HOW VEGAN IS ENOUGH?
This month we’ll be looking at questions facing newbie vegans.
There can be a lot of expectation for those following a plant based diet and when you are new to a vegan life style you can come across lots of questions from friends and family who don’t really understand why you’ve made the switch, questions form other vegans or plant based dieters or simply questions that you ask yourself.
I will be answering the questions I came across when I first became vegan, questions from friends and family, other vegans and of course my own thoughts and questions I came across as i delved deeper into veganism. Sometimes I struggled to find the answers or felt like I needed to fight my corner and also I sometimes felt like I wasn’t being ‘vegan enough’
Q. Are you 100% vegan?
As veganism is a personal choice there is no pressure to become 100% vegan straight away. Some people decide to become vegan after years of being a vegetarian, others jump straight into veganism almost overnight. Some gradually change over time whist others decide to include plant based days into their weekly eating routine that gradually excludes animal products completely .
Small positive changes is what is important and knowing that just by making choices you are making a huge difference. There is absolutely no pressure to suddenly begin living a 100% vegan lifestyle, this can take a lot of time and also a lot of money if you’re thinking to switch all of your non-vegan items altogether.
Knowing that you are making a difference to the planet and prevent the suffering of animals is what is important, your actions will contribute to the actions of others so becoming this positive role model will trickle into your community or friendships groups and they will slowing begin t follow suit.
Q. Do you ever feel guilty you're not doing enough?
This can be a biggie for new vegans, now you have made the decision to exclude all animal products and have probably learnt or looked into the welfare of animals you feel like you need to be doing more. However going vegan is the single biggest impact that we humans can make towards the planet, the animals and our own health. If you just keep doing what you’re doing then this alone can have a huge impact. Just showing family and friends how easy and delicious a vegan diet can be will help them to choose more vegan options and maybe follow in your footsteps. Every good change begins at home and ripples on to friends, family, communities towns and way beyond.
Q. Where do you get your protein?
This is a really common question that you’ll probably be asked time and time again, this along with other vitamin type questions. Having a varied diet and eating plenty of colourful fruit and vegetables along with beans, pulses and carbohydrates should ensure that you get exactly what you need.
You may wish to take supplements, especially vitamin B12 (as this can be trickier to consume enough of) but know that many meat eater also need to take supplements to balance their own diet, Supplements are not only for vegans.
Eating freshly grown products is such a wonderful feeling, knowing that our planet has produced everything we need to stay healthy is just amazing.
Protein tips
Have a read through this article about plant v meat https://www.popsci.com/plant-protein-healthier/
Here’s just a snippet. Unfortunately, study after study shows that meat as a protein source just isn't that healthy. It's far better to get that necessary protein from plants. Generally speaking, diets heavy on plant matter tend to be healthier. One recent study found that those eating the most fruit-and-veg-dense diets had a 31 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a roughly 20 percent lower risk of overall mortality than those eating animal-focused diets. That study didn't look specifically at protein, but participants consumed the other main animal-sourced food group, dairy, at about equal rates no matter what, so ultimately this comes down to replacing meat with alternative protein sources.
Some plant products, such as soy beans and quinoa, are complete proteins, which means that they contain all nine essential amino acids that humans need.
Here are my top five sources of plant-based protein you can easily pack into your meals, drinks, smoothies, and snacks throughout the day.
Nuts, seeds, and nut butters
Beans and legumes
Chickpeas and lentils
Tofu
Nutritional yeast to sprinkle over foods or to be added to savoury sauces. (2 tablespoons contains about nine grams of protein)
Have a read of my protein blog for more information
Do I need to throw out all my non-vegan clothes?
Again you may get asked questions like why do you still have leather shoes or wear a woollen coat?
When I became vegan I discovered that animals were farmed purely for their wool or leather. I hadn’t know this before and assumed that these products were just what was left behind after an animal had been killed for meat consumption. Before I became vegan I would happily use my leather bag and wear woollen jumpers and leather shoes.
After becoming vegan I had initially decided that I would donate all of my non-vegan clothing and shoes to charity. Thinking later on that this was a little hasty (as I couldn’t afford to replace all of the items) I decided to see if I felt ok wearing out the things I had already purchased. (I had over time and with a growing confidence realised that this was ok for me)
Then there was my leather sofa and the leather in my car that I simply couldn’t afford to replace full stop. I made the decision to never buy animal products again and I haven’t brought anything since becoming vegan. This works for me I can only advise that you will just have to see what you feel comfortable with and what options are available for you, the main thing is to not let anybody criticize you for your choices and to try not to get upset by any mean comments that others may say to you. Just do what you can.
Should I eat with non-vegan friends?
Definitely YES YES YES!!! I have meat eating friends who now choose the same vegan options as me when we go out to eat, because they love experiencing new foods and tastes when they go out. Other friends make vegan food for everyone to enjoy when I go around for lunch and dinner and they discover that they enjoy eating something new and exciting, a nice change to their usual diet.
We can all help people make small changes…even choosing oat milk in a latte makes a difference. Over time people will learn form you and that is the best thing we can do.
Veganism is a personal choice, it’s not for everyone and we’re not here to change or judge anyone who chooses to eat meat, however there’s always a plant based option in every circumstance and talking, sharing and taking small steps will create ripples towards change.
Small positive changes to help our planet, our health and our lovely animals.
If we could just stop and see animals for what they really are…soft, kind, gentle, funny, compassionate and very cute friends :)
May all animals be happy and at peace, may my thoughts, words and actions contribute to their happiness
Thank you taking the time to read this and please feel free to leave any comments and I will do my best to reply :)
Big Love Jen x