Why We Went Vegan and Why We Didn’t Do It Sooner
It all started when Bianca and I were on holiday in the United States. We had stuffed our faces with so much meat and eggs that we got sick of it, so Bianca suggested we try a popular vegan food chain in Philadelphia where we had our first vegan burger. This. This felt great. And not just great, it felt right.
On that same trip, Bianca bought a copy of Eating Animals by Jonathan Foer. In this book, the author writes about the implications of buying and eating meat, from suffering animals to damaged environments and what it does to our bodies. Soon after, we watched the Earthlings documentary together. We're not going to lie. It's an intense documentary with real scenes from slaughterhouses, pet stores, and puppy mills. It shows how animals are exploited by humans in five ways: pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and science. It was the hardest documentary we’ve ever watched, but it was so worth it. That same night, we swore off animal products. We had been on-and-off vegetarians before, so we were already having conversations about the ethics of food before we decided to switch. Our first vegan experience was not some kind of big revelation, but it still impacted us like only a few decisions ever would. We decided to give veganism a try.
Of course, changes like these are hard. Especially when you have been eating a certain way your whole life. So, our change was gradual. At first, we would have a good number of vegan and vegetarian meals per week with the rare portion of fish here and there. Then, we started to swap out foods from our previous lifestyle with vegan alternatives; veggie sausages, veggie bacon, and veggie cheese played a huge part in our daily diets. It was a great way for us to let go of the animal products without actually having to rip the Band-Aid off completely. We still indulge in those substitutes sometimes, but nowhere near as often. After that, we decided to eat vegan at home and only have the vegetarian options at restaurants, or with friends and relatives.
When we eventually went 100 percent vegan, restaurants had started to offer vegan options, supermarkets offered a solid lineup of vegan products, and the people closest to us had a decent understanding of our ethical standpoint. During that time, we learned that food is an emotional topic for everybody, and it’s very important to respect other people’s life choices, even if you sometimes find yourself being unrightfully challenged. This is why we choose to refer our choice as a don’t rather than a can’t. “I don’t eat cheese” is a statement, while “I can’t have cheese” is a restriction; something debatable.
“Come on, a little sausage can’t hurt, right?”
“Thanks, I don’t eat meat,” is always clearer than “Sorry, I can’t have this sausage.” Of course you can. You just choose not to.
People will offer you numerous what-about-isms and sometimes they’ll try to flat-out prove you wrong. Just remember that this is all part of the learning process. Also, get comfortable with the fact that people have different views on veganism. There are always things that will lead you to think “Maybe I’m not a vegan after all.” And maybe those things are sometimes even right. So please don’t do it for the label. Be as good as you can be, or as Gandhi said: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Veganism is not a label. It’s not a challenge. a streak, a club, or an elite. It’s a decision, and it’s been one of our best.