...to wonder why people are so rude about vegans?

[CheekyWombat101]

Obviously not everyone, but in general, I can’t go a single day without hearing a comment or spotting an eye roll if the word ‘vegan’ is spoken out loud. It’s like a dirty word. Ironically a word usually brought up by someone who isn’t vegan, but starts the conversation and then takes offence at it. It’s really bizarre.

Over and over again you hear associated words like... fad, militant, extreme, unhealthy...

Why? Why do some non-vegans take such an interest, and such an offence to it all?

Non-vegans who don’t care or are supportive - you are awesome! Please keep doing what you’re doing, it’s really refreshing.

my point being, however, that there are many millions of vegans across the world who live that way as completely normal, and don't need a medal for being so - they have also developed wide and varied cuisine traditions that don't rely on fake meat

Where are these huge numbers of vegan people with exclusively vegan cuisine. Whenever I've asked this question of vegans (Not out the blue, in response to statements that large populations have survived as vegans for centuries) they've only ever given examples of communities that are vegetarian or eat minimal animal products - not none.

@MaximusHeadroom Excellent post. I agree with all your points. I loved meat as a child until I went veggie at 14. I ate offal, rinds, crispy skin, the lot.

That's why I can't get my head around why people ask the same old question, "But why do you eat vegan meat substitutes?"

I also take dishes to social event and people that don't want to try my cooking are those who are offended by V words. Others usually are surprised by how good vegan food can be.

I've never had a vitamin B12 deficiency and that's despite not eating meat since 1992 and being vegan since 2018, and never taking supplements.

“ I also know for a fact she eats a rare steak twice a year in secret, apparently her cheat days. What an idiot”
Of course she’s a idiot. Are you expecting people that I say differently?

Why? Because catering to whims is a pain in the ass.
I have a vegan and paleo (amongst a small group) coming for (Canadian tea) next week.
Fruits offered must be berries, gluten free so no easy baking...the list goes on and I’m left confused but need to put out a spread.

*to say. Not that I

What is more 'natural' about a wild cow than a domestic one?

OK, words matter.
Years ago, before domestication of farm animals and farming, wild cattle existed. I erroneously referred to these as natural. My apologies.
These no longer exist (at least in the UK), as they have been replaced by selectively bred farm animals.

“I have a vegan and paleo (amongst a small group) coming for (Canadian tea) next week”
Can’t you cater for both with something based round lentils? And lots of salad?

I’m really surprised that being vegetarian provokes such a reaction in people. I mean it’s hardly left-field is it?!

I know. I too am not vegan and eat meat, fish and dairy. But I often cook and eat things that are veggie or vegan, partly because I get a veg box delivered and tend to be led by that as to what I cook and partly because I like cooking Indian/Thai/Middle Eastern things and there's a lot of recipes and ideas in those cuisines that are meat-free and sometimes vegan.

You really don't need to be making a big effort or a big statement not to be cooking animal products all the time.

“Fruits offered must be berries,”

I was a vegan for around 20 years and now eat eggs which I get from a guy with a big field down the road who takes in ex battery hens and gives them a good life.

I must admit to occasionally being immensley twattish about veganism during that time.

For example: I went out for a nice meal with some friends I hadn't seen for a few years.

I ordered something suitable off the menu and just enquired as to whether it was vegan friendly.

The next minute two of the women (not my friends, friends of friends) are having a go at me for being a vegan, asking me the ins and outs of my lifestyle and trying to defend theirs.

I am thinking fuck me can I just have one nice evening without being forced to defend my dietary preferences.

Ended up I told one of them to please stop being a twat and just leave me alone to enjoy my meal and my evening with friends, I did not mince words.

She stormed off and the husband after her. The rest of us are left looking at each other and thinking WTF happened here.

I guess it's my fault for being a vegan in public . So many incidents like that I can't count. It seems the vegan word is like some kind of hand grenade. Sets people off.

Knitclubchatter serve them bananas and watermelons.

www.livescience.com/57477-why-are-bananas-considered-berries.html

Doesn't sound like you were twattish to me - if someone is rude enough to question why someone is a vegan and be critical and disrespectful of their choice, then they have it coming when the vegan doesn't take it lying down.

Because anything that only eats vegetables is prey, and prey is fair game to a predator.

Jokes :P

I would also add that if you were a meat lover before, meat substitutes will break your heart. They are nothing like the real thing

The other thing that I have noticed online is that if someone says they eat a vegan diet, some people seem to assume that they are automatically claiming some moral high ground and therefore shouldn't drive a car, eat avacados, wear clothes which haven't been worn by 10 people beforehand, eat food grown more than 3 metres from your house or do anything else which could leave a footprint on the planet.

I am a vegan because it has made an unbelievable difference to my health, controlling chronic psoriasis after 20 years of suffering, enabled me to sleep better than I have in decades and the fact that it reduces my carbon footprint makes me feel good too. We are as individual as our meat eating friends.

It is of course possible that I am one of the twats. But if so, I was a twat with bacon too

I would really like to give up dairy products for ethical reasons-and I do try. But I love tea. And i’ve found substitutes that work in coffee, but not tea. And I love butter.

I am vegan now having been vegetarian for a number of years. I have never liked meat so that wasn't hard to give up but I do miss certain types of cheese and chocolate.

However, my belief is that the dairy industry is cruel and I don't wish to support it. But I do not push my views on others and actually hate being asked about my choices because when I am, I feel like I have to defend myself. I am not going to lie about why I'm vegan but I'd rather people just minded their own business and left me to get on with it. I'm not impacting anyone else - I bring my own food to family get togethers and I don't dictate where we eat out etc.

Sadly, the worst offenders for criticising me have been my own family! I've had family members text me pics of the steak they've just made for dinner and each time they bring it up they are always trying to goad me into a discussion about it. There are comments every time I see them and it's getting rather wearing!

The only vegans I've met have all lectured me. It's very tiring.

@BertrandRussell have you tried oatly? It's nice in tea and coffee :)

I’m mildly lactose intolerant, so limit dairy. I drink a pint of milk a week in tea and coffee. No butter, just olive spread. Cream/ice cream very rarely. A latte or milk shake would cause problems so I avoid them. Almond milk is nice in coffee but not tea. Along with @bertrandrussell if anyone has a good substitute for milk in tea. Please let me know!

“The only vegans I've met have all lectured me. It's very tiring”

No they haven’t.

The only vegans I've met have all lectured me. It's very tiring.

Again, how do you know that they're the only vegans you have met? or do you just assume that anyone who doesn't discuss their diet with you is a meat eater?

“@BertrandRussell have you tried oatly? It's nice in tea and coffee smile“
I use that it coconut milk in coffee. But they all taste slightly sweet to me, and tea with even a tiny amount of sugar tastes vile to me. So no luck so far.

I think it's because a lot of people (I do) know a lot of people who go vegan become very passionate about it - sharing videos of animals being killed on social media, generally pushing veganism, etc.

It becomes a bit much. Especially for people that really don't want to change their lifestyles and would prefer a blissful ignorance.

Ironically, a lot of those hardcore vegans often go back (quietly) to eating animal products, either regularly or "as a treat"

So, sometimes they do get a bad name for themselves.

FYI - I'm not vegan but I happen to have a 70-80% plant-based diet, due to food preferences (ie dairy free milks), my envirnomental efforts and finances.

Because they are insecure I guess. I have two vegetarian children but they don't preach in the slightest but even so they seem to put people's hackles up just by existing.

On come dine with me whenever there is a vegan (or vegetarian) there’s also a twat! Someone complaining they aren’t looking forward to going there/bet there’s no meat/I cooked them vegan food they could’ve cooked me steak/a meal without meat isn’t a meal etc etc etc as if all meat eaters are desperate Dan and eat strings of sausages and cow pie at every meal 😂 I eat meat and vegetarian food and vegan food, I wouldn’t complain about being served a vegan meal but the way these people go on as if they’ve been denied a human right!

I think some of the issue is the press, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a positive vegan story! It’s all things about children of vegans being deficient/vegans protesting in the meat aisle of supermarkets/vegans complaining meat eaters are buying vegan food etc etc and so people think that’s what vegans are instead of realising they’re all different, just like everyone else!