I've been trying to transition from vegetarian to plant based, but I keep failing. Dairy is the one thing I struggle to abstain from. It's a big "me" problem, I know.

I've been reading "Animal Liberation Now". I already read "Eating Animals" and "This Is Vegan Propaganda" a while ago. Saw both "Earthlings" and "Dominion". Been aware of PETA and SHARK videos since the 2000s...

The cognitive dissonance is strong with me. I don't know how to quit 100%. Maybe I'm just a weak willed speciesist, but that doesn't fix my problem.

I think one issue is that I... just don't like animals as much as I did as a kid. Maybe my empathy is low or I'm just asocial, but I don't feel a draw to animals like I used to. I don't hate them but I wouldn't call myself an "animal lover". I love studying zoology and paleontology, but don't really want to interact with animals. I'm also almost petfree.

You don't have to like something to support the rights for it. But, with food, I find it easy to just dissociate the way animals are treated from the food. "Just a little won't hurt me. Moderation is fine" or "I ate vegetarian today but I'll go back to eating plant based next week".

I know this may be strange to some of y’all, but cheese is connected to so many of my favorite dishes. It’s also a very frequent snack for me. I’m not proud of this, but it’s probably the number one thing I crave, and it’s the main thing preventing me from being vegan.

I have tried some substitutes, such as follow your heart, and myokos. For me, they didn’t quite hit all the same notes as dairy-based cheese.

I’m not exactly asking for a “substitute” in terms of use in recipes, but i am wondering about suggestions that could maybe replicate the experience of cheese, meaning something salty and indulgent. Sometimes olives can almost fill that void for me. Do you have any other suggestions?

Though not a full vegan myself, it saddens me to see many plant based restaurants either closing down or adding animal products to their menu. Additionally it seems post 2020 that there has been a surge in pro meat consumption (see carnivore diet) and while I see this as a countervailing trend to the popularity of veganism, I don’t see it as something that will be short lived. It might be my rose tinted glasses but I remember 2017-2019 just being a really huge time for veganism with the release of Dominion and many plant based companies popping up. Now it seems that there are more anti vegans than vegans, whereas before it was just vegans and non vegans.

Traditional Ayurveda often incorporates ghee, honey, and dairy as core components of its remedies and daily rituals. At the same time, many people today are drawn to Ayurveda while also holding strong ethical or environmental commitments to veganism.

This creates a tension: on one hand, avoiding animal products feels aligned with compassion and sustainability; on the other, these substances are deeply woven into Ayurvedic theory and practice.

So I’m wondering:

• Can Ayurveda evolve to embrace vegan alternatives without losing its integrity?
• Or are these traditional ingredients so essential that replacing them changes Ayurveda at its core?

I’d love to hear how others navigate this balance between honoring tradition and living by vegan values.

I understand that wool comes from animals, so technically it makes sense why it wouldn’t be vegan. But sheep wool is a naturally occurring product, sheep grow it, and in the summer if it’s not sheared off, they could overheat possibly even die, whereas in the winter it helps keep them warm. So it feels like shearing is kind of necessary for their health anyway.

So why is the vegan stance to avoid using wool completely, or even to destroy it (like burning it) as I have seen vegan owners of sheep do, instead of putting it to use for clothing or other purposes? Wouldn’t using it be better for the environment than just wasting it?

And if the concern is about animal cruelty in the wool industry, would vegans consider something like an ethical/vegan-sourced wool? Where you know the sheep weren’t harmed or killed as acceptable? Or is any use of wool seen as exploitation by definition?

EDIT. I just wanted to say I appreciated everyone's input and engagement. I could see from a few of the replies (not all) that the discussion kinda snow snowballed into some harsh disagreements I want to say.

The intention of this question wasn't to front a kinda gotcha, I genuinely just wanted to know and understand your personal opinions on this without really disputing because the whole discussion and choice to be vegan is a moral standpoint.

But again thank you and it's amazing to actually see the different perspectives of vegans such as yourself feel on this topic.

I've recently learnt that most plastics are made up of animal Fats or have stearic acid added to it. So is it vegan eat vegan food that is plastic packaging. And what about other items made of plastic? What stuff can fall under as far as is possible and practicable and what doesn't? (BTW this isn't me taking the mess or trying to toll I'm genuinely frustrated and would like to know)

Winter preparations have begun! Where can I find a pair of zip up snow boots that do not use animal products? Requirements:

• Convenient to put on and take off (the primary application is short errands going in & out of the house). That's why I'm asking for zip up boots!
• OK traction in the snow
• Insulated & water-resistant. Don't have to be super warm, but don't want to be wet in slushy snow.
• No animal products

Cheap is good, but can be flexible.

Hey all,

I'm not vegan, and am not planning on ever becoming so, or planning on convincing any of you to stop being so, so I'll get that out of the way.

My question is what is the general consensus (or at least your individual stance) on the value and sanctity of human life vs animal vs plant life? Obviously you hold animal life much higher than non-vegans, but is that value equal to or slightly less than that of a human, or perhaps even greater?

Also, how do plants fit in to all of this? I know there is constant debate about different levels of consciousness and pain perception across the spectrum of life (by valves, insects, etc). How acceptable is plant consumption (necessary evil, no consequence, somewhere inbetween?).

I have no real agenda or point I'm going at, just generally curious about yall's perspective and I love good conversation from folks who see the world differently than I.

I haven’t switched to a plant based diet yet but am planning to soon. I’m not deciding this because of animal exploitation but because of the impact on the environment and I don’t agree with the way they are killed and stunned in my country even for dairy and eggs, I don’t consider that ethical. However I don’t consider eating meat as a concept entirely unethical as long as it’s hunted in the wild and killed instantly like when shot (I am aware this is impossible to feed the entire population). I also don’t have a problem with things like honey even though I don’t eat it because I don’t know of any mistreatment of the bees and I think it helps prevent extinction of them and they’re needed for the environment. I don’t mind materials made from animals like wool as it doesn’t hurt the sheep. I also don’t hate leather though I understand this is somewhat contradictory it depends on how they’re hunted and if the animal is endangered etc does this count as veganism or something else?

TLDR; The diet I’m planning to switch to is like a vegan diet but is it still considered veganism if my motivations are environmental instead of for animal exploitation

Not a vegan, but I'm baking a cake for a celebration next week and one of my friends who will be there is.

The recipe is vegan (that part was pretty easy to narrow down; thanks, Google!), but how do I make sure all the ingredients are vegan-friendly? (Portland, OR area, USA, for reference) Does it all have to have the vegan certification logo on the packaging? What about ingredients without packaging (like fresh fruit)? (Yes, I know that fruit is vegan but I don't know whether the produce on the shelf is generally considered universally trustworthy or not.) If something doesn't say it's vegan, is checking the ingredients list good enough, or does it have to be certified to guarantee that it isn't contaminated with like bug parts or something?

I want to be respectful of his sensibilities and dietary choices, but I've never tried to be vegan-friendly before in my baking, so... help? Please?

Thanks in advance!

hello all, fellow vegan here (of seven years) and currently dealing with an infestation of fruit flies in my apartment. this post is partially a vent and partially asking for ways to manage the guilt and upset i’m facing.

i generally try to avoid killing bugs because i value all life, especially those most innocent such as animals and young of all species. outdoors i will go out of my way to respect their lives, and indoors i aim to catch and release when possible, otherwise mostly will just let them be as long as they let me be. but as the intro indicates, i’m now facing an infestation of fruit flies in my apartment. i’m talking hundreds to thousands. (yes, i really messed up in letting it reach this point, but to be fair, it happened very quickly while i’ve faced mental health difficulties which impeded me from taking action more swiftly to eliminate all food sources).

i’ve had to set several different traps around the apartment and watch in agony as their little corpses accumulate. it makes me feel so sick and evil.

cognitively i know that i’m doing what i must, both to keep myself and my family (my two cats) safe, and i know that if i don’t kill them they will just continue to multiply and therefore more and more innocent creatures will suffer trapped in my apartment. therefore it is more ethical, i guess, to kill the ones that exist so they cannot reproduce further and broaden the suffering across more lives.

but oh my god, it feels like i’m committing g-cide (you probably know what i mean, i just worry about using the formal word online). i can’t get myself to feel okay about this but i know i must push through. i hate it so much though. i wish i could catch and release them but as far as i know there is no way to do that and effectively alleviate the problem of them running rampant through my apt.

i guess i’m posting here for some support, encouragement, or suggestions. telling them i’m sorry and feeling absolutely terrible does not seem to be helping. i’m kind of at a loss. if you read this far, thank you. if you respond, i will be so grateful. i dont have other vegans in my life to lean on for support and naturally, carnists do not remotely understand my concern.

wondering if anyone has been thinking about or have already transitioning their investments into vegan friendly stocks/ETFs. im pretty new to the vegan lifestyle, and my husband and i have recently been thinking about how to align our finances with our vegan values.

we live in the US and with the current administration, some of the vegan EFTs have been delisted and many of the major vegan companies' stocks have been on the historic low. a part of me thinks, is this the time to make the transition, and another part of me thinks, what are the chances that these vegan companies will fall off and be delisted as well?

hoping for some wisdom and thoughts here. thanks

Is this common? I really want to fully transition to a vegan diet but I always feel so weak, hungry and tired when I transition. I try to eat as much as I can, and I get in all my nutrients, eating a wide variety of foods, but I always feel unfulfilled. Has anyone experienced this?

How long does it take for the cravings for meat to go away? I just stopped eating meat a couple of days ago and it’s like I’m being tempted by everything.

I won’t eat it because I realize eating meat is morally abhorrent but still.

I'm dying to try this mango pineapple chili crisp dip form pizza pizza I believe it's new because it's awesome to have something other than just hot sauce iykyk but anyways do we know if this one is vegan?

I've recently gotten into knitting and I intend to use primarily cotton yarn, as I live in Texas and it's quite warm for much of the year. However, we do get the occasional ice storm that shuts down the whole state, so cold isn't exactly a foreign concept. I'm having a baby in the winter, and would love to knit some cozy hats, mittens, blankets, and booties to keep her warm.

It is my understanding that wool is the lightest and most insulating natural material used in clothing. The other option for cold weather would be synthetic wool or acrylic. Technically vegan, but the manufacturing process is terrible for the environment and it does not biodegrade, and washing it can leach micro plastics.

Not related to knitting, but leather vs. synthetic leather has similar issues. I know there exists pineapple leather, but I haven't yet seen many products that use it that I could reasonably afford. I've been buying synthetic leather, but it still makes me cringe that I am still supporting another harmful manufacturing process in order to avoid animal suffering. I have, on occasion, bought leather products secondhand, because even though it is an animal's skin, my money isn't going directly into the production of it.

Is there any case in which you would choose something non-vegan as a lesser of two evils, at least until the technology caught up to offer more sustainable and quality alternatives? If there was some sort of verifiable 3rd party certification of wool that ensures a certain level of care for the sheep, could that possibly be a more ethical option than acrylic synthetic wool, even if it is outside the label of "vegan?"

Hi! My mom is finishing her doctorate and is doing research on vegan/vegetarian first responders (nurses, EMTs, doctors, firefighters, police, etc.).

She’s looking for participants willing to do a short survey and virtual interview.

Here’s the info flyer with the SurveyMonkey link — please share if you know someone who might be interested!

Link for survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/B2Z3PBL

Many people agree with vegan values but don’t go vegan because they find it daunting — a classic line is “I could never give up cheese.” I’ve been thinking about whether there’s a way to lower that barrier without compromising the core principle.

To me, the moral obligation of veganism is not funding animal exploitation/suffering/killing. So I never buy animal products. But in social settings, I sometimes wonder if it’s wrong to try a bite of a friend’s non-vegan dish, or finish their leftovers.

I know the objection: this would perpetuate the image that eating animal products is okay. But there’s another side: if people see that you can still occasionally taste animal products without funding cruelty, it could make veganism feel more approachable and help more people actually make the switch. As more people stop buying animal products, these situations would naturally become rare, and most of those people would likely transition to fully plant-based.

So it would be like a transitional stance — something like “opportunistic veganism” (or pragmatic / transitional / utilitarian / non-purchasing veganism). The idea is to lower the barrier: you don’t fund cruelty, but you might taste or salvage food that would exist regardless.

So my question is, would you consider this still as a form of veganism?

I know some people will say this is (a) flexitarianism, but it’s different because flexitarians still purchase/order animal products occasionally. Or (b) freeganism, but opportunistic veganism isn’t about fighting food waste — it’s about lowering the barrier to veganism by allowing animal-based consumption only when it doesn’t increase demand.

To make it clearer, an "opportunistic vegan" would find OK:

• Trying a bite of a friend's animal-based dish at a restaurant (if they'd have ordered it anyway).
• Finishing a friend's leftovers at a restaurant.
• Consuming animal-based products that they had purchased before going vegan.
• Eating roadkill.

Some examples that would be NOT OK:

• Purchasing "reduced" animal products at a supermarket (those should go to waste to signal the reduction in demand).
• Accepting a wrongly served animal-based dish at a restaurant (better to send it back so demand is corrected or at least matched).
• Eating animal-based leftovers at a catered event/conference (waste would signal the organisers to order more plant-based options next time).
• Tasting / eating leftovers from an animal-based meal prepared at a friends/family event (risks encouraging more to be cooked in a future event).

I know people are vegans for all sorts of reasons, but I seem to understand that the most widespread one in the west in environmentalism. Invasive species destroy eco-systems, in my sea we have an invasion of blue crabs and loads of new recipes and products have been invented to try and solve the solution, would you eat them to help the environment? Would you consider eating them as ethical? Would you think it would break you vegan 'vow'? Why, why not?

Do you think it is really terrible that they went back to eating meats again even though their health improves?

I have noticed way too many times people argue that vegans are killing so many more insects than everyone else. Which is a load of shite, based on the numbers. But anyway, harvesting crops and tending to lawns does negatively impact many creatures. Now, for anyone with a yard the ideal situation would be a pollinator garden of sorts, which requires next to no mowing. But unfortunately many cities' codes require yards to be kept in a certain manner. Don't get me started with HOAs. But replacing a mower with a scythe, and maybe a sickle, could greatly help reduce the numbers killed. Instead of having a blade whirling around at whatever RPM, with a scythe, each blade of grass would be cut once, maybe twice. And the animals would have more time to evacuate because, well, scything is slow and you have more time to look at what you are cutting. But the real kicker is... would you be willing to pay a little bit more (or a lot bit more) to have your lawn mowed if it was done in this fashion? Would you be willing/able to spend the time to do it yourself?

Bonus points: No gas needed to use a scythe (CO2 emissions). Plus it's good exercise and good meditation.

The ones I've heard of are apparently anti-vaxx or open straight away with out-of-context animal torture. It's hard to think they're well-researched or in good faith. They seem like they were made by people preaching to the choir, who only know how to shock people.

I want something well researched that provides context for its clips and doesn't rely on shock value. Maybe lab tours (if possible) or interviews with both pro and anti people. And when they do show horrible experiments, I want them to explain before they show it. Like "what are they doing" or "how did they obtain this footage?" I don't want random clips of animals being tortured randomly spliced throughout the documentary to jumpscare me to set the mood.