Usually the first question is, "Why?", but that's covered in my
about me page. Long story short, I first went vegan for environmental reasons but I came to know more about animal rights and now I'm vegan for everyone. Animals, humans, the planet, and myself.
1. But what about (nutrient)?
People are concerned that I might not get enough protein/calcium/iron or some other ingredient. Many nutrition expert groups including but not limited to
American Dietetics Association state that well-planned veg(eteri)an diet is healthy. For example, soybeans (dry) has more protein per unit mass than pork, and they're much, much cheaper, too. Zinc, iron, calcium, all of those can be found in plant foods. The only thing you should be concerned about on a whole-food plant-based diet, or
any diet, is vitamin B12, which can easily be supplemented. I've written more on B12 in my "
So How Much Nutrition Do I Get on a Vegan Diet?" post. I also supplement vitamin D, only because I'm a hermit and there is no way in hell that I'm getting enough vitamin D from sunshine.
2. Don't you miss meat? What non-vegan food do you miss the most?
Not really. I guess if I happen look at a steak commercial and think, "Yeah I remember eating that, it was delicious", but I don't feel like I 'miss' anything, at least not enough to ignore the animal suffering and environmental implications. Besides meat kinda smell like blood to me now. I don't know if it's real or if I just feel that way after seeing slaughterhouse videos... What I miss is how easy it was not to be vegan. I could go to any restaurant and order anything on the menu, I never had to check labels, things like that. However I have access to vegan alternatives so it doesn't really matter.
3. Do you hate non-vegans?
Love the sinner, hate the sin, I suppose. I used to not be vegan, and I can understand why they are the way they are. I thought I could never be vegan, but hey, here I am. Maybe, hopefully, what happened to me will happen to them and they'll change.
4. Then what do you eat?
Grains, beans, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits, mushrooms, things like that. Before going vegan, every dish I've ever known other than tofu and salad contained animal ingredients, so I get why people have to ask this. I came to realize that most of those dishes can be made without those animal ingredients. Pasta I've had before going vegan usually had meat or dairy, but now I love to throw in bunch of vegetables and tomato sauce to make pasta.
5. Does it bother you when other people eat meat in front of you?
I guess I don't like it, but honestly I don't think about it that much. If I were to get upset every time anyone ate any animal products in my sight, I would be upset all day every day, and I can't afford to do that. Also, some think that it makes me uncomfortable because deep down I want to eat meat (huh?) and they are rubbing it in my face or something. That's simply not true.
6. Would you date a non-vegan?
I am currently in a relationship with a meat eater. Again, love the sinner, hate the sin.
7. Bacon.
Wait, that's not a question… But really, I don't get this bacon thing. If I am going to (hypothetically) eat meat it's gotta be better than this greasy, salty mess.
8. What's the hardest part of being vegan?
People would think that having limited options would be really hard but it really isn't. Some people can be very hostile to vegans and that does bother me, but I can get over it. The hardest part is being fully aware of the implications of eating meat, dairy and eggs, and being fully aware of how
normal it is in this world to do so.
