It seems like vegan is becoming the new vegetarian. And I cannot adapt.
From websites to magazines targeted at the non-meat eating audience, pressure to become vegan is on the rise. Stories of cruelty in egg-laying farms and dairy cows being hurt can put আপনি on quite a guilt trip. Some people choose to avoid animal products altogether and become vegan.
But wait, what about those of us who do not eat meat but choose to eat eggs and/or dairy? Aren't we just as good? It isn't looking that way. From what I read and see, আরো and আরো people are trying to push veganism over vegetarianism. Well, I can tell আপনি from my own experience that it is not as easy as veg organizations say it is.
Okay, disclaimer. It can be easier for some people than others. It depends on your culture, location, and ability to avoid animal food. It's actually addictive. I just had an unpleasant experience with it where I live, but I imagine if আপনি live in, say, San Fransisco, it'd be easier.
I've tried going vegan on আরো than one occasion. The সেকেন্ড time lasted the longest. I had been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for over a year, and I was tired of feeling guilty about every poor cow and chicken story I heard. So I gave up animal products altogether. Including honey. This was about a two-month long experience.
I began to realize how many of my পছন্দ foods had দুধ and/or eggs in them. No আরো বিস্কুট অথবা cake for me. I had to read the ingredients for everything. And usually, I'd find in small print at the bottom of the তালিকা "Contains 2% অথবা Less: Milk, Eggs...", which frustrated the heck out of me! What foods are vegan?
I even couldn't have certain veggie burgers anymore because they contained milk. I remember I selected a শিম সুপ at a cafeteria over a cheese sandwich, and I later realized that it probably had beef broth in it! It was a pain to have to find out what was in everything, so I ended up eating the same stuff all the time.
One দিন while I was looking up vegetarian options at resturants online, I discovered that McDonald's famous কাটা browns that I loved were flavored with BEEF! I decided then that it was hard enough to be vegetarian, so why should I have the added stress of being vegan? I gave it up.
And so that was my vegan journey. That afternoon, I had a veggie পিজা with real cheese and it was the best পিজা I ever had.
I don't hate vegans; in fact, I deeply respect what they do. I applaud them, in fact. But it just isn't for me. If I want to make a recipe, I can't pick up vegan ricotta cheese at the store. I can't check the ingredients of everything I get at resturants. That's why I'm a vegetarian, and I'm proud to be one.
Now, if I've totally turned আপনি off to vegetarianism অথবা veganism, that's bad. I didn't mean to do that. That was not my intention. I'm just saying that it takes some self-discipline and work. It's easier for some people than others. Like for me, vegetarianism = fairly easy; veganism = hard. If আপনি grew up in an all-vegan household with specialty খাবার on hand, it would probably be easier. But if you're like me where আপনি come from a house where everything must have cheese sprinkled on it, it'll be harder to break the habit.
If you're willing to do that, be ready for the most rewarding experience of your life. You're helping animals, the environment, your health, and helping to stop world hunger. But আপনি don't have to be vegan to do that!
So vegans, let's respect vegetarians for not eating meat. And vegetarians, don't be anti-vegan; keep an open mind. Let's respect people's life choices for what they are, not whether অথবা not they are right অথবা wrong. We all have our reasons to do things, and no reason is better than another.
From websites to magazines targeted at the non-meat eating audience, pressure to become vegan is on the rise. Stories of cruelty in egg-laying farms and dairy cows being hurt can put আপনি on quite a guilt trip. Some people choose to avoid animal products altogether and become vegan.
But wait, what about those of us who do not eat meat but choose to eat eggs and/or dairy? Aren't we just as good? It isn't looking that way. From what I read and see, আরো and আরো people are trying to push veganism over vegetarianism. Well, I can tell আপনি from my own experience that it is not as easy as veg organizations say it is.
Okay, disclaimer. It can be easier for some people than others. It depends on your culture, location, and ability to avoid animal food. It's actually addictive. I just had an unpleasant experience with it where I live, but I imagine if আপনি live in, say, San Fransisco, it'd be easier.
I've tried going vegan on আরো than one occasion. The সেকেন্ড time lasted the longest. I had been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for over a year, and I was tired of feeling guilty about every poor cow and chicken story I heard. So I gave up animal products altogether. Including honey. This was about a two-month long experience.
I began to realize how many of my পছন্দ foods had দুধ and/or eggs in them. No আরো বিস্কুট অথবা cake for me. I had to read the ingredients for everything. And usually, I'd find in small print at the bottom of the তালিকা "Contains 2% অথবা Less: Milk, Eggs...", which frustrated the heck out of me! What foods are vegan?
I even couldn't have certain veggie burgers anymore because they contained milk. I remember I selected a শিম সুপ at a cafeteria over a cheese sandwich, and I later realized that it probably had beef broth in it! It was a pain to have to find out what was in everything, so I ended up eating the same stuff all the time.
One দিন while I was looking up vegetarian options at resturants online, I discovered that McDonald's famous কাটা browns that I loved were flavored with BEEF! I decided then that it was hard enough to be vegetarian, so why should I have the added stress of being vegan? I gave it up.
And so that was my vegan journey. That afternoon, I had a veggie পিজা with real cheese and it was the best পিজা I ever had.
I don't hate vegans; in fact, I deeply respect what they do. I applaud them, in fact. But it just isn't for me. If I want to make a recipe, I can't pick up vegan ricotta cheese at the store. I can't check the ingredients of everything I get at resturants. That's why I'm a vegetarian, and I'm proud to be one.
Now, if I've totally turned আপনি off to vegetarianism অথবা veganism, that's bad. I didn't mean to do that. That was not my intention. I'm just saying that it takes some self-discipline and work. It's easier for some people than others. Like for me, vegetarianism = fairly easy; veganism = hard. If আপনি grew up in an all-vegan household with specialty খাবার on hand, it would probably be easier. But if you're like me where আপনি come from a house where everything must have cheese sprinkled on it, it'll be harder to break the habit.
If you're willing to do that, be ready for the most rewarding experience of your life. You're helping animals, the environment, your health, and helping to stop world hunger. But আপনি don't have to be vegan to do that!
So vegans, let's respect vegetarians for not eating meat. And vegetarians, don't be anti-vegan; keep an open mind. Let's respect people's life choices for what they are, not whether অথবা not they are right অথবা wrong. We all have our reasons to do things, and no reason is better than another.