If you have been on a social media platform or watched a popular Youtuber’s account recently, you have probably encountered some sort of promotion of veganism. Celebrities cutting animal products out of their lifestyle has been a huge trend, persuading others to join the cause. This influence has been very effective by portraying veganism as a completely beneficial life choice that is good for you, animals, and the environment through “aesthetically pleasing” pictures displaying fruit in tropical areas. Don’t get me wrong: I agree with all the causes to turn vegan, but it’s simply not practical for the everyday person.
Let’s face it: you can’t escape the animal product industry. Whether it’s meat, dairy, or even leather products, you have to go out of your way to fulfill a vegan lifestyle. Consumers face pressure from major corporations to buy cheaper animal products everywhere–people face these advertisements while driving, watching TV, going online. If you go out with your friends to popular locations like In-N-Out, Sumo, or even Starbucks, it will be hard to find choices that fall in the vegan spectrum. It is especially hard to be vegan in large group parties or outings where the host usually makes a main dish containing meat, forcing you to have to ask for a special meal just for you. When all your peers are eating the same meat product, it’s uncomfortable to create a hassle about your dietary restrictions. Even I admit taking part in staring at that person who makes a fuss for needing a different meal because they don’t want to eat meat.
Veganism is great for celebrities and the upper middle class, but it is a hard goal to accomplish for the less fortunate on a day to day basis. When you are living on a limited wage, your main concern isn’t how to save animals, it’s how to get enough food to be full on a budget. Why would you get a couple of cucumbers when you can get a Big Mac for the same price? Especially if you care about the environment and are choosing foods without GMOs (genetically modified organisms), you are looking at an almost double in your grocery bill. Fast food may contain animal products, but it’s cheap, easy, and perfect for the busy working class. Vegan products aren’t cheap, and if you want to avoid the time and hassle of preparing a meal, it costs even more for pre-made food.
All in all, maintaining a no-animal product lifestyle is idealistic but not for the majority of the population. In plain text, it’s expensive and you have to go out of your way to be able to get vegan products. Of course, if you have the money, time, and enough self-determination, you should definitely take part in the change of your diet. The betterment of the food industry on the environment and animals will have to wait for the day the vegan industry can compete with major food brands.
6 responses to “Veg(can’t): Reality hinders the idealistic vegan lifestyle”
So ridiculous. Read Alex’s reply to this. The author did not do any research clearly as all of these points are simply not true. Watch my response to this article debunking many of the points: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzbmaS-8_u4
YESSS SLAY ALEX SLAY
Just go vegan. There literally is no excuse or valid point against veganism. It doesn’t exist. Might as well just drop the faulty excuses and just be vegan and compassion the —- up!!!!
To Alex:
The Panther Prowler appreciates feedback. However, as with our policy regarding letters to the editors, all comments must be appropriate, and are scanned before being published. Our goal is to foster a productive, relevant discussion. We therefore reserve the right to immediately remove any comments that are determined to be inappropriate, including any comments that contain foul language; racist, sexist, or otherwise offensive remarks; spam; and/or personal attacks which may foster an online cyberbullying environment.
This policy is clearly stated on the “About” page of our website.
If that’s the policy, then the article shouldn’t even be allowed because it was extremely offensive to myself and many others. That much should be obvious. This article also should not have been published without the most basic fact checking. The vast majority of this was factually incorrect.
I’ll post my response again, but just want to point out that by not allowing certain words (that are used by teenagers in your school every day, nothing you can do will stop that) is still censorship.
Hahaha. Wow. The amount of ignorance in this “article” is astounding. The number of excuses you are using are utterly ridiculous.
“it’s simply not practical for the everyday person.” Non developed countries are more likely to be vegan than developed countries. I have a low budget for food due to astronomical rent prices where I live, yet I am very easily able to live a vegan lifestyle.
“you have to go out of your way to fulfill a vegan lifestyle.” No, you do not, unless of course you mean walking past a few items in a grocery store that aren’t vegan to find the ones that are. You’re right, walking 2 feet past the dairy milk to get to the soy milk is really out of my way. I don’t know how I do it on a daily basis. It really isn’t difficult.
“If you go out with your friends to popular locations like In-N-Out, Sumo, or even Starbucks, it will be hard to find choices that fall in the vegan spectrum.” My god, you did no research before writing this, did you? In-N-Out: french fries, vegetables (minus the spread). Sumo: a lot there is vegan, look it up yourself. Starbucks: Every drink, minus some specialty items like pumpkin spice, can be made vegan. In fact, I’m currently drinking a macchiato, animal-cruelty free.
“forcing you to have to ask for a special meal just for you.” I’ve never had to order a “special meal.”
“it’s uncomfortable to create a hassle about your dietary restrictions.” No it isn’t. It’s only asshole (sorry, I won’t edit this out, it’s an accurate description) meat eaters that are uncomfortable, and I really don’t care. If you have a problem with me just eating pasta with olive oil or whatever else I’m eating, you’re the one with issues.
“Veganism is great for celebrities and the upper middle class” Hahaha. What?! I can barely afford my rent every month, yet I still maintain a vegan lifestyle. I spend no more than $20 a week on groceries.
“Why would you get a couple of cucumbers when you can get a Big Mac for the same price?” Or, you could get a bag of rice or potatoes for the same price and eat several healthy meals instead of one heart disease-inducing one.
“Fast food may contain animal products, but it’s cheap, easy, and perfect for the busy working class.” Every fast food chain has vegan products.
“Vegan products aren’t cheap, and if you want to avoid the time and hassle of preparing a meal, it costs even more for pre-made food.” Wrong again. As I already said, every fast food chain has vegan products. And correction – SOME vegan foods aren’t cheap, such as faux meats, but you don’t need to eat any of those products if you don’t want to.
“it’s expensive and you have to go out of your way to be able to get vegan products.” Wrong, wrong, wrong. Seriously, you did absolutely NO research on this, everything you’re saying is out of pure ignorance.
Take a step back and realize that your excuses for not being vegan are just that – excuses. None of them are legitimate.
So, am I ever going to get a response from the author of this ignorance-fueled article?
This article needs to be taken down due to false information.