No one knows this about me… But I’m a meat-eating vegan.
Say again?
I’m a meat-eating vegan. Yes, you read that right. Whilst it is literally the most contradictory statement I could make, let me explain myself. I’ll start with an anecdote.
Nut
Strolling down the supermarket aisle, it saw me. I saw it. Chilling with the other beverages, in the fridge. Looking at it, I thought “that’s weird. Milk from nuts”. But when I took a second to think about it, I realised normal milk comes from cows, supposed to nourish their young. I did a double check, and I, still, am not a cow. It was this moment I realised that perhaps almond milk wasn’t as weird as I had believed it to be, so tried it. And it was okay. Something I can get into. Which leads me on to something else I can get behind- veganism. No one knows this about me, but I think the whole concept of veganism is incredible. That is something I never thought I would say or share, but here I am.
Explain yourself
So, why do I think veganism is the way forward? Well, according to vegans themselves, there’s about a million reasons. For me, I like the idea of a healthier planet. It definitely wouldn’t be a bad thing if there was less disease and hunger problems, and most certainly wouldn’t hurt if people got a little thinner. I think I could get behind veganism but would have to give it a real try to understand the hype. Until then, I’ll be a closet vegephillic, with my glass of almond milk. In general, though, veganism is better for the world. For individuals. For the economy. At least what I’ve heard.
Friends not food?
To me, the main factor of veganism is animal welfare, and that really got me thinking. I have a pet cat, called Tim. Would I eat him? No. Would I eat my friend’s dogs? Again, no. But would I go to a restaurant, order a 28oz steak from a cow bred to be my meal, with a hearty glass of banana milkshake? You bet. No question. Realistically, it doesn’t add up. It’s hypocritical. Whilst I know some may say, “cows aren’t domesticated, it’s different”, where I do agree with that, I do believe it is wrong. I’ve never owned a cow, but I imagine if I were given the land and the time, I would make sure it had a pretty good life. It has to be easier and less time consuming to feed it a few times a day and leave it in a field, than to lock it in a barn, force feed it, and eventually clearing up the slaughter at the end. I know what I’d rather be doing.
If at first you don’t succeed, go back to what you know
If I were to change my diet to one supporting veganism, immediately I would notice a difference. For one, I would start to be taking in more of the good stuff- potassium, vitamins, more antioxidants, and something called folate, apparently good for you. This, combined with less saturated fats, certainly won’t be any worse for me, will it? I’ve also heard the food alternatives aren’t that bad. This is the only reason I would say I’m an undercover vegan, though. I have tried a Quorn sausage. Jesus. It was horrendous- quite possibly the worst thing I’ve ever eaten. No sooner did it enter my mouth did it leave. But I didn’t feel guilty about it. Just the sausage roll I ate afterwards. Perhaps if more choices come out that actually taste appealing, it will be easier to join the trend.
Not all cape-wearers are heroes
I know it is easy for someone like me to say they agree with veganism, but it is essentially a redundant statement until something is done about it. Which, for a while, won’t be. I think overall, I would have to give it a genuine go to really understand what being a vegan is like, but for now I will prolong it. I will say though that I have been influenced by the movement, so in the meantime, in some situations I will begin to choose the better option, like my almond milk. Until Quorn resembles actual meat and tastes similar, to me, and actually entices me to eat it as opposed to vomiting it into a bin, I will have to remain in the dark supporting veganism.
