AIBU to think that McDonalds need to up their vegan game

[Hiphopopotamus]

As a vegan the start of veganuary is always really exciting when all the new companies bring out their vegan stuff - this year seems to be particularly great - Greggs have brought the vegan steak bake, kfc have their vegan burger and McDonald’s....well they’ve taken the horrible goujon things they have in their veggie burger, sold them separately and marketed them as a new vegan meal! AIBU to think that they need to seriously up their game?

@MaggieAndHopey So you clearly do draw a line in the sand somewhere. I wouldn't draw mine in the same place but I'm not judging you for that

Yes we all do draw our lines in the sand.

Is the word vegan open to interpretation then? Do vegans wear leather etc?

I think by all means advocate for MD to sell plant food products if you are primarily about eating plant food to be healthy and it's more about the diet

My understanding of 'vegan' though is a different meaning to that of simply choosing to consume a mainly plant food diet. My understanding was that as well as lifestyle, being vegan was an ethical choice that encompasses a certain philosophical world view and outlook. Much like a religion, not in the sense of zealotry or anything, but that it encompasses what you just termed as a shift in perspective.

Because of this shift in perspective, a vegan refuses to wear leather etc. So when I meet a vegan I know this.

I don't think 'vegan' and then have a picture in my mind of people advocating for MDs to sell them vegan food and contributing to their shareholders.

However I can see all the arguments (previously presented) for the inclusion of more plant based foods in meat serving food chains, if the focus is more about the diet than the ethics.

wotcha

There are loads of vegan places, surely you'd go there before Mackies. Why would you want bits of beef and other meat in your burger if you are vegan.
All they do is not put meat on them, the food is all prepared together, most ff places are the same including KFC, fine if you are vegan for fashion purposes, not fine if you believe in your convictions, as you are still getting meat.

@WotchaTalkinBoutWillis

Why as a veggie are you dismissive of people wanting to consume less animal products? As a veggie surely you'd be all for that?

See, you're lumping all veggies into one single homogeneous group.

I personally have never, ever in my life:

• tried to convince a meat eater about the error of their ways (none of my business, too much hassle, likely to piss people off, boring)

• never thrust an leaflet or a photo of a dead cow at anyone in the street

• never tried to convert anyone to more healthy eating (none of my business, too much hassle, liable to piss people off, boring)

I do observe the fact that vegan food currently being churned out is depressingly bad. I don't eat it, other people can if they want. I'm personally not bothered if they do or don't. A significant majority of people have an appallingly bad diet and eating habits in UK, across all demographic groups.

Evidence: the obesity crisis that has been discussed at length on MN and many other for.

Veganuary sounds like something to do with one's vagina, for that reason alone it is in the same category as goujons- unappetising.

"Is the word vegan open to interpretation then? Do vegans wear leather etc?"

Well - no, obviously. But the definition of veganism (according to the Vegan Society) is avoiding, so far as is possible/practicable, anything that involves cruelty to or exploitation of animals.

Nothing in that definition precludes buying a veggie burger at McDonald's. As I've said, I wouldn't set foot in there myself, for my own reasons, but I have heard persuasive arguments that encouraging these fast food chains to look at more meat-free might, in the long run, do more towards reducing animal suffering than just personally boycotting those chains.

fora

*more meat-free options, that should read.

Why is it ok for omnis to eat whatever they like and not be forced to justify their total lack of concern for animals/the environment/global poverty/deforestation/insert cause of the day and yet vegans are harangued endlessly to justify their ethical and moral struggles with their own conscience?

They're not a public service. They don't have to do anything ...

Anyone else sick to bloody death of vegan bollocks everywhere? No one gives a fuck, apart from other fecking vegans. It's the biggest daisychain and echochamber going.

Then a whole load of meat eaters jumped on the thread to tell vegans McDonalds doesn't 'have' to sell vegan burgers, which is niether here nor there. Another load went on to tell vegans they shouldn't be going to McDonalds and telling them all sorts of ethical values that they should be held up to and that they should also be 'selling' veganism to meat eaters! It completely misses the point of the thread.

To be fair it is AIBU
To which the answers will be no or yes because xyz.

I think it's annoying both ways. And I state again, you may not be selling veganism, but hasn't become a talking point out of nowhere. I'm not detailing my anecdotal experiences of it being pushed on me because that's all they are anecdotal. But believe me it is pushed.

Why as a veggie are you dismissive of people wanting to consume less animal products? As a veggie surely you'd be all for that?

See, you're lumping all veggies into one single homogeneous group.

I wasn't talking about veggies as a group.
I was talking about you, with your # hashtag cheese comment.
Was genuinely wondering why you'd have a taking the piss type attitude over vegans if you were a veggie.

Omnis just wouldn’t put up with a restaurant that only offered them two meals on a menu, why should vegetarians and vegans?

Hear, hear @gingersausage - for as far back as I can remember, veggies have had to put up with "anything you like, as long as it's vegetarian lasagne"

lolol @Cryingoversilttea. If this thread demonstrates anything at all, it's that non-vegans care just as much about 'vegan bollocks everywhere', as vegans do!

Judging by the amount of whining on here over vegans I suspect that you and a lot of others on this thread do give a fuck because you can't stop fucking whinging about vegans daring to want vegan options and restaurants offering them.

OP getting a battering here. She wasn't asking for everyone's opinions on her ethical choices. I agree OP am veggie and would love a nice option at McDonald's the veggie goujon things are absolutely rank does anyone actually like them? What's wrong with doing a quorn burger, or just a nice normal veggie burger?

For everyone saying why would you set foot in the place don't expect them to cater to you etc. Sometimes you do end up somewhere with family/for a birthday party/friends wanting to stop for a drive thru and it might not be your first choice but it would be nice if there was one edible thing on the menu so you can join in.

@WotchaTalkinBoutWillis

I'm not taking the piss out of anyone, where have any of my posts talked about people. It is the food, and what we as veggies now find ourselves confronted with, when we used to be able to get a decent bit of cheese (Grommit).

Vegan cheese tastes awful (being polite). I don't want cheese substitutes in my vegetarian lasagne (especially when that's the only thing on the menu!).

I'd just like them to have some gluten and dairy free options

And more to the point @daisychain01, neither do the vegans who the vegan food is supposed to be for. Because it tastes like shite. Which is the whole point of the thread 😂.

@catherineofaragon - I think that is where you need to broaden your idea of what a vegan is.

not be forced to justify their total lack of concern for animals/the environment/global poverty/deforestation/insert cause of the day

But no one's attempting to sell anything.

@letsghostdance - hooray someone actually posting about the actual thread! I've not tried it!

@Cryingoverspilttea Yikes, maybe you should try and not get so bothered about stuff that doesn't apply to you

@CatherineOfAragonsPrayerBook WTF?

No I don't think they need to up their game on the vegan choices. You want good vegan, go to a reputable vegan restaurant.

MacDo is fast food, specializing in beef meat burgers, which I'd like to see them focus on upping their game there to make them more palatable.

YABU

#veggieswithnothingtoprove

Daisy - this snarky hashtag was what I found interesting and seems a bit of a dig at vegans.
Why do you think you have nothing to prove, that totally seems like your issue, not vegans?
It's not a competition [confuse]

@drabarni - as has been explained countless times sometimes a vegan may be eating with others who have chosen to go to Mcdonalds, sometimes they might just fancy some junk. And presumably they don't want meat in their meal. Certainly where I live the vegetarian food is produced seperately.