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Lenore atlarge....

On being vegan

I became a vegetarian in 1989 and a vegan in 1990. I was motivated initially by a university friend who was a vegetarian. He was not a crusader, but his example and his observations made a huge impact on my attitudes towards animals and the environment.

A vegetarian is a person who does not eat animal flesh: beef, fish, poultry, lamb or pork. Anyone who says they are a vegetarian and adds that they eat chicken is not a vegetarian! A vegan does not eat any animals or their products: no beef or dairy, no poultry or eggs, no fish or seafood, no pork. My friends and I often explain that we do not eat anything that had a face.

As a vegan, I do not eat:

milk, yoghurt, cheese, cream cheese, cottage cheese, etc.
egg noodles
cakes (they have egg)
most margarines (they contain whey and other cow by-products)
most soy cheeses (they contain casein, another cow by-product)
ju jubes, jello, wine gums, etc. (contain glycerin or gelatin, which comes from animal bones)

As a vegan, I do eat:

grains, rice, lentils, and beans
fruits and vegetables
olive and vegetable oils
sugar! (Many people think that because I am a vegan I must be a health freak. As long as a treat doesn't contain an animal product, I'll eat it! Many processed cookies do not contain milk products, but they might contain chemicals. That's OK by me.)

I am a vegan for one reason: I do not believe in the incarceration and murder of animals. Humans who live in the "Western" or "developed" world have no need for animal products, as we can obtain sufficient food for nourishment. I would never condemn a race that hunted animals in the wild and used the entire animal for nourishment and tools. I do not include hunting for sport, or with guns and technological equipment, in this category of hunting "in the wild". Farming, particularily the factory farming of the West, is unacceptable.

There are additional benefits to being vegan: a diet that does not include animal products is low in fat and proteins, both of which contribute to heart disease and other ailments. Vegetables have lower concentrations of damaging chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Vegetarians have a lower risk for cancer and osteoporosis. Animal farming also uses a great deal of natural resources--grains, water, and land. Consuming an animal-free diet means there is more food for everyone: 40% of the worl's cereal crops go to feeding livestock, yet 10 acres of land used to grow soya beans provides protein for 60 people.

If you're looking for information about vegetarianism, Robbins' book Diet for a New America is a clear and simple, gentle, moving account of the reasons and benefits of being a herbivore.

And if you're looking for recipes, I have plenty to share.