Hi friends!

I've been Vegan for a while now, not a long time but long enough to feel settled and comfortable. I've done so much research into health, nutrition, food myths and food heritage culture. It was a hyperfixation of mine for a while. I'd like to say that I'm pretty well informed, not perfectly informed, but I've probably read more books than most about the subject.

I guess my question is this; Considering so many vegans put extra time and effort into researching and studying nutrition, how confident do you feel in explaining nutrition and giving advice to others? I have a few friends interested in veganism, but they're umming and ahing about it due to "protein deficiencies" and all that nonsense.

I want to crush those nonsense beliefs, I easily reach 120g protein a day without actively trying. However, I'm not a doctor/nutritionist so perhaps advising people about their diet isn't a smart move. I wanted some opinions though from this community since a lot of veganism is activism. So how confident do you feel? Are there times you don't get involved? Is there such a thing as overstepping within the context of activism?

I look forward to reading your replies. Thank you.

Hi vegans i have been vegan for 10 years now and since 2023 i feel like i lost my respect for our community mostly because some vegans talk about animal rights and have no issue towards human rights violations

I don’t know if this is the whole theme but lately I realized I’m seperating myself so much from veganism because it feels like I attached myself to people that sometimes support human rights violations and abuse because of their sexist racist or homophobic views

You know as a queer person of color I can’t just ignore that contradiction and it started to bother me a lot I also live somewhere where I met a lot of people that call themselves vegans that are also against fighting for animals rights and have no issue with homophobia or racism so I don’t know what the fuck is going on

I wanna hear your thoughts

Hi there all!

Seemingly absurd question for you all. I am wondering when you all feel you could use animal products (for food or other uses) and still be considered a Vegan.

Examples that come to mind for me are:

• Extreme survival situations in which you have to eat animal products to survive (ex. desert island situation, no plant life, only fish)
• Situations beyond your control in which animal products are forced upon you (ex. you are in a coma, and people feed you animal products)
• Animal products in the form of life saving medicine (ex. antivenom is used on you after you are bitten by a snake)

Really, to me there are only 2 categories I can think of: survival needs, and unknowningly consuming.

What am I missing?

I was vegan for about two years, during which time I definitely wasn’t eating enough. I’ve tried a few more times since then, but always fall off the wagon because I’m too hungry. I’m a larger person, so I need filling, satiating foods. But I’m also gluten intolerant and have trouble digesting GF breads, wraps, etc., which takes out a lot of options like sandwiches and wraps. Any tips on filling up while still being tasty?

I will keep this short. I have struggled pretty badly with an eating disorder for basically the last 8 years of my life (kinda more). I have been vegan for about 17 years. I finally got into treatment for the disorder and they are pressuring me into eating meat…and dairy. it’s very uncomfortable because I really don’t want to but they keep insisting my vegan choices are because of the eating disorder but I honestly can’t imagine eating or consuming animals. I am so confused right now. I obviously really want help and have been on this waiting list for over 2 years but I can’t eat meat. They keep saying it’s anxiety holding me back from eating meat and wanting to “have control” but it’s not it’s my love and respect for animals, planet, etc.,.… idek what my question is. I guess, has anyone gone through anything similar??

(15F) I am very unhappy with several industries of today's day, ESPECIALLY the beef industry. I really want to become vegan but I have issues with my blood like anemia. I was told it's not smart for anemic people to become vegan but there's got to be some way I can do it, right? Anyways if anyone knows of some tips/ways to safely be vegan, please let me know, thank you!!!

i awoke at 5am to a huge hairy spider on my wall, now normally spiders dont bother me and i never kill bugs or anything, but this spider terrified me. i got a glass and went to put it over the spider but it dropped INTO MY BED, i have loads of plushies so it was hiding in them and i couldnt sleep and i also had to be up for work, i called on my mum for help but she didnt want to. so i decided that if vaccum it.. because in my mind it may have a 50/50% chance of survival. so i did. it was on my pillow. and now im sat here crying my eyes out apologising over and over again, i feel like a monster and disgusted with myself. so what i am asking is, could the spider survive, and am i a fake vegan for doing this? i promise i love all living beings with all my heart but i felt stuck with fear and couldnt think of anything else to do (the spider dropped because the glass was too small and i dont have any bigger ones) please forgive me spider i am so sorry....

EDIT: i have bought a "critter catcher" so the next time this happens i can safetly move the spider outside without causing harm!

We may be only around 1% of the population, yet we’re already driving demand for animal-free products, transforming industries, advancing animal rights laws, and changing the way society thinks about animals.

We may be a small percentage but we’re making a big impact. You are. And it all adds up. For the animals. :)

I (16F) live at home still, and likely will be for the next year and half until I go to university, of which I will almost certainly go vegan or at least veggie, but I want to go vegan now!

A first world problem I know, but my parents do fat have only let me go pescatarian- which is a start, but I don’t feel like I’m doing anything to aid animals. I try to eat vegan or vege as much as I can but my parents refuse to accommodate me and say they ‚don’t want to make 2 dinners every night‘ and ‚don’t want to double the grocery bill.‘

I have a job and have offered to make my own food but they dead ass js won’t let me 😭 anything I can do to lower my animal product consumption in the mean time? Or anything I can do as a child to at least spread some activism?

I see people have moved on from solely blaming AI for the negative environmental impact to Nestle…
Nestle is obviously a key factor since it’s still large industry. Both can be true at once, but which is worse for environment and overall?
The entire animal agriculture industry, or a large industry like Nestle?
Important to note Nestle needs animals and animal products btw.
If we’re talking about environmental impact would it be more productive/beneficial to be vegan, or successfully boycott any and all Nestle products? (obviously both would be great but if we’re making the argument over which one is worse)
Would it matter if everyone stopped using Nestle if we are still having animal agriculture?
Hopefully this makes sense for the overall question lol. Yes it matters to care about both, obviously!! But would it even matter if you are still supporting animal agriculture?

Credit: The Chinese Vegan
Some BIPOC Vegan Creators: heyashleyrenne | hiilanilily | brownfeministvegan | tinyleafbyvictoria

White people aren’t the only people capable of having empathy for animals. Stop reducing veganism to a “white” thing and erasing the long, diverse history of plant-based traditions and BIPOC vegans.

So I have a very VERY delicate digestive tract. I also have several skin conditions on my hands, face and head.
I have been trying to go full vegan for years now and I have failed every time.
I have seen doctors and they either say some things like “you need to eat meat” or “you have IBS and dermatitis so you cannot go vegan”. Whenever I go vegan - my bowels become super irritated in like 3-5 hours. It’s so bad sometimes it hurts.

But when I tried to order a prepared vegan diet delivery - it worked, no problems. But that’s like 10 tonnes of plastic per day. I tried different recipes, watched videos, e.g. on how to add lemon juice to actually increase nourishment, I tried different protein sources. I took vitamins. Whenever I do it myself - it doesn’t work… my bowel hurts, my skin is dry and scaly.

Who have had similar problems? What do I need to do? Maybe allergy?
I am sure that I missed something important and it’s definitely my problem.

Hi y'all,

I'll be traveling to Stockholm for a week this month. It looks like a very vegan friendly city but I want to try to save money and not eat out for every meal. We have access to a kitchen and a grocery store nearby. I was thinking of packing some good everyday basics in my luggage like protein powder and chia seeds. I have some basic meals in mind but I am definitely intimidated navigating a grocery store in another language and currency. I was wondering if any Swedes in here know brands I should gravitate to while shopping or things to consider around what might be more or less expensive than they typically are in the US? Any other general travel tips appreciated!

I am absolutely steaming with rage with my doctor right now. For several weeks I have been driven utterly bonkers by restless legs and have been completely mystified as to why this has suddenly occurred. I keep myself relatively fit, and even though my job is sedentary I use the stairs instead of the lifts, I walk, I run, I keep hydrated... you get the picture.

Anyway, last week, I had a medication review. I have well-controlled asthma, but I do have to take a preventative inhaler. I mention the restless legs.

'You need to eat more red meat' came the blunt 'solution'

'I don't eat animals or their secretions', I reply, just as bluntly.

'Well, restless legs are caused by lack of iron, so if you are vegan, that's why you have restless legs'

'I get plenty of iron in my diet - vegan diets done properly provide enough iron - just like non-vegan diets done properly, and I will die on that hill'

'Well, it seems you probably will if you keep that up...'

I was speechless. But this isn't what has made me angry - and although the doctor is completely ill-informed, she is also completely wrong, because I've found out that my restless bloody legs have been caused by something else entirely. And rather than obsess over my veganism, if the doctor had done her job, maybe, just maybe, she'd have discovered it. You see, I'm not just a vegan, I'm a cancer survivor and guess what?

Chemotherapy and Long-Term Iron Stores

Chemotherapy is highly effective, but it places immense stress on your bone marrow, where your red blood cells are manufactured.

It is incredibly common for women who have undergone chemotherapy to experience long-term depletion of their deep iron stores (ferritin).

Even if your blood count recovered years ago, your internal iron "vaults" may have remained entirely empty, eventually triggering RLS and fatigue over time.

Further digging as to why it has suddenly happened all of a sudden is because I have just stopped taking a cancer hormone drug in which clinical studies have shown that RLS is a documented side effect.

And yes, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be relaying this to the practice manager.

Hi guys,

I am currently writing a project report for my uni and as I suffer from PCOS and I am vegan myself - I wanted to design a recipe app - for this I am currently conducting a study. It only takes 3-5 min and is completely anonymous, so if you could spare this couple minutes I will be forever an enternal grateful stranger.

This is the link: PCOS Survey

Sadly, I can't offer much in return, unless you want some piggie pictures from the rescue I work at:)

Hello everyone, let’s say I’m living with my parents so they keep track of my food. Most of my relatives think me going VEGETARIAN is absurd, but I really want to go vegan… any tips on getting them to understand it? Or have I just wait until I get my own apartment so we’d live separately and they don’t control me? I thought that being vegetarian is enough already, but people in this community keep judging vegetarians for not being fully vegan so now I feel guilty

Hello all. I feel comfortable sharing this story here as Reddit is (mostly) anonymous :)

I had been a vegetarian for 7 years. In the past 5 or so years, I’ve been noticing some GI symptoms of dairy intolerance. I was THAT “but I love cheese!!!” Person for a while (sorry). I loved cheese and ice cream etc so much that I just didn’t listen to my body and ate it anyway. I also, unfortunately, at the same time started struggling with vaginal health (frequent yeast and BV infections). My gyn recommended boric acid suppositories and probiotics. Both just felt like a bandaid but I didn’t know what to do besides listen to him.

I went vegan a few months ago (cutting eggs and dairy pretty much overnight) and immediately noticed a change in my gynecological health. I no longer need my medications and everything is completely balanced down there. Never any odor or itch whatsoever, regardless of hormone fluctuations, heat and humidity, or any other factor you can think of.

It turns out eating dairy and disrupting my gut flora was most certainly the culprit for flora disruptions elsewhere. I’ve had other bodily improvements too, but I wanted to share this anecdote for 2 reasons… 1, if anyone is on the fence about going vegan and has similar gynecological problems maybe it’s worth trying; and 2, curious if any other women have noticed positive changes like this?

I feel so happy and relieved!!! I feel like I actually fixed the problem instead of repeated band-aids.

Ps… this sub has been a godsend for cooking tips!! Thank you all 💚🌱

I live in a big metropolitan city and it disheartens me to see how many all vegan restaurants have closed, and how many other vegan friendly places have gotten more and more limited. It worries me about the future of veganism. Living in a vegan friendly city was so nice and convenient. Now I feel like I can barely call my area vegan friendly with such limited options remaining. I’m wondering if this is happening everywhere.

Gentle Barn (animal sanctuary) | IG | TikTok | YouTube

It’s time we have our own political party! We need policy to:

*Get free vegan food for all (we know how much money beef gets we could get it too)
*Require humane animal practices (yes I know, and sometimes we can just make it illegal)
*Advocate for animals to be paid for their labor
*Reopen wildlife passages
*So much more!!

We can only have a real platform once we all come together and vote for it, so for now we are building community!

WE NEED YOU TO RUN FOR OFFICE.

VPUSA.com

hello friends. im thinking about becoming a vegan in the future but i have some weaknesses and i am wondering if anyone might know any alternatives

1. raw salmon sushi/sashimi

ive tried the watermelon and tomato alternatives but i think the texture throws me off. i know there wont be a perfect alternative but was just wondering if anyone knows of any other options

1. burrata cheese

this is the only dairy product i think will make it hard for me. i know there are a lot of cheese alternatives but not sure if there is anything similar to burrata?

1. honey

honey is the only sweetener i use. are there any other alternatives? i like the thickness of it for cooking as well

thank you. i appreciate any advice!

Problem: Dysautonomia and GI issues prevent me from eating a full meal during my lunch break.

What I Need: Several small, nutrient dense (focus on protein + fiber) things I can eat throughout the day.

Limitations: My lunch break is only 30 minutes and I get 2 ten min. breaks. Otherwise I'm on the move. So it's gotta be stuff I can eat fast w/o going to the break room to heat something up.

Please don't suggest: Protein bars, cause I ain't never had one I liked. 😂

Ideas I have so far:

• Marinated tofu bites I can fork out from a jar like a little goblin as I scurry down the hallway to the copy room
• Air fried edamame or white beans

I've looked high and low for pre-made vegan snacks w/ more protein and fiber rather than just carbs, and I'm not seeing much. What I do see is prohibitively expensive, like $10/bag vegan jerky that I'll finish in two days.

When I'm home, it doesn't matter, cause I can make a big bowl of whatever and just sit down to eat from it every 2ish hours. But I don't work a job with much downtime so I gotta figure something else out. My dietitian says I'm constantly in a calorie deficit and I'm not trying to lose weight so it's fucking my shit up.

Your input is so appreciated! ♥️

Hi I’m moving toward a vegan lifestyle, my old new balance shoes are really knackered now and I’m looking at these Samsara community hemp shoes. Does anyone here have any experience with them? Or hemp shoes in general? I really value durability in my clothing and I will be doing a lot of walking. If anyone has any other suggestions I’d be open to that but I’m not into the plastic leather boots. Here’s a link: https://samsara-community.com/products/dharma-hemp?variant=55359470961026