Animals

“[If] we all love animals, why do we call some pets and others dinner?” (K. D. Lang)

Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude all forms of exploitation and cruelty to animals. The word vegan was initially defined as a diet free of animal-based foods (such as meat, dairy products, eggs, and honey.) The word’s meaning is commonly extended to refer to non-food products such as clothing, cosmetics, and medicine that are made without animal-derived substances. Vegans also typically object to exploitative uses of animals, from animal testing to rodeos to zoos and dolphin shows. Donald Watson, a founding member of the Vegan Society, coined the term vegan in 1944 while living in the United Kingdom.

A vegan food can contain no animal ingredients. There is an enormous variety, which includes: vegetables, fruits and berries, rice, wheat, and other grains, beans, tofu, and tempeh, soy milk and nut milks, nuts and seeds, vegetable oils, coffee, palm oil, and cacao beans. In regard to applying the word vegan to food, a chocolate bar that contains one percent milk powder is absolutely not vegan. Below are the five most common myths about veganism (along with their truths):

MYTH #1: Plant protein is inherently inferior to animal protein

TRUTH: Humans have no greater need for animal proteins than do gorillas or elephants, both of whom have far bigger muscles than we do yet are plant eaters. In fact, essential amino acids actually come from plants – not animals – though they do end up in meat. Vegans who eat a variety of legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, and grains as part of a balanced diet will get more than enough protein.

MYTH #2: Vegan diets aren't safe for children

TRUTH: Children develop normally on vegan diets – and even have significant health advantages. Vegan children often eat more fruits and vegetables, and don’t develop a taste for food products (like meat and dairy) which are linked to health problems later in life. Responsible parents just need to look for natural sources of the essential vitamins and minerals, and be aware of the appropriate caloric intake by age.

MYTH: #3: Vegans care more about animals than they do about humans

TRUTH: While vegans certainly do care for animals, they are also concerned about many issues that affect humans. Veganism addresses the environmental costs of meat and dairy production along with heart disease, public health crises tied to obesity, and poor conditions in slaughterhouses where workers suffer more injuries than in any other industry. Did you know eating vegan one day a week reduces your carbon footprint even more than eating locally sourced food products all week long?

MYTH #4: Being vegan is expensive and inconvenient

TRUTH: Switching sauce on your pasta or the topping on your pizza or your order of salad is not difficult at all and it's often the cheaper option. And that's not to mention all of the delicious ethnic restaurants which are practically based on vegan foods like Indian, Ethiopian, Thai, and Vietnamese.

MYTH #5: Vegan diets are just unhealthy

TRUTH: Studies have found that vegans have lower cholesterol, Body Mass Index (BMI), and triglyceride levels than omnivores across the board. Vegans are 45% less likely to develop cancer of the blood, and 12% less likely to develop any form of cancer at all.

“People eat meat and think they will become strong as an ox forgetting that the ox eats grass.” (Pino Caruso)[i]

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[i] Sources used:

·        “5 Myths about Veganism – Debunked” by Goodnet

·        “Definition of veganism” by The Vegan Society

·        “Vegan Meaning? What is a Vegan” by Vegan.com