...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.

We can consume animal products without any environmental guilt if we source it carefully.
Well managed farms can be crucial in sequestering carbon and protecting wildlife and pay great attention to animal welfare.

Because it's an extreme diet, and if not very carefully balanced can cause serious health issues e.g. Low B12, anaemia, calcium deficiency that leads to loss of bone density, hormone imbalances, lack of protein leading to weak muscles, hair loss etc. A vegan diet can be healthy but it's difficult to achieve, particularly for teenagers or those with no knowledge of nutrition.

Also it's incredibly difficult to cater for vegans at parties, meals out, events etc. So it limits social options too.

Personally I think it's an unnecessarily restrictive diet.

Many people also think vegans are anti-vaxxers, or 'crunchy' as they say in the US.

A lot of Trendy veganism isn't, it's just about the diet.
I like vegans like my nephew who sorts all the Christmas angst but doing the hosting,yum.

how do you know if someone is vegan?.. They will tell you as soon as they meet you

I have been in my job for 7 years now. 5/6 days a week, 8 hours a day I spend with these people. Not a single one of them knew I was vegan until Christmas just gone. Now that it is common knowledge, I am the butt of a lot of "jokes".

People absolutely love to try and trip up vegetarians and vegans too. They derive a very strange sense of pleasure from it. I have always wondered why.

"Think about the mice in the field that die so you can eat plants". Is one gem.

if you eat dairy and meat you don’t care about the planet

What crap.

I have a bowel condition and can barely eat. The foods that don't cause me massive issues are lean red and white meat, eggs, rice and gluten free crackers/plain biscuits. That's basically my diet - I can't eat fruit or veg, cheese or pasta.

If i cut meat from my diet, I'd be left with eggs, crackers and rice. I'm not willing to do that, despite being vegetarian for 20 years prior to my illness. My body needs the nutrients.

To say that I don't care about the planet is bullshit. I do everything I can. I don't fly, ever. We simply don't go on holiday. I don't travel for work, eggs and meat are from a local farm. I used cloth nappies and wipes, cloth sanpro, I recycle, reuse and avoid as much plastic as possible by using bamboo straws/toothbrushes, tooth tabs, shampoo blocks etc.

I don't feel guilty about my choices.

Because it's an extreme diet, and if not very carefully balanced can cause serious health issues e.g. Low B12, anaemia, calcium deficiency that leads to loss of bone density, hormone imbalances, lack of protein leading to weak muscles, hair loss etc. A vegan diet can be healthy but it's difficult to achieve, particularly for teenagers or those with no knowledge of nutrition

But so many people who eat meat eat utter shite. Kids living off beige and orange food or who eat very little on the way of fruit and veg. Lots of sweets crisps and chocolate.

If they were subject to the same scrutiny and disapproval as vegans were then I would believe it's a genuine worry about nutrition and variety. But it really isn't about that

I'm no longer vege however I quite often order something vegetarian off the menu because I dont always fancy meat and frankly having lived through the rice filled green pepper days (let's face it that was it) it's nice to have options to choose from now

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

I’m like you - used to be vegetarian, quite often still eat vegetarian!

For me, it just seems the majority of vegans I meet want to spend a good hour or so trying to force their beliefs on me.

I've also had a vegan lecture me when out for lunch! She sat at a table near by and when I ordered my food, she went off on a lecture about how my choice effects this and that and how ashamed I should be.

I wasn't, it tastes fab!

The solution is not to stop eating meat, but to make the production more "human" even if it means putting the price up to guarantee well-treated animals. It's better for whoever eat them in the long term.

Wouldn't that be cannibalism though although I agree if more humans were killed and eaten people might be more empathetic :p

I think vegans are wrong

In what way are they wrong?

People absolutely love to try and trip up vegetarians and vegans too. They derive a very strange sense of pleasure from it.

I really, really don't. I simply don't care about anyone's (other than members of my immediate family) dietary prejudices enough to waste that kind of time and energy on it.

In a restaurant with people who don't know, if I order the vegan option I get a barrage of questions and demands for reasons.

really?
Plenty of meat-eaters like me sometimes fancy the vegetarian option from the menu, we're omnivores after all. Never one have I heard anyone commenting about that!

(I meant vegan, not vegetarian, but still applies)

You are trying to make a point, to show your disapproval of vegans, by purposely using the words "dietary prejudice".

How do you know your talking to a vegan?

Don't worry they'll soon tell you.

Message to vegans - I know you think you are better than me because where you choose to kill is further down the sentience line than me. I don't care.

With me ( and I try not to do it openly) it’s because a lot of people will say they are vegan or vegetarian when in reality they mean they don’t eat much meat.

It drives me mad. My son has been veggie for over 15 years but he is regularly offered and even served chicken or fish because other ‘vegetarians’ eat those things.

TBH I also have a bit of a secret eyeroll at genuine vegans. It seems such a self indulgent, first world lifestyle choice to rule out food products that humans have evolved over milennia to be able to eat and digest efficiently.

AryaStarkWolf
but we are not cannibals, we are omnivores, so that's a non-issue.

Why do you assume humans taste good anyway? I love lamb, but can't stand the taste of deer.

cdtaylornats

probably people disrespect vegans for the same bizarre sorts of reasons people have for loathing cyclists - whereby the worst cyclist you've ever seen becomes typical of all cyclists

I think most meat eaters, like most vegans, don't talk about it, it's the loud mouths who you remember. I eat meat, I don't care if you choose not to, but I'm sure as eggs going to be sarcastic when my vegan flatmate says he's going to make himself sick because I told him I'm having tuna pasta for dinner.
My issue with militants on both sides is that a lot of them have no grasp of nutrition. Vitamin B12 is an issue anyway, and you should supplement for it particularly if you're vegan, but meat eaters who insist you can't get protein if you're vegan and vegans who say that becoming vegan is the only way to be healthy are just talking bullshit.

Wow. Some real vitriol from omnis on here. Just like in real life.

Because being Vegan has morphed into a militant, intolerant, religion. That's why.

Used to be people would be vegetarian or vegan, and out of interest you would say 'Why are you xyz?' and then get an answer and feel either persuaded/not persuaded/park it on the mental shelf for examining later. They would respect your choices even if they found it distasteful and you would respect theirs. Live and let live. No subjective judgements.

Not anymore, it's now been taken over and hijacked by people who want to change the world to their image, but do not have the billions to do it, and if you refuse to see it their way, you will be told patronising crap like as had already occured earlier in the thread that: You just feel soooooo guilty don't you about your choices. You are secretly full of self hatred and are afraid to look in mirror for fear of what you will find. You are a shit person with no morals. And the arbiter of morals is them.

Because of course one type of diet will suit every single person on the planet. Why do you ignore former passionate vegans who give up being vegan? And please don't be patronising and say they didn't 'do it right' some were heavily invested and found their health suffered and they felt better eating meat. Why do militant vegans pretend everyone can and should be vegan?

I do see eating meat as a moral issue. You may. Good for you. I do not.

If people react badly towards Vegans its because of the things I mention above.

Shesontome - veganism is indeed a first-world lifestyle; however, the large bulk of people who survive (and have always survived)on a vegan diet are in the 3rd world. There'll be a billion vegans in India and another billion in China...

How do you know your talking to a vegan?

Don't worry they'll soon tell you.

Goodness, I’d never heard that joke before, aren’t you the wit

You sound pretty defensive.