r/AskVegans Aug 18 '23

META Community Guideline: Revulsion ≠ Downvote

78 Upvotes

Do not downvote simply because you find a post repulsive or stupid. In fact, you should do the opposite. We want as many non-vegans to see our answers as possible, and Reddit post visibility is predicated on upvotes. When you downvote a post, it means you want as few people as possible exposed to this sub.

Did the OP ask a question respectfully & genuinely? (And no, simply being a non-vegan question does not make it disrespectful or disingenuous.) Then don't downvote it.

Most of us weren't always vegan. Hence the reason for our sub: so people can understand our views and hopefully adopt them.

Do not turn this into another DebateAVegan voting system. If you are in the habit of downvoting non-vegan posts simply for being non-vegan, stop or leave the sub please.

If someone asks a clearly disingenuous question like ''why you all like murdering plants?'', report the post under Rule 10, then scroll past it.

If someone asks questions that are indicative of what we know typical non-vegan societal rhetoric to be, on a sub whose purpose is for non-vegans to ask us questions, downvoting just shows us vegans to be hostile. People are put on the defensive over a meaningless downvote, setting them up to close themselves off to hearing what we have to say. This hurts the animals.

We should ensure that if people are going to be closed off to veganism, it is not due to a downvote.


r/AskVegans 3h ago

Genuine Question (DO NOT DOWNVOTE) Is veganism a moral ideology or rational which is backed by science, or both?

5 Upvotes

I think veganism is currently backed by research and studies done which may have been done because

a) To evaluate current dominant food choice's impact on environment

b) to develop/research for better choices for humanity.

c) to conduct research because non vegan choices affect people and such research helps overall conduct of society.

Is most of what is pushed on to general public just moralism?

I am unclear here. Lot of discourse whenever it is outside vegan spaces, we only get to see moral arguments repeated over and over. While research and study links disappears in threads.

While it is also true most people won't read full research papers word by word (including me) .

I have linked three conversations I have found which I want people here to talk on about.

https://www.reddit.com/r/librandu/s/qwDNJpdQMV

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultraleft/s/GS1aoZoBRo

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultraleft/s/xhCQjt1U6h

In the first conversation which I myself had with someone who claimed it was moralism rather than rational where despite soya chunks being cheaper and thus much better way to combat malnutrition in poorer countries than egg/milk.

Common thing among such conversation mentioned here is that veganism is just a part of moral activism.

In India, vegetarian (without egg) upper caste people have oppressed and have historically looked down upon those who are non vegetarians and continues to do so. Since india is a diverse country with multiple cultures and traditions formed from different life experience through generations, some upper caste do consume non veg food and thus have an conflict , wherein a discourse on normalcy and how food choices doesn't make them inferior.

In such a country, do you think veganism will always be unpopular due to it resembling such cultural discrimination for them or it being just a moral take, despite veganism having nothing to do with such traditional values.

Now shifting the conversation, do you think veganism includes both moralism and rationalism.

Because objectivity has no bias. Pardon my ignorance, will veganism stay as an upcoming cultural shift, if studies show veganism isn't the right choice for overall survival/advancement of human civilization . Do you think veganism can still be the poplular choice due to it's moral values .

Where animal suffering and exploitation is an objective truth, why don't people claiming veganims as moral ideology, not see their own moral values formed from cultural upbringing and traditions and deny empirical data.

Do you think ethics and morals which is formed from rational scientific framework needs to change constantly due to nature of science. If yes, then how to make such changes easier where people have emotional attachment to culture they have grown with.

Thanks


r/AskVegans 22h ago

Genuine Question (DO NOT DOWNVOTE) What made you vegan and how did you make that change?

20 Upvotes

I’m just curious as I’m looking into Veganism/vegetarianism and I wanna understand other people’s experiences


r/AskVegans 2d ago

Ethics thoughts on keeping reptiles?

5 Upvotes

i'm working on becoming a vegan, and i keep reptiles i have 2 geckos and 2 snakes, they are captive bred so putting them in the wild is not an option. i have to feed my snakes frozen thawed rats or mice, these rodents are killed using co2. and for my geckos, one eats live bugs because dead ones don't contain enough nutrients for the geckos, the other eats a fruit puree mixed with bug parts (honestly not sure how dead bugs is fine for one but not the other) and i want thoughts on that. also how do yall feel about cats since they're obligate carnivores?


r/AskVegans 1d ago

Health What's your opinion on people who need or can't without animal products?

0 Upvotes

Medically speaking. Like having specific medical conditions where you can't really put off animal products.


r/AskVegans 2d ago

Health Is it true that vegan (plant) based protein powders contain significantly higher amounts of heavy metals, lead, cadmium, etc., than whey? Are there good vegan (plant) based options that do not have these issues?

13 Upvotes

It also seems from the Consumer Reports article and the class action lawsuit against Costco that organic varieties tend to have MORE lead in them than non organic kids, somehow, and that chocolate flavors have more than vanilla (die to cocoa beans absorbing a lot more from the ground and more being used to flavor than vanilla.


r/AskVegans 1d ago

Genuine Question (DO NOT DOWNVOTE) What kind of shaming can work on people, if it ever works at all?

0 Upvotes

r/AskVegans 2d ago

Other Is your job vegan friendly?

23 Upvotes

Wondering to the vegans out there, do you work a job that you’d consider it vegan friendly? Wondering how you feel about it and if it’s difficult to maintain a life overall that is vegan.

To the mods out there, sorry I don’t know what flair to use.


r/AskVegans 2d ago

Genuine Question (DO NOT DOWNVOTE) what's the easiest way to start eating more plant-based, even if i'm not fully committing to vegan yet?

10 Upvotes

genuinely curious about this. not looking to go fully vegan right away, more just want to ease into eating more plant-based without it being a huge shock to my routine. what worked for you when you were starting out, or what do you wish someone told you early on?


r/AskVegans 3d ago

Genuine Question (DO NOT DOWNVOTE) How do I navigate discussions about animal welfare brought about by non-vegans?

14 Upvotes

I’m trying to be careful about how I articulate this because it’s been an uncomfortable feeling.

I’ve been vegan for a less than a year. Before making the transition, I (like a lot of non-vegans) strongly opposed things like horse races and animal circuses. Since going vegan, I’ve found myself appearing apathetic when non-vegans talk about opposing these things. It’s been really hard for me to discuss more “mainstream” animal welfare causes with people because 1. my opposition to those things is now very intertwined to my opposition to all kinds of animal exploitation and 2. those things feel like a drop in the bucket compared to things like animal agriculture, which most people who oppose those things still support.

I guess I’m asking two things here. How do talk about animal welfare with non-vegans? And how do you stop yourself growing apathetic to “smaller” instances of animal exploitation?


r/AskVegans 3d ago

Genuine Question (DO NOT DOWNVOTE) Does anyone feel like it's the inconvenience that holds back most people and even causes some vegans to leave veganism?

25 Upvotes

I'm transitioning to be vegan. I don't have a plan on when I should be vegan. So, maybe I should?

I don't live in a big city, thus I can't easily get vegan meat. But plant milks are so ubiquitous, they're so widely available.

Regardless, I'm okay with not eating mock meats. I can get used to eating only plant meals. But oh my is it hard to navigate my life now.

Since I'm not in a big city, forget about eating out or ordering take outs. Will I have to only eat home cooked meals and always bring my own lunch when I become vegan? Will I be missing out on potlucks? And potlucks are very common here. The last time I had a potluck was last month.

Honestly, it's the only thing that keeps me in the transitioning period and holds me back from being vegan. Now that I got a glimpse of what it's like, I started to feel like it's one of the reasons veganism isn't growing fast.

Though, it's kind of ironic because if a lot of people became vegan, it would actually make the vegan lifestyle much easier to adhere to and being vegan would be convenient.

What do you think? Is it really mostly the taste of real meat, cheese and eggs that holds people back?


r/AskVegans 3d ago

Other What are your favorite vegan cheese?

5 Upvotes

I am just making the transition from vegetarian (on and off for 12 years - but 2 years strong right now) and am looking for vegan cheeses that are actually good. I love cheese and it’s probably what kept me from going fully vegan but I’m ready now and need good recommendations for ALL kinds of cheeses.

I like the generic Kroger brand shredded plant based cheddar and the dairy-free bourison, but tried Philadelphia plant based cream cheese and it’s FOUL.


r/AskVegans 2d ago

Genuine Question (DO NOT DOWNVOTE) Why do vegans target individuals?

0 Upvotes

Isn't animal abuse (specifically factory farming) more of a systemic problem?

Not to mention, the rate at which veganism is growing seems to indicate that targeting individuals doesn't effect any significant change.

Edit: My point is that trying to change individuals seems very ineffective, at least from my perspectives. At this rate, how long is it going to take to achieve your goals?


r/AskVegans 3d ago

Genuine Question (DO NOT DOWNVOTE) How to stop feeling so much rage?

15 Upvotes

I can’t help that I feel a lot of rage in my body when I see meat or halal meat like my parents buy sometimes. I just wish I could be more kind to them in my brain but I get so frustrated and get awful thoughts about them.


r/AskVegans 3d ago

Genuine Question (DO NOT DOWNVOTE) Do you think it was possible for people in ancient times to be vegan or come close?

3 Upvotes

I've been thinking about the history of veganism a lot lately. I think it's a recent philosophy even though there are records of people that didn't eat animals out of love for them even in history. But the way we see veganism today is a modern invention. Imagine if I were living in ancient egypt or mesopotamia or in a precolonial african society. Do you think it would've been possible for someone to be completely vegan or even come close? Eating is one thing but animals were so intertwined into every aspect of life and it wouldn't have been possible to be completely vegan in such a place (at least imo and from what I know.) And if someone were leaving in such a society and didn't eat animals but still wore animal skin and wool, would you consider them vegan through a modern lense? They did what they could to adhere to the principles at the time. And do you think they would've been able to get their nutritional needs met? Really curious to hear your thoughts. And if anyone can point me to recs about historical veganism, I'd really appreciate it


r/AskVegans 3d ago

Genuine Question (DO NOT DOWNVOTE) M22 and F21. My girlfriend wants our future kids to be vegan, I’m not sure I do

0 Upvotes

My girlfriend and I are both in our early 20s and have been together for nearly 4 years. I love her more than anything, and we’ve always had a great relationship.
She’s been vegan since she was a child, and her entire family is strictly vegan. I’m not vegan, and while I respect her beliefs, I don’t think I’ve ever seriously considered becoming vegan for life.
Yesterday we had a conversation about our future.
I asked her if she wanted our future children to be vegan, and she said yes, or at the very least vegetarian. She feels strongly about that.
We also talked about children in general. She said she wants to adopt rather than give birth. She did tell me she’s recently been questioning whether she wants to give birth and isn’t 100% sure anymore, but she’s still firm about wanting our children to be vegan/vegetarian.
The problem is that I’m kind of the opposite. I think I’d like to have biological children one day, and I’m also not sure I want to raise them vegan. I don’t know if these are dealbreakers or if we’re just overthinking things this early in life.
I’m considering trying a vegan diet for a month to see how it feels.
Has anyone been in a relationship where you had major differences like this? Did you find compromises that actually worked, or did you eventually realize your long-term goals just weren’t compatible?
I’d really appreciate honest advice, especially from people who have experience with vegan/non-vegan relationships or disagreements about how to raise children.

TL;DR: My girlfriend and I have been together for almost 4 years and love each other, but we’re starting to realize we may have different visions for the future. She’s firmly committed to raising future children vegan/vegetarian and has always wanted to adopt, while I think I’d prefer biological children and I’m not sure I want to raise them vegan. I’m considering trying veganism for a month to better understand her lifestyle, but I’m worried about whether these differences are things couples can realistically compromise on or if they’re fundamental incompatibilities.


r/AskVegans 4d ago

Health What am I supposed to eat as a type 2 diabetic now?

10 Upvotes

Hello, I'm feeling really lost and discouraged. Recently I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I was absolutely shocked since I've been vegan for forever. And yet my fasting glucose and A1C were so high, I'm not even prediabetic but full blown type 2. My doctor gave me a prescription for a glucose monitor and told me to start pricking my finger and testing every day. How can I have become diabetic while vegan? All I have ever heard is a vegan diet is the healthiest diet! So how can this happen?? I didn't even go vegan as a teen for my health, I did it for the animals and my good health was just a bonus! But now I can't even claim I have good health. What am I supposed to eat when my whole diet is carbs and carbs are driving my sugar up? Really worried I can't be vegan anymore.


r/AskVegans 4d ago

Genuine Question (DO NOT DOWNVOTE) Experiences/Thoughts relating to the ‘You’re too fat to be vegan’ narrative

33 Upvotes

As a plus size vegan (of 6+ years), a lot of the time I tell someone I’m vegan they really seem to doubt it. And whenever I come around with food they go all deceive mode trying to figure out what animal product I put in it bc there’s NO WAY I could be vegan. And if that food I’m eating is mock meat, just egg, or vegan cheese… saddle up! I try not to feel the need to prove myself, but when they interrogate my lunch it’s a lil hard to not feel… inadequate. I’ve lost 80lbs, gained 80lbs, and now lost +60lbs being vegan. It’s not about what you eat- it’s about how many calories! A pretty cool upside to gaining all my weight back was getting able to compare my blood work… and it’s SO MUCH BETTER of course. Anyways, anyone else out there experience this? If so, any tips/thoughts?


r/AskVegans 3d ago

Genuine Question (DO NOT DOWNVOTE) How horrible do vegans think meat eating is?

0 Upvotes

Do vegans really think non-vegans are murderers?


r/AskVegans 4d ago

Genuine Question (DO NOT DOWNVOTE) How would yall feel if we had "synthetic meats" like from the game cyberpunk77 ?

0 Upvotes

In cyberpunk lore. "Real" Meat is almost extinct and what people buy in the place where the game is located. Night City

All the burritos, sushi, burgers, and NC Citizens are eat is actually S.C.O.P. "single cell organic protein." Keep it short, synthetic goop that tastes like any meat you want it to be. Fishy, pork, beef, chicken

These goop are made of groundworms and insects in protein farms outside of the city. They also grow the soy and algea where most of the vegetarian options come from

Let's say we have this or at least something like it as our meat substitute for wherever you guys are. Would you support it? On board with it?

Every meat is lab grown and synthetic. No "animals" are killed or kept to be harvested. And maybe not EXACTLY Like how those are made in cyberpunk, but other ways as well


r/AskVegans 4d ago

Ethics Poll for cat owners! What do you feed them?

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/AskVegans 5d ago

Ethics What are your views on ex vegans?

33 Upvotes

I think it's interesting to look at someone's mind and go "so that's why you're vegan".

But I also find it interesting to see why people decide "on second thought,I don't want to be vegan anymore"

What do you think?


r/AskVegans 5d ago

Genuine Question (DO NOT DOWNVOTE) Vegan biologists and scientists, how do you cope with having to test on animals?

16 Upvotes

Not all scientists work with animals but if you do, how do you cope with it? Did you end up leaving? I'm not a biologist yet but it's been my lifelong dream. I want to work in immunology or microbiology and help develop cures for diseases. But a significant part of that is animal testing. I'm against it but if I do go into this line of work, I know there's not much I can do about it. Do you have any ways to work around it? If I'm completely morally and ethically against this, should I try and work in a different field all together?


r/AskVegans 5d ago

Genuine Question (DO NOT DOWNVOTE) Is it common for vegans to resent non-vegans?

22 Upvotes

I think this question is for vegans who know a lot of other vegans.

I'm very new to both Reddit and veganism, so maybe the negativity I've been seeing is just a Reddit thing.

Basically, I've seen quite a few posts on r/vegan about vegans feeling angry at random strangers or resenting their family. If this is true, is it just subconscious and unintentional feelings and emotions?

Before you call me out. No, I'm not vegan, in the sense that I'm still transitioning.

I might want to reach out to other vegans in the future. If it's mostly negativity, I might as well just be vegan by myself.


r/AskVegans 4d ago

Health Is it wrong to stop being vegan for health reasons?

0 Upvotes

New to Reddit but wanted to post here because it’s something I’ve been struggling with. I’m not an ex-vegan yet, but I fear I’m on the way. I’ve been vegan for 19 years for ethical reasons. I’m in my late thirties and became a mom last year and that’s what changed my thought process.

I gave birth and everything seemed fine, still had every and felt like my normal self. After 3 months, while breastfeeding my kid they had sensitivities to things I was having in my diet like:soy, legumes, wheat, corn, caffeine all nuts etc. I was so determined to breastfeed my kid that I cut all of those things out. I was surviving on fruits, veggies and fava bean tofu for 4 months. I lost like 15 pounds in that time and I’m already a petite person.

Fast forward to 11 months postpartum and finally got my period back. Few months later my hair started to break off like crazy with mid shaft breakage, felt exhausted all the time and just out of it. Went to the doc and turned out my ferritin levels dropped by 30 points in 4 months. Breastfeeding is very demanding on iron stores and resuming my period didn’t help. I did some research on my own and realized as a vegan for 19 years I’ve been neglecting my nutritional status. I ate a very well rounded diet, used nooch frequently and took vitamin d religiously. I never supplemented iron or omega-3 religiously.

Breastfeeding and pregnancy showed the big gaping holes in vegan nutrition. I’m stopping breastfeeding in the coming weeks now that my baby is ready and I assume my nutrition will improve. I’m disappointed that none of my doctors told me as a vegan Mom that I could expect to have this sort of experience. My doc didn’t even think to check my omega-3 levels which I did on my own and they were abysmally low.

I have been raising my child as an omnivore so far and that’s something I also struggle with. Her pediatrician recommends it and says it’s easier to go from Omni to vegan later in life than the opposite.

I guess I’m just writing this as a tired nutritionally depleted mom to say if your preggo and vegan lurking in this thread, maybe rethink it for at least while you’re postpartum.