I’d drink horchata all day if I could, but that probably wouldn’t be too healthy.

Will do! I’m actually starting to feel excited about this.

Absolutely! Made a chickpea and spinach… thing for dinner tonight that was great!

Yea, like I love ice cream. Non-dairy ice cream, not so much. So the thought of walking away from one of my life’s great pleasures is daunting.

I don’t just like food. I LOVE food. I pick my vacation spots for the food. I’ll suffer through a boring work trip if it means new restaurants to try out. Going vegan will definitely impact how I approach food, social gatherings, meal prep, etc. It’s a lot.

Can we be friends, internet stranger?

Yup, trying. The siren call of milk and cheese is strong, but my red meat consumption is definitely down. Most pork is gone from my diet. Even bacon is a rarity. I recently discovered that I don’t hate oat milk. So I’m making progress, but still have a lot more to do.

Exactly! It felt like going to a church that immediately condemns its parishioners and then wonders why it has no parishioners.

I actually had this experience recently. I grew up eating meat but have been considering giving it up and eventually becoming vegan. Thing is, no one around me is vegan so I’d need some kind of support network. It’s hard to walk away from ham if that’s what you know and love. I posted a pretty innocuous question to one of the vegan communities and the general response was that it was a stupid question, I should already know the answer, and I shouldn’t waste time posting questions like that. All that told me that if I were to go down this road, I’d be walking alone. So making the switch feels a lot harder and seems a lot more daunting. Not saying I’m giving up on it, but I definitely find it more intimidating knowing that if I try to find a network, I’ll be scolded for being a newb.

Why is that? I’m not vegan but it’s something I’m considering. This is my first attempt to connect with a vegan community. Might be my last 😕

I’ve known a handful of folks who abstain from animal products for religious reasons. One or two did not breastfeed because they view any food produced by/in any body as tainted. Ital eating–but hyper restrictive. They never referred to their practices as veganism, but there is that “don’t eat animal products” overlap.

I thought some vegans don’t consume animal products because they think they are unhealthy, not because of the suffering associated with it, but like I said in other comments, I really don’t know much about veganism, but am open to it.

Thank you for understanding what I was getting at. I’m not vegan but I’m considering it. Some of the responses I’ve gotten make me feel like there isn’t a lot of community support for new converts.

I’m not vegan. I don’t know how members of the community view the boundaries of consent, etc.

If someone performed a sexual act out of obligation rather than enthusiasm, I’d wonder about consent. That’s why I asked.

I’m not vegan so just wondering what is what.

😳 I’m not vegan, but I am open to it. I don’t know a ton about veganism, other than the basic “Don’t consume animal products.”

Sorry for asking questions.

There are definitely moments when I don’t want to breastfeed, but I still do because I think it’s best for the baby, it’s free, and it requires no washing up of bottle parts. In those moments, I’m not being forced, but I’m not 10000% willing either. Still vegan at those times?

I hadn’t considered that particular substance. Would this make donated blood a vegan product?

Would you say that if someone breastfeeds because they feel pressured by society to do so, the milk is no longer vegan?

Oh that’s an interesting wrinkle. It’s vegan if consumed by the infant for whom it was made (or willingly donated).

What if I sell my milk to a body builder just so I have a little pocket money? Not an exorbitant amount of milk or money, and it’s something I willingly do without any coercion. Vegan then?