To feel guilted into being vegan??? AIBU?

[CradleMable]

I saw quite a traumatic animal welfare video a few days ago, which had the purpose of trying to encourage viewers to become vegan.

I am not a huge meat lover, but love the occasional beef burger, steak or nice roast dinner. I am a bit of a dairy fiend though, so not sure how I would cope.

However the video pointed towards the awful treatment of farm animals, being separated from their babies after mere hours together, and being slaughtered themselves at a relatively young age, after a life of being exploited.

I haven’t really considered the welfare of farm animals much in my life, if I’m honest, and I feel quite bad for admitting that. Now I’m wondering if what we do to these animals is fair, and I thought posting on here might help me consider both sides to the argument.

AIBU to now feel compelled to drastically change my diet in support of animal welfare?

But most soy is not suitable for human consumption.

@MauvePombear Yes! It’s so bizarre.

We are literally trying to minimise the harm done to animals - what is there to mock or criticise?

Don't buy meat and dairy from supermarkets. Buy from farm shops, or online direct from producers. It will be more expensive, but the welfare standards will be much higher.

I live rurally, I know many farmers, my friends raise animals and my neighbour is a dairy farmer. None of their animals are cruelly treated. The trike is if Labour's war on farmers succeeds these are the producers who will go out of business and welfare standards will fall.

Eat less, eat better

My point was in response to someone criticising the environmental impact of vegan diets because of their soy content. The vast majority of soy grown worldwide is for animal feed for farming livestock. If we all reduced our meat intake, there would be no need to grow anywhere near that amount of soybeans, especially when it involves chopping down rainforests.

There are no farm shops near me and nothing will persuade me to eat meat again. For me the animal dies a horrible death -no matter the life it's had.

I personally can't do it. People can do what they like -I have family members that aren't vegan but when someone is posting about wanting to go vegan I don't think being told to eat better welfare meat is the answer. People stop eating meat because they don't want to eat animals

Money is a factor too. Some people don't have lots spare

There's a one pound vegan meal book by Miguel Barclay that I would recommend -you can get it cheap second hand.

Fab recipes and low cost

The Vegan society has lots of recipes online for free and there are tons of vegan food bloggers with recipes too.

when someone is posting about wanting to go vegan I don't think being told to eat better welfare meat is the answer. People stop eating meat because they don't want to eat animals
Not necessarily true. I eat very little meat because I only want to eat the higher-welfare/less environmentally destructive stuff, and it's (rightly) expensive. My concerns are for the environment, and for animal welfare to the point of giving food animals a better life and a more dignified and merciful death, but I can't honestly say I have an ethical or emotional problem with eating animals per se.

Yeah -I just like MBs books. I have a few of them. You can get them for around 3 quid second hand

But you aren't thinking of going vegan. The OP is. You still eat meat. I went vegetarian then vegan because I don't want to eat meat.

There's never going to be a more merciful death in an abbatoir ever -even if there were CCTV. There only would be less chance of being abused by staff before dying

Pigs get gassed to death for example at slaughter. They suffer terribly

I agree there should be better welfare standards across the board but we're in 2026 and there aren't

YABU for doing the faux wide eyed I must become a vegan now after seeing something horrible thing OP. It's not convincing.

The videos and crap don't work. They don't. In fact, out of all the militant vegans on my SM the only one who I pay attention to is the one who shows the different way. What she eats, how she prepares it and makes it tasty for her family. Products she uses etc.

Not once, has she ever posted some video.

Do you not think it might be helpful to have input from vegans? What’s the point in only talking to meat eaters if you’re wrestling with the rights and wrongs of the meat industry? A variety of views is good I reckon. I’m not a vegan btw.

You could try introducing vegan meals to your current diet and see how it goes OP. Sometimes when you make a start with something, taking the next step is almost a given. I was vegetarian for years and still make loads of the recipes from back then. About half of them are vegan and we eat them regularly. I do eat meat from time to time now and am happy with the balance I have.

But they do. The director who made the film vegucated is a vegan campaigner with a massive social media following-lots of things influence people to go and stay vegan

There are vegan activists who do roadshows -offering people vegan food

The fact that places like Aldi and Lidl have a bigger vegan range than they had than even ten years ago shows that the demand is there.

I would admire anyone who thought about going vegan after watching a hard hitting film.

Google intensive farming, or USA style mega farms.

You ignored the truth. Two of us can play at that game.

I would say welfare is going backwards. Intensive farming is on the rise in the UK.

My partners ex is the daughter of a diary farmer. She turned vegan at a young age because she thought the whole industry was cruel. And it's not like her dad mistreated the animals, other than well, the whole industry that is.

But I agree, eat less, eat better.

PS, am sure there's not much market for farmer controlled rabbits, nor much left of them after being shot or controlled by ferrets.

Choose organic, and local if you can. UK welfare isn't perfect but it's higher than, say, buying from Thailand or Brazil. Buy better- welfare standard meat and milk and buy less of it. If you can find it, calf-at-foot milk is better welfare and seems to taste better!
I am plant- based but DH is a raging carnivore and very fussy about where his meat comes from - he won't get a takeaway because their chicken.... Well, best not to ask. So it's possible to have a balance, OP.
I like fish but it's the most unsustainable meat, apparently (but that's another whole, er, kettle of fish).

I’m in my 50’s and not eaten meat since I was 12 for the reasons you stated. However I grudgingly eat fish for nutritional benefits, so I’m in no way perfect. I do think people should be made aware of how what they eat is killed and the issues surrounding it, to then make an informed choice.

You don't think having a go at a vegetarian for not being a vegan and calling them "a hypocrite" is rude? For context, I am vegan and think that any mindful changes that people make to their diet is only a positive thing. Telling someone that they're "a hypocrite" for not going the whole way doesn't makes me feel "uncomfortable" but I do think it's uncalled for - it just adds more fuel to the 'ugh here comes a vegan activist' stereotype and I think encouraging rather than ridiculing someone making any attempt to cut out animal products is more productive. Like I said, it doesn't have to be all or nothing. If that poster really felt the need to take out their anger on someone, doing so to a vegetarian rather than a meat eater felt like a misdirection at best.

Why would you ruin your health by going vegan? Meat has everything your body needs and is completely bioavailable unlike plants. Also veganism is bad for the planet. All those out of season fruit and veg need to get here somehow and don’t even start on avocados.

I get my meat from the local farm. I’m doing my bit

Yeah I guess so. I wouldn't watch animal torture videos etc as I like meat and want to enjoy it in moderation without feeling repulsed.
I grew up in an era where there were lots of really gory animals rights posters in all the health food shops/cafes. It certainly put me off at least temporarily.

Try it, see if you like it. If you like it, stick with it, if you don’t go back to eating meat and dairy.

I have been vegan for 8 years and not experienced any health issues, always fine to give blood etc. It is inconvenient at times, especially on holiday.

The most annoying things are:

The “hilarious” jokes that get even less funny each time they are repeated

People demanding a discussion even if you don’t want one and then thinking/saying you are preaching when they insist you explain your choice.

But I don’t have many of these issues as I don’t go on about it.

You're talking absolute crud. Not every vegan eats avocado. What kind of death did the animal that you bought btw?

That's a disgrace. I'm sorry. No need. No one needs to kill skin and gut rabbits to live. I don't care what you eat but that's too far