As I explained earlier in the week, tomorrow is Blogger Vegan 4 A Day, which is part of the larger Vegan Week organized by Katy and Michelle.
Obviously, I am a vegetarian, but tomorrow, I’m going to eat vegan. I’ve prepared this little post to explain some components of veganism, but as I am not a vegan and this is just based on my research (not experiences), I hope my vegan readers will jump in and expand on my thoughts.
- What exactly does “vegan†mean? Vegans do not eat meat, fish, or poultry. They do not eat any foods that contain animal products, such as eggs, yogurt, cheese, or milk. Vegans also do not eat honey, milk chocolate, and Jell-O. Vegans might choose to not wear leather. Here’s a complete list of “tricky†food products that vegans avoid.
- What’s the point of being a vegan? Well, like vegetarianism, people are vegans for many reasons, including moral, ethical, social, environmental, and health concerns. Many vegans eat this way because they are concerned about the welfare of animals in factory farms and dairy farms. Here’s more information (click at your own risk).
- So, if vegans don’t eat meat, dairy, or animal products, WHAT in the WORLD do they actually eat? Vegans can eat whole grains, fruits, veggies, dairy-alternatives such as hemp milk or almond milk, tofu and other meat-alternatives, beans, legumes, and nuts. Ryan has a great post on how to eat like a vegan.
- Is it possible to be vegan and be healthy? Aren’t they missing key vitamins? Well, there are tons of vegan bloggers (feel free to introduce yourself in the comments section!) who are healthy and strong. You can even be a vegan athlete! Vegans do need to take special care to get enough B-12, iron, calcium, zinc, omega 3’s, vitamin D.
- Is it hard to be a vegan? I’ve spoken to a lot of vegan friends about whether it is “hard†to be a vegan, and the answers vary. Most vegans find it difficult to eat at restaurants, but in the comfort of their homes, they find it easy to cook and prepare lots of delicious vegan meals.
- Aren’t all vegetarians hypocrites for not being vegans? Ah, the MILLION DOLLAR question (in my mind!). Many, many people have argued to me that dairy farming is just as bad as factory farming, so I should be a vegan (I’m a vegetarian mostly for my love of animals). I’m going to fully address this question tomorrow, but I wanted to get your minds working about this issue – I think it’s really interesting!
My goals for Blogger Vegan 4 A Day are:
- To discover any vegan substitutes I can make on a daily basis to make my diet more sensitive.
- To determine whether I feel like I’m being restricted by a vegan diet.
- To find new snacks (because you guys know I rely on yogurt and granola way too much).
- To have fun trying new recipes.
- To assess my energy levels on a vegan diet.
- To learn more about a very interesting lifestyle and hopefully take something positive away from vegan for a day.
I do want to add that I do NOT plan on transitioning to veganism for the long-term (ever). I will explain why tomorrow.
Are you participating in Blogger Vegan 4 A Day? What are your goals? Also, if you’re a vegan blogger, please say hello in the comments section so people can check out your blogs for inspiration tomorrow!
Vegan blogger here! If anyone has any questions I would LOVE to help you out as best as I am able to! Comment here, my blog, or shoot me an email at lindsey @ soundeats.com (no spaces, of course). I’m here to help!