#and it's like ???? no ???? we're literally just trying to make veganism more accessible to more people ??? why is that a bad thing

[ambiguousdisorderken]

Hello, a soon-to-be veganuary participant here! Do you have any tips on how to communicate your veganism when you have e.g. family gatherings, sometimes with… a bit more conservative members, where there is a meal offered? I don’t want to seem too difficult😬 Also Food and easy everyday vegan food ideas would be appreciated!

Absolutely, it’ll be my pleasure! And Thank You!!!<3

So, I'll start with the last part of this ask. I think it's easier not to think of it as "vegan meals", and instead veganize whatever one usually eats. For me, I loved to have scrambled eggs in the mornings, now I have scrambled tofu (extra firm, not silken), that way I can still enjoy my comfort food but have it be animal-free.

meal suggestions:

Breakfast foods are perhaps the simplest to turn plant-based, takes mostly switching a few ingredients. Other meals are not difficult, but traditionally they might rely more on animal products, so you might have to tweak them more. These two (lunch and dinner) I'll be pairing because I eat them interchangeably at either noon or evening. If you want specific recipes, Pinterest is your best friend (my ask box will still be open though).

-Breakfast: oatmeal, toasts/bagels with either sweet or salty toppings, cereals, smoothie bowls, PB&J like Cas (still an SPN blog, sorry), hashed browns or smoothies, if you're like me and have no time in the mornings.

-Lunch/Dinner: rice&beans with a little extra something of your choosing (I like avocado or a simple green salad on the side), wraps/burritos (throw anything veggie in there, really), pasta (just had it with sautéed green beans and cashews), hearty salads (bulk up with, yes, beans - garbanzo/chickpeas are great for this!), thick soups (roast some veggies, then put in a blender and voilà. Great for low energy days and easier digestion), chili sin carne and curries.

-Snacks: i'm partial to nuts and seeds, but fruits are great too, as well as veggies/whatever with hummus, chips and the like (original Pringles, Lay's and Fritos, some pretzels and Takis too!), cookies (many options, original Oreos reign supreme), chocolate (most dark choc is vegan, sweeter options made with plant milks are also available), most popcorn, vegan ice cream (if you have access to Oatly and like chocolate, try the Fudge Brownie, so good) or vegan protein bars if you're in need of a protein-dense pick-me up (protein bars across the board aren’t the best in taste though, so, yeah).

general tips:

start increasing your fiber intake gradually, Now - this is because plant-based diets tend to be higher in fiber, and a sudden boost in it when you're not used to might lead to temporary bloating/discomfort because your digestive system is going to be doing some adjustments.

keep protein and fats in mind - DO EAT THEM! if you're filling unfulfilled after a meal, it might be because it was lacking in those. a lettuce, cucumber and tomato salad is not high in calories or satisfactory in general, it'll be disheartening and it may have you quitting or cursing vegans. if consuming salads make them hearty!

on the same line of protein - as a whole and from what i see in my own country, these days we're a bit obsessed with protein. and even if it's necessary we tend to overestimate our needs and underestimate our intake. if it's more convenient for you, there are many mock meats (depending on where you live, of course) that offer chicken/beef/fish-like products with high protein, but they can be pricier, aren't a necessity and are not really reflective of what most vegans eat for every meal every day. tofu, tempeh, beans and tvp (textured vegetable protein. super cheap and versatile) are my go-to. 

tofu - holy grail, unless you're allergic to soy. if not, it's a great base for literally anything. they key is squeezing out the water and seasoning well.

b12 supplementation/fortified foods

condiments are your best friend - this goes for any and all sorts of cooking, it's amazing what spices can do to enhance flavors.

most ingredients list on food labels will list allergens at the very end or have it in bold letters. here you'll see things that you wish to avoid, like eggs and milk, if the product contains any.

same if you have any safe foods for whatever reason, don't remove it from your diet, simply try to find a vegan alternative or tweak it a bit.

if for some reason you eat something non plant-based, don't make a big deal out of it or quit veganuary. just choose a vegan option the next time.

consider other aspects in your life that rely on animal products and, if safely possible, evaluate alternatives

it's not an all or nothing mentality, remember it's as far as is possible and practicable

As for your first question and based on my personal experience, people who judge or mock others' dietary choices mostly to do so with vegans and vegetarians only, so that's something to unpack there. In your case since it's specifically Veganuary, I'd simply say it's a challenge/activity you want to participate in to help with the environment and animals. Don't knock it til you try it sorta thing.

There are going to be questions and comments, there always are. If very conservative food-wise, relatives or friends may throw negative comments your way, but know those are a reflection of them and whatever they're dealing with rather than what you're doing or with you as an individual. It's literally their problem, not yours, cliché but true. Don't take as personal what other people might say about it because many do get defensive and touchy, even if you aren't out to "get them." In gatherings, if they offer you food, try to veganize the meal, if possible. If meat is optional, just substract it. It might not be the best or most balanced of meals, but you can make up for it later and it shows you've got nothing against their cooking because I bet you don’t. Also, if you know there won't be anything vegan, try bringing in a plate/side dish yourself to share with others, that way you won't arrive empty-handed and you'll make sure to stick to your goal.

// We are latine and my family goes heavy on the animal products consumption, there's not a single meal without them, not one. At the start you yourself might believe your eating is “difficult” but trust me, it isn’t. Past that initial hurdle, people tend to go ‘oh, this is vegan too!!’ (excitedly. very cute!, especially when they wanna share it with you. i just love it). They're used to me being vegan now though, even my grandmas and aunts are now way more receptive of alternative eating styles other than those they raised us in and are mindful of having something for me available (which is usually eaten by everybody else, anyway). The whole thing is gradual and slow, but being vegan is the best decision I've made for many reasons besides the dietary aspect of it, plus it cranked up my creativity in the kitchen, oof!

[aloeverawrites]

"you agree that we should continue commercial animal farming to provide for people who can't completely cut out the use of animal products" I don't agree actually. This is a messed up system we need to eliminate it. We need to establish better systems to meet the needs of people who right now rely on animal products.

" Support the industry if you have to" is a solution for an induvial not a society. Same with plastic use, if you can't prepare meals for yourself please use all the pre-made plastic boxes you need. Our society has the responsibility of putting them into more eco-friendly containers for you.

While I am mad at people who unnecessarily support a cruel industry, I don't see a point in being hostile to them. It's not a good way to communicate for me. We're all people behind these screens and the people I dislike have their own problems and lives. Me being cruel to them won't fix my problem, it will just add to theirs and that's not something I'd like to do so I try not to. Also humans are animals so verbally abusing a homo sapien technically isn't very vegan of me.

Secondly, the people perpetuating these systems are in some ways victims of it themselves. Farmers are underpaid by large corporations, slaughterhouse workers can be undocumented workers or children who are being exploited by a company that doesn't care about them or animals. Tw for violence, but I have read about people being pulled into the machines, turned into the same paste as the animals are. That's all they are to these companies. Bodies. They cleaned up the machine of this man and sent everyone back to work a few hours later.

The mental health affects of slaughterhouse workers are horrifying as well, to say the least.

It's not black and white. I can care about the humans an animals at the same time. I don't have to pick and choose who deserves compassion.

Look at this:

Out of the first 8 results when you look up slaughterhouse workers mental health, three results are from animal rights organisations. We're spreading the word. We give a s- and none of the results were from animal agriculture or a slaughterhouse.

Activists care, corporations don't.

I didn't mention plastic, although again if your life circumstances prevent you from using better materials then that's fine and I get it. You can use cotton or hemp, materials that aren't perfect for the environment but are still better. This isn't a binary and sometimes we have more then just two bad choices. It's not helpful to turn this nuanced subject into a dichotomy.

As a marginalised person I don't appreciate that. Animal rights activists are the only ones I've seen talking about certain forms of oppression against humans, like environmental racism.

And in the US the fastest growing community of vegans are African Americans like myself.

Implying that this is a movement only for non-minorities, implies that myself and other POC don't belong here. Which we do.

"so commercial animal farming is Literal Oppression, but benefiting from commercial animal farming is okay as long as someone's disabled or marginalized in a way that would make it difficult to be vegan?"

It is oppression yes, and I don't think I said this oppression was good if marginalised people did it. I said it's understandable.

Lets go back to materials. Cheap products are needed for people with low incomes, people who are disabled and have trouble accessing things. They're sometimes made with slave labour or people who are exploited and underpaid.

Exploitation of workers isn't a good thing.

Taking access away from struggling people isn't a good thing either.

See again this doesn't have to be black or white. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

These individual aren't in a position to fix this so we don't put this work on them, we put it on society.

We don't shame people for buying cheap things, we crowd fund so they can afford from better companies. We help them find more ethical ones. They can join us in protests against abusive work, they can help in other ways.

And we don't say that human exploitation is good actually. We keep raising the alarm about it, trying to stop this system from happened. Try to replace it with a world where everyone is paid good wages and can leave work if they want to.

Hating activists on either side won't help anything. I'm just as much a disability rights activist and an animal rights one. I'm trying to be informed in as many movements as possible so I don't step on the toes of another one.

" why should a marginalized person's life and wellbeing supersede that of all the animals they will consume over the course of their lifespan? i thought you valued animal lives as equal to human lives?"

How do I answer for a statement I didn't make? I think that in an ideal world, marginalised people's wellbeing and lives shouldn't come at a cost of an animal's life. We don't live in that perfect world. Asking marginalized people to give up what they need to survive would just support ableism and classism while not helping animal rights much.

I think we should sacriour time instead. Offer to cook your disabled neighbour dinner. I think we should sacrifice our individualistic, capitalist way of thinking. Make the government provide plant based food and chefs to people who can't access it on their own. Dietitians. I think we should sacrifice the tax cuts given to animal agriculture and spend it on giving lower class communities everything they need to not harm animals. I think we should sacrifice the 72% of farmland used for animal ag and give to to building homes for the housed, re-wilding our forests so climate change doesn't kill people in the poorest places of the world. I think we should sacrifice the food and water given to the 100 billion farmed animals and give it to humanity instead.

I don't think we should sacrifice marginalised people.

I'm not the one framing that as the only two choices.

Also I never said that you have to see humans and animals as equal. I only said that you should see animals as being more important then our taste buds or fashion preferences.

I've been seeing this idea that veganism isn't accessible to people with disabilities or who are lower income and I want to say something.

It really depends on how you define veganism.

If you define it as a diet then I get how it would be really difficult or inassible for some people.

But if you see it as the ideology then everyone who wants to be a vegan, can be.

"Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals."

We all have a limit on how vegan we can be, what we can possibly do. Most vegans are still getting life-saving medication that was tested on animals, or driving cars with leather seats. And if you're disabled or lower income you have extra limits that other people don't have.

But if you're do everything "practicable and possible" for you to avoid animal exploitation, you're practicing veganism. Even if you have severe dietary restrictions, you can still avoid buying leather, wool and most animal tested products. When you have a choice, choice being the important word here.

So I just want to say, don't count yourself out or feel like there isn't a place for you in veganism, there is. This is an ideology that everyone can and should have and you're absolutely welcome to it.

[radxfem-blog]

Hey why do y'all hate vegans so much lol like literally someone is like “here’s some suggestions for how you can go vegan/at least cut out some animal products even if you think you can’t and here’s why it’s helpful to animals, the environment, and yourself” and everyone’s just like “stop pushing ur agenda stop trying to make me aware of something that is having a huge impact on the environment stop trying to make me think about the consequences of my lifestyle choices and see how I can change them omg ur so annoying!!!!”