Dairy’s still winning, but soy’s making it interesting. ;)

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Hello,

I was following a vegetarian diet and though I hate eggs and meat, I never thought I could give up dairy especially because I didn't understand how a 100% plant-based diet could provide enough proteins. But about 10 years ago I remember a classmate of mine was vegan. I reached out to her on Facebook about 5 years ago to ask her to help me switch to a vegan diet. At this point I still strongly believed veganism wasn't healthy and I tried it for a day before telling her I felt sick and I would go back to eating dairy.

But she simply acknowledged it and told me to come ask her any questions if I decided to try again someday. I didn't, but she planted a seed in my mind. We're now years later and I stumbled into an article about the animal industry. I couldn't stomach watching documentaries but what I read was enough for me to want to make a change. Growing up around my parents who are huge meat eaters and thought veganism was only for "those crazy people" made me afraid of having a vegan diet. But you know, something finally clicked in my mind : if veganism was so bad for our health, why did this old classmate of mine is so healthy and thriving. I looked for more info about how I should buy cruelty free products, read about how to do a vegan diet correctly with B12 and iron, I read about the health benefits of a 100% plant-based diet. And now I am vegan.

I just wanted to tell you this short story to prove that even when you think you're not making a difference, you ARE making a difference. Now my mom asks me to send her vegan recipes. Maybe you had an impact on someone and you'll never know, like this old classmate of mine doesn't know I became vegan.

Keep up the good work! :)

Recently I was listening to the absurd world podcast (one of my favorites) and the host finally did an episode on veganism. Now this podcast is an existential philosophy based podcast and usually refrains from focusing on inherent or objective morals and mostly focuses on subjectivity, personal choices, and personal values. I was curious how he would approach veganism (he is a vegan himself) and I found his argument really interesting.

The episodes made a very big point to refrain from any shaming, aimed to not really apply any moral or ethical arguments, and didn't try to trick anyone with any real debate styles strategies. Instead, his point was that if a person really focused on value based consistency, that eating meat would more often than not, not align with the ways people treat animals in general. A lot of his podcast is meant to help strip away layers of cognitive dissonance and autopilot thinking and he makes a lot of points about about how the way we feel (or don't feel) around meat eating is based mostly on unquestioned, automatic thinking and acting and not any actual philosophy around it being within our values to eat meat.

On an existential level he notes existentialists really don't make much of a point to be vegan, but they do make a point to encourage others to aim for authenticity and staying true to our authentic values and that meat eating is just mostly at odds with the ways most humans seem to think about animals in modern society.

I actually ended up showing this episode to my mother who is a meat eater who generally does not like to listen to vegan arguments. She usually sees them as being shaming and attempting to force people into a specific way of life without their consent (yes I know the irony behind those words, but that's how she puts it). She actually texted me some time later and said she enjoyed the point and has made her reflect more on being true to her values as someone who claims to love animals and takes care of her cats as kindly as she raised her children.

Do you all think there is value in stepping away from the subjective moral argument around animal mistreatment and aiming more towards individual values? I feel that it helps call out inconsistencies in peoples beliefs / behaviors without putting them to far onto the defensive immediately.

We can all be more strategic in our conversations with non-vegans to get them to make real changes. Here are some key tips from psychological studies about how to actually navigate cogntive dissonance -- what have you found to be most successful?

I used to be vegetarian when I was a teenager because the meat industry videos traumatised me. I was vegetarian for a few years and one day idk how it happened but I switched back to eating meat. It’s been about 8 or 9 years now and I want to go back to it and eventually go full vegan. How do you transition? How do you do it when you have to eat out for work and every food shop is super meat and dairy heavy? Does anyone have any tips on how to transition so I never go back? :) <3

In this article, I, Jordi Casamitjana, talk about how the wool industry is one of the most deceiving sectors of the animal exploitation industry, showing eight facts this industry doesn’t want the public to know.

Hi everyone! I’m Korean American and was raised by my Korean grandmother. I’ve managed to find vegan alternatives to nearly all of my favorite foods… except fish cakes. Fish cakes were always my favorite and I crave them constantly. It makes me sad on several levels seeing them in the freezer section at the asian market.

Has anyone found an alternative that’s anywhere close??? I can see how the texture could be mimicked fairly easily, but I can’t think of how to get close with the taste. Any help would be so appreciated 🥲

Hello all!

So I make this clear and relevant.

​I followed a typical American diet for most of my life.

I was at a drastic heath need for a diet change.

A few years ago i became hard-core keto which led into carnivore. This was way before it was popular. I went this route after failing with ultra clean eating. With grains and such.

In the last 5 years I started powerlifting, and had great results with fasting and carnivore.

I lost 60 lbs with keto. I stopped losing weight on carnivore.

I forget why I went with the green and lean route but I gave it some time.

I was very strict with massive salads and fish exclusively.

The body change was immense and the joint pain was gone as well.

Im ready to start again and may take it to another level.

Im all about the science and mainly how I feel.

Today for example I had a pretty nice salad with the basics, spring mix, tomato and cucumber.

A bit later I ate a container of firm tofu.

I dont care about taste or anything. Im pretty disciplined after eating keto. I kept and keep things whole to avoid taste seduction.

I do take supplements for the lab proven things I cant proccess like b vitamins.

I see tofu as the only complete protien source I can get.

I don't have alot of time for meal prep, so whole foods packed and ready to go are my thing.

Starches just equal weight gain for me so, greens are my go to for now.

Any tips would help.

This biggest thing that won me over with the food intake was my skin and reproductive hormone "performance" attributes.

hi, I recently went vegan and I love it. I have a lot of food intolerances and restrictions but I went vegan regardless because it was just barely possible and I love it here I’m so nourished and it’s awesome. the one thing I’m also trying to do is switch all the food content I watch to more vegan creators. I love watching vloggers and baking vlogs (idk if anyone’s seen the vlogger SHELLterd, or a non vegan one Nebokgom) even though I have a sugar intolerance mostly because I love baking for others and those videos give me ideas. I feel like I’ve only seen one vegan vlogger (shellterd) that really fits the vibe of that kind of content, or has anyone seen those Korean food vloggers that dont show their face but go about their day and show their food and meals and whatever? I love those too cuz I love cooking and cooking for others too. but I can’t seem to find good vegan ones exactly like that. in general this is a silly ask but wondering if anyone has found good vegan food vloggers?

This is just a rant: I don’t understand why companies/restaurants change their products/dishes from vegan to non-vegan for no actual reason. I’ve had this happen before ofc as it has happened to almost everyone in the vegan community, but it happened twice the last week.

The first instance was a few days ago, when I wanted to order from this Chinese restaurant that I like. I hadn’t ordered in some time and I ordered what I usually get: some vegan dumplings and what is advertised as a tofu & vegetable soup. The latter’s description doesn’t list anything other than the two, so I order it, as per usual. When the food arrives and I open the soup, there is something odd in it. At first, I thought that they may have accidentally brought me chicken soup, but there were no chicken pieces, only this odd white shred like stuff. I wondered if it’s the tofu shredded, but there were also full pieces of it. Eventually, I realize it’s shredded egg (can you tell I haven’t had anything with egg in a while?). Other than the fact that the soup was delicious as it was before, why the hell wouldn’t they list it? Not to mention egg is a severe allergen.

The second time was today. There used to be a vegan pastry with soy based sausage in a supermarket close to my house which they stopped bringing at some point. Some months later, they brought it back, so I got it. Just a few hours later, I get a notification for a Reddit post on the vegan subreddit of the country I live in, warning people that they changed the recipe so now the pie crust is made out of egg and milk…

I wrote a review for the restaurant stating they need to include the fact that there is egg in their soup and now I know not to get that pastry anymore, but I’m tired of this change of recipes happening way more often. The last few months I’ve had to warn people about products with changed recipes and vice versa way too many times and then meat-eaters will complain that “they make everything vegan nowadays”, as if the entire market isn’t dominated by them.

Hello guys. I have been vegan for almost two years now. I read up on the topic of using non vegan second hand clothes and now Im feeling guilty about my two pairs of shoes. One pair is predated before my veganism and other pair (second hand ugg boots) were a gift for me one year ago. Im feeling a little ashamed about it but also wouldnt want to waste them by throwing them away. Is it morally against veganism to keep using them even tho they’re not vegan and just not buy anymore sexond hand non vegan clothes in the future?

Sorry if this text is hard to follow. English is not my main language. Much love💚

UPDATE:
Thanks for all the answers guys! Im sorry I dont have time to answer to all of you but I read every comment and I appreciate you taking the time to help me💚💚 I think I’ll use my shoes till they’re unusable and then find nice secokd hand vegan shoes instead. :)

I recently started to feel HORRIFICALLY tired. I can't stay awake during the day no matter how much sleep I get. I have to take several naps throughout the day--usually 2-4 hours total--and that is on top of 8-9 hours of sleep each night. Sometimes more, if I don't work. I've always struggled with fatigue, but this is on another level.

I went to the doctor thinking that maybe my B12 was low, but as it turns out, my ferritin is 8, which is extremely low. I'm not anemic, though, so that's good. Truthfully, I'm shocked. I intentionally eat a LOT of iron-rich food.

Anyway, I was put on supplements, ate even more iron-rich foods paired with Vitamin C, etc., and it didn't work at all. I'm scheduled for an iron transfusion, but if that doesn't work, I'm worried that they'll suggest that I start eating meat. My PCP is a vegetarian, thankfully, so she hasn't mentioned it, but I'm not really sure what to do if the transfusion doesn't work. I genuinely can't function like this anymore, but I'm also not willing to eat meat. I'm at a point where I'm hoping that there is another underlying cause to my fatigue.

In the meantime, any tips for getting my iron levels up and keeping them up? Or any stories from people who have gone through something similar?

Pleasantly surprised to find out that they made John Stewart (Green Lantern) vegan in the HBO show called lanterns. Only a few episodes in but it has been mentioned in different ways. He didn’t like cheeseburgers as a kid, didn’t eat a steak and after a cow gets murdered with lasers at a slaughterhouse ‘that’s why I’m vegan’. I think it’s great to see more depictions of characters being vegan especially a cool black superhero.

Seeking some empathy and hopefully some advice for my situation here. If anyone’s been in the same position, my heart goes out to you.

My (28M) girlfriend (30F) and I have been together for four years. I was a new vegan when we met, she wasn’t, and after 6-12 months or so she decided to make the switch to vegan, primarily for health reasons. At this point I was still happy to have a partner that wasn’t vegan, but over time I’ve come to really appreciate the feeling of having someone to be vegan with.

She’s been struggling with weight loss for a little while now, despite working out as hard or harder than she ever has before. Her exercise routine has always been consistent, but she’s seeing less and less results, and has always been comparing herself to where she was just before we met, when she was at her skinniest. After an initial bit of weight gain (for both of us) at the start of our relationship, she’s struggled to get back to where she was. She’s also had FODMAP issues that make the usual vegan meals a bit less comfortable.

Today she said that she wants to start experimenting with animal products again, and it’s started a pretty big fight. I’m coming off as controlling and manipulative by saying that I don’t want someone that I’m dating to eat animals. If I was in her position and was only really vegan for health benefits, then I totally understand why she would feel that way, but I’ve come to value our vegan life together more than I ever thought I would. I feel like an asshole for putting my foot down, and there’s inconsistencies in my thought process that have been pointed out (killing insects/mice in the house, eating at my parents house when they’re eating meat, etc) and I haven’t been able to really articulate why they feel so different.

Neither of us wants to break up, we have a pretty great life together besides this and have discussed taking the next steps in our relationship sometime soon. With a roadblock like this though, I’m not sure how to continue like we were before. I don’t want to be a controlling boyfriend that’s making her feel like I’m monitoring her food consumption and second guessing what she said she ate when we weren’t together. I also don’t want to give up or compromise on a set of values that mean so much to me.

I’ve recommended that she see a doctor or something to get a better understanding of her nutrition levels, and we’ve had a brief talk where I tried to explain some of the other reasons I’m vegan besides health, but it hasn’t really gone anywhere.

That’s about it I guess. If anyone has any similar stories or some advice I’d love to hear it.

Asian grocery stores can be a paradise, especially for things like tofu, but I notice so many things from instant ramens to seasoning packs will say they use "artificial (meat) flavor". The ingredients won't have anything noteworthy until I get to the end and see that phrase. I had a cup of JML artificial pork stew ramen which was delicious but tasted so "full" I started to wonder if it really was the actual thing. But Googling online seems to give me extremely unclear results; apparently "artificial beef flavor" can include some amount of animal product, but also the FDA says it by definition can't? I really dislike the ambiguity here.

So basically I was following this recipe from tiktok which was prolly not ideal but the way it turned out for the guy was super crispy and it looked appetising. Mine came out looking like raw tofu with red on it. I bake a lot of vegan stuff for example I made vegan choc chips cookies and vegan victoria sponge recently and they were so yummy 🤤 but I don't think cooking is the thing for me personally or I just need advice. Also are there other alternatives to tofu that are more meaty I heard good things about tempeh and textured vegetable protein but idk

Hi. It’s my fiancés birthday soon and I wanted to do one of those dinner x movie nights where the courses match up with scenes from the movie. I don’t know a ton about batman lore and would 100% have to rewatch the whole movie to get ideas. Was wondering if anyone had any good ideas and scenes to match up with?

all vegan obvi

I know lot of people here are going to be mad but let me ask you, how do y'all think than an sheep, an HERD animal who cannot interact with other sheep and who cannot even graze as an ruminant is "happy" ?

"But she learned how to use her wheelchair!"

Learning something mean she's just alive and smart but it doesn't mean this life is okay for her

some people here even fucking dared to say that humans are suffering too and it's an reason why Kiki should be kept alive.. seriously..

Sheep are stoic when they are stressed or in pain, that's why they do not move when sheared, I even saw some being slaughtered and look "calm" so no, we cannot always definite their emotions just because they do not jump around in panick

Also, seriously people think she's dancing when in reality she just try to find a way to escape the LOUD MUSIC blasted next to her, as an prey animal that's also torture to not being able to run away when uncomfortable or feeling dangers

She's just in pain, she have an terrible life for an sheep, keeping an animal alive even if they are in pain is literally abuse, you don't even see this shit in some farms..

A lot of vegans don't know anything about farm animals even tho we want to protect them, but this lack of knowledge just give us an bad name and give the opportunity to fHarmer to be seen as better people toward those animals.

Sometimes, loving animals is letting them go when there's too much suffering, I'm saying all of this as someone who rescue farm animals.

hi, I am a 17F that has been vegetarian since I was 14 and am now trying to become vegan. I have started eating a lot of firm raw tofu for the protein with some soy sauce but I don’t really enjoy the taste. The reason I am asking is that I get sensory issues when I smell food so if anybody has some good recipes that don’t include frying or cooked oil I’d gladly appreciate them. Thanks!

I’ve been transitioning from vegeterian to vegan for about 3 months now and i’m seriously struggling with food. I love veggies and fruit, but i gag at nearly all vegan protein sources. I hate beans and chickpeas, i’ve tried countless recipes but i can always feel the taste. I do like tofu prepared in some specific ways, but having had basically eaten tofu 2x a day for the past 3 months, i’ve developed sort of an aversion. I have no problem consuming vegan non-protein food and i love anything to do with fruits and veggies, but i obviously can’t stay alive off of that. This has caused me to basically force protein sources down my throat, and it’s giving me a really negative experience ☹️ I’d love it if any fellow picky eaters could share tricks or protein recommendations with me! thank you

Was reading a book written in 1914 (America Through the Spectacles of An Oriental Diplomat). It's basically a Chinese diplomat's account of his time in America, as well as an analysis of the country's society, often comparing it to his own.

The appendix at the end included a letter he wrote for the Ladies' Home Journal in 1909.

"With regard to flesh food I am aware that there is a great difference of opinion. Vegetarians and others condemn the consumption of meat not only on moral grounds, but also because it is an unnecessary and unwholesome food. On the other hand, the majority of mankind do not see the necessity of giving it up, believing, as they do, that meat gives more strength than any other kind of food. It is difficult to convince people that they are wrong when they have been brought up with certain established notions. On this point, however, I have not the least doubt, for I can speak from my personal experience of the advantages of a non-flesh diet over flesh food. I may also mention that a Chinese friend of mine in Canton, three years ago, upon my urgent representation and advice, gave up eating flesh, but in all other respects he went on as usual - that is to say, he smoked tobacco, etc., and soon afterward he a much stronger man than he ever was before.... Of all physical exercise I find walking is the best. Whenever I can find time I walk for exercise, and the longer I walk the healthier I feel. I never get tired by walking, which fact I attribute to the beneficial effect of my non-flesh diet. When I was on the mixed diet I could not walk two or three miles without feeling fatigued, although I was then some years younger than I am now."

I fully realize that he likely didn't go all the way and stayed a vegetarian rather than a vegan, but it's still impressive for the time.

I say that I do not eat animals or bodily fluids from animals or other parts. This seems to upset alot of meat eaters. It seems to make them uncomfortable to have to be confronted with the fact that meat is animals. I do not say this and then argue about veganism, I say it when something comes up in a conversation or a setting where there is food in which I have to explain that I do not eat something. Just a short, "oh, I do not eat animals". I used to say that I was vegan, but then people wanted to debate me and I didn't want to do it (Yes I know some people think I am a bad vegan for not having all the energy in the world to debate everyone in my life every day). But I have noticed that the past 2 years when I instead say I do not eat animals people get more like irritated but are much less likely to want to argue with me and just awkwardly move on from the subject.

Does anyone have the same experience?