Vegetarian and nearly-vegan for 12 years, and my mind and body are doing just fine. The expansion of the cardiology profession tells a different story for the more carnivorous among us.

That's like saying we're all a little bit herbivorous. Or "we all eat products that don't come from animals." Which is not the same as being vegan. At all. I understand the sentiment of trying to refute the silly meat-eater argument of: "You eat nothing." But this is not the way to refute it, IMO. Herbivore means you eat only plant-based foods and never eat animal-derived foods. You can't be "a little bit herbivore," much less "a little bit vegan," unless you want to start obscuring terms here. There are three words: herbivore, omnivore, and carnivore. "We're all a little bit vegan" sounds like a statement right out of PETA's mouth. Say anything to get people's attention. But "vegan" is not an affirmative word in the sense Vegan Soapbox is trying to use it... it doesn't mean "eating veggies." It means NOT eating animal-derived foods... which just happens to result in eating veggies.

Thanks for jumping in there, Michelle. : )

I understand your concern, Luella, and I did consider that perspective when deciding whether to post this. Like you, I understand that a person can't be a "little bit" vegan, and Elaine understands that too, I'm sure. Indeed, I'm going to be posting on a related topic soon. And perhaps a title along the lines of "We All Eat Vegan Food" would have been more accurate, if not as attention-grabbing.

But I think what the original author was trying to get across--and what it's important for people who really can't imagine what they'd eat as vegans to consider--is how many foods are naturally vegan, naturally not from animals, that is. The food eaten by vegans isn't scary, different, strange food--it's the same food all people are eating already, the same foods that all people should be eating more of.

Again, I more than understand your position regarding the definition of the term vegan and not diluting or changing its meaning. We're in agreement there, and this isn't the direction I myself would have gone in a post. Like I said, I'll be publishing a post on almost this very topic soon. But I think it's important to keep in mind (1) what the intention of the original post was and (2) that, yes, sometimes we do need to get the attention of people with statements such as this when so many people don't stop to think what vegan food is, when they're so quick to judge a vegan diet as something strange.

It's easy for those of us who are already vegans, who are already in a community of vegans, and who are well versed in animal rights and vegan issues to forget sometimes what it's like to be on the other side, to not have that switch flipped yet, to have never even considered a life without animal products yet, and to have never even thought about their food as animals. And sometimes it takes a statement like Elaine's, even if vegans themselves know it's not exactly accurate, to grab their attention and help them see that what they think is different and difficult really isn't.

"...to have never even considered a life without animal products yet, and to have never even thought about their food as animals."  Actually, most of us have considered it and simply don't like where it leads.  And to say that we don't think of our food as animals is equally ignorant.  I'm fully aware when I'm eating an animal.  I just don't care.  They are animals, and they are delicious AND nutritious.  You're also blurring a line between "Vegetarian" and "Vegan."  Vegetarians don't eat meat, which is fine.  Vegans don't eat anything that came from an animal, including dairy products, eggs, and gelatin.  That means no jell-o, no delicious baked goods like cakes and cookies, no omelletes, no cheese, ice cream or yogurt.  I appreciate your views and support your ability to live as you choose.  You should appreciate those of us who view animals as part of the natural world--i.e. food.

Good point. I learned as a young teenager, that meat comes from a live animal! It is easy for many to forget. How many people would eat meat if they had to kill and butcher thier own animals? Read about this lesson, I think everyone should learn. I consider myself a vegetarian, but I do eat fish.

http://kdelikghostwriter.blogspot.com/2008/12/vegetarians-experience-with-butchering.html

Shaun, I'm afraid you're the one posting ignorant remarks. First, I don't see how I blurred any lines, but more importantly, your remark about what vegans can and can't eat is flat-out wrong.

For example, baking without eggs and dairy is incredibly easy, and you'd never know the difference between a vegan cake or cookie and the ones you usually eat. And there are excellent nondairy ice creams and yogurts. And yes, even vegan cheeses are getting better every year. A vegan diet is not one of deprivation. Do your research.

And as for your statement that I should "appreciate" your view of the world and your dietary choices simply because you "appreciate" mine, Shaun, please scroll about halfway down in this post: http://animalrights.change.org/blog/view/conversations_in_the_comments_animals_above_humans_and_more

The difference between your view and mine is that mine is one of nonviolence and compassion, and yours is one of, as you said, "I just don't care" selfishness.

Thanks for your input, Kevin, about how long we can go without really thinking about where the food on our plates came from. But I'd like to point out that fish are animals too.

While one cannot technically be some percentage vegan, I think that it is a good way of illustrating the point: VEGANS EAT FOOD. My friend's father always forgets that I do not eat animals. He asks me every time that he rediscovers this twelve year  old fact: "Where do you get your protein?" I always say that I get protein from food. All unprocessed foods have protein and I get the bulk of it from mwhole grains and nuts.

I can see from some of these posts that there is still a lot of anger towards those that are moving towards a non-violent existence. Still a LOT of mis-information about what it means to be a vegetarian and still a lot of resistance towards treating animals as worthy of having a life outside of human consumption.  I have been a vegan for 20 years and am healthier than most of my friends and family members.   Eating the right kinds of vegetables (and veg supplements) actually provide a MORE complete and balanced diet.  From the naturalnews.com website...plant-based protein products are superior to animal-based proteins for lots of reasons -- not just nutritionally speaking, but also for avoiding the tremendous resources required to produce animal products, the environmental consequences...
I applaud all those that are willing to step forward and help the humane race evolve to a more conscious and thoughtful  existence. There was a time when we all thought smoking was cool and now we realize our ignorance so too will it be with eating animals.  Those that "don't care" will get left behind..........so keep the vegans blogs coming and keep educating those that are open and ready to evolve.

We must move towards non-violence. Get violence out of our 'entertainment'. Stop executions. Empty our expensive prisons of non-violent detainees--why waste thousands to imprison college students like actor TIM ALLAN? The MOB controls most prisons. When one of their hatchetmen are supposedly executed--are they really? Who sees the body--in Illinois? I am teaching my sons and daughters to NOT join the military and get training to kill others. My daughters would never date soldiers who have had this violence training. Isn't this the 21st Century? I'm glad we have a President who has not been in the military and wants to communicate and work out differences and challenges.

Sign Me: A healthy vegan for 35 years!

Stephanie: I think there's some truth to what you say. There needs to be some way to create solidarity between meat-eaters and vegans, and I do think that veganism is a direction as much as it is a goal. But I still doubt whether turning veganism into a spectrum is necessary when in reality we already have other ways to say the same thing. I think we need to be more creative in using other terms rather than focusing on the word "vegan." Or, if we want "vegan" to be something less wedge-like, then we should promote it as a movement rather than an aspect of meat-eating. It just is, by definition, all-or-nothing.

Shaun, it's funny how you come here and tell vegans what they eat. You may not realize this, but almost every vegan has been a meat-eater, and few meat-eaters have ever been vegan. So while it's easy for us to talk about what *you* eat, it's a bit difficult for you to pull off talking about what we eat without looking foolish, which you didn't manage to do. If you really "appreciate" the vegan diet, then you should try going vegan instead of just dismissing it for your own made up reasons. As for me, neither I nor the animals appreciate your diet; if I did, I wouldn't have given it up. And, by the way, I've only been vegan for two months, but the most "delicious" brownies I ever had were vegan. So I think you're only managing to scare yourself rather than us by repeating the word "delicious." You're portraying your diet as something to lose when in reality there's only a new diet to gain; in fact, you seem completely oblivious of what is gained because you're so bent on what you can't let go of. I hope you'll realize that kindness is more delicious than anything. Till then, you have no idea what you're missing out on!

And, I would add to your blog, there are a lot more edible plants out there than edible animals, so being vegan is an exercise in infinite variety, whereas being an animal eater limits one's dietary horizons because there are comparatively few varieties of animal products that people eat, and most animal eaters aren't very adventurous when it comes to choosing foods as "sides" from the plant kingdom (often fixating on potatoes, ketchup, bread, cereal and lettuce). 

I've been vegan for about nine years, and I started when I was 50, so it's never too late.  I wouldn't turn back the clock to my flesh-eating days for anything!  Thanks for writing this blog. 

My favorite "vegan" foods include:
Oreos
Graham Crackers
Cheerios
Apples
Chocolate
Coffee

The label "Vegan" is a wedge because of what it represents to those who are not vegan or who refuse to consider the motivation someone might have to become vegan.  It is a lifestyle that promotes non-violence, and yet a lot of violent & aggressive behaviors are directed at vegans. 

I'm not sure why avoiding eating other living beings ilicits such negative reactions from people???

I have been vegetarian for the better part of 18 years and vegan for 2 1/2 years.  I have a BMI of 19, I am rarely sick, I am in shape and horror of horrors I am thriving on a deadly vegan diet.  I'm not sure where the misconception of vegans being sickly comes from?

And like Luella, some of the best brownies I ever had were vegan!   And the people I fed them to agreed - they weren't offended in the least that I'd replaced the eggs with applesauce, in fact they thanked me for cutting some cholesterol.




The "Grumpy Vegan" Says:  The official definition for vegan – as per the British Vegan Society – is “ways of living that seek to exclude, as far as is possible and practical, all forms of exploitation of animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.”

animals taste good ;)
yum!

I like when people leave comments like the above, because:

1) It shows they're coming to this blog. Which (deny it all you want) means they're curious, and

2) It makes me chuckle, because the comments are as simple and thoughtless as their diets. Muahhaa. Lame joke.

"How many people would eat meat if they had to kill and butcher thier own animals?"
I do. GASP! Shocking, right? Hunting is more respectful to animals than any other way to get meat.

I love how everyone here talks about respect for animals yet no one seems to have respect for other humans. Don't we have a basic human right of choosing what to eat? Who are you to say that meat is wrong? I know why you're vegans, and I respect that. But why do other people become below you if they eat meat?
Who are you to tell me that I'm disrespectful to animals when I thank Deer, slit his throat, thank the spirits, gut him, clean him and hang him?
I just don't understand the hostility you exhibit towards us.
There will be a time when I die, when all of us die, and I would not be mad in the least if an animal was to eat my body.