I’m not making a difference.
If you feel like you’re a revolution of one and your choices are not making a difference, remember that every day and every action makes a statement to the powers that be. While it takes an army of many to change the world’s problems, that army is made up of individuals.
One of the best ways to make a statement is to remember that your money is one of your most powerful weapons, and where you spend it speaks volumes. Support locally-owned businesses, and buy local organic fruits and veggies and products whenever possible. Power to the little people – people! Spend your money on companies that are trying to make a difference, rather than on those that test on animals.
Your money is powerful; at times it can be louder than your voice. Remember that.
It’s too expensive to be vegan.
You can save your money by not spending it on vegan junk food like “faux meats” and packaged vegan food. Making your own food is the cheapest and best way to save money, and by doing that, you can splurge on organic products (or the occasional tub of vegan ice cream.)
I’m on a fixed income and my parents help me out by giving me food that’s not vegan. I can’t afford not to eat it.
I guess that makes you a Free-gan. Look – do what you can, until you can do better. Don’t beat yourself up.
I don’t like tofu.
That’s just silly. That’s like saying you don’t like cake flour.
Eating new foods is about opening your mind and expanding your horizons. Example: I went to a party and brought a really tasty, sweet fruit dip made from tofu. I put it on the table and my “non-vegan” friends went to town. They loved it. But when I told them it was simply made from tofu and maple syrup with a little cinnamon, you could hear a pin drop. One girl actually covered her mouth and shrieked in horror. “I just ate tofu?” I laughed. I mean, two seconds before she was gobbling it up and loving it. Now suddenly she hates it?
It’s about letting go of your preconceived notions about what vegan food can be.
I miss macaroni and cheese.
Go to Claire’s Macaroni & Cheeze. You have no excuses anymore.
I miss cheese.
I hear ya. While there are countless cheese alternatives out there, I have yet to try one that is superb, but a sacrifice isn’t a sacrifice without a little suffering. Just ask the cow whose milk the cheese is made from.
It’s too much work to read labels all the time.
I hear ya, sista, but lump it. It’s just something you have to do, like brushing your teeth and looking both ways before you cross the street.
I want to try (insert new diet fad plan here).
Diets are for suckers. Lifestyle change is the new diet.
Whether you choose being vegan for ethical reasons, or if you want to get more whole grains into your diet, any reason that brings you to a place where you are thinking about what you’re putting into your body is a good thing.
We saturate ourselves regularly with poison (junk food, pop, white sugar, white flour) so when we make a step towards a better lifestyle, whether it be veganism or simply cutting out the white sugar, it’s win-win all around.
I’m not healthy being vegan.
You alone are responsible for your health, and being vegan isn’t the magic key to good health and nutrition. It’s a great start, but you can also eat a lot of vegan cake and make yourself sick.
I also don’t believe that everyone can be vegan, but vegan or not, it’s your responsibility to arm yourself with knowledge. Learn what it means to have a healthy balanced meal. I highly recommend the book Becoming Vegan by Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis; chock full of nutritional information, you cannot read this book and walk away not knowing your stuff.
Knowledge is power. Food is fuel. If you can learn what makes your body healthy, and arm yourself with the power to make it strong – there will be no stopping you.
My friends say I’m not vegan enough.
It’s human nature to compare yourself to other people. My advice on this is to pay attention to your own life. It doesn’t matter what other people think as long as you’re happy with the boundaries and lines that you draw. It’s your life, so make up your own rules and enjoy yourself.
I can’t find good vegan shoes/belts/bags.
Have you been to MooShoes.com or VeganMart.com lately? Cuz they have vegan shoes aplenty.
I hate having to defend myself. I’m tired of being smacked down by other people.
If your veganism has you isolated and alone in a sea of meat eaters, and you’re feeling beat down by fighting with other people about your beliefs – relax. You can still have conversations with those who have a different viewpoints. Maybe they’ll even share a salad with you when you start talking about the meat that’s rotting in their colon.
You can agree to disagree – it doesn’t always have to be a fight or a tug-of-war. It can simply be a conversation.
My partner/lover/family isn’t supportive.
Have you told them you don’t like it when they badger you? Have you told them you need them to be supportive of your choices? Have you asked them to stop ragging on you about your lifestyle choice?
You don’t get what you want unless you ask for it. If they can’t do what you need to feel comfortable, then what kind of a relationship is that? Now you have a whole kettle of tofu to talk about, don’t ya? Time to call a therapist.
I’m too lazy to be vegan.
Good luck with that.
WHEN YOU ARE CLEAR ON WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU STAND FOR …
Nothing is difficult. It’s just your life.
For some, being vegan means arming themselves with facts and figures. For some, it means knowing everything there is to know about protein, calcium, and iron. Some are vegan for health reasons, some for compassionate reasons.
For me, it’s all these reasons and more. For me, veganism is about thinking outside of your own needs, seeing a world beyond yourself and opening your heart up to compassion, empathy, and understanding.
I am confident in my choices. This is a lifestyle choice that I made for myself – not so I’d be cool, or fit in. It’s a compassionate lifestyle choice that I made to feel comfortable being myself.
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