Why I’m vegan

To tell you the truth, most vegans bug me.  They tend to be self-righteous and obsessive.  I think in the long run these attitudes lead to fewer people adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet, or even choosing vegetarian meals a few times a week.  From the chicken’s perspective, it looks the same when one person eats vegan all the time as when two people do half the time.

I eat an all vegan diet, and have for 8 years (with an egg eating phase when I was travelling through SE Asia for a few months).  I do it because I think that the pain and suffering that animals go through to produce food aren’t worth it.  Certainly small scale animal production is less objectionable than industrial agriculture.  For me, though, it’s still not worth it. 

For others it is.  Whether their bodies don’t do well on a vegan diet, whether they can’t afford (in terms of money or energy) high-quality vegan food, or whether they spend their energy on something else they believe in, I don’t feel it’s my place to judge.  In other words, I think it’s morally preferable to eat a vegan diet (just as I believe it’s morally preferable to not drive a car, or to give away all your money to those in need), but I don’t expect myself or anyone else to always do what is morally preferable. 

So, I cook and share as much delicious, satisfying vegan food as possible.  I believe this influences how others eat, especially if I teach them how to make the recipes.   It would make it seem like an easier choice if they do decide to “become” vegetarian or vegan, but in any case it will lead to less animal consumption. 

I don’t think being vegan should be hard, or feel like a sacrifice.  There’s plenty of tasty food for me to enjoy, and this blog is an attempt to share that food with as many as possible.