Why do so many people criticise vegans?

[trunch]

I'm a meat eater!

However, I don't understand why people criticise vegans so much.

They aren't hurting me and are trying to save animals and the environment.

What's wrong with that?

Surely people should be more critical of me because animals are killed for me to eat?

I eat meat and dairy because it's delicious. It has nothing to do with my willpower. Of course they are not superior, as much as they make out they are.

My criticism isn’t of vegans, it is of the idea that it is a dietary requirement. It is a preference, a strongly held preference, but still a preference. It is not a medically required diet. Yet it and other religious/philosophical diets get more consideration from society than medically required diets.

while it shouldn’t be a competition, it absolutely is a competition. People with medically mandated diets are often told to fend for themselves or to only eat at home. Philosophical/religious diets belong with the picky eaters.

Are you sure you've actually met any vegans

I've been pescatarian for 15 years. I don't push it on anyone and still cook meat for my family.

I've never met a hostile vegan, however I frequently get questioned by meat eaters about my diet and questioning the reasons for my decision to not eat meat. Like I owe them an explanation! And usually it's slightly aggressive men who have a problem with it...

Calcium is easy. Most non dairy milks have it added. B12 is an easy supplement to take.

It was a small study (something like 40 people) but I remember reading about one that found vegans were less deficient than the meat eating participants. Eg: the meat eaters were low on 7 on average nurtients, in comparison to the vegans 4 on average. Which actually makes sense when you think about it as IF they are doing it well, they probably eat more of a range of fruit and vegetables and nuts and seeds, beans and pulses etc...

But I dont believe being vegan is necessarily healthy. Depends on exactly what the individual eats. But realistically, we are all deficient in various vitamins and minerals at various times. And lets be honest, unless we get sick, we never pay attention to it.

So I think the b12 argument is one of those poor arguments used against veganism tbh. If I was arguing against it, I wouldn't use that one.

Nor would I recommend veganism as a 'diet' though tbf. It's not easy imo.

I eat meat and fish and will never give it up as I tried being a vegetarian for a year and it didnt suit my body at all. I dont hate vegans. I admire them for sticking to their principles.

No hatred here.

The nutrients that protect against colds are found in fruit and veg not meat.

IME I avoid some vegans because they don’t have the ability to see beyond their experience. I feel the same about people who follow other dogmatic ideologies who cannot accept that others don’t agree with them.

I come from a farming background, I love animals, I eat meat. I don’t have the energy or time to be lectured by someone who has zero idea of how the countryside works, but equally I’m not going to have a go at anyone for their choices. I just can’t bear the lectures and the horror that someone might consider eating meat.

Because of the superiority that drips from them constantly.

I personally don't care but with everything else that people feel superior about I see it as a stray penis, I don't want it rammed down my throat.

I've never started a conversation about me being a carnivore. I don't think it's necessary for me to lecture others on my dietary choices. I have, however, been lectured by vegans who insist on giving me reasons why I should be one.

I don't think it's that they're vegan as much, as they feel the need to tell people (when it's not at all relevant). Like people telling you they're teetotal.

I think the B12 argument has moved on in recent years. B12 comes from the soil I believe not the animals themselves but because we no longer let many animals graze and we no longer eat fresh produce straight from the ground we are lacking in B12. Factory farmed animals that aren't allowed to graze are fed a B12 supplement. Happy to be proven wrong if anyone has more up to date information.

I have no objection whatsoever to vegans. I do, however, object to people being twats about things. Vegans who assume their veganism makes them morally superior annoy me. But I’ve also met plenty of vegetarians and meat eaters who are also twats. It’s only the twatishness that I hold against any of them.

This is a rather bizarre conclusion. I’ve been low carbing since September. No more than 15g of carbohydrates per day. Does that make me superior, because I’ve managed to avoid an entire food group? Are the rest of you weak willed? Of course it doesn’t and you aren’t - it’s just a dietary preference that I have reasons for wanting to stick to which help me stick to it. That’s all vegans are, people who have a dietary preference and something which motivates them to keep to it.

Another vegetarian who is a bit hacked off with the vegan food takeover when eating out.

But I do think vegans can make us feel guilty and defensive around our choices, even if we don't want to admit that.

My son-in-law is vegan. He's nice, and really doesn't go on and on about it. But he still makes me feel a teeny bit guilty that I still eat dairy and eggs, just by existing in the same space.

Not getting into an argument, but nutrients in animal foods are far more bioavailable and useful to humans than plant foods.

The only longterm vegans I personally know who succeed are those who can spend a small fortune on good supplements.

My sil does veganuary each year having previously been a strict vegan for about 5 years - she ended up extremely ill and started eating meat again. Her yearly month of veganism is as much as she can do now, her body just can’t cope with it any more.

Its about climate change, not ones weight

Bollocks imo

No one would care if some vegans didn't keep going on about it. Eat or don't eat what you want but don't get on high horse about others choices

I think it’s because vegans can be evangelical and disapproving of meat eaters

It’s a dietary preference for superior reasons though.
Low carbing isn’t

Cognitive dissonance I think. This article explains the ‘Meat Paradox’ brilliantly, I think.
www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/articles/why-the-meat-paradox-leads-to-cognitive-dissonance-for-millions-of-people-356334

Attitudes like this probably?

Literally never met a vegan like this, but plenty of meat eaters who are. Almost like they’re not one homogeneous group. Funny that.

How is it an attitude? It facts, it just makes you feel bad for your own life choices HTH 🤷‍♀️