Vegans - how do you deal with prejudice against your diet?

[blueblah]

hello all,

i'm trying to be a vegan at the moment and I believe a balanced vegan diet can be perfectly healthy...

I'm looking for other vegans to provide information on how they tackle people on the offensive against them.

i'm not looking to start a bun-fight, I'm just interested in how vegans defend themselves against people who truly believe it is an unhealthy diet or get on the attack mode when "veganism" is mentioned...

it seems some people have prejudices against it and are quick to condemn it, or raise issues around it e.g. condemning use of vegan milk or whatever as it's a take on cow milk, or similar

some people seem to be dead set against it as if it's terrible not to have dairy or whatever.

I just don't want to be attacked or questioned for my dietary stance - I do not push it in their faces... it's strange, when people take a defensive position against someone's personal choice - even when I don't push it or try to convert them in the slightest....

I also believe any step towards it should be commended so if one person gives up milk but still eats cheese it's still commendable even though they still eat cheese - if you're slowly moving towards being vegan, any small thing should be celebrated rather than people pulling holes in you because you still eat cheese...it doesn't mean your end goal is something different if you get me!

the last thing I want to do is come across as sanctimonious or preachy, or even defensive, so any thoughts from other vegans welcome.... :)

Rock, it's not a "defence", it just throws the "it's not healthy" complainers off track.

All the Vegans I've met are lovely and I couldn't care less what way of eating people prescribe to. There are a few online that are very different to how they are in person, as in militant sanctimonious stereotypes which I don't think will motivate anyone

I don't think it's so much as prejudice, more so not being able to understand how someone could not eat meat or much for that matter.

I have a veggie friend & she can't quite understand why I eat meat & I can't understand why she doesn't!

Ah thanks goldfish that makes sense!

dairy- milk is for baby cows not humans!!! We take the milk destined for the baby cows, feed them on soya, and have the milk ourselves

This however is something I FULLY agree with.

I don't eat dairy products (although I do still eat beef).

My son is currently on formula.
The looks I get when I tell people I want my son on a dairy free diet

There will always be some prejudiced people out there, despite having it all explained to them, and them seeing with their own eyes that what you eat is really healthy they won't accept it because they don't want to or have been led to believe it from reading it in the newspaper.

I overheard a very strident argumentative woman telling her friend why gluten free diets are very unhealthy and dangerous and she must stop her daughter from buying cereal bars for her own daughter's lunchbox because they will lead to her early death . Presumably she had read it in the newspaper. I despair - all diets can be unhealthy including vegan, vegetarian, gluten free etc if not balanced properly. She was blinkered and I doubt would ever see reason.

goldfish humour and self-deprecation (e.g. I'm just a bit of a hippy, you know) to avoid getting into the tedious, pointless debate and defence that the conversation leads to, with someone who has no real interest and just wants a battle.