I used to be a carnivore and had the disposition many of my carnivore friends have today. I remember asking the same questions many meat eaters ask their vegetarian and vegan friends. I know that many of these questions come from the lack of education on the topics of vegetarianism and veganism. Most people who don’t particularly live a certain lifestyle would never understand that lifestyle. So in order to debunk some of the myths and misconceptions they have on why I choose to be a vegan – I will address many of their questions. I hope this post allows you to appreciate my choice in becoming a vegan.
Friends – Why did you become vegetarian/vegan?
Me – Like most families, I was raised to believe that we needed to eat meat in order to have proper nutrition and being Portuguese – I ate many types of meat, your usuals like; fish, chicken, beef and the not-so-usual; rabbit and octopus. I never question why we ate meat – it was something that we just had to do. I did enjoy chicken and turkey but wasn’t really big with red-meat and fish. I had vegetarian friends and I remember becoming very defensive whenever they would be invited to parties or dinners. I thought they thought they were better than me and that we had to cater to their food choices. It was very ignorant on my part – instead of asking questions, I just judged them and assumed that they wanted to throw their lifestyle choices in my face. I watched a video of rabbits screaming and that did it for me – I vowed never to eat meat again because if this is the type of abuse I was supporting, I wanted no part of it. That was over 7 years ago. I have since become an educated vegan and know that eating meat is not essential to my diet. So becoming vegan was strictly for ethical reasons, for me.
Friends – Where do you get your protein from?
Protein doesn’t only come from animals. Here is where my protein comes from:
| FOOD |
AMOUNT |
PROTEIN |
PROTEIN |
| |
|
(gm) |
(gm/100 cal) |
|
| Tempeh |
1 cup |
31 |
9.6 |
| Soybeans, cooked |
1 cup |
29 |
9.6 |
| Seitan |
3 ounces |
21 |
17.5 |
| Lentils, cooked |
1 cup |
18 |
7.8 |
| Black beans, cooked |
1 cup |
15 |
6.7 |
| Kidney beans, cooked |
1 cup |
15 |
6.8 |
| Chickpeas, cooked |
1 cup |
15 |
5.4 |
| Pinto beans, cooked |
1 cup |
15 |
6.3 |
| Lima beans, cooked |
1 cup |
15 |
6.8 |
| Black-eyed peas, cooked |
1 cup |
13 |
6.7 |
| Veggie burger |
1 patty |
13 |
18.6 |
| Veggie baked beans |
1 cup |
12 |
5.0 |
| Tofu, firm |
4 ounces |
11 |
10.6 |
| Tofu, regular |
4 ounces |
10 |
10.7 |
| Bagel |
1 med. (3.5 oz) |
10 |
3.9 |
| Quinoa, cooked |
1 cup |
8 |
3.7 |
| Peas, cooked |
1 cup |
8 |
6.6 |
| Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), cooked |
1/2 cup |
8 |
15.0 |
| Peanut butter |
2 Tbsp |
8 |
4.1 |
| Veggie dog |
1 link |
8 |
13.3 |
| Spaghetti, cooked |
1 cup |
8 |
3.7 |
| Almonds |
1/4 cup |
8 |
3.7 |
| Soy milk, commercial, plain |
1 cup |
7 |
7.0 |
| Whole wheat bread |
2 slices |
7 |
5.2 |
| Almond butter |
2 Tbsp |
7 |
3.4 |
| Soy yogurt, plain |
8 ounces |
6 |
4.0 |
| Bulgur, cooked |
1 cup |
6 |
3.7 |
| Sunflower seeds |
1/4 cup |
6 |
3.3 |
| Cashews |
1/4 cup |
5 |
2.7 |
| Spinach, cooked |
1 cup |
5 |
13.0 |
| Broccoli, cooked |
1 cup |
4 |
6.7 |
Sources: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24, 2011 and manufacturers’ information.
The recommendation for protein for adult male vegans is around 63 grams per day; for adult female vegans it is around 52 grams per day. |
Sources: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.php
Friends – If you chose to become vegan for ethical reasons why do you eat plants their alive?
Me – I know that plants are living things, but they are not sentient (having the power of perception by the senses) plants can’t register pain because they have no nerve endings or nervous system. Animals have a consciousness and can express emotion, they have survival skills and understand when they are threatened. This is why I choose not to eat them or buy anything that is derived from their suffering.
Friends – Why are most vegetarians and vegans so militant?
Me – Like many activist groups, there are those who are so emotionally attached to their cause and they feel the only way to get their message across is to be blatant about it. My approach is somewhere in the middle. I do support PETA – they are very direct in getting the message of animal cruelty across, there is no gentle way of showing how animals are inhumanely treated. I have found it is those who question me about being a vegan that are very abrupt and angered by the choices I have made. I keep hearing friends say “why do you have to throw your veganism in my face” – I really never do. What I do have to do is ask questions regarding what is on the menu when I am invited to a dinner party or ask what restaurant people are going to when I’m invited out to ensure I am able to eat there. This isn’t being militant or disruptive – it is being prepared. Dinner parties and restaurants cater to those with carnivorous appetites – it is what is known.
Friends – Aren’t you tired of eating leaves and salads?
Me – Being a vegetarian or vegan doesn’t limit you to eating just salads. There are so many great foods that can be substituted for meat such as tofu, tempeh, lentils, beans, etc. I can eat meatless burgers, pastas, soups, salads, tacos, pizza, fajitas etc….I just choose to buy plant-based foods that are organic and healthier for than processed foods. I even drink vegan wine (Yellow Tail, Australian Shiraz).
Like I have said many times and to so many people – I didn’t become a vegetarian (and then vegan) to make your world more frustrating. I did it to make me feel better. I no longer contribute to the inhumane treatment of animals, I have become slightly healthier and I have decreased my carbon footprint by becoming vegan. Here are some facts and statistics on the benefits to a vegetarian and vegan lifestyle:
- Entire cultures of people in many regions of the world who eat mostly whole plants—suffer almost none of the chronic diseases that plague the wealthier nations.
- Migrant studies show clearly that when the above “peoples” move to the west that after adopting our diet-style, they soon experience the same frequency of chronic diseases as we do.
- The animals in the wild with DNA almost identical to human (gorillas and chimpanzees) eat nothing but raw plants.
- There is a mountain of clinical and scientific evidence proving disease prevention and/or reversal of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers.
- Not only is eating lots of meat, dairy, eggs and fish taking its toll on our health, it’s also extremely wasteful of our natural resources and harmful to our environment. For all of these reasons, it is simply unsustainable: not enough land, not enough water and not enough energy.
Sources:
http://hpjmh.com/2012/06/26/preponderance-of-evidence-for-mostly-plants/
http://www.thechinastudy.com/?s=benefits+of+plant-based+diet
We all make the choices we do in life. My choice was to ask questions and not just believe that we do the things we do because they have always been done this way. I never bothered looking for more than one answer and always felt that the reason we did anything was because that it was right. I am not perfect and my lifestyle choices don’t make me better than anyone else. What my vegan lifestyle choice has done – is made me a better person for myself. I love that I have chosen a healthier lifestyle. I love that I have decreased my carbon footprint but most of all, I love that I don’t contribute to the suffering and inhumane treatment of any animal.
Together, we can make the world a more postive one!
COALITION OF POSITIVE ENERGY 