Living the Vegan Life

Have I mentioned that we are trying to eat Vegan for one year? It is not as hard as it sounds. The hard part is explaining it to your friends, your loved ones, and to random people that ask you about it. Most people think we are crazy for eating this way.

The part I find most frustrating is that if they only took a few hours to read about it, they would not be asking so many questions.

The first question we always get is "Why?" Why don't you eat meat? The answer that gets the least questions back is "For health reasons." Then the most likely question is "Oh, your cholesterol is high?" No, I just want to make sure it stays healthy.  Also, I get have a lot of energy when I am not weighed down by eating meat products.  

If I answer, "I am trying to lower my ecological foot print."  The likely response is, "You know soy production is responsible for huge losses of rain forest in South America."  The proper response should be: Oh, really?  Do you think that's because of the tiny bit of Tofu I consume or is it because of all the processed food you are eating?" Instead, I usuall answer, "We buy Tofu from companies that produce organic, sustainably-raised, and ecologically responsible soy."  (ie, we are not the problem, here).

The response that I think gets people most worked up is when I mention "For philosophical reasons - we don't believe in eating animals that have been raised in an irresponsible fashion and have been abused just so we can enjoy a few good bites."  "You can't believe everything bad you read about chicken (or beef, or pork) farms.  There are some good places out there. I buy everything organic."

True.  Some and you mostly only find those at Farmer's Markets.  And just because you buy everything organic does not mean that you are eating an animal that has been raised responsibly.  All that means is that they have been raised on organic feed.  They can still be stuck in stalls, unable to move, their whole lives, standing in their own feces until the day they die.  What you really need to look for is pasture-raised, and grass-finished.  Most animals are raised on pastures until they need to be fattened up (or finished).  If they are not "grass-finished" that means they are also stuck in those stalls until butchering time.

The same goes for eggs "Cage-Free" doesn't really mean they don't leave in cages.  The USDA allows you to put that label on your eggs as long as the chickens have the option of going "outside."  That can simply mean having a little door to the outside with a tiny grassy area that most chickens do not find appealing.  Their entire lives can be lived inside dark rooms and just because there is a tiny opening in the room to the outside, they get to have their eggs labeled "Cage-Free." 

I wish people would be more sensitive and informed when they make those comments.  And I need to figure out a polite way to respond to all these inquiries without making people feel like they are ignorant.  It's annoying, but it has to be done.  Like with everything else in life, education is key.

TTYL.