s hard to keep our mouth shut when someone’s being an idiot.
- It’s a lifestyle, not a diet or trend.
- 9 times out of 10, we don’t do it for ourselves. We aren’t just picky or stuck up… we care about the lives of other beings and don’t believe they should suffer for our short-term benefit.
- Yes, it’s hard to believe you love all animals when you directly support the suffering of billions every year.
- Plants have protein.
- Yes we need B12 supplements, which by the way, does not come directly from animals. It comes from the bacteria in the dirt and food they consume so we are not losing it by not eating animals. We just choose to take it via supplement not carcass.
- We’re not deprived of tasty food, but yes the frequency of only having the option of iceberg lettuce, a couple tomatoes and red onion for dinner at a restaurant gets annoying. Just stop putting lard, chicken stock and cheese in everything, seriously.
- When we’re lucky enough to find a vegan option at a restaurant, yes it gets old that the majority of the time our order comes out non-vegan or there are still hidden pieces of cheese and meat in our meal. Furthermore, yes it actually bothers us… again, we’re not just being picky.
- No we don’t expect everyone to accommodate our choices and understand it can be overwhelming (believe me, we get it), but the appreciation when you do is seriously unexplainable.
- Yes we still worry that it’s not truly vegan if you’re not a vegan yourself, please don’t take offense. There are hidden ingredients in everything that may not be vegan.
- Sure, we “miss” the flavor of some foods, but no, it’s never worth it to “cheat”… and really, there are vegan recipes that recreate just about every dish out there so we’re not missing out.
- Yes we still love junk food, and nope, not all vegan food is healthy.
- No we don’t expect true carnivores in the animal kingdom to eat plants… that’s natural and instinctual for them. Factory farming, game hunting, suffering by the billions so that half your plate can be thrown away is not natural, it’s a choice.
So, if you find that it’s easy to judge us for being different, remember that it’s just as weird for us that you are grossed out by black bean burgers but not hot dogs.
p.s. don’t ever be afraid to ask questions about living a cruelty-free lifestyle! Seriously, we don’t expect you to live the way we do but are happy to offer some advice to help you make small changes that can have a HUGE impact!
Leave me a comment below if you have more questions or can relate to the list::
YES!! Love this post!! Thank you so much for sharing. I can relate to ALL of this!
Thanks so much Erica, glad you enjoyed! Cheers team Vegan <3 Hope you're having an amazing 2018! <3
Hearing people joke about veganism annoys me so much. I stick to a mainly plant-based diet (I do eat fish still) not only because it helps animals but because it is CRUCIAL for the environment. Factory farms gross me out to no end, I don’t understand how someone can know their meat comes from that and are still ok eating it.
It is a myth that vegan food is bland and boring. Quite the opposite, I find vegan dishes to be more creative and therefore more flavorful and delicious.
Anyway, I’m not totally vegan but I respect the lifestyle and definitely agree with the cause. I make a lot of vegan baked goods for people who think vegans are dumb, only to reveal after they told me how delicious it was that it doesn’t contain dairy.
I agree, it is anything but bland! One of the most challenging parts of being vegan is mastering baked goods so that’s awesome it’s part of your go-tos! It drives me nut when people have a negative view of a dish because it’s vegan… I’m like… half of your diet is naturally vegan if you didn’t put butter and cheese on it.. this is the same thing just without *face palm. Glad you enjoyed! Thank you for doing your part in the plant-based movement <3
Steff
Yes the baked goods involve a lot of weighing and measuring but it’s fun.. makes me feel like a mad scientist! thevegan8.com has AMAZING baked goods recipes.
But yes, people are just afraid of the label because of the connotations it brings. People are the same way with considering themselves a “feminist”. I wish more could just think objectively about causes as a whole.
Anyway, I could rant about this all day. Thanks for the post 😀 😀
I’ve been thinking of moving toward a more plant based diet for the health and environmental benefits, but I have no idea where to start. It sounds silly, but I worry that I’ll constantly be starving. I may need to ask you some questions. Maybe a lot of them. 😆
Hi Casie! I’m happy to answer any questions you have! Don’t worry, you’re not alone in the overwhelm. Believe me.. there are days I’m still overwhelmed – not by the difficulty, but by the overwhelming reality of what’s happening to our animals, the environment and Mama Earth’s people. I truly can’t say I’m ever left starving (except when you go to a restaurant with no Vegan options, but even that is becoming rarer) but it does take some time to find you go-to staple dishes.
Check back when you can! I just recently added the Vegan Kitchen to the blog and I’ll definitely be sharing more on how to live a plant-based lifestyle including lots of recipes! <3