Eating vegan at home, vegetarian when out

[PlantsArePeopleToo]

Let me start out by saying that I am not yet a vegetarian let alone a vegan but I would eventually like to be.

As a way of kind of transitioning, I was thinking about only eating plant based at home but when eating out/Eating at other people's houses I was thinking of resorting back to being a vegetarian. Obviously if I'm eating out somewhere and they have something vegan then of course I'll have that.

Does anyone/has anyone done this? I just don't want to be awkward .

I do something like this. Whatever works for you is the best approach. I know people like labels (vegetarian, vegan) and get quite fixated on sticking to some imaginary rules, but all positive steps are positive.

Completely agree with the above^^.

Ooh this is interesting. I’m transitioning now!

I’m vegan but can’t help but have a tiny bit of fish

It was the red meat chicken and dairy for me.

I’m farting a LOT

My friend sent me this a while ago and it made sense to me about the “web of evil”;

You can’t escape the web. Accept that. You have an elastic rope round your ankle trying to pull you back to the evil centre. All you can do is inform yourself and climb, one rung at a time, towards a less evil position which is sustainable for you.

Critically, don’t try to go too far, too soon. Don’t take a step which is unsustainable for you, because you WILL get dragged back. There is a temptation to say “if I can’t be perfect I may as well do nothing”.

Never criticise anyone else for the choices that are sustainable for them, at this stage in their lives. Encourage them to make informed choices, yes. But the meat eater who only buys free range, the vegetarian who occasionally has fish, the vegan who eats pizza when out with friends, are all finding their own sustainable place on the web

Don't be embarrassed @whattheactualfuck. Either about the fish or the farts (that one should pass as your body adjusts to the extra fibre) 😁

I eat vegan at home and meals out but when on holiday I revert to vegetarianism, because the rest of my family are meat eaters and sometimes finding vegetarian is hard enough.

I do the opposite (but with fish as opposed to dairy/eggs), mainly because I can source more ethical fish to cook at home whereas I have no guarantee when I’m out - but I live a ridiculously vegan friendly place so it tends not to be an issue to have at least something tasty and vegan on a menu when I’m out

That web of evil post is really helpful. I'm 99% veggie - if I didn't have 1% slip ups I would end up living 100% slip up if that makes sense. This is sustainable for me. Eventually like you I want to move towards vegan but even then I will be doing 99% vegan 1% veggie if that's what it takes to mostly get it right.

I do pretty much the same. I've fallen in and out of 'being vegetarian' for years. I don't like the thought of eating animals, and would ideally like to be vegan, but I know I'm not ready to give up dairy yet.

I said at the beginning of the year I was going to stop saying 'I'm a vegetarian', so I've taken the pressure off of not being 'allowed' meat. I ate meat a couple of times in the first few months, didn't enjoy it, and now eat a completely vegetarian diet.

My plan is to very gradually give up dairy, one thing at a time and slowly make the transition to becoming a vegan.

I don't label myself . What we DO do is buy organic or pesticide free fresh produce ( also mainly organic salmon say once a month). I feel for the organic producers who try their best to care for their land and animals , Dh eats some organic eggs and meat. Also the supermarkets need encouraging to continue selling better quality produce.

I am vegan at home, vegan if I have the option out. This means that often when I go for dinner or if I go somewhere there is no vegan option I will have something with cheese on. At home I am pretty strict (did have some pesto the other night) but I have varying success out. When I think about WHY I want to be vegan I tend to make better choices!

I think you’d all find it a lot easier if you stopped putting labels on yourself and just eat what feels right.

I make vegan pesto , just loads of chopped up basil and lemon juice, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, shallot (what you like really) bung in a bowl and use a hand held blender to blend! It's lovely in a rice salad or pasta etc.

I eat plant based at home and when I'm out will always take the vegan option before vegetarian. It's fine, but what I don't like is people calling themselves vegan when they aren't. Why do people need to use a label anyway? Being vegan is an ethical ideology based on freedom.and justice for animals. You can't be a vegan and eat dairy/fish/eggs etc.

I like the ‘web of evil’ post above too. I used to tell people that I tried to eat ‘happy meat’ - I was pescatarian for a couple of years but started craving meat again when I was pregnant with DS and didn’t stop again. So now I try to eat things that are locally produced, free range and ideally organic but I’d choose burgers from the local farm’s shop over organic burgers imported from South America for example. It is indeed all about making what contribution is sustainable for you at the time in the area that feels most important (possibly animal welfare vs transport emissions in the case above).

It's your body and your life. Eat what you want where you want, it's no- one else's business.

DH is the same as you, as I said DrWhy I eat a bit of organic salmon too. I fear there aren't enough people who care though.

Same here plant based with a few eggs from a friends rescue hens in her garden when at home and then vegetarian when out to eat if no vegan options available, its not perfect but it's about doing the best you can when possible.

I have a "vegan enough" approach. So at home I'm 99% vegan. The 1% is for the odd slug I eat in the riverford lettuce or the flies I swallow when I'm running. When I'm out, I choose vegan but for example will eat bread without asking to read a label. We stayed in a hotel recently and there was butter and marge at breakfast. The marge didn't have a label, but I decided it was vegan enough. I didn't die. It was all fine.

Any decision you make to reduce meat consumption is better for animals and hopefully the planet. And I think it's better to go plant based with an occasional lapse than never bother.

Good luck!

I’m transitioning now!

What? Right now?

I’m vegan but can’t help but have a tiny bit of fish

Then you are not vegan. Or vegetarian. So stop calling yourself either.

I used to tell people that I tried to eat ‘happy meat’

What the fuck?

I think labels are useful when eating at other people's houses so they know what is OK to feed you. So in your case, say you're vegetarian even if you move towards not eating eggs and dairy at home. Other people should understand the normal meanings of the terms for types of diet, but probably won't keep up with every detail of your transition.

Seriously. Transition? Vegans who eat fish?

I've been vegetarian for 34 years. Nobody cares what you eat. Nobody.

Eat what you want, when you want, with who you want but stop calling it a transition and stop calling yourselves anything when you are not that thing.

Stop calling meat 'happy' to make yourself feel better about it. No animal is happy about being slaughtered in a 'humane' way for you.

@IncrediblySturdyPyjamas it's because of people like you that people get turned off

As said further up it's a web. You won't get everyone being vegan 100% if the time but you should respect what they're doing criticising doesn't help further what is your cause

Agree @Plural
So off putting and not helpful