Is it really that hard.....? 🤔

[StillGotBabyBrain]

My family is vegan, not a massive deal.

When the school has events, no vegan option, so everyone gets a bbq or food catered and we don't. Not even a dairy free alternative for hot drinks! (Primary school, high school is better).

When they go for sleepovers I get worried parents asking me what should they do, can I provide food and drinks for them...

Pubs and restaurants barely cater for adults let alone add options for the kids menu.

Went to a choir meeting the other week, nothing I could eat from the food included in my ticket price.

Am I being unreasonable thinking it's really not that difficult to provide bread and houmous or vegetable dishes? They're suitable for everyone, so isn't a waste of food! Blows my mind.

I apologise for the error in applying a general observation to your post. It was a general comment more than directed at any one individual.

I have a vegan relative and I find it hugely stressful to cater for them. I don't want to end up cooking multiple meals and I also don't want to eat a vegan meal. I usually end up just buying them a vegan pizza or something

I am finding this thread really interesting so thank you to the vegans on here, I am a meat eater and work in farming although I do have vegan family members it’s very taboo as you can imagine because of my job but I’d love to ask ( and can’t ask them) although you don’t eat animal products how do cope with day to day life as mobile phones, laptop, TVs ,car tyres, some metals and trainers all have animal proteins in them.

I do understand you can get vegan clothing but genuine question where do you get your electronics and car tyres from ( plus other household stuff) as I’ve never looked into it before and it must be tough unless they now cater for vegans too which so fabulous ( and expensive) as I said above I’m finding this thread really interesting, I’ll sadly never be a veggie or vegan but I do try to go meatless a few times a week mainly for health reasons and for a change 😊

How do we cope with daily life…….
Not easily.
The goalposts keep moving.
Research is everything.

For egs. OPPO currently are the only producers who have a vegan smartphone. The only way you can find this out is by research.

In terms of a lot of stuff, second hand ie car tyres, is the nearest I can find to not promoting an industry I disagree with. Most things like furniture, household goods etc ( I rarely buy these, I’m not a huge consumer ) I would search for a supplier/ manufacturer that has a vegan option. Preferably a supplier that only sells vegan.

Then of course things start moving against you. our UK £ notes now are not vegan and as someone who prefers to use cash this has been ethically upsetting. I have refused notes as change in the past, I have held up supermarket queues embarrassed and hassled by others waiting for my money in change. It’s hard.
I now have to compromise and use cards instead, I suppose that’s what most people do these days. Plus there’s a vegan card made of sustainable wood.

Once you’ve found your suppliers though you know where to go. Life becomes easier. Plus I enjoy the challenge.

Thank you for your reply! 👍

At least you can now get a vegan phone! Have you boycotted TVs and laptops until they have caught up or is that a compromise you’ve had to make?

I assume things like fabric softeners and some household chemicals now have a vegan alternative as do clothing and footwear but I did genuinely wonder about cars and electronics as animal proteins are in everything, can you now get vegan trainers from big brands too or again are they limited to different retailers and expensive?

I don’t use fabric softeners and household chemicals and never had. Tbh that was never a vegan thing in the first place I just don’t want them ending up in our waterways and when I first left home I didn’t have money for them anyway, it’s what I was used to.

There always has to be compromises. If councils want planning drawings electronically I have to draw them on a computer. No computer, no job. I have no choice.
The worlds technology and lifestyles moved in-spite of animals suffering. However we re learning every day, people are out there every day, inventing and sourcing ways of making life more ethical. I’m very thankful for their efforts.

Ps.
missed the query re trainers.
No idea, but my sons always buy vegan.
Plus I know Puma now have vegan football boots, much better than the kangaroo skin they use in their others. It’s a shame my boys have to buy from an unethical company to get the only pair of boots on the market that are ethical….

PPs

At least books these days are made with man made adhesive.
I have to get my Reacher fix……..

We both are from very different ends of the spectrum when it comes to meat/vegan but I do appreciate how difficult “modern” life would be for you, especially as you work in IT, your moral compass and ethics must be something that challenges you and bothers you daily especially in your job! I do hope for your sanity and beliefs modern life catches up quicker than it is doing for you and one thing we definitely can agree on is Reacher! He’s mine though (sorry) …..

Tyres and phones and bank cards can be made with animal products? I can't imagine why that would be necessary. Maybe with bank cards it's the ink, but what on earth could be made from animal products in the other two? I believe you, it's just mind boggling because I'd never have guessed.

Absolutely! Totally agree.

Yeah it’s really difficult to stay away from animal based proteins, they are in most household items especially electronics, the chemical compound though that relates to car tyres is called stearic acid, unfortunately I’m not a Dr of science or Engineer so I don’t truly know how it’s used other than to give items strength and durability but someone might be along shortly who will have a better answer than I can! ( it’s also used in cosmetics)

I looked both items up and was very surprised. I suspect it's impossible to avoid animal involvement in things completely. Often we probably don't even know. But most medicines will have been tested with animals somewhere along the line and I don't know of anyone who avoids those.

Sadly unless you live in a cave it really is difficult to avoid animal proteins, the pp I was chatting to above made the good point that she just tries her best to just make better decisions and whilst she acknowledges animal proteins are everywhere one day technology will hopefully catch up and she already has a vegan smartphone which is awesome 👍

It’s always good and important to have these discussions though and Perspectives from both sides and I think every vegan should know what goes into everyday items ( I assume most do)

Not on this thread but my family members call me a murderer because I do farming 🤦‍♀️ and the usual meat is murder etc.. yet they use the latest iPhone, have laptops, drive cars, use chemicals in the home, use makeup and watch TV which baffles me as they are so militant with people are round them who eat meat ( or in my case work with cattle) I just shake my head and carry on with my job and don’t get into discussions with them ( which is why I asked the question above as I was genuinely curious about how vegans deal with daily life)

@Ineedwinenow. Well I certainly learned something. It would never have occurred to me to consider whether tyres were vegan!

The only vegan practice that really bothers me (and I think it's a tiny minority of extreme vegans) is those that make their cats and dogs be vegan. I consider that cruelty. Otherwise, fully supportive.

I think it’s just understanding where everything we use comes from and that includes meat eaters!

A good point for myself in my job is soya, it started off as animal feed ( and I use it ) and now it is a regular substitute for non meat eaters but if your happy with how it’s farmed and what’s been destroyed and killed to grow it then that’s a decision that your own moral compass has to deal with and I deal with that daily, it has amazing vitamins and minerals in it but the farming of it has caused widespread deforestation and destruction, I’m sure there can be soya that’s grown sustainably but I admit that I don’t know much about that side of it

I'm not assuming anything, actually I think it is really rude to come on and criticise people who are giving up their time to raise money that will benefit your children.

It is amazing about the vegan sweets, it seems like everywhere you go the vegan products are the most popular. I can't believe that big businesses haven't figured that out. Of course people have reported on here that the vegan stuff doesn't get eaten and is a waste. Who knows?

You don't seem prepared to say if you'd find it hurtful if people in your parish came on here to run down what you are doing in your role with the parish council.

I think people who are militant about any personal belief are a pain. Leave other people alone to do what is perfectly legal.

I'm teetotal, have been all my life, I won't go into the details but I have good reasons for my views on alcohol but I'd never say anything to people who enjoy a glass of wine or a beer. It is also a pain at many social gatherings as there is an assumption that all adults drink alcohol so I might go to the BBQ where the OP is upset there isn't a good enough vegan option and I see red wine, white wine, beer, cider and I'm offered what? Maybe a mixer like tonic water, I don't like it, or orange juice, it gives me migraine. I either have a can in my bag or ask for water or if I'm feeling terribly demanding I might ask if I can put the kettle on for a cuppa. Is it really that hard to cater for us? I just accept that hosts have lots of different plates to keep spinning.

My husband is teetotal and he would get better support from friends and family if he told them he was a serial killer, they think he’s an odd ball, gets talked about and never gets invited out! I on the other hand drink like a fish and get invited to everything! It’s bizarre

Crazy isn't it. At one time I got so fed up of it I started to tell people I was an alcoholic, one drink would undo all my efforts to be dry for years. I still got pressure from some but not as much.

There are people who won't allow testing of anything on animals and refuse to participate. I'm not a vegan - but I won't knowingly participate in animal torture. Hence I refuse to do anything to help with cancer research - as I know that involves animal torture. I give the benefit of the doubt to people who do contribute towards that - as I assume they don't know that fact or they wouldn't do it....

Except that all of what has been written is scientifically proven to be incorrect....

I thought I had answered. I don't get hurt, no. I said that it is my job to be criticised. It goes hand in hand with being in the public eye and taking accountability for my decisions and actions. What I must do is learn from people's feedback and do the best I can.

Also teetotal. Why do people think that's weird? 🤔

Someone once told me they don't trust someone who doesn't drink! 😂

What you've written on here isn't feedback, unless you've sent them a link so they can read your "feedback."