10 Things Never To Say To A Vegan

(COMPASSIONATE LIVING) If you’re an animal lover, being vegetarian or vegan, or otherwise reducing your meat consumption, is the most humane diet. Other people tend to be curious about this decision, and often have questions. While it’s always good to ask questions if you’re not clear on something, read on for tips to avoid frustrating your vegetarian and vegan friends.  — Global Animal

Photo Credit: PublicEnergy on flickr

Have you ever met a vegan and then put your foot in your mouth? I’m here to help! Here are 10 things to refrain from saying to a vegan.

10. ”If you were stranded on a desert island, and there was nothing to eat but animals, would you eat meat?” Despite the fact that this has nothing to do with most of our current lives, we hear this one ALL. THE. TIME. It’s really not as clever as you think! First, we’d probably eat some coconuts…but yes, if it came down to our survival or the survival of an animal, I’m sure all of us would choose ourselves. What’s your point? If I was in a dire survival situation I might also drink my own urine a la Bear Grylls, so should I start doing that, too? (Okay, maybe I wouldn’t, I don’t know…but you get mypoint?)

9. ”But where do you get your protein?” Legumes, whole grains, vegetables, nuts, seeds…pretty much every food in the plant kingdom contains protein. If you are getting enough calories, you are more than likely getting plenty of protein. Most meat-eaters get twice the RDA for protein and twice the fat, cholesterol, must I go on.

8. ”I just ate <insert name of animal body part here> for lunch, it was soooo yummy!” and then on and on and on, describing it in great detail. Um…vegan here! Not really interested in hearing how the meat was just “falling off the bone” and now I’m starting to get nauseous.  I don’t go into excessive detail about my own food to irritate you.  What a great friend you are.

7. ”Plants have feelings too! Don’t you care about the poor carrots?” Really? Really? If you truly can’t see the difference between pulling a carrot out of the ground and slitting a chicken’s throat, why don’t you try doing both and see if you feel the same about both acts?  It’s just utter ridiculousness.

6. ”If humans weren’t meant to eat meat, why are animals so tasty?” If you cooked me up on the grill, my flesh would probably be tasty too, especially with BBQ sauce…but I’m pretty sure that’s not the reason that I am on this earth.  Plus, not all vegans/vegetarians say that humans were not meant to eat meat, at least I don’t, so spare me the verbal ambush.

5. ”So what made you decide to become a vegan?”…asked in the middle of a big family dinner while eating a hunk of ham. Sorry, I really would love to answer this question, but I’d rather not do so in that context. There is no way the vegan can come out of that one without offending someone or creating an awkward silence. Go ahead and ask the question, just wait until after dinner. 

4. ”Oh, I could never go vegan. I love meat way too much! And I could never live without cheese..or bacon!” Don’t assume that just because someone is vegan, they never liked the taste of meat or cheese. Most vegans that I know had a hard time giving up cheese, at least initially. I know that I did. Why do you think vegans are going nuts over Daiya? Going vegan was an act of self-discipline and nutritional decision that I made.  It wasn’t easy to say goodbye to cheese and I think that is probably a big part of why I struggled in the beginning. I guess this question bugs me because it assumes that veganism is simply a taste preference, and that if you like meat or cheese enough, then you are exempt from considering certain issues and different forms of eating.  As well, it’s over-used. Yes, I know, you all love your bacon.

3. ”I feel sorry for you, that you can’t eat <insert animal food here>.” For one thing, let’s talk about that word “can’t.” Unless a vegan also happens to have an allergy to meat, dairy, or eggs, the more applicable word is “won’t.” I can eat whatever I want. I choose not to eat animals. I find it is much more empowering to view it in this way. So please don’t feel sorry for me.  There is no need for you to be “sorry for me.”  I am happy with my choice and I enjoy the wide variety of plant foods that I eat every single day. Had I not become vegetarian/vegan, I would have stuck to the basics of meat, green beans, and potatoes like most people and never explored the vast variety of food options available to me.  Even though we may have once loved steak, the longer we are vegan the more we start viewing it as an animal’s dead body or some nauseating hunk of stinky red meat. Some of us are actually turned off by the sight and smell of meat; we don’t want it anyway.

2. ”You sure don’t look like a vegan!/ What church do you go to?” What’s this supposed to mean? Are we too fat? Are we too thin? Do we not have enough tattoos or dreadlocks? Vegans come in all shapes and sizes. Wouldn’t it be boring if we all looked the same?  I really hate that one.  And the church question..?  This just shows the blatant ignorace of the person asking this question.  Veganism is not a religion.  Be intelligent.

1. Why don’t you care about people? Aren’t people more important than animals? This one always boggles my mind. Going vegan is not activism in itself, it is simply a way to live in accordance with our values.  People assume because I am vegan, I am a hippie-tree hugger.  Sure I recycle..sometimes.  People should stop making assumptions.  More obviously, I want to point out that people can care about more than one cause at the same time! You could work at the animal shelter and volunteer at the homeless shelter. You could donate money to Farm Sanctuary and to the Red Cross. And many vegans combine these passions, through organizations like Food Not Bombs or by hosting a Vegan Bake Sale to support relief efforts in Japan or Haiti. As well, I’m not eating humans, so that should count for something.

Overall, it can be difficult being a vegan or vegetarian simply because people can be so insipid, rude, ignorant, <insert plenty more adjectives here>. So there you have it. Fellow vegans, tell me, what am I missing? Meat-eaters, if you’ve said any of the above things to me, don’t worry, I don’t hate you.

Don’t worry about what’s going on over here, eat your meat.