FAQ: The Vegan Edition

There's always a set of stock questions people have ready to roll during the holiday season to make small talk. When you're little, it's "What do you want for Christmas?" When you grow up and get serious with another human, it's "How many Thanksgivings do you have to go to?" 

This year, for me, it's "Isn't this time of year kind of a challenge?" Not because someone died or because Christmas music makes me spiral into a murderous rage, but because I've been vegan for nearly four months, and by now most of my friends and coworkers know. Of course, I've gotten a lot of other questions about my "alternative lifestyle"—which I'm happy to answer.

Where do you get your protein?

Ah, this old, well-meaning chestnut...

Plants and grains can give you all the protein you need—which is considerably less than you might be consuming now. My recommended amount is 40 grams, which I usually exceed without trying. 

Do you feel different?

Yes. Things (read: poops) are significantly more regular. I feel like I’m running faster. I'm only bloated, like, three days of the month instead of 20. I have a smug sense of moral superiority, which you all know is something I’ll do just about anything for.

Don’t you miss cheese?

Not really. And while I can't know this for certain as I quit animal products cold turkey, I suspect the omission of dairy is what's contributed most to my improved digestion. 

Can you still go out to eat?

If I couldn't life wouldn't be worth living. Lots of places offer vegan options with no modifications, and most places have things that decent choices if you make some modifications. One exception is Arby's. Fuck you, Arby's. 

That said, the husband and I are eating at home now more than ever, which is good for so many reasons—it's almost always healthier, it's definitely cheaper and cooking is empowering (or so I am told). 

Isn’t it expensive?

Vegan does not mean always organic. Meat is pricey, veggies are not. 

You don’t need to lose weight!

Vegan does not always mean healthy. Ben & Jerry's has dairy-free (vegan) pints, and while they are delicious, they're about as nutritionally void as the original stuff. Another thing that's vegan? Oreos. 

When you start eating vegan, most people assume you do it for “health reasons,” which is rapidly becoming the polite term for weight loss. While everyone I know who's stopped eating animal products has seen health improvements, there are other, hugely compelling reasons to adopt not just a vegan diet, but a vegan lifestyle. 

So now you're going to get all preachy and try to convince me to be vegan? 

Just a little. The animals used to make food for us are treated really, really badly. The free-roaming chickens and happy cows you picture in your head are not the norm. There is a ton of information out there if you don't trust me on this, but I'm not going to find it for you because thinking about it is super upsetting to me. I'm guessing it probably is for you too, but, like I did for nearly 25 years, you don't think about it too much because meat tastes good. 

Animal ethics go beyond our food—animal testing is also super depressing, and, guess what, a shit ton of companies are still doing it. In the past months I've switched to toothpaste, hand soap and deodorant that's cruelty-free. (Good thing my cosmetic and makeup faves happened to be cruelty-free.) Just like how milk and eggs somehow weasel their way into foods they have no business being in, animal testing is so prevalent that it happens for products you wouldn't think warrant it. It's not about being never ever eating or using something that may have exploited an animal, it's just about reducing your impact.

Speaking of impact, the other big reason to stop eating animals (or really, just eat less animals) is that animal agriculture is not good for Mother Earth. Do you enjoy having a planet to live on? Me too! Consider cooling it with the Big Macs. 

I'm sorry for eating this meat in front of you.

You don't have to be. For much of my life, my diet was pretty much animal products and processed bread. I only really got serious about eating more plants (that weren't potatoes) when I started running. I get it. I know giving up meat, much less all animal products, sounds really intimidating, but even reducing the amount you consume, if you're so inclined, will make a huge difference for you personally, for animals and for the planet.