5 rules every vegan should break

[Jinendra Singh]

Some rules are meant to be broken. Besides breaking rules can give you that high you’ve been seeking for long – the feeling of a rebel.

A vegan lifestyle often demands discipline and an extra amount of effort like scanning every product’s ingredients list thoroughly before making any purchase (from food to shampoo), or double checking with the least-bothered- to- know waiter at your favorite restaurant if the ingredients in the sumptuous dish you are about to order are actually vegan. While some rules (like the above) should definitely never be broken, there are some rules every vegan is allowed to break every now and then.

So loosen up people, here are 5 rules that are totally okay to break as a vegan.

1. Don’t ask too many questions
We’ve always been told never to ask many questions – it can be impolite. But asking ‘why’ a few too many times about veganism is not just for the meat-eaters. It’s time to turn the tables and not let yourself be bullied by a group of meat-eaters in a restaurant, instead ask them why they choose to torture and kill animals when a meat-eating diet is not only inhumane but also not good for the planet and their health. Besides it’s high time they worry about their own heart problems and diabetes instead of questioning about our protein and Vitamin B12 levels.

2. Looking for cheese and meat alternatives
Once you stop looking for mock-meat and cheese alternatives a whole new world of food will start to reveal itself to you and trust us you are going to love it. The problem is when we restrict ourselves to meat and cheese food options, we kind of pigeonhole ourselves to the same old meals. But there is a lot beyond mock meat or cheese. For example, have you ever tried Indian masala dosas or Jordanian shrak and moutabel? The answer is, most likely, not. Our life has been revolving around the mundane pizza, cheeseburger, mock-meat sandwich, steaks or BBQ everything shutting our doors to the amazing food options out there that does not have anything to do with meat, cheese or dairy in its inherent form. It’s time to explore those.

3. Always being the one adjusting to please others
We get it, being in a society where 90% of people around you are not vegans can throw in some challenges when socializing. Whether it is family, friends or colleagues in the process of trying to fit-in it so happens that it’s always you who makes the adjustments or let go of your preferences. It’s time to change that. How about making your next family dinner a vegan affair – this way everyone gets to eat everything? Or how about trying out the new vegan place everyone is raving about on a Sunday lunch with friends? Just make sure to pick a good vegan restaurant that does not only serve salads and soups – so everyone can enjoy their meal. We call it a win-win situation.

Complete List is here

 

[silva]

Here's number 6-

Thinking that vegans are one homogeneous group and will agree with how I feel

 

[Veggie Travel Girl]

Yes to number 2
When transitioning to a vegan diet I recommend people to find alternatives to meat, eggs & dairy products. 'Mock' foods are great for this period. However a lot of these processed foods are still not very good for you and have lots of added gluten, sugar, chemicals and other ingredients that we just do not need in our bodies. Once someone has adjusted to a plant based diet I always recommend eating less processed and more whole foods. The funny thing is that once you go vegan and start experimenting, a whole world of new food opens up to you that somehow that mock fried chicken doesn't seem so appealing anymore ha ha.

 

[silva]

Yes to number 2
When transitioning to a vegan diet I recommend people to find alternatives to meat, eggs & dairy products. 'Mock' foods are great for this period. However a lot of these processed foods are still not very good for you and have lots of added gluten, sugar, chemicals and other ingredients that we just do not need in our bodies. Once someone has adjusted to a plant based diet I always recommend eating less processed and more whole foods. The funny thing is that once you go vegan and start experimenting, a whole world of new food opens up to you that somehow that mock fried chicken doesn't seem so appealing anymore ha ha.

I avoided anything resembling meat when I first quit. After a couple years of being vegetarian I went vegan and found them to be so delicious! I went from mostly wfpb with limited cheese to a vegan who ate everything vegan

 

[PTree15]

I avoided anything resembling meat when I first quit. After a couple years of being vegetarian I went vegan and found them to be so delicious! I went from mostly wfpb with limited cheese to a vegan who ate everything vegan

I did the same with cheese when I went vegan. I think it was three years before I tried a cheese alternative. I do think the vegan cheeses are fine alternatives when craving that cheesy taste and feel. But yes, there is so much good food in the world that has nothing to do with meat or cheese. Re: meat replacements, I tend to make my own most of the time, though I do buy Gardein products because they are convenient and taste pretty good.

No. 3 is a nice thought, but it really depends on the people in your life. My family, with the exception of my parents and one sister, would never want anything to do with an all-vegan meal, despite my delicious meals! So I do adjust when I dine out, but I won't eat anything that isn't vegan. I do have a couple of adventurous friends who will go with me to a vegan place once in a while, which is nice. I love not having to ask a bajillion questions when everything on the menu is vegan.