'obsessive' veganism? (opinions wanted)

[beforewisdom]

+1

People like their game changing heros dead in the past and their conformists alive in the present. If people don't speak up things don't change and sometimes that means being in a awkward situation.

[Gastroplodder]

Yes you're both right of course - those awkward situations are often a great chance to get the vegan message across if handled properly.

Sorry xrodolfox - I'm hanging on to the cash for the beer fund

[the crazyest vegan]

I guess in my case it helps to never drink any alcohol in the first place. The chances of water not being vegan are quite small.

You obviousely have not read this http://consumerist.com/2010/08/new-york ... hrimp.html


A good idea, might be to ask your auntie to make it with you because you want to learn how to make it yourself and then you can correct any mistake's she might be making, just dont be an ass about it

[muchluv]

Thankyou all for the considered replies replies. It's interesting to see everyone elses take on this. Wanted to take multiple quotes and respond to different ones but I'm not sure how!

It seems some people may think I rejected the food from my aunt to her face? This isn't the case. She was there at one point when I was getting food (people go up seperately, get a plate, get food, then go off somewhere). When she was there, I took a piece but didn't eat it (and she didn't see that I didnt eat it). Then later when it was second time to get food I just didn't get any. Then when leftovers were being divided I was asked if I would eat it and said "yeah sure!". It was next day at home as leftovers I didn't eat it (Similar to what rodolfo said), and then my mum called me obsessive. . Unfortunately avoiding eating would be hard. Next time I am planning on making some vegan food for myself, and extra so other people can have some too. The nut roast will still be there though.

JS that is terrible . Properly messed up.

[sergio]

The trick is to communicate the respect and attention and reciprocate it, but refuse.

+ 1

[Fallen_Horse]

I guess in my case it helps to never drink any alcohol in the first place. The chances of water not being vegan are quite small.

You obviousely have not read this http://consumerist.com/2010/08/new-york ... hrimp.html

Delicious!

[Hiking Fox]

IS this obsessive? What do other people do?

I make decisions according to how I feel at the time; basically I don't try and have a one-answer-fits-all response, but allow myself to react differently to differing situations, depending on what mood I'm in and whom I'm with.

So if I'm visiting an auntie who puts herself out to cater vegan for me and doesn't quite get it right, I'll probably still eat the food, but if I visit a friend who is really clued up about such things who makes a slip or is lazy, I'll probably decline the food.

At the end of the day, I'm vegan because I object to animal slavery and feeding quality food to livestock while people starve, not vegan because I want to be 100% pure in my chosen diet and lifestyle.

Anybody who wants to be 100% pure in their veganism and never come into contact with animal products, ever, should prepare all their own food, buy no processed products or eat out anywhere that isn't totally vegan, because cross-contamination is EVERYWHERE.

[beforewisdom]

My personal rule is that I will go for the vegan option if it is not extraordinarily overpriced or extraordinarily unavailable. When caught in the situation of a well meaning host and non-vegan food I just feign a mysterious stomach illness and eat later.

[Goob]

Anybody who wants to be 100% pure in their veganism and never come into contact with animal products, ever, should prepare all their own food, buy no processed products or eat out anywhere that isn't totally vegan, because cross-contamination is EVERYWHERE.

There have been lots of "vegan" restaurants in the states caught using various non-vegan ingredients. One that seems to pop up pretty regularly is the use of buttermilk bisquick baking mix. So, even eating at vegan only places isn't going to help with that 100%.

[downhillingdemon]

And a personal thought, based on my personal experience: all the people I've met carrying this small things as a matter of life and death, have been the first ones to drop veganism or vegetarianism.

Yes, I have noticed this too - particularly true if people go vegan primarily for dietary reasons rather than compassion.

[Hiking Fox]

. One that seems to pop up pretty regularly is the use of buttermilk bisquick baking mix.

I had no idea what the fuck "baking mix" was, so I looked it up. All I can say is that any establishment who use ingredients like that instead of mixing flour, salt, baking powder etc. themselves should be rained on by flaming hammers. Baking mix. Pah!

[mabli]

Ive spent years training family and friends into understanding veganism... sometimes folk mess up, like my aunty buying realeat bacon not redwood... or buying things that used to be vegan but aren’t any more. Im not really sure how you deal with the latter, if folk go out of their way to buy Body Shop stuff or After 8 mints and I don’t tell them they’ll keep doing it but if I do they’ll be offended.
Worse, Ive been invited to a cake eating party and even though Im the only vegan they’re baking vegan... but Ive given up eating cakes...

[rattus]

Ive given up eating cakes...

Shame on you.

[skoptic]

Really interesting to read everyone's view

muchluv - I don't think you are being obsessive, I do the same but as people have said I think how we deal with these situations can have an impact on whether vegans are seen as dogmatic and pedantic. I constantly struggle with the issue that veganism can be seen as a 'difficult' task (reading packets, asking questions) but I would like it to be seen as 'easy' to entice more to the fold.

I think I tend to do the same as HikingFox... each occasion requires a slightly different approach. Although, for me that just concerns the dealing with it, if I know something is not vegan... I can't eat / drink it just to appease someone or maintain social etiquette.

When I turn something down I am always very grateful for the effort made, and usually turn it around to explain that it's a shame that the ingredient (dried milk, isinglasss etc) is so cheap and prevalent that it can be used as a packing agent, clarifier etc. Probably your Mum just wants her little baby to be fed and happy so hopefully her concern comes from a loving and caring basis

[7bluewren]

I have a general rule that if a well meaning family member goes out of their way to make me something vegan and i'm a bit sussed about whether it is vegan or not I usually grit my teeth and eat it and say thank you. However I have a rule that no matter what I will not eat meat or wheat (I have a wheat sensitivity, wheat makes me sick but having this restriction also makes it more difficult for omnivores to cook for me, but thankfully most of my family members get this part, its the dairy hidden in packaged food part they don't get) I try to avoid things as much as possible though - for example I was served a salad with boiled eggs chopped up on it, I just ate everything except the eggs but I did not boycott the entire salad. I've also been served dressing that was just standard dressing out of a bottle which I would usually just skip if it were sitting on the table but it was all over my food so I ended up eating it. I felt pretty guilty afterwards but I just couldn't bring myself to not eat it when it had been made just for me. There was a time in the past when I would have been much stricter and I probably am stricter with people like my own mother who knows what I can and can't eat, but for older relatives who actually try their best I make exceptions because the whole idea of veganism can be so foreign to the older generation.