A vegan lifestyle is compatible with the highest levels of health and fitness, protects huge numbers of animals, and is a potent way to combat climate change. Plus, the food is insanely delicious and it becomes more widely available every year.
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Bacon is a vegetable.
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Welcome to the forum.
I’m an omnivore so eat a range of foodstuffs, including vegetarian and vegan meals. But I have no interest in restricting my diet to particular types of foodstuff.
Whilst I understand the climate change argument, I reckon the “protect animals” argument is flawed. If people did not eat animals, those animals would not be raised at all. They would never exist - so it is diffiuclt to udnerstand a protection argument. So, I reckon that if I was a sheep, I’d choose to live a life grazing on the fields and hills - doing what sheep do naturally - than never having existed. The equivalent argument might be that I have never become a father just in case my child became a bad person, or something bad happened to her/him.
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Vegetables can be dangerous to me, so I eat some but not others.
I admire your discipline and commitment but I was raised on bbq, fried chicken and steak and I’m not turning back at this late date.
- bbq sauce qualifies as a vegetable.
Right?
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I could never subscribe to any religion, (including Veganism), that denies me bacon.
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A diverse diet including IF works for my tribe as well as mindful food storage, composting and recycling. Vegan prepared food can be delicious if sourced as responsibly as the Underlying message.
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Welcome, welcome. What is it that you enjoy most about vegan foods? Any super easy tips for people who might be interested in eating more plant-based meals?
I find that foods marketed as vegan aren’t my thing, and the recipes that are naturally vegetarian or vegan click better with me. For example, I won’t buy meat-replacement burgers but give me something like a delicious vegetable minestrone soup and I’m happy.
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As I noted above a lot of peasant meals based on limited availability of meat are veg or vegan. Pasta e fagioli. Red beans and rice sans sausage. Potato pancakes. Lots of curries. Black beans, corn, and sweet potatoes. Grilled portobellos. Rice bowls with tofu and veg. Minestrone soup. Mushroom risotto. Pigeon peas and rice with sauteed plantains. Everything is better with a little meat.
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^ LOL, I’m not in the “everything is better” camp though I do favor using meat more as a flavorful addition than the main event in most meals.
And I never wanted to give up bacon completely, even in my vegetarian days (omnivore now with loads of vegetable-centered meals). Because it’s bacon.
Thanks also for the reminder about dishes including red beans and rice!
An entirely vegan restaurant briefly opened in our town (before relocating to the nearby city) and we went and enjoyed it’s tasting menu. Enjoyed, that is, until the cheese course. Three different “cheeses” - all of them absolutely vile, both in taste and texture. Goodness knows what they were made of but I never want to put it in my mouth again. Ever.
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I said “a little.” I’m okay with the concept of meat as a condiment. Mostly. I’m definitely an omnivore.
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I gathered you might have been headed that way.
I was trying to bring of levity to our conversation but probably missed my mark. Oops on me. In real life, I do have a silly sense of humor. Usually it works, sometimes I miss!
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By no means a simple matter of poverty in South Asia. There are, apparently, something in excess of 20% of the population of India who are vegetarian. Interestingly, this link suggests that vegetarianism is actually more common amongst affluent communities than poorer ones. That suggests to me a decision made by choice, rather than even an issue of religious faith.
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I apologize if I came across as prickly. I was in full-on literal engineer mode. You sense of humor is fine - mine is warped. grin
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Agree that we’re all good. 
P.S. Have I ever mentioned that my husband is an engineer? When I’m in poetic license mode, and he isn’t, things can get lively for a minute. He and I have fun with our differing communication styles.
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W: “I’ve told you a million times…”
H: “A million? Did you count? One times ten to the sixth?”
Hugs to you Denise, and a hearty one-armed man hug to your husband. He wouldn’t be a civil engineer with a background in saturated soils would he? I need one of those for a peer-reviewed article I’m working on.
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I always want to hear more about the environmental aspects, about Diabetes Mellitus 2 friendly choices, and easy weeknight meals.
Right now, chickpeas are “trending” for me.
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Hummus. Chickpea/tomato/feta salad. Seems to work okay as a sub for rice or couscous for lots of dishes.
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Chickpeas - an essential ingredient in this house. Apart from houmous (which, truth be told, I buy more often than make), it goes in a Spanish-ish lamb & chorizo casserole. Or, indeed, it crosses the 14km from Iberia to Morocco for a version of a veggie tagine. And it’s often an ingredient in my dead easy three bean curry (which is entirely vegan).
Like most non-meat ingredients, it’s as happy in a omnivore dish as a veggie/vegan one.
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What do you mean by insanely delicious?
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