It's not vegan if you only do it for a month

[AlwaysBeFabulous]

Obviously plantbasedanuary isn't as catchy, but if you're only doing it for a month, you can hardly call it vegan.

Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.

Is this really what people are doing for January, or just eating fake meat burgers instead of real meat burgers? Before going back to eating real meat burgers in February. Unless it inspires you to continue with veganism in which case kudos to you.

Maybe people need to add a time to their non meat eating ..
As in I have just become a vegan.
I have been a vegan for X months.
Or just ask them how long.

To me it is a philosophy, a way of life. It just seems to have become a word to describe food not containing animal.

That's fine for you but other people who identify as vegan will feel differently. Surely their identity is as valid as yours, even if not as strict?

I never laugh so hard as when nasty school mum told us she was vegan.
The lady next to her said no your not, I served you fish and chips as your waitress last night.

Hmm. My sister has just gone vegan for January.
But she's been using vegan makeup for a few months now which I think she will continue to do.

Who decides firmly once and for all whether vegans can eat figs?

Haha, very good point.
Also, I asked a vegan once why he could eat bread as yeast is a living organism. He replied that it was because yeast was not a sentient creature. So was he a) a valid vegan, b) a shit vegan or c) a pretentious hipster bellend?

@BigStripeyBastard
All of the above!!!

Shit. What about the yeast in fermenting?

Op your definition is from the vegan society and goes on to say

There are many ways to embrace vegan living. Yet one thing all vegans have in common is a plant-based diet avoiding all animal foods such as meat (including fish, shellfish and insects), dairy, eggs and honeyy - as well as avoiding animal-derived materials, products tested on animals and places that use animals for entertainment.

Which is interesting because I've been a vegetarian for 30 years and no one has ever suggested I should think a certain way. Now I've been excluding all animal products and trying to go 'vegan' it seems the established community is much more rigid than vegetarians in which doesn't seem to have the same framework.

It's interesting. A friend (also veggie) said she was now eating plant based only - I wonder if she was trying to avoid any issues with her leather handbag or make up choices.

Maybe I just assumed veganism was the next step whereas it's more of an ethical belief system than a diet.

@Noeuf well we've all heard about the fish eating vegetarians.

We can define ourselves as anything it appears, even if it doesn't fit in with other people's perception of what that entails.

I remember a thread a while ago about a committed vegan who had taken the day off. She was absolutely flamed and told that she had never been, and could never be a vegan ever again for eating a morsel of animal for the first time in 100 years.

Now you just eat plant based food for a day and can declare yourself vegan.

I’ve been vegan, I’ve been pescatarian, and I’m currently vegetarian.

They are descriptions of my dietary choices.

You can’t tell me, or anybody else, that because of how I choose to eat I must also share in a particular philosophical belief.

Veganism is a dietary choice. If I’m vegan for a week, a month or year, then I’m vegan for that period of time.

I don't think I'm disagreeing with you op!

@Noeuf I am in absolute agreement with you.

Now you just eat plant based food for a day and can declare yourself vegan.

Do we need to get that strict about it? Do you have to avoid meat for a whole day to be a vegan?

I think it's really interesting actually. The vegan thing as an ethical stance and practice. (Cr recent employment tribunal) whereas I just don't feel that with vegetarianism. I'd say I'm veggie - I don't like the thought of meat/eggs/gelatine and no one said anything really. Other veggies might be interested because they loved animals / hated the industry etc but there isn't a common theme.

So according to this thread, today I ate no meat or animal products .
I ate steak yesterday, and want Pork Chops tomorrow, but by your standards I am a vegan .....

I mean, at parties/events I'd say I'm veggie etc (been a strict vegetarian for years).

you just eat plant based food for a day and can declare yourself vegan.

(just puzzling) Why does it matter what somebody calls their eating habits?
Does this seem to matter because some folk feel their eating habits are based on sacred principles, and they feel violated by people who adopt the word without making the same sacrifices?

A person can call self Christian yet never turn the other cheek.... So why should veganism be so different -- turns out vegans get their own 'heretics'.

@mummmy2017 but did you wear leather shoes, or eat avocado, figs, almonds?

A person can call self Christian yet never turn the other cheek.... So why should veganism be so different -- turns out vegans get their own 'heretics'.

Not really a very good comparison, they are nothing alike. One of those groups think themselves morally superior to everyone else, spend huge amounts of energy trying to persuade others to their cause and hector those they believe are damned for refusing to share their beliefs.

Whereas the other group just go to church on a Sunday.

@donquixotedelamancha

Well I don't like labels. Personally I identify as pan-dietary and I insist on being referred to as a non binary eater. My DC are food fluid.

Get over yourself. As an almost lifelong vegetarian pretty much vegan I am delighted to see the trend for less meat and more thought regarding what people consume, be it food or other products. I chuckle when I see erstwhile plastic or fabric handbags being labelled as vegan friendly...great. let people find their own way. There is way too much judgement and division in the world right now. Let people just get on with it.

pretty much vegan so still vegetarian then?

Are avocado, figs, and almonds not vegan??

Avocado and almonds require bees for pollination, and the farmed versions mostly use 'hire these honeybees' services which is violating animal welfare to some (many? most? I dunno) committed vegans. There's no labelling requirements for naturally pollinated sources, so they won't risk it.

Figs are fascinating - they're fertilised by a tiny wasp that dies inside them and gets subsumed. Each fig has its own little wasp entry port. Each fig species has its own wasp species to match. Due to the particular species we've cultigated, very few figs we eat are waspy, but some are. So in this case it's a "well there might be a dead creature in it" reason.

*cultivated. Cultigated sounds like what the OP is trying to do with this "No true vegan!" bollocks.

Anything that encourages fewer animals to be eaten/killed/bred to be taken advantage of should be supported by vegans of any stripe, but there's always the radical cultists.

Also thumbs up to CherryPlum, that was the direction I was going to go too