The rise of the part-time vegans

[Second Summer]

Once veganism was widely associated with animal rights activists, the health conscious and the religious. But now more and more people are dabbling with a vegan diet, albeit temporarily. Why?

To a committed carnivore, adopting a vegan diet - no meat, no fish, no dairy, no eggs - sounds like a dramatic step.

But a growing trend for giving up all animal products doesn't involve going vegan forever. Nor does it even require being morally opposed to eating meat.

Read more: The rise of the part-time vegans (Vanessa Barford, BBC News Magazine, 21 January 2014)

Nice article, although it doesn't discuss the non-diet aspect of being vegan. Veganism is not a diet.

 

[Everleigh]

Going part-time vegan is better than never going vegan at all.Once they try it, it may become something they do regularly or even make the switch permanent.I can't say I'm into people just doing it to be trendy though.Why bother if they don't make an attempt at reducing their animal consumption in some way for the long term?

 

[Amy SF]

Some omnis start a vegan diet/lifestyle half-heartedly, not seriously committing, and decide that it's too hard for them or they have no interest in committing to it for a lifetime. Or they start it knowing full well they don't want to commit for a lifetime, so they don't make a serious effort at it. And yes, if they only have an occasional vegan meal, it's better than nothing, but it's annoying when they call themselves vegan.

 

[Trinity]

I guess people have lots of different reasons for going vegan. When I went vegan 'everyone' seemed to do it because they felt compassion towards animals. It was a life commitment because they couldn't imagine causing harm to sentient life.
It seems that there are a lot more people going vegan these days with lots of different reasons, including health (which most of us, including myself discovered after feeling much healthier on a vegan diet).
It's still a bit of a shock to me that people call themselves vegan when they are clearly not - but having said that, I agree, that it's better than nothing.

 

[PTree15]

I agree that something is always better than nothing, but I, too, wish the article addressed more than the eating part of being vegan.

 

[Clueless Git]

I agree that something is always better than nothing, but I, too, wish the article addressed more than the eating part of being vegan.

Anything that reduces meat consumption reduces the number of animals raised for meat, PT.

Anything that reduces the numbers of animals raised for meat reduces the amount of animal by-products flooding onto the market.

Anything that reduces the amount of animal by-products flooding onto the market is actualy very good news for full time vegans.

 

[Clueless Git]

It's still a bit of a shock to me that people call themselves vegan when they are clearly not ...

'Vegan' was a word coined to redefine true vegetarians once too many animal product consumers (milk and eggs) hijacked the 'brand' and called themselves, as they still do to this day, vegetarians.

Pescetarians, and worse, are know hijacking the diluted vegetarian 'brand' and the vegan 'brand' is now being hijacked for a second time.

In business this would be seen as a good thing.

Once a brand (which is only a word, basicaly?) has value sell it down market and think of a new word to sell the original quality product under.

 

[spottygiraffe]

I think it's a good thing because it might raise awareness and some people might decide to go fully vegan after having tried it. I'm not too hung up about terminology, but I agree that the article would have been better using 'plant-blased' instead of vegan, because to me PB is about the diet and V is about the whole ethos.

 

[Trinity]

Hmmm so that's why so many people use the words 'plant based' now I get it (I'm catching up!)...

 

[spottygiraffe]

That's my take on it, Trinity. I think I'm probably more 'plant-based' than 'vegan' because I haven't fully made the switch with my cosmetics etc yet and if push came to shove I probably would eat a few non-vegan items such as honey and chocolate.

 

[Trinity]

That's my take on it, Trinity. I think I'm probably more 'plant-based' than 'vegan' because I haven't fully made the switch with my cosmetics etc yet and if push came to shove I probably would eat a few non-vegan items such as honey and chocolate.

I think it's wonderful that you are making a big difference anyway. I appreciate that it can be difficult in this 'very un-vegan' world... I am just a die-hard vegan although I've surrendered to the fact that it is impossible to never ever have anything to do with animal products (like I am sure there is stuff in the production of my car/my house/computer etc.). As long as we all do what we are able to, it really makes a difference.

 

[spottygiraffe]

I think it's wonderful that you are making a big difference anyway. I appreciate that it can be difficult in this 'very un-vegan' world... I am just a die-hard vegan although I've surrendered to the fact that it is impossible to never ever have anything to do with animal products (like I am sure there is stuff in the production of my car/my house/computer etc.). As long as we all do what we are able to, it really makes a difference.

I'm getting there -and it's lovely to hear that you think every little helps. Hopefully one day I will be able to call myself a die-hard vegan too. I've still got a lot of things in my house from pre-vegan days that I will try to replace with ethical products when they run out. I'm thinking about transitioning my dogs to a more veg-based diet and am looking into feeding my cats bivalves as the 'least worst' scenario, as mussels etc aren't meant to be sentient. I haven't told my husband about the dogs going veggie yet though -he will think I've really lost the plot!

 

[Trinity]

I'm getting there -and it's lovely to hear that you think every little helps. Hopefully one day I will be able to call myself a die-hard vegan too. I've still got a lot of things in my house from pre-vegan days that I will try to replace with ethical products when they run out. I'm thinking about transitioning my dogs to a more veg-based diet and am looking into feeding my cats bivalves as the 'least worst' scenario, as mussels etc aren't meant to be sentient. I haven't told my husband about the dogs going veggie yet though -he will think I've really lost the plot!

I really love cats and not knowing what to feed them stopped me sharing my home with them for about 15 years! Eventually I relented, although I find the food thing really challenging. Cats are designed by nature to eat animals... and the very adorable cat that shares our home is a hunter by nature too. Very challenging one! I think veggie dogs are more common though.

 

[spottygiraffe]

Cats are designed by nature to eat animals...

They are indeed. And we have domesticated them so we need to make sure we cater for their needs where possible. I've got 8 and they're all rescue moggies, as are my 4 dogs, so I don't feel guilty about having them. I'm also experimenting with feeding them eggs from my hens -the cats seem to like scrambled! My dogs like grain, especially corn, but I am still feeding them raw chicken wings too. I used to be able to get chicken carcasses from the butcher but it became too much hassle for him and he just throws them away now :-( I did just read that the most ethical way of feeding commercial dog food is actually to buy the absolute cheapest canned food because it is essentially abbatoir waste which would otherwise be discarded -the more expensive/organic brands contain more actual meat which inevitable means more slaughter. Sorry, everyone, this is really going O/T -feel free to move it, mods!