Some Vegan Food Stereotypes and Myths—DEBUNKED for Good
If an individual asks multiple vegans the most challenging part of being vegan, many will agree that the uninformed things people assume about the vegetarian meat! Non-vegan people want to know where vegans get their protein. They believe they are a hippie or a communist. This post includes the most popular and most frustrating vegan myths and stereotypes—and exactly why they are not true!
1.Vegans are scrawny and bad at sports—due to protein deficiency.
This is possibly the most common myth about vegan people: “Vegans can’t get enough protein.” According to this myth, the muscles of any vegan are on a downward trajectory, and they shall wither away inside the dust. Some individuals believe that vegans must consume protein powder or supplements every day to get sufficient protein.
There’s also a myth that vegetarian meat must “combine” the right amount to get complete protein at each meal. Like most stereotypes, there is a little piece of the truth back this “protein-deficient vegan” stereotype: Vegan foods usually are lower in protein than non-vegan diets or animal meat-eaters. And vegans do have a lower average BMI (body mass index) compared to non-vegan or meat-eaters.
2. Vegans are negative, depressing people.
Some individuals compare veganism with dwelling on all the evil elements with the world: Vegans are so negative and rigid, they won’t let anyone consume animal meat in peace! It is not wrong—many vegans do feel strongly about what is happening to animals. So outrage and hatred are basic emotions that numerous veg meat eaters feel when learning about animal agriculture and choosing to go vegan. But that does not mean all vegans are going to go on and on about the wrong things in the world as an everyday practice.
Vegans are people who have decided to do something about the bad in the world. They are constructive and action-oriented. That’s very different from being aimlessly negative. In addition, many veg meat lovers recognize that, although there are massive amounts of suffering in the world, we live in one of the best times in human history. But if you’re a vegan, it doesn’t mean you’re a “negative person” overall.
3. Vegans are obsessed with the purity of their diet.
Some individuals read the word “vegan” definition online, and they believe that all plant-based food products users or consumers are super strict about every minor ingredient in their food. In practice, most are not. In practice, we all have slightly different guidelines in our heads for what a practical vegan should do.
- Some veg meat eaters are okay with eating honey, and some aren’t.
- Some vegans are okay with consuming sugar that was probably filtered with animal bone char, and some are not.
- Consumers of some plant-based food products are okay with consuming “natural flavors” (from animals or plants), while some don’t.
Some new vegans go through the effort of buying new vegan shampoo, deodorant, soap, household cleaners, and more. On the other hand, other vegans don’t bother—they just quit meat, dairy, and eggs, and they call it good. Many vegans believe it’s incorrect to buy second-hand leather from a thrift store—or even to keep your old leather belongings. But other vegans are okay with this. They point out that it’s more environmentally friendly to keep using the leather that already exists.
4. Veganism is a privileged movement for rich people.
With the costs associated with much vegan meat company, vegan restaurants, vegan specialty foods, and health food stores, some individuals believe that one needs to be rich to be vegan. One of the cheap and easy vegan meals an individual can consume almost daily: Oatmeal! But veganism can be very affordable when done right. Unfortunately, many ways to save on a vegan diet want more time, usually short for working-class individuals. Some list of highly affordable staple foods on a regular or weekly basis:
- Oatmeal (just a few minutes in the microwave) and cold cereal
- Rice (straightforward in a rice cooker)
- Pasta
- Fresh fruit, veggies, and nuts (no prep at all)
- Beans (Canned is very fast and easy. Cooking from dry is even cheaper but takes longer.)
5. Vegans are obsessed with being vegan—it’s their whole identity.
Indeed, most mock meat consumers have some level of passion or belief about their choice to be vegan—otherwise, it would not be worth the effort. But not all of us make it a fundamental part of our lives.
- Some individuals don’t typically go to animal rights protests or pass out leaflets on veganism.
- Some individuals don’t follow vegan social media accounts (except a few vegan fitness/bodybuilding Youtube channels).
- Some individuals don’t typically go to Veg Fests.
Whether you speak up constantly about being vegan is mostly a matter of your personality and the logistical needs of the situation.
6. Vegans have a bland diet of mostly salad and soy products.
Sometimes, it looks like the only plant-based food products widely known to be vegan are salad and tofu. The truth, of course, is that various of the foods ordinary vegan food products eaters consume usually are vegan or can be efficiently made vegan. There are flavorful, diverse vegan appetizers, entrees, and desserts from all different cuisines.
7. Vegans think meat eaters are bad people.
As a vegan, an individual sometimes feels that animal meat consumers assume that the individual who consumes plant based food is judging them. They will apologize to them for not being vegan—as if they are provoked. Sure, It would be excellent if everyone was vegan. It’s the direction our society requires to move in the long term. But that doesn’t mean that vegan people hate animal meat-eaters. It does not even mean that they are judging them. They know that everyone is at a different phase in their journey. Based on their facts, the vegan individual knows that not everyone believes veganism would work for them. They understand that we all have different preferences and different views, too.
Why Do These Vegan Stereotypes and Myths Exist?
These vegan stereotypes and myths mainly exist for the following reasons:
- Most individuals don’t know many actual veg meat-eaters. So stories from the Internet, newspapers, or word of mouth carry more weight in their minds than experiences with actual real-life vegans.
- The loudest vegans get the most consideration. And the most vociferous critics of veganism get the most attention, too. This means that, from a distance, you are going to see more extremism than average plant based meat companies.
- Individuals require to be able to remove vegan arguments. Vegans can be intimidating (and annoying) to meat-eaters because they are essentially accused of ethically evil consuming animals.
- Stories about deficient, skinny, or stupid vegans get the most buzz because people need to know, like justice, that the affected vegans are becoming put in their place, etc. This is particularly true when people have genuinely had bad experiences with obnoxious, mean vegans.
- Plant-based food companies in India have a financial stake in veganism viewing badly.
Question: Who profits when people believe vegans are crazy and unhealthy?
Answer: The meat, dairy, and egg industries.
- Confirmation bias perpetuates it. Once you believe some of these stereotypes are real, you look for evidence. Then you take every situation as proof of an overall trend, whether that trend exists or not.
The Truth: Vegans Come in All Different Stripes
To conclude: There are millions of vegans worldwide driven by many various ideas to pursue this lifestyle. While there are some impressive kernels of truth behind many of these stereotypes, they don’t represent all plant based meat eaters—and many of them are far from the mark!
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