For many vegans, the first step to ditching all animal-related foods is to become a vegetarian. Cutting out pork, beef, poultry.jpg)
and fish isn’t all that difficult given all the delicious, healthy alternatives that are available these days. But cutting out dairy products can be a struggle for many vegetarians. The ease of eating out is lessened greatly with a vegan diet. Budget concerns are another issue as many of the vegan selections are a bit more costly than non-vegan foods.
Monetary and convenience issues aside, what are the pros and cons to going vegan? Finding cons is nearly impossible to be perfectly honest. The pros definitely outweigh in this situation. Any vegetarian who cuts meat out of their diet for the sake of the animals has a hard time finding it ‘okay’ to consume dairy with the knowledge of where it comes from. As a reader commented in a previous article, cows do mourn the loss of their babies just like humans do. Many dairy farmers strip the mother of her calf so they can hook her up to a milking machine. The calf is often turned in to veal, which is another sickening thought.
One potential (yet debatable) con to going vegan is the nutritional aspect. Many people go about it poorly and fail to find the right balance of foods to maintain a healthy diet. However, if done correctly, a vegan diet can be just as healthy as a well-balanced vegetarian diet, if not more so. There have been studies (found here on a German website translated to English, so it's a little rough to read) on the effects of a vegan lifestyle stating that vegans cannot get enough iron from a completely meat and dairy-free diet. Iron taken from plants only contributes about 5% to our bloodstream (meaning it helps the bone marrow to reproduce new blood cells to replenish our body’s blood supply). Iron from meat or dairy products can contribute up to 40%.
As the Milford Vegetarian Examiner wrote, The American Dietetic Association has reported that “Vegetarian/Vegan diets are healthful”. Well, of course they are. Cutting out processed meats and cutting down on all the bad ripple effects that come with consuming it HAS to be healthier than the alternative. But the point being, a vegetarian diet helps the consumer, the animals and the world a lot more than a carnivorous diet. A vegan diet just takes it that extra step further. It all boils down to the individual. The decision to become vegan is a great one, but don’t feel guilty for sticking with a vegetarian diet. It wouldn’t hurt trying out a vegan diet for a week or so to see how it fits in to your life though. Check out some articles from the Vegan Examiner for more information on going vegan.
Comments
I was a vegetarian for 7 years until I decided to switch to being vegan. And now I don't know why i didnt do it sooner. :)
yay vegans!
I was a vegetarian for 15 years before I made the switch. I will admit it has proven to be slightly more expensive and it is difficult to eat out but I am now eating better than I ever did and I'm doing it all with a clear conscience. I love it!
Yes, I was what I thought was an "ethical" vegetarian too, until I did more research to learn about the cruelty of dairy/eggs...
But now, I also know the reality of rennet - and boy don't I feel like I was duped all these years about even following a "vegetarian" diet. They really need to list the contents of products more accurately - to give people full information about what they're supporting/consuming... Too much is secretive!
Bea, I think you are right that they need to label things more accurately. Can you imagine if rennet was labelled as "enzymes from a gutted baby cow's stomach"? Or "dairy: milk stolen from a baby"?
What if the stuff people buy at Walmart was labelled as "the product of small children forced to work 14 hours a day for 17 cents and hour"?
Yes, what a very different world we would live in today if the captilalists were forced to be upfront and honest.
Thanks for some good perspective, Jessica, on how taking that next step toward veganism can really strengthen the benefits of a vegetarian diet. If people feel unsure about vegan diet, I always encourage them to take some easy steps toward gradually reducing dairy and egg intake. I have some ideas for making the transition here:
www.examiner.com/examiner/x-5670-Seattle-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m5d18-So-you-think-you-cant-be-vegan
And for those who have questions about nutrition, here are the best online resources:
www.examiner.com/x-5670-Seattle-Vegan-Examiner~y2009m6d19-Best-websites-for-vegan-nutrition-information
So many awesome comments going on here--thanks everyone! I have been struggling with the 'going vegan' aspect for a while now, but it seems inevitable for me. I find myself cutting back on dairy products more and more, and really feeling guilty if I knowingly consume them. Thanks for the links Ginny!
Thanks a lot for this very important information Dearest Jessica. I'm Vegan. I did not suffer for that, because when I was a little girl I did not like meats, but my father was telling me all the time that I had to grow up being strong and meats gave me all the protein and iron that I needed.
Dalia, How long have you been vegan? Many people come from a long line of 'meat is best' believers. I'm just glad to know my children won't have to think that way. Thanks for the comment!
I just wanted to say that I don't really find being vegan all that difficult. Once you learn the things to recognize and ask, it's really just second nature. I hardly even have to think about it when I grocery shop. It's just like before I was vegan.. I just check lists automatically.
I review vegan/vegetarian restaurants on here, so hopefully that can help the eating out aspect. If you find yourself stuck somewhere that doesn't seem to have anything you can eat, ask your waiter to ask the cook if they'd be willing to make something off the menu for you. Many delight at the challenge. If not, plan ahead and bring a snack in your bag to eat after your 'meal' of iceburg lettuce. And whatever you do, never complain about not being able to find anything to eat!! This makes it look like all vegans suffer!
Thanks, Beth. You know, I can't agree with you more. When I wrote this article I was still vegetarian. I've since gone completely vegan and couldn't be happier with the decision. It's nothing like I thought it would be...I try new foods that I didn't try before and I enjoy finding something to eat when I go out. And for icing on the cake, I've lost 30 pounds! I only wish I'd started sooner.
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