Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Not vegan. But I am (mostly) vegetarian. I’ll eat meat if we have dinner with friends, for example. Vegan just requires so much substitution, and those substitutes aren’t great for you.

My compromise - We eat a plant based diet. I buy eggs directly from a friend with backyard chickens who are treated like pets. I get milk from a cruelty free dairy farm. I just could not continue eating meat knowing what I now know about how the animals are treated. I felt like I was ingesting their suffering.

Cruelty-free dairy does not exist. There is nothing ethical or humane about forced impregnation, castration, separation of mother and baby, and years of being hooked up to devices for milking.

https://www.iamgoingvegan.com/cruelty-free-milk-and-cheese/#:~:text=The%20best%20cruelty%2Dfree%20certifications,separation%20of%20mother%20and%20calf.

I was hooked up to a milking device almost daily for 3 years. It wasn’t so bad. Heck, if it was my only job, I’d do it for life. The good dairies also don’t separate the calves at a very young age. At some point the calves start to transition to grass and then the mother transitions to milking.

I think this is really drastic (and great, if you want to!) but it’s more realistic to ask people to take smaller steps, like giving up meat at lunch and 1-2 dinners a week.

For the PP who asked about how people became vegan, I did it in steps. Vegetarian first, which was pretty easy since it’s more supported and recognized now as a dietary choice. When I went vegan, I did it privately for a long while because I was afraid of failing or changing my mind. I found it suited me and gave me more energy. I just feel better about how I eat now.

Note that there are a lot of quality vegan subs on the market now, so there’s choice and real variety. For example, Miyoko’s butter and cheeses > earth balance & daiya.

Anonymous wrote: Not vegan. But I am (mostly) vegetarian. I’ll eat meat if we have dinner with friends, for example. Vegan just requires so much substitution, and those substitutes aren’t great for you.

My compromise - We eat a plant based diet. I buy eggs directly from a friend with backyard chickens who are treated like pets. I get milk from a cruelty free dairy farm. I just could not continue eating meat knowing what I now know about how the animals are treated. I felt like I was ingesting their suffering.

Same. I just cannot do it anymore, knowing what I know about slaughterhouses and pens. I love a black bean burrito more now, and the thought of eating a pork burrito (my old go to) is repellent to me. Pigs are smart and empathetic animals.

Anonymous wrote:I think eating meat and dairy is disgusting at this point. I don’t tell my friends that. But, ew.

I don’t think it’s hard for Carnivores to understand since they find most vegan food gross.

So if you did go vegan, did you do it all at once? Were you a vegetarian first? Are there books or cookbooks that guided your choices?

I'm pretty far away from a vegan lifestyle, but I am at least interested.

I think eating meat and dairy is disgusting at this point. I don’t tell my friends that. But, ew.

Anonymous wrote: Not vegan. But I am (mostly) vegetarian. I’ll eat meat if we have dinner with friends, for example. Vegan just requires so much substitution, and those substitutes aren’t great for you.

My compromise - We eat a plant based diet. I buy eggs directly from a friend with backyard chickens who are treated like pets. I get milk from a cruelty free dairy farm. I just could not continue eating meat knowing what I now know about how the animals are treated. I felt like I was ingesting their suffering.

Cruelty-free dairy does not exist. There is nothing ethical or humane about forced impregnation, castration, separation of mother and baby, and years of being hooked up to devices for milking.

https://www.iamgoingvegan.com/cruelty-free-milk-and-cheese/#:~:text=The%20best%20cruelty%2Dfree%20certifications,separation%20of%20mother%20and%20calf.

Anonymous wrote:There’s so many things you can eat. I never eat fake meats eggs or cheese. I eat oatmeal, fruits, veggies, salads, beans, rice, tofu, pasta, veggie noodles, veggie and rice bowls, so much variety. It’s not hard.

I can’t eat beans, pasta or rice. So it didn’t work.

I literally eat fruits, veggies, nuts, meat and a tiny amount of yogurt/cheese.

I feel much better.

Vegan is not fit everybody

Individual allergies are real, so don’t misunderstand me, but the meat-centered diet I was brought up on is on its way out. It’s important to point out that it’s an easier transition for many than some people would have you believe. I have personally never felt better because I have to plan what I eat. It’s also a great excuse not to have to eat all the office birthday cake, but I understand that would be a detractor for some!

I think all the various initiatives To get people to cut back and think more creatively are great as it gets people to try some new things that they may then incorporate into their regular diet.
Cheese is an important bridge for my kids, at least. We are doing lentil enchiladas tonight but I couldn’t get them to eat the lentils with fake cheese, I am sure. Same with veggie burgers. I’m trying to gradually taper them off the cheese quantity as they get more sophisticated pallets. I’m also a big believer in fish once a week so probably won’t cut that out unless necessary.
I’m conflicted about it but I also still do red meat once per week/. My daughter and I have low iron even with daily supplements (and stuff like lentils and spinach) and occasionally red meat seems the most effective way of keeping my iron levels moderately healthy. I think it’s genetic, as my dad has struggled with it throughout his lfe, as does his sister, but we don’t hit the trigger for thalessemia.

Anonymous wrote:If your concern is environmental, it would be much more effective to advocate for people to eat less meat/dairy, not to go Vegan. 1,000 people who go meatless M-F is much more effective than 50 vegans.

Yes! Almost vegan here, mostly vegetarian. It’s not all or nothing, and consuming less meat is good for the environment, even if you eat some meat.

I can’t do soy and need to limit beans and some nuts (cashews and almonds) so vegan is out for me. We buy most of our meats and animal products from the farmers market - so am doing what I can.

I have done vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian and each was great to immerse in because it forced me to learn recipes and styles of cooking. but in the end I have landed on a diet where I don’t restrict anything, but I lean much less on meat as the center of a meal. I don’t keep track but I’d estimate I have meat/dairy with 1 meal a day.

As one pp said, vegan processed foods are horrible and should be avoided. but I will say that I have fully transitioned off of dairy based milk and yogurts to plant alternatives. I much prefer nut or oat milk and coconut yogurt. I don’t eat fake meat, fake cheese etc

Anonymous wrote:I just wanted to say, while it’s a small, but personal step, I think going vegan made me feel like I was doing what I could about the environment. It’s not everything, but it’s a huge statement of values. Honestly, I want to tell people, as someone who was a skeptic at first, I really love living this way. I don’t miss anything I used to eat all that much and I feel so healthy. If you’re curious about it, ask me anything. I swear I will be honest.

how strict? Like do you eat foods pollinated by corporate bees? Or mainly just avoid meat and animal products?