So - vegan, huh?

I get asked all the time why I follow a vegan diet. So here is a blog post that I wrote on that very topic for a friend's blog. I have also added some photos of some of the very yummy food that I get to eat as a vegan.  Enjoy!

It is not something that I actually like to bring up in conversation. Especially if people are eating. But, one way or another, it comes up and there is no avoiding the awkward silences, the defensive comments, the jokes, the lectures...

Yes – it is true. I am a vegan. 

But I don’t get why that makes other people so uncomfortable – I mean, I am the one with the 
restrictive diet but I'm not complaining! Other people though can have a really big issue with it.

Satay tofu sticks on roasted vegetables

The first thing people usually want to know is where I get my protein from. Or my iron. Or my calcium. Or my B12!! I usually just point out that being a vegan or even a vegetarian actually requires you to be very focussed on what you eat and what your meals are made up of and that I definitely think more about these things now than I did as an omnivore. Then I ask them how their B12 levels are. And then they usually move on to a different line of questioning. Like...

“Aren’t, you wearing leather shoes though? You know the cows don’t just donate their skin for you to have a pair of boots. They killed the cow that they came from. In fact, you should thank me for eating the rest of it.”

Kale salad with pesto dressing

Ok. It is true. I own leather shoes. Handbags. Belts. I even have a pair of leather gloves. But since going vegan, I haven’t bought anything made from animal skin. This is going to sound pretty bad but it is the single hardest challenge that I have had to face since becoming a vegan. No more cheesecake? Fine. No more Christian Louboutins? Are you FRICKING SERIOUS???

In my heart of hearts though, I think it is worth it. But no - I did not throw out all of my existing shoes and bags away because I just think that would be worse. And instead of replacing them when they wear out, I will just get them mended. And when my favourite leather shoes can’t be fixed anymore? Well, hopefully I will be earning enough to replace them with a pair of Stella McCartney heels. So don’t bother calling me a hypocrite, alright? Because I am fine with my decision. And also, if you do, I am going to tell you exactly where the beef came from to make your burger and, if you have any humanity at all, it will make you cry like a baby.

Raw vegan brownies - these are super tasty and incredibly easy to make - check out the recipe here

People also like to tell me that I am wasting my time. That I can’t make a difference through my choices – everyone else eats meat and they will just cancel me out. In fact, some delightful people have offered to eat all of the meat that I don’t eat so that the world isn’t affected. These are usually the same people who don’t believe in climate change and who think that refugees are all criminals though so I tend not to bother with them much. Basically, while it might be true that I may not make much of a difference to

the world by being a vegan, I feel better knowing that I am not making things worse either.

Finally, there are those people who just cannot imagine a world without meat. “Don’t you miss it?” they ask, their eyes wide with concern and confusion. “What else is there to eat? Do you just have side-dishes?” Well, sometimes, yes - all that some restaurants offer me to eat are hot chips or a plate of “greens”. But that is ok – I mean it is still food and at least I won’t be starving. If it is up to me though, I will be eating something pretty awesome – curries, soups, stirfries, burgers, pasta, cakes, chocolate – everything can be made vegan. It just takes a little more effort to find it or you have to make it yourself. 

But it all tastes great and I never feel like I am missing out.

Almond butter and jam sandwich cookies - seriously nommy

At this point in the conversation, I usually remind people that their steaks are getting cold and we get stuck into our meals. They seem happy enough to continue what they are doing and I probably haven’t changed their views on what they eat or anything. But I like to think that something might sink in. And even if they just eat a little less meat than they currently do, we will all be better off.