I won’t lie to you, I have been known to laugh at the occasional lettuce joke aimed at pretentious anarchist vegans. That being said, veganism is an admirable lifestyle choice and I think we should talk about it more.
For reasons I’m still unsure of myself, one night last Summer I binge-watched 3 vegan documentaries and I have to say, I was astounded at how little I knew on the subject. As someone who considers themselves reasonably intelligent, I was dumbfounded at my own misconceptions. The documentary that really hit home and the one that will be the focus of this post was Vegucated (2010). This documentary sees three New Yorkers from a variety of backgrounds forced into a vegan lifestyle and everything it entails for six weeks. The documentary covers health benefits, environmental benefits, ethical issues, animal cruelty in regard to meat production, animal cruelty in regard to non-meat produce & clothes production, peer/societal pressure and all the disillusions about veganism. As I’m sure you can gather, it’s an informative watch.
A vegan is someone who only eats plant produce. It is not a religion nor is it a diet which consists of solely vegetables (yes some people do believe these things to be true). The documentary is great because it shows veganism in a practical, realistic light which society does not portray it as. When I used to picture a vegan, I imagined a woman eating a stick of celery with outgrown armpit hair and an outfit entirely made of hemp. This is no more than any other ridiculous stereotype out there and I’m surprised I didn’t realise that. Much of the food you eat is probably considered vegan, for example cereal, some biscuits, pasta, crisps and crackers. PETA have a useful article about all the “accidental” vegan foods; http://www.peta.org.uk/blog/44-accidentally-vegan-snack-foods/ .
It’s no secret that the Western diet contains far too much red meat and just animal produce in general. This is why many people struggle to find a replacement protein when turning vegan and it leaves them fatigued and ultimately malnourished. Take my friend, for example, who was vegetarian on a diet of cheese sandwiches for a short while before fainting in the science corridor. Beans, nuts, pulses and soy are all essentials to live as a healthy vegan – it’s not all kale 24/7. The grossly vast consumption of meat is also taking a great toll on our environment. You may laugh at environmentalists talking about cow gas but the volume of methane entering the atmosphere due to cattle farming is significantly speeding up global warming and that’s no joke. The level of deforestation to make way for cattle farms is also a worrying statistic. I’m not saying your Five Guys is the sole cause of the apocalypse but it’s important to take into consideration.
This post isn’t me telling you to be vegan – I’m not vegan or vegetarian myself; I’ve cut out beef and lamb from my diet but that’s as far as I can stretch for now. As a foodie, I don’t think I’ll ever become completely vegan. I just wanted to let you know – if you didn’t already – that there are many worthwhile reasons for becoming vegan and it shouldn’t be such a reason for slander in today’s society. Also try the veggie burger once in a while – aside from the ethical reasons and health benefits, it’s actually quite tasty.
Lucy x
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