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Vegan

Join Mumsnet's vegan community and discuss everything related to the vegan diet.

What’s wrong with being a part-time Vegan?

131 replies

CookieDough2017 · 15/01/2020 13:25

Hi there,

I will give you a bit of background ... I have been a pescatarian for 5-6 years. I decided to become a vegetarian late October last year. I slipped up once and ate fish on holiday celebrating my 30th.

I’m now trying to do Veganuary ... In the first week I struggled to do it full time the second week I set myself a target of being a 2-4 times week I found this a lot more easier and I can see myself carrying on doing this throughout the year.

When I tell people I’m doing Veganuary but part-time they laugh and say what’s the point you might as well not bother.

What are people’s problem with me doing this part time? Would love to here from any other part-time vegans out there x

OP posts:
bakewreck99 · 16/01/2020 11:58

we should all support anyone reducing their meat and dairy intake - I don't care whether you call yourself a part time vegan, identify as vegan but fail occasionally or anything else, it's a good thing to do for the planet. Every meal where you don't eat meat and/or dairy is a good step.

minipie · 16/01/2020 12:10

Just say you are reducing the amount of animal products you eat.

AgeLikeWine · 16/01/2020 12:12

Absolutely nothing at all, as long as you don’t preach to others.

Your food, your choice. My food, my choice.

AppleJane · 17/01/2020 08:07

It's all about future intention.

If you say 'I'm currently 50% vegan but working my way to being a full vegan' then I don't see anything wrong with that.

Otherwise it's a bit pointless. Like getting engaged with no intention of ever getting married.

chocolatespiders · 17/01/2020 08:15

What you are doing is just choosing what to eat when you want to eat. I am not vegetarian but I hardly eat any meat but I do eat it occasionally but I would not describe myself as a part time vegetarian.

Sally872 · 17/01/2020 08:20

If reduce my meat intake and have a few meat free days am I part time vegetarian?

Cutting back on animal products is good but not a vegan.

Sally872 · 17/01/2020 08:22

Also if I dont drink alcohol 5 days per week am I part time alcohol free?

Lordfrontpaw · 17/01/2020 08:28

I exercise about three days in the week. Am I a p/t athlete?

newbingepisodes · 17/01/2020 08:29

I'm a fake vegetarian - 99% of the time I'm vegetarian 1% of the time I might finish off half my son's left over sausage / chicken breast etc.
I tell people I'm a fake vegetarian - makes for a talking point!

PurpleDaisies · 17/01/2020 08:30

I tell people I'm a fake vegetarian - makes for a talking point!

Why would you want to talk about it?

othervoicesotherrooms · 17/01/2020 08:30

Don't tell people what you eat OP.
Honestly, nobody cares!
Eat what you like!

Lordfrontpaw · 17/01/2020 08:42

I’m a real vegetarian but most people don’t know/care to be honest. I can’t say I ever mention it in real life unless I need to. It’s actually very dull...

beautifulstranger101 · 17/01/2020 08:46

A part time vegan is just a person who eats food. Nothing wrong with that- but it doesn't need a name

This. Why do you need to label yourself? or even tell other people about it? just eat what you want and do your own thing. Its this constant announcing and labelling that people get tired of. I dont give a shit what others choose to eat but if you are part time vegan then you aren't really a vegan are you? Theres nothing wrong with it by why do you need to constantly label yourself, its weird.

Lordfrontpaw · 17/01/2020 08:48

It’s only useful when booking an inflight meal.

bluebluezoo · 17/01/2020 08:50

Don't tell people what you eat OP.
Honestly, nobody cares!
Eat what you like!

Thing is, you often do have to tell people. Food is a social activity and meals out, works do’s, lunch at peoples houses, you have to say you’re veggie/vegan/gluten free etc. Or you’ll go round and be offered pepperoni pizza.

If you say you’re part time, reducing, whatever, chances are you’ll still be offered the pepperoni pizza as you do eat meat....

When i first started going “part time”
Veggie i only ate high welfare meat and eggs. Which meant i had to know the source. Which in reality meant i only ate meat dishes i had prepared myself. Over the years i have become completely veggie as if I requested veggie options when eating socially, very much like on here the replies were a judgy “but you’re not vegetarian”. It meant on quite a few occasions i was ovveruled for restaurant choices and the meal would be at a steak place.

Like people who choose not to drink alcohol, people do care. You spend the night fending off “jokey” comments about you should have one glass to loosen up? Or why don’t you have a nice juicy steak like normal people.

If someone said to me they wanted to eat veggie because they only eat meat on fridays/eat high welfare meat or whatever reason, i don’t see an issue.

You wouldn’t tell an observant catholic that there’s no reason they can’t eat the sausage sarnie you’ve made them on friday because they eat it on tuesdays.

If people were more accepting of people’s choices and less judgy there’s be no need to go completely vegan, veggie, or teetotal. Just accept it if they say they want a vegan choice - it’s not unusual and not a big deal these days.

Neolara · 17/01/2020 08:51

There's nothing wrong with being part time vegan. But you can't then label yourself as vegan. That would be silly. That's like saying, I'm veggie but eat meat on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It's just meaningless.

ThanosSavedMe · 17/01/2020 08:52

As others have said you can’t be a part time vegan. You can reduce the amount of animal products you consume and that’s great but I think it’s the telling people you’re doing veganuary when you’re not.

Why do you need to tell everyone? Why can’t you just crack on and eat what you want?

beautifulstranger101 · 17/01/2020 08:54

Thing is, you often do have to tell people

Not if youre a part time vegan- thats incredibly confusing- is she vegan or not? is this one of her "days off" being vegan or is it a non-vegan day?

This literally couldn't be MORE confusing for people.

Graphista · 17/01/2020 08:56

As a committed veggie of over 30 years and having done it when it wasn't anywhere near as easy I'm starting to get a bit sick of people like op with the "part time" or "I'm veggie but I eat fish sometimes" bollocks!

People like this want the kudos and praise for ethical choices they aren't actually following in a truly committed way.

All the glory without being part of the fight!

You're not a vegan op, part time or otherwise. It's insulting to the huge effort vegans make to call yourself such.

Do you eat meat, fish, poultry or by products at all? If so you're not even veggie.

Want the credit? Do the work!

PurpleDaisies · 17/01/2020 09:00

If I ate meat sometimes, I wouldn’t expect other people to cater for my non meat days. I’d just swap my diet around.

Lordfrontpaw · 17/01/2020 09:01

It’s quite irritating if you go out of your way to accommodate someone’s special diet only for them to rock up and eat the salami...

I used to organise events and there was always a few who would make specific (religious/allergy/diet) requests - then you’d see them eating the prawns (‘excuse me - that’s a prawn...’ ‘nah it’s alright...’)
drinking the wine... (or not bother turning up when you’d paid for meals to be brought in from specialist suppliers with wrapped plates/cutlery etc). Or turn up and announce they are on a fast...

VanGoghsDog · 17/01/2020 09:01

Aw, The One True Way we all musn't follow. Sorta like a religion?

Idiotic.

Eat what you want. Call yourself what you want.

beautifulstranger101 · 17/01/2020 09:03

It’s quite irritating if you go out of your way to accommodate someone’s special diet only for them to rock up and eat the salami

Right? I'd be v pissed off if I spent a whole day searching vegan ingredients and vegan recipes and keeping utensils separate only to have my friend rock up and say "got any sausage rolls? its Tuesday, and I'm never vegan on a Tuesday!"

PurpleDaisies · 17/01/2020 09:04

Call yourself what you want.

Yes, but don’t expect people to just accept a meat eating vegan.

ElderAve · 17/01/2020 09:04

I'm moving towards a plant based diet. I don't and wouldn't claim to be "a vegan".

I don't understand why (some) vegans are so militant about it though. You'd think everyone who eats less animal product was a step in the right direction from their POV

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