To go veggan?

[Reallytired17]

Or will I be detested by vegetarians, vegans and carnivores?

IME many vegans can take a bit of an all or nothing stance, but I do think I would miss avocado and egg on toast. What do people think?

Apologies if I've missed it, OP. But I take it you're not a vegan at the moment?

Been vegan 16 years and never heard of this terminology although I have heard of people who are vegan apart from (free range) eggs.

You're still doing a lot of good for animals and the environment. Go for it who cares what folk think.

I think veggan works better when you say it than when you write it, because it just looks like a typo. In fact my autocorrect did turn it back into "vegan" to start with.

I describe myself as fishitarian because people tend to understand what that means, and it's quicker than saying "the only meat I eat is fish" and more accurate than saying I'm vegetarian, then tucking into salmon. I think many people who restrict their diet for ethical reasons also make compromises of some sort. Just go ahead and adopt a diet that keeps you healthy. I'd avoid shop bought quiche, ice cream etc and only buy eggs if you're very sure of the source.

Been vegan 16 years and never heard of this terminology

Quite. I've never heard it either.

If you need a label, OP, go for it. Just be prepared to explain to people that no, you're not just mis-pronouncing/spelling vegan endlessly, as despite it's existence, 'veggan' is not a well known term.

I’ve never heard of veggan (or beegan.) I just thought your spelling was shit 😆

I feel this opens up an opportunity for me, I’m going for vegnoneggatarian. Or more accurately a lowcarbingvegnoneggatarian.

Actually tonight I’m going for sicktothebackteethofbrocolliandalmondsHandoverthefuckingchocolate

(...sadly I’m the above for health reasons, it’s this or meds)

Someone up thread said "how are eggs cruel". Apart from the fact that male chicks are put alive into a mechanical grinder to be disposed of (they don't lay eggs which makes money so what's the point in keeping them alive and spending money on their food?) a normal chicken will lay around 17 eggs a year. A factory farmed and even those lovely so called 'free range' eggs that people think are so much kinder, produce 250+ eggs a year. Chicken farming is so intense these days and the chickens pumped full of growth hormones, a chicken reaches its full adult weight in around 6 weeks, compared to what it's supposed to be which is 6months.

I'm a vegan, the hardest part for me was giving up eggs (I didn't give a toss about meat, poultry, fish, dairy and don't miss those at all) but after seeing how crazy egg farming is, I wouldn't buy an egg ever again.

reckon Reallytired17 is Morrissey undercover

...a normal chicken will lay around 17 eggs a year

I agree that the industry is appalling cruel, but that's not true, not even close. Most breeds lay between 100 - 300 eggs per year, sometimes more.

OP has had a hard time here but it was the label wot dunnit! Look - don't categorize yourself as anything. There's really no need. To me it seems either show-offy or superior or self-congratulatory.

I don't eat meat. Nobody cares. I would sooner give up breathing than give up cheese and I ain't eating tofu for anyone, ever. Eat what you want and remember to never explain and never apologise!

You will not be a vegan, you will eat a predominantly vegan diet.
The difference between "I am" and "I eat" is huge.

I am a vegan - diet and lifestyle.
I eat a predominantly vegan diet - stick to a vegan diet 90% of the time while also using leather/wool/non cruelty free goods.

Both are perfectly acceptable.
However saying you 'are' vegan whilst eatinf eggs is ridiculous.

Long time vegan/vegetarian now dairy free vegetarian, I have never heard of Veggan and dont like it. Just say you are vegetarian but also dont eat cheese or drink cows milk etc.... I cant imagine the exact detail of your diet comes up very often, its just to specific.

I didnt know this new term so I have learnt something. It can be helpful to understand why people eat or do not eat certain foods. I think I have become better informed as a result. I do have some anxiety about some diet choices like clean eating becoming so fashionable and in vogue.

Most breeds lay between 100 - 300 eggs per year, sometimes more

Domestic breeds, yes. The jungle fowl from which chickens are bred lays far fewer. Think about it. How many bird species lay eggs almost every day? There's little evolutionary need to. Most lay a clutch that they then rear. The reason domestic breeds lay more is through artificial selection.

Gabilan

Interesting stuff! I did assume for the purpose of the thread, we were talking about domestic breeds and regular egg-lying behaviour.

It's a lot of the objection to the egg industry, I think. It's totally unnatural just to keep laying without rearing chicks. Of course, it's not as if nature is all fluffy and lovely but repeatedly laying eggs like that does take a lot out of the birds.

Christ, the OP is getting a hard time here!!

OP, I wonder if on a practical level it might be easier to be vegan when eating out but eat ethically sourced eggs at home? I think you'd find it impossible to get ethically sourced eggs / items containing eggs when out and about.

Also, I'd say that giving a name to the diet or having it set in stone will probably lead to a feeling of failure if you 'slip up'. Perhaps just going mostly vegan would prevent this?

Chicken farming is so intense these days and the chickens pumped full of growth hormones, a chicken reaches its full adult weight in around 6 weeks, compared to what it's supposed to be which is 6months.

They're not allowed to add growth hormones to British meat. The broiler chickens (not egg laying hens) have been bred to grow fast.

Hens don't start laying until around 15 weeks old, and are slaughtered at 18 months.

OP you should get chickens if you have a garden. You could keep 3 or 4 in a small garden easily. If you feed them good quality feed (organic) their yolks will be dark orange, not the pale insipid yellow of cage reared hens.
Chickens are lovely to spend time with, and like other pets, they each have different personalities. Did you know that they can purr? I was pleasantly shocked the first time I heard one of my girls purring, while she was sunbathing in the dustbath she'd made by my seat.

I agree you shouldn't call it veggan though. It sounds daft and pretentious.

It's an egg eating vegan.

So not a vegan then.

A veggan follows the principles of a vegan diet but eats eggs.

So not a vegan then, Just someone who doesn't eat meat or fish.

You're going to spend your life trying to explain that one. You just look like a berk who can't spell vegan properly!

Can you get fake eggs these days. Like Linda McCartney ones or something?

Or is it maybe more ethical to eat the eggs of some other kind of bird? I've no idea if it is, but I dunno, ducks? Or birds that don't get battery farmed or interfered with? Obviously I don't mean owls or the like.

I have been vegan for the past 4 years, it’s really hard sometimes. It’s the little things like the food you miss that’s not necessarily ‘meat’ but has dairy/animal byproducts - eg pizza, chocolate/desserts, pesto, Italian dishes etc. Or eating at your old favourite restaurants. Yes there are vegan alternatives but they’re not as readily available and I miss them haha

OP you are unreasonable as eggs are vile, the texture, the slime, ewww. Seriously though, just don’t put a label on it. Eat what you want but don’t go sprouting ‘veggan’ as you’ll just confuse people and prompt more questions

You’re not a vegan if you eat eggs.

Go for it. What is the alternative- continuing to be veggie or meat eating? If your aim is to reduce harm then cutting out meat fish and dairy is a good start.

Yes, it is not consistent with overall vegan aims but if the strictures mean that you won't be able to do it at all, better to do it your way. But the most ethical eggs you can knowing that death is fairly inherent in the system. Better to buy eggs than products containing egg I think (which are not likely to be as ethical).

Wouldn't worry too much about labels. Veganuary is a good thing to try and if you live in a big city it's amazing how many options there are. Outside the big cities its harder.

I tried a few recipes substituting eggs. Chia in baking etc is fine. Haven't tried tofu eggs- don't digest eggs v well. I would also miss eggs on toast!

Tofu, don't digest tofu well I meant...good luck.

I would say if you're simply replacing other animal protein with eggs then you're not reducing overall, just substituting. But if you're going from having animal protein (whether dairy, meat eggs fish) 7 days and only having eggs once a week, that has to be better for the animals and the planet.

It's almost as if the question has been interpreted by many (not all) as: "Would I sound like a pretentious wanker if I referred to myself as a veggan to everybody I bump into?".

To which the replies should of course be "YES! Nobody gives a rats arse about what you choose to eat".

But that wasn't the question!

That certainly wasn't the question, but the OP did get quite hoity-toity about nomenclature, so drew attention to her wanky naming of food choice.

I think just try it. I went vegan for a month a couple of years ago and ended up sticking to it. I felt better, I lost weight and learned about the environmental impact later on. I also found groups on social media who aren't militant weirdos. It's definitely changed my life for the better.