US 6 percent of US Americans identify as vegans

Second Summer

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
Reaction score
8,595
Location
Oxfordshire, UK
Lifestyle
  1. Vegan
More and more studies are showing that industrial animal agriculture is one of the largest drivers for some pretty serious environmental issues today. Saying nothing about the cruelties of the industry and the disastrous effects these food items can wreak on our personal health, consuming meat in the quantities that we do is impacting the environment on a global scale.

But there is good news. People are waking up to the disastrous effects of the animal agricultural industry. For the past few decades, meat consumption in the U.S. has seen a steady decline. According to recent studies, 30 percent of Americans are not only leaving meat off their plates but also seeking out plant-based meat alternatives.
More: 6 Percent of Americans Now Identify as Vegan – Why This Is a Huge Deal for the Planet (27. June 2017)
 
I don't know where they got their data but I would say it's over optimistic. Some people say that they are vegan and they eat cheese etc.
 
I don't know where they got their data but I would say it's over optimistic. Some people say that they are vegan and they eat cheese etc.
I only know three other self-proclaimed "vegetarians" in this town (not well), and they eat fish.... :yuck: :dismay:
 
At my nephew's wedding, I was seated next to a cousin. When the server was checking to make sure I was the guest getting the vegetarian meal, I mentioned to him that she (*pointing to my cousin*) was also vegetarian, at which point my cousin added, "But I also eat fish." I was definitely a little po'd by that.
 
I'm definitely coming across many more "sloppy" vegans these days. And I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. Seems like when I first started this (12 years ago next Wednesday :)), the vegans I knew (irl and online) were very strict - or at least presented themselves as very strict. Now however, I find there are so many people who are open to eating and ordering vegan food but who really don't want to be religious about it. And I think that's fine. I'm certainly not as strict as I used to be.
 
I'm definitely coming across many more "sloppy" vegans these days. And I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. Seems like when I first started this (12 years ago next Wednesday :)), the vegans I knew (irl and online) were very strict - or at least presented themselves as very strict. Now however, I find there are so many people who are open to eating and ordering vegan food but who really don't want to be religious about it. And I think that's fine. I'm certainly not as strict as I used to be.

What's a sloppy vegan ? :p
 
I was a very strict vegan for 6.5 years (going as far as avoiding palm oil also, buying fair trade bananas, coffee, chocolate, and strict in nonfood aspects) but am now vegetarian as far as diet goes, while maintaining vegan standards as far as nonfood items (and no I do not eat fish lol). Quite a few people do not stay vegan but many of those people do maintain some sort of decrease in animal products. My sister was vegan for two years but is now mostly vegetarian but very occasionally eats meat when eating out (which is rare for her). My Dad is a meat eater but drinks almond milk exclusively and avoids dairy (due to digestive issues). There were 118 vegans in my local Vegan Meetup group (which has now disbanded due to lack of leadership) but a few of them said they were strict vegetarians, not vegans (still wore old leather or didn't avoid ingredients like honey or chose vegetarian options when eating out if there was nothing vegan).

I went to the Vegan Butcher shop in Minneapolis about a year ago and was told that 50% of the customers that went there were meat eaters, so the interest in plant based products is not limited to vegans. :)
 
I was a very strict vegan for 6.5 years (going as far as avoiding palm oil also, buying fair trade bananas, coffee, chocolate, and strict in nonfood aspects) but am now vegetarian as far as diet goes, while maintaining vegan standards as far as nonfood items (and no I do not eat fish lol). Quite a few people do not stay vegan but many of those people do maintain some sort of decrease in animal products. My sister was vegan for two years but is now mostly vegetarian but very occasionally eats meat when eating out (which is rare for her). My Dad is a meat eater but drinks almond milk exclusively and avoids dairy (due to digestive issues). There were 118 vegans in my local Vegan Meetup group (which has now disbanded due to lack of leadership) but a few of them said they were strict vegetarians, not vegans (still wore old leather or didn't avoid ingredients like honey or chose vegetarian options when eating out if there was nothing vegan).

I went to the Vegan Butcher shop in Minneapolis about a year ago and was told that 50% of the customers that went there were meat eaters, so the interest in plant based products is not limited to vegans. :)

What is a vegan butcher ? I thought that a butcher was solely a meat one.

I also tried to be a vegan for a few months and it didn't quite work out for me.
 
I'm definitely not as strict about everything I buy or eat, to the point I don't identify as vegan, but most likely will say "lean towards vegan", or mostly vegan. It kinda upsets me to hear people on forums go on about missing trace things, or throwing away food because they didn't realize it had honey or something. Even more, the ones who try and make whole food plant based diets the imperitive for being vegan! That's all good, but when the goal is reducing the number of animals lives people ruin, it's more about the overall demand than what you put in your mouth. I used to feel upset when I'd see people with soy milk and other vegan options, and then notice the fish or meat, but now I realize that's a significant difference. We'll never win the battle over food choices if people aren't interested in changing.

This morning I turned the tv on the Today Show to hear coming up- can you tell the difference between ( I think Beyond meat burger) this plant based burger and one with beef? The big difference noted was the looks by the two women who tried it, but they both liked it and the the one leading the segment said he'd been buying them for the last six months. That means they'll be in restaurants- that means less meat, and that means less meat.
I think a big reason I took to being vegetarian was having so options growing up. My elementary school served soy burgers and I liked them better than any meat burger

As much as the trend of whole food plant based is helping, I also feel it's hurting. It's not just eating animal products that contribute to SAD, yet so many "health" vegans demonize vegan choices. I mean many people will eat vegan if it's comparible to food they like. Can you say french fries and bean burgers?

I also feel it's as important to buy fair trade esp for particular things like coffee, chocolate, and I ever bought clothes, organic cottons. Avoiding chemicals, insecticides....
 
I'm definitely coming across many more "sloppy" vegans these days. And I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. Seems like when I first started this (12 years ago next Wednesday :)), the vegans I knew (irl and online) were very strict - or at least presented themselves as very strict. Now however, I find there are so many people who are open to eating and ordering vegan food but who really don't want to be religious about it. And I think that's fine. I'm certainly not as strict as I used to be.

I love how veganism gets compared to religion like it's some type of cult. It seems like this happens all the time and I think when people say they don't want to be religious about something, they are basically saying they don't have enough self-discipline to follow their very weak beliefs. If you truly believe eating animals is wrong, whether it's due to killing them or for your health, you won't do it, no matter how much peer pressure you run into.

The world needs more people willing to lead with example and action, not words. This goes for vegans, too. I get those making the move to veganism cannot always go full throttle from day one, but once you're there, you shouldn't slip, if your beliefs are strong enough. However, we are human and not perfect, so slipping will happen. It should NEVER be rationalized, though.

Get the beliefs first, and then become vegan or it won't stick, which is the case with anything worth doing in this world.