45
votes
Accepted
Reasons for being vegetarian or vegan other than ethical reasons?
There are multiple reasons why people are/become Vegetarian/Vegan apart from ethics, including but not limited to
Religion/Culture - most of the worlds Vegetarians reside in India, mainly due to ...
- 1,961
32
votes
Accepted
Is honey considered vegan?
Honey isn't considered vegan as it's an animal product made by bees for their own use.
Bees are usually fed a substitute as a replacement which isn't as good for their health, but there are more ...
- 1,961
30
votes
Accepted
If vegans don't drink milk, why are they okay with breastfeeding?
Consent is one issue, Mothers have a choice, animals don't, we can't ask them whether they want to participate.
Milk production involves female cows and to get them you need male cows. Male cows are ...
- 2,351
30
votes
Accepted
Is yeast-risen bread (or other baked products) vegan?
Yeast is a unicellular organism, a type of fungus (not an animal).
It is significantly less complex than any plant.
It has no central nervous system.
I eat it with a clear conscience.
- 11.8k
29
votes
Accepted
Hidden non-vegetarian or vegan ingredients
Source: Hidden Animal Ingredients in Foods (dummies.com), slightly modified and extended.
Can be vegan, or animal based:
Glucose (dextrose) - Animal tissues and fluids (some glucose can come from ...
- 969
27
votes
How to deal with pressure from family when telling them you are becoming a vegan?
My mum was concerned about my health and wellbeing when I transitioned from vegetarianism to veganism, but I was not living at home at the time.
What I did was constantly talk about the great food I ...
- 11.8k
26
votes
Accepted
What is a good source of Vitamin B12 for a vegan?
Can I live without it safely?
No. B12 is an extremely important vitamin supporting many bodily and psychiatric functions. Fun fact (and I need citation here) is that it is so important you can live ...
- 1,484
26
votes
Reasons for being vegetarian or vegan other than ethical reasons?
Vegetarians and vegans suffer lower rates of some forms of cancer.
A 2012 analysis of all the best studies done to date concluded vegetarians have significantly lower cancer rates. For example, the ...
- 2,351
25
votes
If vegans don't drink milk, why are they okay with breastfeeding?
Vegans do not have a problem with 'a mother cow breastfeeding their babies'. Vegans have a problem with humans consuming a cow's breastmilk. It is natural for a woman to breastfeed a child. It is not ...
- 761
21
votes
Accepted
What does the term "veg*n" mean?
Veg*n (or Veg*an) refers to both vegans and vegetarians. The use of the asterisk derives from its use in computer languages as a wildcard which can capture any sequence of characters.
Wiktionary
- 2,853
20
votes
Accepted
Do some vegans avoid using cookware that's previously been used to cook meat?
I can't answer definitively but possibly my experience is worth sharing here.
Thinking about food labelling, products may be labelled vegan and have a warning aimed at allergy sufferers along the ...
- 11.8k
19
votes
What are the main nutrient deficiency concerns for vegans?
When in doubt, consult your doctor, and do bloodwork!
Iron. I have never had anemia problems and iron is replete in dark leafy greens.
Vitamin A. Primarily found in meats, but also in cooked ...
- 1,484
19
votes
How to deal with pressure from family when telling them you are becoming a vegan?
In my personal experience there is one thing that made my family more open to the idea of veganism and that vegan food is not bland and boring (one of the major concerns my family also had).
Cook for ...
- 1,844
18
votes
Reasons for being vegetarian or vegan other than ethical reasons?
Environmental is pretty huge. Includes CO2 emissions and antibiotic-resistance superbugs (and superbugs caused by C02 emissions for that matter). You could call that ethics but it is broader than ...
- 1,484
18
votes
Accepted
Is Omega 3 missing from vegan diets?
A distinction needs to be made between the different omega 3 fatty acids, namely ALA, EPA and DHA. All three of them are needed in a healthy human. Humans can metabolise ALA into EPA, and EPA into DHA,...
- 2,315
18
votes
Is Omega 3 missing from vegan diets?
Some scientific research suggests that possible deficiency of omega-3 is not a major concern for vegetarians or vegans.
There are several kinds of Omega 3: ALA, EPA and DHA. The first can be found in ...
- 5,759
18
votes
Accepted
What are some non-sweet options for vegan breakfast?
tofu scramble
get some extra-firm tofu and fry it with green/spring onion, turmeric (for colour), and yeast extract, nutritional yeast or soy sauce for flavour.
serve on toast etc
savoury pancakes
...
- 11.8k
18
votes
Why are some condoms not vegan?
Yes. Not all condoms are Vegan. There are different types of condoms available. While most condoms are made from rubber latex, condoms made from lamb cecums are also available. These are called lamb-...
- 967
17
votes
Accepted
Does becoming vegan need a transition?
Yes, but because you need to learn what the heck you are going to eat. (And supplement.)
People misunderstand why transition is necessary. Your body can handle new foods just fine. I am more worried ...
- 1,484
17
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to make silk without killing the creatures that produce it?
Yes. There is a process in which the silk worms are not harmed when the silk is extracted. That process is called Ahimsa silk meaning peace silk.
Regular process of producing silk:
The production of ...
- 967
17
votes
At what age can a kid change their diet from vegetarian to vegan?
It's actually possible for children to be vegan from any age, assuming they are breastfed or appropriate formula can be sourced (vegan infant formula is rather difficult to get hold of though).
You ...
- 11.8k
17
votes
Accepted
Is there a canon for veganism?
The most canonical definition of veganism would be the one from The Vegan Society. The Vegan Society was founded by Donald Watson, who coined the term vegan.
Donald Watson originally defined vegans ...
- 2,853
16
votes
Vegans: Besides supplements, what can substitute for Calcium?
Calcium is readily available from a number of plant-based sources:
Tofu, processed with nigari* (100g) 282mg
Collard greens, cooked (1 cup) 268mg
Soybeans, cooked (1 cup) 261mg
Turnip greens, ...
- 761
16
votes
Accepted
Is there a difference between "vegan" and "plant-based"?
The term vegan was intended by those who coined it to encompass lifestyles that respect non-human animals and refrain from any exploitation of them.
From The Vegan Society history page
Although ...
- 11.8k
16
votes
Accepted
How can I ask my guests to eat vegan when I host them?
The host generally makes the rules for an event, so a condition like that is entirely appropriate. If they have dietary/medical needs that they feel cannot be met by vegan means, you might want to ...
- 717
15
votes
Which foods at Indian restaurants tend to be vegan and how can I tell?
The following is based on my experience of South Asian restaurants in the UK and on eating out in Chennai.
If it is vegetarian, it could contain
ghee
yogurt / curd / buttermilk
paneer
cream
These ...
- 11.8k
15
votes
Accepted
What beer is vegan?
Spirits, wine and beers are all plant-based, however beer and wine are sometimes processed using animal by-products (egg, gelatin, casein, glycerin, or isinglass) used as a fining agent for settling ...
- 419
15
votes
Accepted
What's the origin of veganism?
Vegetarianism has been around for a long time, but veganism not quite as long.
The earliest known vegan was Al-Maʿarri, an Arab philosopher from the late 10th century.
[His] diet was extremely ...
- 2,420
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible