For twelve days now, I’ve made a conscious effort to steer clear of eating animal products as part of my two-week vegan challenge. A recent UN study revealed that industrialized agriculture is a key player in climate change and resource depletion. It suggested a world-wide diet shift away from meat and dairy products is essential for alleviating our species’ growing environmental footprint.
Agriculture accounts for almost 40 percent of total land use. The animals we raise for food consume more than half of the world’s crops. Those crops and the animals themselves account for 70 percent of the global freshwater consumption. In total, the report found that agriculture is one of the top contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.
If the UN wants the entire world to go vegan, I figured I should test the waters. Who’s a better candidate than a life-long carnivore raised in Indiana, where agriculture, dairy farming and hamburgers reign supreme?
So far, I’ve accomplished one of my goals, which was to expose that veganism is not as hard as you might think. There are so 
many ways to adjust your diet that will satisfy you as much, if not more, than the animal products you’re used to. I didn’t foresee myself loving vegan products as much as I do. My most recent find is Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread. It tastes like butter but it’s not. And it’s soy free, for those of you trying to avoid soy, too.
I have enjoyed cooking for myself so much, and I’ve come to realize how disconnected from my food I’ve become. As I said in a previous post, our current consumption habits and the society we live in have allowed us to become really lazy eaters. We eat what’s given to us, whether it’s in a bag or a plastic container or an aluminum can. Maybe we check the ingredients, but mostly we just assume it will satisfy us. Being vegan has required I pay attention to my food, and I feel enlightened by my own abilities to cook. Food is so good when it’s done right, and even better when prepared with your own hands.
I’ve also learned more about the meat industry and its appalling treatment of animals. I refuse to eat meat that comes from animals who were abused and tortured. But how can you ever know?
Last night I was watching TV and I realized that meat and animal products are routinely glorified. If you watch the food channel, rarely, if ever, do hosts cook vegetarian meals, let alone vegan dishes. There always has to be a meat dish, as if the meal isn’t complete without it. But this is because we are used to cooking with animal products. It’s the norm, and it’s the easiest way to cook.
The only way veganism will ever catch on is if we make it more visible and more affordable. Vegan options need to be offered in public restaurants, and labeled as such. Not only will this allow people to sample vegan items and realize how tasty they are, but it is great marketing. Encountering the word “vegan” within a comfortable, public setting, or over the lunch hour, will make it feel safe and even trendy for the everyday person, and I think those are the people who need to be reached (things like providing vegan school lunches are a good start). I’m not trying to trick people into going vegan, nor am I trying to make veganism a fad (please don’t attack me, people). I’m just trying to do for veganism what’s been done for vegetarianism. Bringing veganism out of the shadows and into public arenas will raise awareness, and make it more accessible and acceptable. Ideally, greater awareness would be coupled with greater education. Combining these two efforts could be dynamite.
Veganism also needs to be easier and cheaper to live by. Currently, it’s less expensive to eat badly than to eat well, and this carries over into the realm of animal products. It’s easier to live with them than without them. The amount we pay for three veggie burgers could easily buy several pounds of ground beef at the local Walmart. Those who don’t feel compelled to switch won’t do so until it’s affordable. Again, I know the movement is about people who DO feel compelled and have strong convictions about animal rights, etc., but if we really care about animal rights, the planet, and our bodies, we’ve got to root for a global movement even if not everyone is doing it for the same reasons.
Imagine affordable vegan products at your local major supermarket. Imagine smaller meat sections and larger produce sections full of fresher fruits and veggies. Better yet, bask in the glory that is your local farmers’ market, and just think of what it could be like if the entire community looked to local farmers for groceries, buying only local, healthy, unprocessed products. Imagine the satisfaction in knowing that perhaps once a week, every American prevents the release of enormous amounts of methane gas, nitrous oxide and CO2 by eliminating animal products from their diet. If we demand this, it can be possible.
Maybe I’m making this seem too easy. The meat industry will fight back. How can we respond? With policy? With alternative products to sell? With strict requirements for meat production and animal treatment? What are your thoughts? Again, let’s brainstorm (a note on brainstorming: I’m baffled that so many people are willing to comment and complain about my seemingly misguided efforts to go vegan but so few are willing to pitch in some productive ways to make the movement stronger).
Only three days left of my vegan challenge, but I have the feeling I’m not done with this diet change.
The Vegan Challenge Series
Other Articles by this Author:
Book Review: “The Story of Stuff” by Annie Leonard
Defunding attacks inspire increased donations to Indiana Planned Parenthood
Preview: Indiana high school principal on budget cuts, teacher layoffs
Move Your Money campaign having unexpected impacts, according to Huffington Post staff
Effects of Move Your Money campaign are indirect but present
Jessica is a freelance writer from West Lafayette, IN. She recently graduated from the Indiana University School of Journalism with her B.A. in journalism and a concentration in political science. Her works have been featured in a number of publications including HELEN magazine, The Bloomington Herald-Times, and CafeAbroad.com. Jessica is an environmentalist with a passion for the outdoors. She also has an insatiable appetite for travel, and was fortunate enough to spend a semester abroad in Rome, Italy. She currently lives in Indiana but is planning a move to New York City in the near future. Visit her Web site here.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Vegan News, Elie Bitar and Abilena Fox. Abilena Fox said: Day 12: Making The Vegan Movement Mainstream: It suggested a world-wide diet shift away from meat and dairy produc… http://bit.ly/dBTXrO [...]
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Don’t forget, veganism is against ALL animal exploitation and cruelty to animals, not just that of “food” animals. A strict vegetarian diet (no animal products) is perhaps the most visible part of being a vegan because food is such a large part of everyday life, but it’s not veganism in itself. (Check out VeganMeans.com and VeganSociety.com for more info on what it means to be vegan.)
I encourage everyone to go vegan because it is wrong to exploit animals, especially so unnecessarily. There are great vegan alternatives for everything from cheese (Daiya comes to mind) and honey (lots of alternatives) to clothes and makeup and pretty much everything else. One doesn’t have to sacrifice one’s own health to be vegan, nor tasty food, nor stylish clothes, nor having fun. Just educate yourself and be willing to try some new things!
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What a fantastic challenge to undertake. Not only is this a healthier way to live, but it really is the most important issue of our time. I’m a veterinarian and bioethicist and have recently explored the devastating contributions of the livestock sector to climate change, in a series of veterinary journal articles, which can be found at my site http://www.andrewknight.info.
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Vegan baking has come a LONG way in the recent years. It has now even surpassed traditional baking with eggs and milk. Recently a vegan chef took the top prize in the “Cupcake Wars” on the Food Network.
http://www.vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=2238&catId=8
Vegan chef Isa Moskowitz has revolutionized vegan baking with her book Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. And her vegan bake sales to raise funds for human rights issues has really put veganism on the humanitarian map.
http://www.theppk.com/blog/2010/01/13/vegan-bake-sales-for-haiti/
Gary Loewenthal’s World Wide Vegan Bakesale is an awesome idea for promoting vegan baked goods in your community.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/04/30/vegan.bake.sale/index.html
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[...] Day 12: Making The Vegan Movement Mainstream If the UN wants the entire world to go vegan, I figured I should test the waters. Who’s a better candidate than a life-long carnivore raised in Indiana, where agriculture, dairy farming and hamburgers reign supreme? So far, I’ve accomplished one of my goals, which was to expose that veganism is not as hard as you might think. There are so many ways to adjust your diet that will satisfy you as much, if not more, than the animal products you’re used to. I didn’t foresee myself loving vegan products as much as I do. [...]
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This is an excellent series of articles. I recognize so many of my own thoughts and experiences when I made the decision 3 years ago to “try” not eating meat. I discovered it was easier than I imagined and tastier. I also discovered a love for cooking that I never felt when preparing meals that included meat. My diet is now mostly vegan, and I feel the difference not only physically, but also mentally and spiritually. And when I drive past those farms here in Indiana I am grateful that I am no longer a part of the suffering of those animals. Well done, Jessica.
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Thank you Jessica for putting articles like this out there – it really isn’t as hard as people think to be vegan.
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Yes, thanks Jessica, I appreciate your series. There is nothing morally wrong with eating meat and it’s quite natural, but the WAY we do it, is morally reprehensible. There is a reason slaughterhouses are militarized zones where if you take a photo you can be jailed. Because we all know we are doing some despicable deeds in there and we ought to hide them or noone would want to buy the meat (which is as we all know, drug pumped and packed with lots of feces as bonus) We are all quietly saying its OK to treat animals the way we do when eating meat and really most people don’t care. I don’t know what the best angle to approach the topic is, but I think we need to find a way to strengthen the organic, farms that allow animals to live a happy life, though they are virtually non existent at this point because we just keep buying our KFC and McDonalds. We also need campaigns that sell meat consumption (from non-organic, unhappy farms) as totally, unsexy and uncool, because actually it is.
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Hi Jessica,
It has been great to read through your posts. It is apparent that you are really considering the ethical, environmental and health aspects of veganism and I hope that you continue to take what you’ve learned during the challenge and apply them to your daily routine.
One quick comment about affordability: packaged items like veggie burgers and vegan substitutes can be pricey, and they can be helpful while transitioning to a vegan diet, but relying less on the packaged stuff and getting comfortable in the kitchen can save a vegan a lot of money. (However, I’m willing to splurge on coconut milk ice cream — I love that stuff!)
Rice, potatoes, assorted grains, beans, etc., are usually inexpensive (particularly in bulk) and can serve as the “base” for many dishes. Buying vegetables and fruits in season are often cheaper at a farmer’s markets and can often be frozen or preserved for later use.
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