Why Am I Vegan? More Importantly, Why Are You Not?

I often get asked why I am vegan and I usually struggle to articulate a response. Not because I don’t know my own reasons, but I fear that no matter what I say, the person asking already has made up their mind that I’m a raving loony. And I am, really. But not for this reason — that’s another blog post entirely.

I digress.

Anyway, I’ve never written anything about why I transitioned to Veganism. But having just celebrated World Vegan Day, I figured now was as good a time as any.

I actually have a bit of a problem with being asked why I am vegan. I’ll try not to sound too much like Victor Meldrew here. But it implies I am odd. It implies that I need to have a very good reason for my lifestyle and be able to justify it. It’s often asked with a smirk, and usually I know that no matter what I say, the person who asked me will still think at the end of my response that they are ‘right’ and I am ‘wrong.’ At least, that’s my perception. And I realise I’m massively generalising here. I do have friends that are genuinely interested.

I am vegan for a host of reasons, some of which we’ll come on to in a minute, but what irks me about this question is that if I turn it around and ask a meat eater why they eat dead animals, I usually get a standard reply which goes something like: “we’re meant to eat animals, that’s why we have canines,” or, “it’s natural — it’s what our ancestors did to survive’. Usually, this is quickly followed up by some very unfunny yet predictable remark about bacon or steak and then the classic question: “what do vegans even eat?? Fresh air??”

Cue mass vegan eye roll.

While the above may be in part true (not the bit about fresh air)—I don’t disagree that it’s what our ancestors did to survive, obviously—but these answers show absolutely no evidence that the person has ever really thought about why they eat meat. It’s just something they’ve always done.

I have yet to meet an omnivore who has questioned their choice of diet and lifestyle and made the consciousdecision to carry on eating meat and dairy, despite finding out where their food comes from and how it is produced. I think if I did, I might even respect them a little, for at least they had educated themself and bothered to look into it and then made the decision. Most people I imagine would struggle to choose a meat and dairy diet if they actually looked in to what’s involved in production — for those that haven’t looked, it’s truly awful.

The majority of people you ask would probably say they are compassionate; against animal cruelty and suffering, yet they do not see any link between animal suffering and their food. I believe we call this cognitive dissonance, people. We all know that meat comes from animals and that to get it from field (if it’s lucky enough to be reared in a field) to plate involves slaughter, but most people have never looked into the whole process and largely prefer to live in ignorance. I’m sure the reason for this is that if they did look into it, they would be forced to then have to deal with their own conscience and potentially do something about it which involves a massive change in lifestyle and mindset. And let’s face it, that sounds like a lot of effort, right?

But this is what really bugs me about the issue. Vegans are often seen as quite a strange bunch, largely tree-hugging hippies, (some of us are, but obviously not all), but really we are just people who are, on the whole, trying to live better lives. Vegans have chosen to look into it and have made a choice to live better. Most vegans I know are largely knowledgeable about nutrition and probably know a lot more about getting all the essential nutrients and vitamins than most meat eaters do. Most omni’s eat meat through habit, not choice. And just because something’s always been done a certain way does not make it right. Imagine if women had never questioned whether they were deserving of equality and just carried on living subservient lives because that’s the way it had always been! The world would be a very different place.

I often feel the vegan diet is so misunderstood. If I had a pound for every time someone has raised an eyebrow and asked what I actually eat (as though it’s a minor miracle I’m still walking around breathing and all) I would be able to buy a whole lot of hummus. Most people focus on what you have to cut out of your diet to live as a vegan, but for us vegans, it’s more about what we are adding into our diets that is the focus.

Veggie to Vegan

I was actually vegetarian for 28 years before I transitioned. This was easy for me as I never liked the taste of meat or fish and it always seemed so alien to me to eat animals. But I’d been thinking about going vegan for a while and ten months ago, I took the plunge. I now eat so much better than I ever did before. My diet is a lot broader and I cook from scratch as much as possible compared to my processed diet as a veggie. Since going vegan, I have tried so many new and exciting foods, and my cupboards are stocked with more beans and pulses than you can shake a stick at.

I like to think I was vegetarian for my taste buds, but am now vegan for the animals. The needless suffering of animals is my number one driving force behind my choice of lifestyle. I had always focused on how animals suffer through slaughter but it was only upon looking into dairy production that I actually realised that dairy animals actually suffer every bit as much as those raised for meat, if not more. I had no idea during my milk guzzling years that cows are forcibly inseminated over and over again to produce a calf which is then taken away from it the minute it is born, and if it is a female, it is condemned to the same life as its mother. But if the calf is male, it is taken away and slaughtered for veal.

Just think about that for a minute.

The miracle of birth and new life completely dessimated in a matter of minutes. What a waste.

I have never witnessed a mother cow screaming for her baby, but I’ve read about it and it tears me to pieces. My brain cannot compute how humans assume that animals don’t feel anything. Nature is a pretty miraculous thing and the mother-baby bond is not particular to humans. Why is it so hard to believe that cows love their babies the way humans do?

This is just one very small aspect to why I chose the plant-based way. There are many, many reasons. I could go on and on, but I won’t. The information is there all over the internet for those that want to know more both about where our food comes from and the health benefits of eating plant- based; not to mention the benefits to the planet. And veganism is not just about food. It’s a lifestyle choice to steer clear of animal products altogether, from those used in clothing to those used in toiletries and cleaning products. Veganism is about the exploitation of animals so in a larger sense incorporates boycotting zoos, circuses, animal testing, etc. I’m sceptical of people who say they are 100% vegan, as it’s virtually impossible to avoid animal products entirely. If I’m out in public and need to wash my hands, I’m gonna have to use a soap that may have been tested on animals. For me, veganism is always a work in progress.

So if you’ve read this far down (well done—high five to you), and are a meat and dairy eater, this is my challenge to you. Do some research. Think about why you eat meat. Did you make a conscious choice to, or have you never really thought about the alternative?

Are you brave enough to find out about where your ‘food’ comes from and how much suffering is involved?

Just be prepared that if you do, you will have to make a choice. Do nothing, or change. And if you carry on eating meat, at least that’s a choice and I will respect you for that. (A tiny bit.)