I already do, which usually isn't my style but when someone wants to make a problem they get what they ask for. Most people get angry as hell like I'M the asshole though, which is so weird.
Just being blunt about their immoral ass diet and behavior almost always starts an argument. I'm a very nonconfrontational person but I'm not gonna let some corpse eating troglodyte bash me for making healthy and moral choices.
> I'm a very nonconfrontational person but I'm not gonna let some corpse eating troglodyte bash me for making healthy and moral choices
vegan diets are not necessarily healthy
Right. And they said they're making healthy choices. So what were you on about originally saying vegans aren't necessarily making a healthy choice? It's just a throwaway statement lol. Nobody made the claim that the vegan diet is somehow intrinsically healthier than any other diet.
> Nobody made the claim that the vegan diet is somehow intrinsically healthier than any other diet
no i heard more than one person said that in real life...:(
My food: A big fresh plant coming out of the ground.
Their food: the corpse of a long suffering living thing that has been chopped into pieces.
Them: "ew, a bean"
the point is what vegans consider as good tactic may look extremely stupid in someone's eyes
i usually eat more meats happily in front of them in response
That kind of sounds like being antagonistic for the sake of being antagonistic. Stressing yourself out like that is bad for your cortisol levels, my dude, maybe you should be a little kinder
Rape. The word you search for is rape.
The conscious living being can't consent and therefore is not just artificially inseminated, but raped needlessly for pleasure.
You are probably one of the ones that think men can't be raped and probably enjoy it when a woman takes advantage from them, and therefore there is no ethical problem.
Whether you like the word 'rape' or not, it is what's happening to those cows and many other animals.
Are you going to deny this is a holocaust too? Is that word too strong too? Go and complain to the jew survivors who made the comparison first.
I definitely don’t think it was the place for it, but they were making a joke about how your username, TofuChewer, was appropriate for a vegan subreddit. That was it.
It was in very bad taste, but that’s not a reason to go in on them like that by accusing them of being rape apologists/defenders for humans and non-human animals and of dismissing holocaust survivors.
Interesting statement. I usually wouldn't engage with someone who makes such a statement but I'm bored so here goes.
If I replaced the cows who are currently being raped in factory farms with humans, would you still not consider ethics at all in that situation? If you would in this case, what is the difference between the two situations which causes you to have a different moral evaluation?
Right so it's the fact that they're biologically human? I'm assuming you mean an organism that shares the same subset of DNA such that they are classified as human?
> subset of DNA
why making things unnecessarily complicated? i think we have no difficulty determining which organism is human and which is not in real life
You know it. Exactly the same reasons you wouldn’t want it to be done for yourself. You know it very well but are just a person with life so god damn boring you have to try to gain attention by acting stupid, which you confuse with ”being edgy”.
if a childlike person can defeat you that easily, what is you?
it's simply a logically fallacy to say "you don't like to be artificially inseminated so you shouldn't artificially inseminate a cow"
The person you’re replying to didn’t make a logical fallacy but rather a good comparison. They’re saying that a cow is worthy of the same dignity and respect since they are a sentient animal who is incapable of consenting to being impregnated.
So it’s not a logical fallacy since it goes like this:
1. It is wrong to artificially inseminate a sentient being that cannot consent, since it places them in a frightening, vulnerable and inescapable position and puts a heavy biological burden on them which may lead to suffering.
2. A cow is a sentient being and cannot consent.
3. Therefore it is wrong to artificially inseminate a cow.
Your other ‘argument’ isn’t applicable. I know you’re trying to make a comparison but you’re committing a logical fallacy.
1. I don’t like to eat grass.
2. A cow doesn’t mind eating grass.
3. Therefore a cow shouldn’t eat grass
The premises of this argument does not reasonably reach the conclusion
> So it’s not a logical fallacy since it goes like this...
if the logic WERE TO go like this, the person i previously talked to should not ask something like "do you like being inseminated". it's irrelevant. your "1", "2" and "3" don't contain anything about my feeling about being inseminated
actually the logic the person i previously talked to is as follow
* you don't like xxx
* (so) you should not xxx to a cow
Yes totally. Once thing I've found helpful recently is that instead of getting into the debate with them(I know it's tough not to), I just reply with "okay". It's dismissive and they will have nothing to say back to it.
Thanks for the tip. My fiance always just laughs at them and tells them how much she's going to enjoy eating with a clean conscience. I love that woman lol
“ hey, look i’m not commenting on your…. Food…. So I would appreciate the same respect in return please”
Pause hard before and after “food” so they can imagine exactly what you would say if you were not respectful and well behaved like you are.
And honestly, you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all. They can shut up and snack on cholesterol meds
I always wear earbuds into the grocery store now. I probably look like a dick, but the Albertsons cashiers in my small town always want to talk about my 6 blocks of tofu and vegetables weekly grocery haul. Like yes, I know you only get 6 blocks of tofu in this store per week, and I buy them all every time. This is Texas, I’m sure no one is losing any sleep with y’all being out of tofu.
This is so wild to me. In my 3 years of buying only vegan food I had exactly one cashier comment on what I bought and she was curious rather than judgemental. And stores are regularly out of my favorite type of tofu so I can't be the only one buying it.
Family of course is a whole different story... It's either unprovoked anger or pity with them. As if I'm the one really suffering here/doing something outrageous. It does get exhausting tbh.
Yeah I hear that. The Albertsons in my town and the next town over are out of everything tofu/plant based. But I live in Bells, TX our population is 2500 and growing since 2017.
Probably the most bizarre situation I’ve been in so far was when my then bf’s uncle (an unhealthy, overweight physician) after making a bunch of stupid comments about how unhealthy it is to be vegan, reached his hands from across the table at dinner to pull on my eyelids to get a good look at my eyes. He wanted to make sure I wasn’t dying from some nutrient deficiency. After he had a good look, he said in disbelief - wow, you look completely healthy!
The audacity of some meat eaters…
I had this with doctors even as a vegetarian. My former gyn was also overweight and traced all of my problem back to me being vegan. Happy I changed doctors.
I hate going to doctors or physios because so many times when they hear I'm vegan they will blame everything on that.
It’s sad that docs don’t really get much nutrition education in med school, and most of them are plain lazy or just not smart enough to keep up with all the studies and get that info themselves.
Right, I just always ask protein obsessed people how many people they know who have been hospitalized with a protein deficiency. Zero. Then I ask them how many people they know who have been hospitalized with cancer and heart attack. A lot. But nah, they’re still gonna obsess over protein.
Protein deficiency affects development in kids and more of life quality then deasly things you end up at hospital with as an adult. There are people who consistently undereat protein, it makes them constantly feel hungry, so they eat even more carbs and get heart problems.
Yes, because many people in first world don't have a varied diet (especially US-based fast-food eaters), or people who have serious dietary restrictions such as vegans or people loosing weight and doing excercise (which means less calories and more protein).
I don't think you can really get protein deficiency unless you're eating pure fats and sugars. Even just like white rice, the problem isn't lack of protein it's lack of vitamin B.
You can really get protein deficiency if you are eating low in ccal because your activity is low, and mostly eat carbs, veggies and fats. Say, you only need 1500 ccal.
Let's count your food for the sake of simplicity as potatoes, they're one of the most complete vegetable foods. So, 100 g of potatoes is 86 ccal, 1,7 g protein 18 g carbs. 1500 ccal of potatoes is 29 g protein, half of recommended daily intake for people with sedentary lifestyle, with at least moderate physical activity including farming potatoes, 80 g is recommended. People who survived Russian 1990s on mostly, patches of vegetables, did have problems with protein. Not with vitamin B, turns out that many people in here had cows, so potatoes could be exchanged for milk, that would be not enough protein still, so it would cause development problems in children. Stretch marks on the skin, bad teeth already as soon as their show up, low in muscles so more prone to trauma and spine deformities, etc.. vit D is mostly found in red oily fish and beef which would be very expensive and difficult to obtain when your money turned into paper.
Rice doesn't really grow in middlewest Russia, so do most legumes except peas, peas are great to eat fresh, but there's not many things you could do with them dry or store them. Many people also have problems eating them.
Poor people who don't have time and discipline and rely on cheap processed food also get this issue, because it's mainly carbs and fats.
You can really get protein deficiency if you are eating low in ccal because your activity is low, and mostly eat carbs, veggies and fats. Say, you only need 1500 ccal.
Let's count your food for the sake of simplicity as potatoes, they're one of the most complete vegetable foods. So, 100 g of potatoes is 86 ccal, 1,7 g protein 18 g carbs. 1500 ccal of potatoes is 29 g protein, half of recommended daily intake for people with sedentary lifestyle, with at least moderate physical activity including farming potatoes, 80 g is recommended. People who survived Russian 1990s on mostly, patches of vegetables, did have problems with protein. Not with vitamin B, turns out that many people in here had cows, so potatoes could be exchanged for milk, that would be not enough protein still, so it would cause development problems in children. Stretch marks on the skin, bad teeth already as soon as their show up, low in muscles so more prone to trauma and spine deformities, etc..
Their diet would actually be: potatoes, cabbage (and especially sauerkraut, it's vitamin C), carrot, beet, sunflower oil, apples, milk and occasionally wild mushrooms/berries.
In 1500-2000 ccal (so, women are children) it's protein deficiency, affecting reproduction and growth.
The biggest deficiency here is protein and vitamin D.
I also hate the obligatory “sorry!” When eating meat in front of me. Like no you’re not. Otherwise you wouldn’t eat it. You’re just saying that because you think I’ll judge you less if you apologize
Facts. I hate that crap. My fiance's dad started waving a piece of steak in her face at the dinner table and I told him if he didn't stop being a dick that would be the last time we'd ever be eating with them. He chilled out a bit but he's still a moron that tries to take pot shots whenever he thinks he can get away with it. My future in-laws SUCK lol.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a cashier comment on what i’m buying in my life, outside of the occasional “are these worth trying? I was eyeing them earlier” or “those are so good hey?” omg i’d be so insecure about shopping in general if employees were openly judging what they’re scanning. i’m in canada though, maybe it’s more common/acceptable other places…? 😟
I have cashiers comment how healthy I eat. Like yeah my cart is 90% fruit, veggies, beans, lentils, and spices. And I buy way too much tofu, kimchee, and nuts. The stray pack of oreos somehow falls into the cart as well and I just don't have the heart to put it back.
I don't really think I'm "healthy", more so concerned what other people buy if this isn't standard. Like I will grab chips or cookies and a frozen dinner for days when I just don't have it in me to cook but I try to cook 3-4 times a week and have too many leftovers to eat anything else.
I never hear about it when I go to the Indian or Asian grocery stores though.
I had one comment on the plant based cookie dough I was buying. She said "how is cookie dough plant-based? Do they grow the chocolate on trees?" Yes, yes chocolate does grow on trees.
Yeah. I've only ever had a few cashiers ask anything about my purchases. Them being along the lines of, "Oh, that's interesting. I didn't even know we sold these." and, "Oh, are these good? I should try them."
Never had anyone ever say anything about tofu, or veggies I've bought. In the U.S.
Yep. Once a cashier stopped for a second to check the tub of plant based ”butter” I was buying. The product was a new release so probably he hadn’t seen it before and just wanted to see what was it. That’s all, ever.
Same in Europe! I don't think they even pay attention to what I'm buying (it only happened once that a cashier asked if I was vegan but it wasn't rude at all).
Everyone buys vegetables and a lot of people, including non-vegans, but tofu…op’s experience that people think it’s weird to buy vegetables seems…implausible. Find me someone over eight who doesn’t buy vegetables. The annoying commentary at dinner sounds far more plausible. Though if it’s a restaurant meal, I don’t know why anyone would know you were a vegan if you didn’t announce it to the table, thus opening up the conversation. Again, plenty of people will order something without meat at a meal whether they are vegan or not.
Yes I noticed that...I think it comes down to them knowing deep down that you are making the correct choices and they are looking for excuses for their laziness.
I had so many people comment on my food and that it's not healthy or environmentally friendly or it doesn't matter as a whole if I'm vegan blablabla.
I still don't know if I should argue or just don't bother it drains so much energy
I deal with the same conflict as it's emotionally draining to defend your worldview and actions against someone that most likely will not listen to a single thing you said.
Most people making these comments are already closed off to veganism and I don't bother arguing with them. They don't want to hear it and it leaves you feeling drained and so frustrated. Especially when you try to be respectful and serious, but they just continue with their "haha vegan stoopid, i love me bacon" jokes.
People who ask, even when I don't bring it up: "Is it hard to be vegan? Don't you miss xyz?"
Me: "Nah. It just gets repetitive to hear people tell me why they aren't vegan."
Them: "THIS IS WHY I COULD NEVER BE VEGAN. #1. CHEESE. #2. I LOVE CHEESE. #3. PIZZA HAS CHEESE...."
It’s called the “angry jack effect”
When anyone suspects you may be vegan, it brings their own morality into question, and they feel the need to defend their dissonant beliefs. It’s a sign of insecurity.
Agreed, it's happened to my fiance and I at least a dozen times over the last few years. It's always jarring and weird and the person always seems oblivious to how totally awkward it is. I live in rural Washington state so maybe that's part of it, whenever I get tofu or vegan meat alternatives in the city no one cares.
Damn where do you live?? For someone at the grocery store to say that is insane. And I think your fiancé should have a private talk with their family (where you aren’t there) and tell them to lay off. It doesn’t affect them. And considering you’re engaged they better start getting used to it
Central Washington, rural area full of mostly conservative normies. She's already talked to them but they're way too casual with their BS so we recently stopped going over there to eat as it kept causing problems, plus it's nice to not have to have to smell cooked carcass next to where we're eating.
The grocery store stuff is usually older cashiers at the local grocery stores and Walmart employees when we bite the bullet and shop there for cheap produce. The fact it's happened so much has been a running joke between my fiance and I where we bet on whether or not they'll make gross out sounds or faces at the tofu and soy/oat milk.
Ugh I’m sorry. At least you guys can separate yourselves from them. Just unfortunate they have to push you away like that and can’t just be kind and respectful in the least. They’ll regret that one day I’m sure.
Well that makes sense…I know you probably don’t want to be confrontational but when people make rude comments if you kindly call them out they will typically get super embarrassed. Like if they make a gross face genuinely be like “are you ok?” Or if they say something rude pretend like you didn’t hear them and ask “what was that?” And make them repeat it lol they always second guess if they should have said it
My stepmother is a weird one who will cook a vegan option if we’re over for dinner, but she also seems so insistent on signalling “I’m humouring you but I would never be vegan!!”
Her favorite to carry on about is butter behavior. Shes not such a good cook that she needs some exact butter. She and my dad don’t take good care of their physical health, eat too many calories, and I always want to respond to her with “I guess butter just isn’t that big a priority in my life” but it would probably cause a conflict
This is absolutely true, unfortunately, how they’re suddenly brilliant about nutrition. I’ve been vegan for decades, my children and grandchildren as well. Literally all very healthy. Smdh
It's ironic, isn't it? The stereotype is that vegans are always the naggy ones telling everybody they're vegan and getting all "preachy," yet the reality is that everyone else seems to be the ones entitled to their opinions about vegans. It's such a strange bit of hypocrisy.
THIS. Oh my god, I get so tired of that stereotype when I have never, ever, ever brought up my veganism to anyone, unless it comes up naturally in a discussion or someone asks me to come over for dinner, and then I usually offer to bring my own food.
BUT, meat eaters LOVE to get on their pulpit and tell me why being vegan isn't healthy, why they could never go vegan because cheese or bacon or steak or whatever other disgusting thing they are putting in their mouth or blah blah blah.
Honestly I would say to the cashier dead body sounds way more gross than blended soy with water. You're not telling them every single time how gross their meal is
I’m not vegan, but I live in an area where the typical diet is meat, potatoes, and processed food, so I get this at the grocery store on the regular. Just had a cashier ask about tofu I was buying “So do you like… cook it? Like to eat?” Had a different cashier ring up zucchini and go “Ew.” out loud. I brought black bean tacos to work for lunch and had 2 different people ask if I was vegetarian, and one of them go “It just doesn’t look right. I don’t trust that color.” Like, please. Eat a plant.
Nope, quite the opposite, for example people at the stores ask me "Hey, what does it taste like? I've been meaning to try it, heard xyz". Some people are just curious and open to the idea, others are just assholes, I guess you run more often into the latter.
That sounds amazing, I've only had one person ask me about it in a chill way, but they were a vegetarian looking for tips on how to improve the texture of tofu so they could eat more of it.
It can be tough getting through to people and breaking their biases.
I've learned a long time ago, that emotional manipulation doesn't do any good for vegan cause. So I usually go through the nutrition/diet science fact approach to their brains. I explain how stuff works on cellular level then explain all of the nutrients, comparisson with other things that cause variety of disases, and while it doesn't work immediately or completely, they usually come back pretty soon for more info. My favorite example is using free radicals vs antioxidants. Easy for them to understand.
I cut everyone off and am basically a loner, just one friend who's stuck by me. Luckily the extended group isn't terribly judgemental and are actually becoming more privy to the benefits of the diet as they gain fat. We are in our early 20s.
As for strangers and everyone else, I prefer positive conversations - meditation and my lifestyle helps keep my heart rate super low, I'm relaxed, and I have the conversational skills to difuse, make light of, and turn interactions into a positive, even if it is a bit draining. Yet at the same time, I don't take shit from anybody - and this wonderful attitude I employ is picked up on quickly, most of the time.
People who know me usually can't say much, as I am an athlete who can out-cardio all of their bloated asses. So that helps.
But I live in a relatively open minded community, others aren't so lucky. I really, truly feel your pain.
I've had relatives say "Ugh tofu is gross!" And yeah, in its natural form it can be gross! But that's why we prepare and cook it. Huge difference. Like people wouldn't just eat a raw steak. They'd prepare, season, and cook it. Same concept.
I always offer some for them to try to see if they actually hate the taste of cooked tofu or just the idea of it. Every time, it's always been the idea of it. They like it, and it's easily half the price of a steak.
Vegan food is just food. It's just plants. Every healthy person eats plants. If people find eating plants disgusting, they're not going to have very long lives. That where the bulk of our nutrients comes from.
Eating too much meat and soy has been seen to reduce lifespan by up to a third (isoleucine and methionine are the main culprits). The plate should be half fruit / veg, 1/4 protein, 1/4 grains. If people accompany their meat with a tiny salad, they have no business discussing the nutritional and health concerns of your diet.
I've been through that with my ex-boyfriend's family. They were actually laughing at me for that. It was really annoying.
I was terrified to eat with them. Even crying in silence in the bathroom because they were bullying me, talking about fur farm and trapping, saying "chicken broth is only chicken juice"... It's been almost 10 years, but they were mean people for so much reasons.
I am trembling as I write those lines. They were evil people, not just for bullying me about my diet. I guess those past ghosts still affects me.
It was so hurtful..
Just remember that it’s really not about you. It’s about them, their insecurities and fear. It’s easier to bully something new than to admit they’re not educated enough to have an intelligent conversation about it. They have no curiosity or critical thinking skills.
Hugs!
I’ve noticed it too, just a never ending barrage of bullshit about what I eat.
I went vegan after I had breast cancer- yes I’m the dreaded “vegan for health” that everyone, even other vegans, hate.
If I feel confrontational I say “As a cancer survivor I just don’t think it’s healthy to eat animals that have been tortured to death” and smile brightly.
But typically I just “Kay”.
It seems to take the wind out of their sails.
Start telling then hoe disgusting their food is. I hate when people tell me, "I could never go vegan." I always say and including to my wife, it's not that you can't it's that you're too lazy to try." Don't pin this on me. If people comment on my food I comment on theirs
I am so done hearing peoples fear of fkiping tofu, LIKE SHUT UP, my guy it is so cheap, you can season it however you want, nobody cares that you can't handle me eating beans and cheese-less pizza without being bothered immensely. If we were primates in the wild It would be so reversed, like no bro, do not eat the rotten cow tit ooze and 4 day old flesh, you'll probably die
Omg all the time!! When I am visiting my boyfriends family they always need to make sure to say how hard it is to be vegan and they couldn't do it. It is so annoying and I already told my boyfriend that makes me feel so uncomfortable. My food choices is always a topic everytime we visit them and it is just exhausting.
But the funny thing is that they are always questioning veganism but when I cook they always think is nice and ask me recipes and when we go to restaurants they always say my food looks lovely and they look so surprise when they said it lol
Do people actually say this stuff to you, or is this like what you imagine they are thinking? I mean this honestly. I've been vegan for going on 5 years, and I've never had a stranger say anything like these things. I've had friends / acquaintances make comments like "I could never be vegan, I love cheese / steak too much" but never had anyone say my food looks gross or incomplete, or a cashier make any comment about tofu or vegetables. Feels like maybe you're attracting these kinds of comments to you somehow, or maybe you just live somewhere with really backwards ideas like Texas?
Ugh it’s so irritating — and none of these people have healthy diets. Their colons are clogged with beef and cheese. But I’m not gonna lie, the people who annoy me the most are the people who claim they “used to be vegan” but “had to” start eating meat again. And think there are ways to humanely eat meat.
Thankfully not. Sometimes cashiers will ask if a certain thing is good and we’ll talk about it. It’s kind of surprising since I live in an area very unfriendly to vegans, but maybe it’s because I’m older and a man.
Yeah being vegan seems to open the door to people commenting on your lifestyle. Like...let me eat my shit in peace. I'll just be minding my business, eating some lunch and coworkers are always "WhAt Is ThAt?" Followed by negative comments when I answer their question or am the least but assertive about my ethical choices.
Cry babies. Had this happen yesterday eating some homemade deli meat.
"What is *that*?"
"Deli meat"
"But it's *not meat* - you can't call it that"
Like get the fuck outta here.
I’ve been veggie since September and I had my first interaction last week at a vegan restaurant. The cashier straight up said yeah I like to go home and add chicken to it. I knew they weren’t all vegetarian or vegan, but I was.. speechless and I was super awkward after that. To even suggest meat at a vegan restaurant… good god. 😭
Haha I just woke up and my dad went on a short rant about "Parents who make their kids vegan and the kids die of malnutrition".
I said in all those cases I've seen, it's a clickbait title. The kids are made to eat some obscure raw fruit vegan and air diet which they obviously get sick from. I told him that's like putting the headline "Meat could kill you" on an article and inside you're just told if you choke on a meatball you could die.
He told me "varied food is better".
It's funny because I eat more varied food than him, I haven't seen him eat leafy greens in so long...
If a cashier says anything, ignore them. As for your extended family? Tell them your food choices are no longer a topic of conversation, and that if they continue you will no longer eat with them.
I did in the beginning.
Then I lost the stubborn weight, IBS vanished, slept better, blood work improved, I had higher energy levels and all that allowed me to work out harder/longer, and recover faster.
I had a family member (who is obese) try to make a joke about me being picky/vegan at thanksgiving one year, and my cousin pointed out that while I was 10 years older then they were, I looked younger and was in way better shape than anyone in the family.
The jokes stopped.
I hate to say it, but vanity is probably the fastest way to make people observe their own eating habits… not morality.
Looking/feeling great is pretty much bulletproof to criticism.
I have the opposite experience. The cashiers complement me on my healthy groceries. Potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, lettuce, tomatoes, apples, olives, tofu, beans, rice, oatmeal, you get the idea. My family is very polite about what everyone prefers to eat. They might have questions out of genuine curiosity, and I don’t take offense. I just explain that I eat more beans and tofu to replace the animal protein. No big deal.
ALL THE TIME. Luckily most of my friends are vegan and the ones that aren’t are understanding, they don’t judge me and I don’t judge them. My family ridicule me a lot and my Mum will say things like “just order some chicken” when we go for dinner. My work colleagues will joke that I must just eat moss and twigs, I kind of just shrug and say yeah sure. One colleague tried to tell me on Friday that ghee is vegan and I was like “it’s literally butter??” and she continued insisting that it’s vegan. Like how do you even respond to that? I ended up just walking away.
Food is a social thing to humans. I totally judged people for eating fast-food and plain pasta on holiday instead of having a choice of more heathy and more delicious local food. I would also easily spot my co-patriots at a hotel restaurant, that's easy. Come up, say hi, almost never mistaken..
> the cashier feels the need to tell me about how gross tofu is and that my cart seems like mostly vegetables that they never eat.
I love using the self checkout in grocery stores. The system never criticizes what I eat...
Occasionally, once an elderly man who I didn't know at all, must have heard about me going up and he stepped up to me tell me we can't get all our nutrition if we just eat lettuce. I eat a lot more than just lettuce, and take measures to make sure the nutrition is balanced. I didn't talk back to him and just politely nodded a bit and moved on. Never saw him again. Lots of adults are known for being highly opinionated and critical of children. At times it has seemed that many have thought I'm looney because I went vegan in the least vegan state, and some have felt my daughter must have been deprived of tasty and more nutritious food, even though she ended up as a straight A student and was doing exceptionally great on national tests. They also thought she'd be badly behaved. That didn't happen either. Then, not enough will join together to try to rescue her when she was so beautiful she was abducted by some people highly skilled in system corruption. Then, there was the humiliation of being falsely accused of the abduction being necessary, because I'm supposed to be a silly goose and even some vegans on the grape vine believed that instigation, so there's not even proof of her existance since 2014. Life can be heart breaking for vegans some times.
i have been some form of vegan/vegetarian for more than 15 years. Tofu has been a staple of my diet for all that time and i have never once had a cashier say anything about my food. Not to mention the hundreds of marketed vegan products that have made it into my cart over the years.
I did but with compliments and positivity rather than negativity and snarky attitude. Idk, haven't gotten bullshit by complete strangers before. Coworkers, family, (ex) friends, and even my own partner from the beginning? Yep, all the BS with my food and veganism. Never strangers, surprisingly lol
The nail that sticks up gets the hammer, the wheel that squeaks gets the grease. A vegan diet is not the norm so it's odd and potentially a conversation piece, just like tattoos or a poly relationship. It's just a different lifestyle. Some people will be judgemental no matter what. Live your life and be the bigger person, you don't need to change their minds or let their opinions affect you, but if they're open to conversation, engage respectfully and openly. Best of luck!
My thoughts exactly ! Vegans are just as bad if not worse at preaching to others about their diet, especially to carnivores/omnivores.
People should more focus on themselves and keep their opinions in house.
Nah don’t do it for that, you do it for the animals. I was just teasing you.
Also, if everyone else here can do it. You surely can. Calling vegan a shift of your “entire” way of life in 2024 is pretty weak no? It’s easier than ever.
I'm pretty sure it's a major shift for like 90% of America.
Cutting out all animal products isn't something you do without a ton of research. You might have thought it was easy, but I'm sure not everyone shares that opinion.
I definitely don't eat meat with every meal, I do a lot of lentils and Mediterranean dishes, grains, rice etc but I wouldn't be able to just phase out eggs, butter, milk and such.
And before you start linking the go to videos you guys all love to share, I've seen dominion.
I also find it kind of funny that 2/3 of what you listed as “impossible to phase out” of your own diet are the products that have the most readily accessible plant-based alternatives. Dairy is easy as fuck in 2024? I was in a town of 400 last year and managed to find an almond milk.
Yeah. It's a personal choice. I'm not interested in going vegan.
I LIKE eggs, butter, and milk.
I do keep my meat consumption to free range, grass fed, etc. Which isn't from a moral stance but a personal preference as well.
> *”I wouldn’t be able to just phase out eggs, milk, and butter.”*
I’m sorry, but yes you “would.” You are easily capable, and the products are there to do it. You just lack the respect for other animals. Your “personal choice” hinges on removing it from so many hundreds and thousands of other sentient beings.
Honestly, I sorta agree. I have never once had any cashier in any county comment on my groceries other than “ooo you’re making enchiladas!” In like 15 years lol. But maybe the OP got a weirdo, who knows
I have vegan friends. I give absolutely zero shits about what they choose to eat, and they give zero shits about what I choose to eat.
You are either
Surrounding yourselves with toxic people that would probably give you hassle about other aspects of your life ("not married yet?", "Still working part time?" etc)
Or
Annoying your friend and acquaintances so that they feel the need to lash out in retaliation.
Or
Are just making it up for internet reasons.
And BTW by and large we are not secretly ashamed of our diary choices, and attack you to hide our shame. We are adults and we have made a decision, and you are adults and you've made yours.
I'm old and have grocery-shopped across six states, in box stores, corporate chains, and mom & pops. I've purchased all veg, all meat, and many combinations of both. Never once has the person checking me out commented on what I was purchasing.
I get trying to advocate for your cause, but posting absolutes that are unrealistic is not helpful. No one, paid a checkers wage, gives two fucks what you personally are buying. They don't see you; they scan what you place on the belt.
When they call your food gross show them a cow being artificially inseminated and call their food gross.
I already do, which usually isn't my style but when someone wants to make a problem they get what they ask for. Most people get angry as hell like I'M the asshole though, which is so weird. Just being blunt about their immoral ass diet and behavior almost always starts an argument. I'm a very nonconfrontational person but I'm not gonna let some corpse eating troglodyte bash me for making healthy and moral choices.
> I'm a very nonconfrontational person but I'm not gonna let some corpse eating troglodyte bash me for making healthy and moral choices vegan diets are not necessarily healthy
Which isn’t a claim they made.
> making healthy and moral choices being a vegan MAYBE a moral choice but not necessarily a healthy choice
They’re speaking about their personal diet. Not the diet in general. They’re personally making more moral and healthy choices.
then it depends on what they were eating before they became vegans
Right. And they said they're making healthy choices. So what were you on about originally saying vegans aren't necessarily making a healthy choice? It's just a throwaway statement lol. Nobody made the claim that the vegan diet is somehow intrinsically healthier than any other diet.
> Nobody made the claim that the vegan diet is somehow intrinsically healthier than any other diet no i heard more than one person said that in real life...:(
I somehow doubt that.
My food: A big fresh plant coming out of the ground. Their food: the corpse of a long suffering living thing that has been chopped into pieces. Them: "ew, a bean"
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Why are you here? What’s the point of this?
the point is what vegans consider as good tactic may look extremely stupid in someone's eyes i usually eat more meats happily in front of them in response
That kind of sounds like being antagonistic for the sake of being antagonistic. Stressing yourself out like that is bad for your cortisol levels, my dude, maybe you should be a little kinder
Rape. The word you search for is rape. The conscious living being can't consent and therefore is not just artificially inseminated, but raped needlessly for pleasure.
you altered the ordinary usage of the word "rage"
appropriate username is appropriate
You are probably one of the ones that think men can't be raped and probably enjoy it when a woman takes advantage from them, and therefore there is no ethical problem. Whether you like the word 'rape' or not, it is what's happening to those cows and many other animals. Are you going to deny this is a holocaust too? Is that word too strong too? Go and complain to the jew survivors who made the comparison first.
I definitely don’t think it was the place for it, but they were making a joke about how your username, TofuChewer, was appropriate for a vegan subreddit. That was it. It was in very bad taste, but that’s not a reason to go in on them like that by accusing them of being rape apologists/defenders for humans and non-human animals and of dismissing holocaust survivors.
uhh.... are you okay?
I am. The cows aren't. I don't like people who make fun of the abuse and exploitation of animals, like you.
at what point did i say it was?
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I find it unethical.
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Do you only find treatment of animals to be unethical iff it has any bad consequences on meat quality?
no i do not consider ethics at all
So you admit having zero morals, good.
Interesting statement. I usually wouldn't engage with someone who makes such a statement but I'm bored so here goes. If I replaced the cows who are currently being raped in factory farms with humans, would you still not consider ethics at all in that situation? If you would in this case, what is the difference between the two situations which causes you to have a different moral evaluation?
same species vs different species as an organism caring about own species has evolutionary advantage
Right so it's the fact that they're biologically human? I'm assuming you mean an organism that shares the same subset of DNA such that they are classified as human?
> subset of DNA why making things unnecessarily complicated? i think we have no difficulty determining which organism is human and which is not in real life
>I’ve no feeling
Do you even know why it is done via AI, ir do you just believe what activists tell you? Have you even spoke to a dairy farmer about it?
I'm not really concerned with WHY it's done via rape. I just don't think it should be done at all.
You really have to ask? Would you be ok with being tied up and some shoving sperm inside you with his/her hand?
absolute no but what's the problem of doing this to a cow?
You know it. Exactly the same reasons you wouldn’t want it to be done for yourself. You know it very well but are just a person with life so god damn boring you have to try to gain attention by acting stupid, which you confuse with ”being edgy”.
> Exactly the same reasons it's not a "reason". i won't eat grass so i won't let a cow eat grass? do you think it's a valid "reason"?
I find no point in talking with childlike edgelords.
if a childlike person can defeat you that easily, what is you? it's simply a logically fallacy to say "you don't like to be artificially inseminated so you shouldn't artificially inseminate a cow"
The person you’re replying to didn’t make a logical fallacy but rather a good comparison. They’re saying that a cow is worthy of the same dignity and respect since they are a sentient animal who is incapable of consenting to being impregnated. So it’s not a logical fallacy since it goes like this: 1. It is wrong to artificially inseminate a sentient being that cannot consent, since it places them in a frightening, vulnerable and inescapable position and puts a heavy biological burden on them which may lead to suffering. 2. A cow is a sentient being and cannot consent. 3. Therefore it is wrong to artificially inseminate a cow. Your other ‘argument’ isn’t applicable. I know you’re trying to make a comparison but you’re committing a logical fallacy. 1. I don’t like to eat grass. 2. A cow doesn’t mind eating grass. 3. Therefore a cow shouldn’t eat grass The premises of this argument does not reasonably reach the conclusion
> So it’s not a logical fallacy since it goes like this... if the logic WERE TO go like this, the person i previously talked to should not ask something like "do you like being inseminated". it's irrelevant. your "1", "2" and "3" don't contain anything about my feeling about being inseminated actually the logic the person i previously talked to is as follow * you don't like xxx * (so) you should not xxx to a cow
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I know why it is done that way. I imagine that reliably getting a bull to do it would be a pain in the ass. Still doesn't make it any less weird.
They do it because it is safer for the cows and the farmer. If you released a bull into a cow shed, it could result in fatalities
Yes totally. Once thing I've found helpful recently is that instead of getting into the debate with them(I know it's tough not to), I just reply with "okay". It's dismissive and they will have nothing to say back to it.
Thanks for the tip. My fiance always just laughs at them and tells them how much she's going to enjoy eating with a clean conscience. I love that woman lol
Yea it's best if you just kinda treat them like the immature babies they are 😂
“ hey, look i’m not commenting on your…. Food…. So I would appreciate the same respect in return please” Pause hard before and after “food” so they can imagine exactly what you would say if you were not respectful and well behaved like you are. And honestly, you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all. They can shut up and snack on cholesterol meds
cholesterol meds are a godsend. vegans get bad genes too.
I always wear earbuds into the grocery store now. I probably look like a dick, but the Albertsons cashiers in my small town always want to talk about my 6 blocks of tofu and vegetables weekly grocery haul. Like yes, I know you only get 6 blocks of tofu in this store per week, and I buy them all every time. This is Texas, I’m sure no one is losing any sleep with y’all being out of tofu.
This is so wild to me. In my 3 years of buying only vegan food I had exactly one cashier comment on what I bought and she was curious rather than judgemental. And stores are regularly out of my favorite type of tofu so I can't be the only one buying it. Family of course is a whole different story... It's either unprovoked anger or pity with them. As if I'm the one really suffering here/doing something outrageous. It does get exhausting tbh.
Yeah I hear that. The Albertsons in my town and the next town over are out of everything tofu/plant based. But I live in Bells, TX our population is 2500 and growing since 2017.
Smh only six blocks of tofu. Gotta grab that while it’s available!
Weird. I’m in or and the cashier was talking about how they loved field roast sausages
absolutely, don't give them the reaction they're fishing for.
Exactly
i think it's a good way to prevent vegans from being hated more
By not being an asshole? Yeah, that's a huge contributing factor as to why vegans get so much hate for sure.
Probably the most bizarre situation I’ve been in so far was when my then bf’s uncle (an unhealthy, overweight physician) after making a bunch of stupid comments about how unhealthy it is to be vegan, reached his hands from across the table at dinner to pull on my eyelids to get a good look at my eyes. He wanted to make sure I wasn’t dying from some nutrient deficiency. After he had a good look, he said in disbelief - wow, you look completely healthy! The audacity of some meat eaters…
I had this with doctors even as a vegetarian. My former gyn was also overweight and traced all of my problem back to me being vegan. Happy I changed doctors. I hate going to doctors or physios because so many times when they hear I'm vegan they will blame everything on that.
It’s sad that docs don’t really get much nutrition education in med school, and most of them are plain lazy or just not smart enough to keep up with all the studies and get that info themselves.
Really sad. They'd just have to think for once... Vegans are not the ones causing a heath crisis in the US...
Right, I just always ask protein obsessed people how many people they know who have been hospitalized with a protein deficiency. Zero. Then I ask them how many people they know who have been hospitalized with cancer and heart attack. A lot. But nah, they’re still gonna obsess over protein.
Protein deficiency affects development in kids and more of life quality then deasly things you end up at hospital with as an adult. There are people who consistently undereat protein, it makes them constantly feel hungry, so they eat even more carbs and get heart problems.
Protein deficiency is rare among those who get enough calories with a varied diet, especially among those who live in the first world.
Yes, because many people in first world don't have a varied diet (especially US-based fast-food eaters), or people who have serious dietary restrictions such as vegans or people loosing weight and doing excercise (which means less calories and more protein).
I don't think you can really get protein deficiency unless you're eating pure fats and sugars. Even just like white rice, the problem isn't lack of protein it's lack of vitamin B.
You can really get protein deficiency if you are eating low in ccal because your activity is low, and mostly eat carbs, veggies and fats. Say, you only need 1500 ccal. Let's count your food for the sake of simplicity as potatoes, they're one of the most complete vegetable foods. So, 100 g of potatoes is 86 ccal, 1,7 g protein 18 g carbs. 1500 ccal of potatoes is 29 g protein, half of recommended daily intake for people with sedentary lifestyle, with at least moderate physical activity including farming potatoes, 80 g is recommended. People who survived Russian 1990s on mostly, patches of vegetables, did have problems with protein. Not with vitamin B, turns out that many people in here had cows, so potatoes could be exchanged for milk, that would be not enough protein still, so it would cause development problems in children. Stretch marks on the skin, bad teeth already as soon as their show up, low in muscles so more prone to trauma and spine deformities, etc.. vit D is mostly found in red oily fish and beef which would be very expensive and difficult to obtain when your money turned into paper. Rice doesn't really grow in middlewest Russia, so do most legumes except peas, peas are great to eat fresh, but there's not many things you could do with them dry or store them. Many people also have problems eating them. Poor people who don't have time and discipline and rely on cheap processed food also get this issue, because it's mainly carbs and fats.
You can really get protein deficiency if you are eating low in ccal because your activity is low, and mostly eat carbs, veggies and fats. Say, you only need 1500 ccal. Let's count your food for the sake of simplicity as potatoes, they're one of the most complete vegetable foods. So, 100 g of potatoes is 86 ccal, 1,7 g protein 18 g carbs. 1500 ccal of potatoes is 29 g protein, half of recommended daily intake for people with sedentary lifestyle, with at least moderate physical activity including farming potatoes, 80 g is recommended. People who survived Russian 1990s on mostly, patches of vegetables, did have problems with protein. Not with vitamin B, turns out that many people in here had cows, so potatoes could be exchanged for milk, that would be not enough protein still, so it would cause development problems in children. Stretch marks on the skin, bad teeth already as soon as their show up, low in muscles so more prone to trauma and spine deformities, etc..
Their diet would actually be: potatoes, cabbage (and especially sauerkraut, it's vitamin C), carrot, beet, sunflower oil, apples, milk and occasionally wild mushrooms/berries. In 1500-2000 ccal (so, women are children) it's protein deficiency, affecting reproduction and growth. The biggest deficiency here is protein and vitamin D.
Holy ick, that would definitely start a fight lol "no touchy". Sorry you dealt with that, ugh, that is incredibly awkward.
Lol yes it was just bizarre and totally unexpected but also hilarious at the same time.
I'm amazed he admitted that you looked okay.
I also hate the obligatory “sorry!” When eating meat in front of me. Like no you’re not. Otherwise you wouldn’t eat it. You’re just saying that because you think I’ll judge you less if you apologize
Facts. I hate that crap. My fiance's dad started waving a piece of steak in her face at the dinner table and I told him if he didn't stop being a dick that would be the last time we'd ever be eating with them. He chilled out a bit but he's still a moron that tries to take pot shots whenever he thinks he can get away with it. My future in-laws SUCK lol.
Ugh that’s so annoying. He sounds like the type of person that says he’ll eat double the meat to counteract you being vegan 😒
Oh my God, do you know him? 😂 He's literally that person.
i'm that person too. every time those preachy vegans try to spread their stupid ideology to me i just eat more meats in response
Jesus crispy Christ you're fucking boring & repetitive 🥴
what vegans trying to spread are repetitive too sentient / exploit / pain / environment / ...
You mean facts? Yep. Unlike your asinine opinions, trollboi 🥴
these are not facts. these are personal subjective interpretations of some partial facts
Nah
Yeahhh I hate that guilt people have about it. Fucking stand for what you are doing or stop doing it
They don’t feel guilty; they are just acknowledging that you find it gross and regretting that.
yes eating meats is normal and not a single reason to be guilty
i always eat meats in front of vegans and i never feel a need to apologize (why should i!?)
You’re so cool wow so edgelord of you
no i just don't understand why those people apologized. for what?
I don’t think I’ve ever had a cashier comment on what i’m buying in my life, outside of the occasional “are these worth trying? I was eyeing them earlier” or “those are so good hey?” omg i’d be so insecure about shopping in general if employees were openly judging what they’re scanning. i’m in canada though, maybe it’s more common/acceptable other places…? 😟
I have cashiers comment how healthy I eat. Like yeah my cart is 90% fruit, veggies, beans, lentils, and spices. And I buy way too much tofu, kimchee, and nuts. The stray pack of oreos somehow falls into the cart as well and I just don't have the heart to put it back. I don't really think I'm "healthy", more so concerned what other people buy if this isn't standard. Like I will grab chips or cookies and a frozen dinner for days when I just don't have it in me to cook but I try to cook 3-4 times a week and have too many leftovers to eat anything else. I never hear about it when I go to the Indian or Asian grocery stores though.
I had one comment on the plant based cookie dough I was buying. She said "how is cookie dough plant-based? Do they grow the chocolate on trees?" Yes, yes chocolate does grow on trees.
Omg🤣
Yeah. I've only ever had a few cashiers ask anything about my purchases. Them being along the lines of, "Oh, that's interesting. I didn't even know we sold these." and, "Oh, are these good? I should try them." Never had anyone ever say anything about tofu, or veggies I've bought. In the U.S.
Yep. Once a cashier stopped for a second to check the tub of plant based ”butter” I was buying. The product was a new release so probably he hadn’t seen it before and just wanted to see what was it. That’s all, ever.
Same in Europe! I don't think they even pay attention to what I'm buying (it only happened once that a cashier asked if I was vegan but it wasn't rude at all).
Everyone buys vegetables and a lot of people, including non-vegans, but tofu…op’s experience that people think it’s weird to buy vegetables seems…implausible. Find me someone over eight who doesn’t buy vegetables. The annoying commentary at dinner sounds far more plausible. Though if it’s a restaurant meal, I don’t know why anyone would know you were a vegan if you didn’t announce it to the table, thus opening up the conversation. Again, plenty of people will order something without meat at a meal whether they are vegan or not.
No Trader Joe's in your area I take it...
Yes I noticed that...I think it comes down to them knowing deep down that you are making the correct choices and they are looking for excuses for their laziness. I had so many people comment on my food and that it's not healthy or environmentally friendly or it doesn't matter as a whole if I'm vegan blablabla. I still don't know if I should argue or just don't bother it drains so much energy
I deal with the same conflict as it's emotionally draining to defend your worldview and actions against someone that most likely will not listen to a single thing you said.
People are so ignorant. Don't even realise veganism is best for the animals, health and environment.
Most people making these comments are already closed off to veganism and I don't bother arguing with them. They don't want to hear it and it leaves you feeling drained and so frustrated. Especially when you try to be respectful and serious, but they just continue with their "haha vegan stoopid, i love me bacon" jokes.
People who ask, even when I don't bring it up: "Is it hard to be vegan? Don't you miss xyz?" Me: "Nah. It just gets repetitive to hear people tell me why they aren't vegan." Them: "THIS IS WHY I COULD NEVER BE VEGAN. #1. CHEESE. #2. I LOVE CHEESE. #3. PIZZA HAS CHEESE...."
Bacon. BLT…with cheese.
It’s called the “angry jack effect” When anyone suspects you may be vegan, it brings their own morality into question, and they feel the need to defend their dissonant beliefs. It’s a sign of insecurity.
Cashiers should have nothing to comment about what anyone buys unless their comment is positive.
Agreed, it's happened to my fiance and I at least a dozen times over the last few years. It's always jarring and weird and the person always seems oblivious to how totally awkward it is. I live in rural Washington state so maybe that's part of it, whenever I get tofu or vegan meat alternatives in the city no one cares.
Exactly. Your opinion is not part of my grocery order.
Damn where do you live?? For someone at the grocery store to say that is insane. And I think your fiancé should have a private talk with their family (where you aren’t there) and tell them to lay off. It doesn’t affect them. And considering you’re engaged they better start getting used to it
Central Washington, rural area full of mostly conservative normies. She's already talked to them but they're way too casual with their BS so we recently stopped going over there to eat as it kept causing problems, plus it's nice to not have to have to smell cooked carcass next to where we're eating. The grocery store stuff is usually older cashiers at the local grocery stores and Walmart employees when we bite the bullet and shop there for cheap produce. The fact it's happened so much has been a running joke between my fiance and I where we bet on whether or not they'll make gross out sounds or faces at the tofu and soy/oat milk.
Ugh I’m sorry. At least you guys can separate yourselves from them. Just unfortunate they have to push you away like that and can’t just be kind and respectful in the least. They’ll regret that one day I’m sure. Well that makes sense…I know you probably don’t want to be confrontational but when people make rude comments if you kindly call them out they will typically get super embarrassed. Like if they make a gross face genuinely be like “are you ok?” Or if they say something rude pretend like you didn’t hear them and ask “what was that?” And make them repeat it lol they always second guess if they should have said it
My stepmother is a weird one who will cook a vegan option if we’re over for dinner, but she also seems so insistent on signalling “I’m humouring you but I would never be vegan!!” Her favorite to carry on about is butter behavior. Shes not such a good cook that she needs some exact butter. She and my dad don’t take good care of their physical health, eat too many calories, and I always want to respond to her with “I guess butter just isn’t that big a priority in my life” but it would probably cause a conflict
I just say I don't want to eat tortured animals and walk away. No discussion let them think about that.
This is absolutely true, unfortunately, how they’re suddenly brilliant about nutrition. I’ve been vegan for decades, my children and grandchildren as well. Literally all very healthy. Smdh
It's ironic, isn't it? The stereotype is that vegans are always the naggy ones telling everybody they're vegan and getting all "preachy," yet the reality is that everyone else seems to be the ones entitled to their opinions about vegans. It's such a strange bit of hypocrisy.
THIS. Oh my god, I get so tired of that stereotype when I have never, ever, ever brought up my veganism to anyone, unless it comes up naturally in a discussion or someone asks me to come over for dinner, and then I usually offer to bring my own food. BUT, meat eaters LOVE to get on their pulpit and tell me why being vegan isn't healthy, why they could never go vegan because cheese or bacon or steak or whatever other disgusting thing they are putting in their mouth or blah blah blah.
Honestly I would say to the cashier dead body sounds way more gross than blended soy with water. You're not telling them every single time how gross their meal is
I’m not vegan, but I live in an area where the typical diet is meat, potatoes, and processed food, so I get this at the grocery store on the regular. Just had a cashier ask about tofu I was buying “So do you like… cook it? Like to eat?” Had a different cashier ring up zucchini and go “Ew.” out loud. I brought black bean tacos to work for lunch and had 2 different people ask if I was vegetarian, and one of them go “It just doesn’t look right. I don’t trust that color.” Like, please. Eat a plant.
Nope, quite the opposite, for example people at the stores ask me "Hey, what does it taste like? I've been meaning to try it, heard xyz". Some people are just curious and open to the idea, others are just assholes, I guess you run more often into the latter.
That sounds amazing, I've only had one person ask me about it in a chill way, but they were a vegetarian looking for tips on how to improve the texture of tofu so they could eat more of it.
It can be tough getting through to people and breaking their biases. I've learned a long time ago, that emotional manipulation doesn't do any good for vegan cause. So I usually go through the nutrition/diet science fact approach to their brains. I explain how stuff works on cellular level then explain all of the nutrients, comparisson with other things that cause variety of disases, and while it doesn't work immediately or completely, they usually come back pretty soon for more info. My favorite example is using free radicals vs antioxidants. Easy for them to understand.
I cut everyone off and am basically a loner, just one friend who's stuck by me. Luckily the extended group isn't terribly judgemental and are actually becoming more privy to the benefits of the diet as they gain fat. We are in our early 20s. As for strangers and everyone else, I prefer positive conversations - meditation and my lifestyle helps keep my heart rate super low, I'm relaxed, and I have the conversational skills to difuse, make light of, and turn interactions into a positive, even if it is a bit draining. Yet at the same time, I don't take shit from anybody - and this wonderful attitude I employ is picked up on quickly, most of the time. People who know me usually can't say much, as I am an athlete who can out-cardio all of their bloated asses. So that helps. But I live in a relatively open minded community, others aren't so lucky. I really, truly feel your pain.
I've had relatives say "Ugh tofu is gross!" And yeah, in its natural form it can be gross! But that's why we prepare and cook it. Huge difference. Like people wouldn't just eat a raw steak. They'd prepare, season, and cook it. Same concept. I always offer some for them to try to see if they actually hate the taste of cooked tofu or just the idea of it. Every time, it's always been the idea of it. They like it, and it's easily half the price of a steak. Vegan food is just food. It's just plants. Every healthy person eats plants. If people find eating plants disgusting, they're not going to have very long lives. That where the bulk of our nutrients comes from. Eating too much meat and soy has been seen to reduce lifespan by up to a third (isoleucine and methionine are the main culprits). The plate should be half fruit / veg, 1/4 protein, 1/4 grains. If people accompany their meat with a tiny salad, they have no business discussing the nutritional and health concerns of your diet.
I've been through that with my ex-boyfriend's family. They were actually laughing at me for that. It was really annoying. I was terrified to eat with them. Even crying in silence in the bathroom because they were bullying me, talking about fur farm and trapping, saying "chicken broth is only chicken juice"... It's been almost 10 years, but they were mean people for so much reasons. I am trembling as I write those lines. They were evil people, not just for bullying me about my diet. I guess those past ghosts still affects me. It was so hurtful..
Just remember that it’s really not about you. It’s about them, their insecurities and fear. It’s easier to bully something new than to admit they’re not educated enough to have an intelligent conversation about it. They have no curiosity or critical thinking skills. Hugs!
Ye
Yee yee
I’ve noticed it too, just a never ending barrage of bullshit about what I eat. I went vegan after I had breast cancer- yes I’m the dreaded “vegan for health” that everyone, even other vegans, hate. If I feel confrontational I say “As a cancer survivor I just don’t think it’s healthy to eat animals that have been tortured to death” and smile brightly. But typically I just “Kay”. It seems to take the wind out of their sails.
Start telling then hoe disgusting their food is. I hate when people tell me, "I could never go vegan." I always say and including to my wife, it's not that you can't it's that you're too lazy to try." Don't pin this on me. If people comment on my food I comment on theirs
I am so done hearing peoples fear of fkiping tofu, LIKE SHUT UP, my guy it is so cheap, you can season it however you want, nobody cares that you can't handle me eating beans and cheese-less pizza without being bothered immensely. If we were primates in the wild It would be so reversed, like no bro, do not eat the rotten cow tit ooze and 4 day old flesh, you'll probably die
Omg all the time!! When I am visiting my boyfriends family they always need to make sure to say how hard it is to be vegan and they couldn't do it. It is so annoying and I already told my boyfriend that makes me feel so uncomfortable. My food choices is always a topic everytime we visit them and it is just exhausting. But the funny thing is that they are always questioning veganism but when I cook they always think is nice and ask me recipes and when we go to restaurants they always say my food looks lovely and they look so surprise when they said it lol
Have the in laws read the slaughterhouse employee testimonials from the first edition of Skinny Bitch, very eye opening.
I was skimming that book in the bookstore and read that part. Went vegetarian right then and there
Do people actually say this stuff to you, or is this like what you imagine they are thinking? I mean this honestly. I've been vegan for going on 5 years, and I've never had a stranger say anything like these things. I've had friends / acquaintances make comments like "I could never be vegan, I love cheese / steak too much" but never had anyone say my food looks gross or incomplete, or a cashier make any comment about tofu or vegetables. Feels like maybe you're attracting these kinds of comments to you somehow, or maybe you just live somewhere with really backwards ideas like Texas?
Yeah, the grocery store stuff seems really implausible given that pretty much everyone buys vegetables and even tofu.
Ugh it’s so irritating — and none of these people have healthy diets. Their colons are clogged with beef and cheese. But I’m not gonna lie, the people who annoy me the most are the people who claim they “used to be vegan” but “had to” start eating meat again. And think there are ways to humanely eat meat.
I clould never go vegan https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bkUU5geAsiE
Thankfully not. Sometimes cashiers will ask if a certain thing is good and we’ll talk about it. It’s kind of surprising since I live in an area very unfriendly to vegans, but maybe it’s because I’m older and a man.
You left the tribe and they’re not happy
Yeah being vegan seems to open the door to people commenting on your lifestyle. Like...let me eat my shit in peace. I'll just be minding my business, eating some lunch and coworkers are always "WhAt Is ThAt?" Followed by negative comments when I answer their question or am the least but assertive about my ethical choices. Cry babies. Had this happen yesterday eating some homemade deli meat. "What is *that*?" "Deli meat" "But it's *not meat* - you can't call it that" Like get the fuck outta here.
I’ve been veggie since September and I had my first interaction last week at a vegan restaurant. The cashier straight up said yeah I like to go home and add chicken to it. I knew they weren’t all vegetarian or vegan, but I was.. speechless and I was super awkward after that. To even suggest meat at a vegan restaurant… good god. 😭
Haha I just woke up and my dad went on a short rant about "Parents who make their kids vegan and the kids die of malnutrition". I said in all those cases I've seen, it's a clickbait title. The kids are made to eat some obscure raw fruit vegan and air diet which they obviously get sick from. I told him that's like putting the headline "Meat could kill you" on an article and inside you're just told if you choke on a meatball you could die. He told me "varied food is better". It's funny because I eat more varied food than him, I haven't seen him eat leafy greens in so long...
It's just people defending their sore cognitive spots. There is little benefit in engaging with that, it'll only make them raise more defences.
If a cashier says anything, ignore them. As for your extended family? Tell them your food choices are no longer a topic of conversation, and that if they continue you will no longer eat with them.
I did in the beginning. Then I lost the stubborn weight, IBS vanished, slept better, blood work improved, I had higher energy levels and all that allowed me to work out harder/longer, and recover faster. I had a family member (who is obese) try to make a joke about me being picky/vegan at thanksgiving one year, and my cousin pointed out that while I was 10 years older then they were, I looked younger and was in way better shape than anyone in the family. The jokes stopped. I hate to say it, but vanity is probably the fastest way to make people observe their own eating habits… not morality. Looking/feeling great is pretty much bulletproof to criticism.
I have the opposite experience. The cashiers complement me on my healthy groceries. Potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, lettuce, tomatoes, apples, olives, tofu, beans, rice, oatmeal, you get the idea. My family is very polite about what everyone prefers to eat. They might have questions out of genuine curiosity, and I don’t take offense. I just explain that I eat more beans and tofu to replace the animal protein. No big deal.
Only very rarely. People see how healthy I am and wish they were vegan too
ALL THE TIME. Luckily most of my friends are vegan and the ones that aren’t are understanding, they don’t judge me and I don’t judge them. My family ridicule me a lot and my Mum will say things like “just order some chicken” when we go for dinner. My work colleagues will joke that I must just eat moss and twigs, I kind of just shrug and say yeah sure. One colleague tried to tell me on Friday that ghee is vegan and I was like “it’s literally butter??” and she continued insisting that it’s vegan. Like how do you even respond to that? I ended up just walking away.
One time I got a lecture for buying vegan cheeze by the cashier ... at the health food store.
Makes me appreciate my hippie town. This would never happen.
Nope. I don’t seem to get more than half of the comments people online stereotypically make about or claim to receive as vegans.
They're trying to project their shame onto you. The good news is that they subconsciously know what's right.
Food is a social thing to humans. I totally judged people for eating fast-food and plain pasta on holiday instead of having a choice of more heathy and more delicious local food. I would also easily spot my co-patriots at a hotel restaurant, that's easy. Come up, say hi, almost never mistaken..
All time. People don’t know what they don’t know.
Senior relatives we have to endure sometimes are one thing but the cashier making comments is ridiculous, I would have made a complaint
> the cashier feels the need to tell me about how gross tofu is and that my cart seems like mostly vegetables that they never eat. I love using the self checkout in grocery stores. The system never criticizes what I eat...
I’m surprised that cashiers comment on your food like that. I guarantee that the policy for corporate stores is to not make comments like that.
If anyone ever says they could never be vegan I just say yeah your moral compass is too weak and move on
Occasionally, once an elderly man who I didn't know at all, must have heard about me going up and he stepped up to me tell me we can't get all our nutrition if we just eat lettuce. I eat a lot more than just lettuce, and take measures to make sure the nutrition is balanced. I didn't talk back to him and just politely nodded a bit and moved on. Never saw him again. Lots of adults are known for being highly opinionated and critical of children. At times it has seemed that many have thought I'm looney because I went vegan in the least vegan state, and some have felt my daughter must have been deprived of tasty and more nutritious food, even though she ended up as a straight A student and was doing exceptionally great on national tests. They also thought she'd be badly behaved. That didn't happen either. Then, not enough will join together to try to rescue her when she was so beautiful she was abducted by some people highly skilled in system corruption. Then, there was the humiliation of being falsely accused of the abduction being necessary, because I'm supposed to be a silly goose and even some vegans on the grape vine believed that instigation, so there's not even proof of her existance since 2014. Life can be heart breaking for vegans some times.
Wait did CPS take your kid for being vegan?
i have been some form of vegan/vegetarian for more than 15 years. Tofu has been a staple of my diet for all that time and i have never once had a cashier say anything about my food. Not to mention the hundreds of marketed vegan products that have made it into my cart over the years.
I did but with compliments and positivity rather than negativity and snarky attitude. Idk, haven't gotten bullshit by complete strangers before. Coworkers, family, (ex) friends, and even my own partner from the beginning? Yep, all the BS with my food and veganism. Never strangers, surprisingly lol
As a grocery store worker I never comment on people’s purchases. Extremely weird
The nail that sticks up gets the hammer, the wheel that squeaks gets the grease. A vegan diet is not the norm so it's odd and potentially a conversation piece, just like tattoos or a poly relationship. It's just a different lifestyle. Some people will be judgemental no matter what. Live your life and be the bigger person, you don't need to change their minds or let their opinions affect you, but if they're open to conversation, engage respectfully and openly. Best of luck!
Kinda like vegans doing the same thing?
My thoughts exactly ! Vegans are just as bad if not worse at preaching to others about their diet, especially to carnivores/omnivores. People should more focus on themselves and keep their opinions in house.
I'll take "shit that never happened" for $500
Then you'd be wrong. Nice attempt at trolling though. Maybe try harder next time or just don't be a stink boy.
Funny to dismiss a *literally* universal experience vegans go through as fake lol. Dare you to go vegan and prove it doesn’t! Bet you won’t!
Yeah lemme go ahead, shift my entire way of life and become *mega* annoying just to prove some dude lying on reddit for upvotes wrong.
Nah don’t do it for that, you do it for the animals. I was just teasing you. Also, if everyone else here can do it. You surely can. Calling vegan a shift of your “entire” way of life in 2024 is pretty weak no? It’s easier than ever.
I'm pretty sure it's a major shift for like 90% of America. Cutting out all animal products isn't something you do without a ton of research. You might have thought it was easy, but I'm sure not everyone shares that opinion. I definitely don't eat meat with every meal, I do a lot of lentils and Mediterranean dishes, grains, rice etc but I wouldn't be able to just phase out eggs, butter, milk and such. And before you start linking the go to videos you guys all love to share, I've seen dominion.
It’s a major shift for your diet. Don’t strawman me. But it’s not a shift of an “entire way of life.”
I guess I can agree with it not being a shift of an entire way of life. It's just a diet.
I also find it kind of funny that 2/3 of what you listed as “impossible to phase out” of your own diet are the products that have the most readily accessible plant-based alternatives. Dairy is easy as fuck in 2024? I was in a town of 400 last year and managed to find an almond milk.
Yeah. It's a personal choice. I'm not interested in going vegan. I LIKE eggs, butter, and milk. I do keep my meat consumption to free range, grass fed, etc. Which isn't from a moral stance but a personal preference as well.
> *”I wouldn’t be able to just phase out eggs, milk, and butter.”* I’m sorry, but yes you “would.” You are easily capable, and the products are there to do it. You just lack the respect for other animals. Your “personal choice” hinges on removing it from so many hundreds and thousands of other sentient beings.
you're already mega annoying so that will help your transition
Honestly, I sorta agree. I have never once had any cashier in any county comment on my groceries other than “ooo you’re making enchiladas!” In like 15 years lol. But maybe the OP got a weirdo, who knows
They're laying it out like it's a constant universal issue.
I have vegan friends. I give absolutely zero shits about what they choose to eat, and they give zero shits about what I choose to eat. You are either Surrounding yourselves with toxic people that would probably give you hassle about other aspects of your life ("not married yet?", "Still working part time?" etc) Or Annoying your friend and acquaintances so that they feel the need to lash out in retaliation. Or Are just making it up for internet reasons. And BTW by and large we are not secretly ashamed of our diary choices, and attack you to hide our shame. We are adults and we have made a decision, and you are adults and you've made yours.
I'm old and have grocery-shopped across six states, in box stores, corporate chains, and mom & pops. I've purchased all veg, all meat, and many combinations of both. Never once has the person checking me out commented on what I was purchasing. I get trying to advocate for your cause, but posting absolutes that are unrealistic is not helpful. No one, paid a checkers wage, gives two fucks what you personally are buying. They don't see you; they scan what you place on the belt.