To ask why do meat eaters have such a problem with vegans?!

[CadyHeron]

Ok, genuine question, and I've been around here long enough to know this is probably going to descend into a bunfight but meh
Seriously. Why?! I've only recently noticed it since doing Veganuary and mainly carrying it on now even though it's finished. Up until then, I eat everything - fish,meat, cheese.....but at the same time eating lots of vegan and vegetarian food too as DH is a long time vegetarian.
(Who's gone vegan after completing Veganuary.)
Been out for dinner today.
"Surely you can have a little bit?!" (Erm, no )
We've also had "but it's not healthy!" (that all depends on how you do it,surely? I know I was eating a lot healthier during Veganuary as I was conscious about what I was eating and not just mindlessly shovelling stuff in - even though I love mindlessly shoving stuff in
Or you'll get a bacon sandwich shoved in your face. "You want this bacon, don't you? Don't you?"
Erm,no not really.
I don't give a shit whether people eat meat, why are they so bothered that I'm vegan for a while?!
Must be exhausting to be a proper one!
not including the militant ones that tell you meat is murder as they can just go away and practise the saying each to their own...

I have zero problem with vegans. Even pointed out to a colleague with bad eyesight that the crisps he was munching on had lactose based flavouring before he finished them. I had few discussions with him regarding the ethics of vegans and I don't like their religious zealotry with which they tend to talk about their lifestyle choice but I am not that mean.

Me catering for a vegan: I reckon my meal plan they would find WAY too boring.
How we cook non-vegan meals is very boring. I like boring. 90% of recipes on MN I am aghast at how complicated they are. But would be even more boring if vegan. This would be my fear if asked to cater for a vegan.

Vegans can be bores about their choices. Usually manage to tell you they are vegan within a few minutes of meeting them. I never feel the need to tell people I'm a carnivore.

So when a meat eater is exposed to a Vegan it forces them to think about their choices and that scares them

I disagree with this. I’m aware of what meat is. I’m aware of the fact that animal husbandry isn’t always as good as it could be so I try wherever I can to make more ethical meat choices (local meat, local truly free range eggs, local milk, never buying danish bacon etc.) I’m in favour of better and stronger regulation on animal husbandry and slaughter. I’d prefer to have religious slaughter methods banned.

But there’s nothing about my food choices that scares me. Can you explain why being exposed to vegan choices would scare me?

I have no problem with vegans.

I strongly dislike sanctimonious turds of any variety and sadly veganism gives the turds a lot to shout about.

I know a vegan who has posted (daily) what they're eating, with a picture, ending with something like "#noanimalsharmed" I don't shove pictures of steak in her face, but she feels it necessary to show people how kind she's being by having beans and potatoes for dinner. If you want to be vegan then fine, but please don't try and push it on other people (especially when I honestly couldn't give a shit if you're vegan or hardcore carnivore)

I think it's vegans that have a problem with meat eater! The # and preaching on social media is so cringe!!

Doesn't answer your question but dd and I were recently treated to a profanity laden rage filled rap about the evils of eating meat while waiting for the library to open. Those vegans give the rest a bad name.

I read threads like this and wonder why I never meet any of the omnivores who have a problem with vegans.

I've been vegan for a couple of decades and I can't remember anyone ever having a problem with me about what I do or don't eat.

Quite the opposite actually, if people say anything about it, they'll ask for recipes, advice about plant-based nutrition, or talk about how they're cutting down on meat and are eating more vegan food.

That seems to me like normal human behaviour really, don't almost all of us just want to connect and get along with others?

I have a problem with vegans who have issues with people who don't want to be vegans.

I used to work with someone who talked about it constantly and critiqued every bit of food we ate because it wasn't vegan, every cup of tea.

Of course her own diet was appalling, it was not a diet I would every aspire to. In 5 years she never at a piece of fruit or veg. She existed on a diet of 'fake meat' products- not a way to live.

(I know some vegans with really interesting diets - they never go on about it though).

I don’t have a problem with them. I have a problem with people who feel the need to bang on about the same thing over and over again though. If youve told me your vegetarian or vegan I don’t need to be reminded about it unless I’m going to be cooking for you. I don’t need my food called rotten flesh that just makes you look a dick.

I couldn't give a shit what anybody eats, and expect other people not to give a shit about what I eat.

One of my work colleagues has recently gone vegan and she is a right pain in the arse about it. Constantly haranguing the rest of us about our ham sarnies.

I wonder if some people are just difficult about 'different' diets full stop.

DD has coeliac disease and gets a lot of grief about it. Her close friends are brilliant, but there's always some dick head who likes to make a big deal about it.

So when a meat eater is exposed to a Vegan it forces them to think about their choices and that scares them because meat eaters dont usually have answers to the the important questions that their dietary choices cause. Its easier to blame the Vegan than address why its ok for them to eat meat

I don't get this at all, tbh. If someone though eating meat was a problem, surely they just wouldn't do it.

I have answers to my dietary choices - I eat chicken and fish every day because it's healthy, the vast majority of my protein and fat, tastes good and I don't believe there is a moral barrier to humans eating animals.

Most vegans I know are vegans for dietary/health (often orthorexia/anorexia) reasons rather than for moral reasons but I don't really mind what their reasons are. As long as they're happy with their choices and I'm happy with mine then I don't see the need to criticise anybody else.

Vegans can be bores about their choices. Usually manage to tell you they are vegan within a few minutes of meeting them. I never feel the need to tell people I'm a carnivore.

You’re not a carnivore. And if you were you would certainly find yourself having to tell people, as they would undoubtedly offer you foods you wouldn’t eat; ie anything at all that wasn’t meat.

That point was addressed perfectly by a pp; omnivorous diets are the presumed norm so if you’re an omnivore you don’t need to mention it. But quite often it does become relevant to mention being vegan in a conversation - like if you’re offered a food you won’t eat.

But yep, I do agree - preachy vegans are incredibly dull. But then so is anyone who harps on endlessly about their diet.

I can assure you there are a great many vegans just going about their lives not posting on social media or shouting their vegnaism from the rooftops. They just mention it if it becomes relevant.

I have no problem with Vegans etc. I can easily and happily cook a vegan/meat free meal we all enjoy when our vegan friends come for dinner.
What I hate though is the outrageous comments from people who judge me for enjoying a nice juicy steak or accuse me of abusing cows for their milk, you only need to read any thread about milk on here and one pops up.

I would never say anything negative to a vegan or try to persuade them to try other food, but secretly I find it puzzling.

It seems a very restrictive way to eat. There are no clear health benefits unless you have allergies/intolerances.
There's a risk of protein deficiency and vitamin deficiencies (particularly calcium) since you're cutting out the main sources of these (meat/fish/eggs/dairy). There's a lot of controversy around soya and tofu products.

Personally I find vegan food bland and expensive (I have a vegan relative so cater to her needs when she comes to stay). I can't help but feel it's an extreme form of fussiness in her case, she rants on about her diet, has to check every packet for hidden animal products and gets anxious eating out. Sometimes I want to scream when she takes half an hour to study the menu and question the waiters, while toddler is hungry and fed up.

I also find her cooking very difficult to eat. I don't like the texture of lentils/beans/chickpeas and she uses a lot of spices to give things flavour.

Interested to hear why vegans become vegans!

I can’t stand a preachy vegan

All others are fine by me, tbh I wouldn’t know they where vegan unless I had cooked for them. People ordering vegan in resturants wouldn’t make me jump to that conclusion, I often order vegetarian/vegan meals out but I am very much a meat eater.

No issues with vegans. I eat a meat light diet but do like dairy.

What i don't like are the smug vegans who say things like:
Here's a photo of my tea #vegan

Look at all this vegan stuff i'm going to post on social media

I'm going out for lunch today and i'm off to this amaizng vegan cafe where they do awesome vegan brownies and awedome vegan dishes. How many times can i say vegan in one sentence? Did you know I'm vegan?

Eugh I'm going to have to move dramatically as you eat your sandwich... oh i just can't be around people eating animal carcass. It makes me nauseous.

Vegans who rather than say 'meat' use as many emotive terms as they can purely to virtue signal and criticise others

When vegans do the whole smug thing oh the only reason meat eaters mock vegans is because our much better choices make them feel guilty and it scares them to consider their food habits when the reality is 'omnivores don't care what people eat but it's fucking irritating to listen to endless smug virtue signalling'.

As a meet eater I have no problem with your average run of the mill vegan. The ones i take issue with are the ones who are holier than thou about it.
"Oh your eating that"
Or the vegan group near me who puts photos of mutilated animals in a child's play park, bus stops and things.

Doesn't answer your question but dd and I were recently treated to a profanity laden rage filled rap about the evils of eating meat while waiting for the library to open. Those vegans give the rest a bad name

I'd have bought veal on the way home if that had happened to me.

One of my issues is that some vegans have chosen to stop eating animal products - but think everyone else should be forced to stop.

My workmate had a giant burger on way home after a particularly ranty day by office vegan to make herself feel better.

Not rtft so probably already been discussed, I have no problem with vegans, veggies in fact any way someone chooses to live their life. It is the preaching that they are somehow better than you that pisses me off. I don’t post constant pictures and memes of how eating meat benefits my body, I don’t care how cruel you think the world is for eating meat. It’s your values so good for you for choosing to follow through on your beliefs but don’t expect anyone else to care.

I've been veggie for 30 years. I've always looked at it as my 'thing' that doesn't impact anyone else.

A few times over the years (when much younger) I've had to 'justify' why I don't eat meat! Why would anyone care? Especially as I was always subtle about it - as it was never a big deal.

Was it because I like The Smiths someone once asked (wtf?)

A couple of times people trying to get you to bite (no pun intended) by banging on about bacon sarnies etc zzzz

and had an ex's silly sister at my table at a restaurant deliberately going on about her rare steak and the blood (yawn)

Most of that was teens/20 somethings and due to a few immature types. In general adulthood it's fine.

Have zero problem with anyone's freedom of choice. Have massive issue with activists and those who set out to intimidate farmers etc. Same as those who stand outside abortion clinics Don't give two hoots if you choose just to eat veg though.

Vegans who preach are like anyone else who preaches: they believe their message (usually) and are incredulous when they meet someone who doesn't. "It convinced me, I'm clever, so it must convince you or otherwise you are stupid".

Vegan propaganda, when it's not manifestly untrue, starts from the premise that people don't know that the little lambs in the field are future lamb chops, and if only we knew that - a fact that, presumably, vegans didn't realise until their epiphany - we'd agree with them.

Nope, I'm well aware that meat is dead animal, and I know how it's produced. Within limits of responsible husbandry, that doesn't bother me. The "eww, but I bet you don't eat..." part doesn't work, because offal's great and I'll eat pretty much anything and my objections are just "I don't like" rather than "ewww" (chicken feet are boring, chicken gizzards are great).

The "rotting flesh" part doesn't work because I have on occasions plucked, drawn and hung my own game. I even once did the "hang a brace of pheasants by the neck, when one of them rots through and drops to the floor eat the other one" thing, although it was I admit quite high. And the only reason I haven't shot game is because the small amount of clay pigeon shooting I've done tells me (a) I'm crap and it and (b) my shoulder hurts.

On the other hand, I could happily live on South Indian vegetarian food and (pro tip!) asking for the "south indian veggie" meal on planes out of London is the best way to get a decent meal in economy.