7 Recipes For Full And Part-Time Vegans
A pro-vegan article in the Washington Post called “Vegan and You Don’t Even Know It” says:
“I’ve compiled a bunch of vegan recipes from the Mighty Appetite vault to illustrate a point– particularly for my omnivorous friends afraid to dip their toes into the meatless pool — that vegan isn’t just nutritious, baby, it’s delicious. I’m not suggesting that we do all-veeg all the time, but what’s the harm in having a stable of vegan recipes that are packed with so much flavor you might not even miss the meat?”
The article lists these seven vegan recipes:
While the “I’m not suggesting veganism full-time” is not exactly the position I take here at the Soapbox, I certainly appreciate the sentiment that part-time veganism is better than all meat all the time: meat-eaters should eat less meat.
Even just being vegan part-time is a step in the right direction. It’s good for your health, it’s good for the planet, it’s good for animals, it’s good for your pocketbook, and it’s good tasting, too.
As a vegan, it makes sense to promote part-time veganism. Obviously, we vegans should promote full-time veganism first, but promoting part-time veganism is better than promoting the humane myth. Cage-free, free-range, certified humane, and other similar labels for animal products don’t mean much and animals still suffer terribly because of their status as commodities. Promoting part-time veganism is also likely better than promoting lacto-ovo vegetarianism because non-vegan vegetarianism is often still fully dependent on animal products. Many vegetarians eat eggs or dairy at every meal and never eat vegan meals. Part-time vegans are also probably more likely to go full-time vegan than their full-time animal-eating counterparts.
As a vegan, I have another selfish reason for encouraging meat-eaters to eat less meat: I want more vegan options in restaurants so it’s easier for me to go out to eat. Interestingly, I’m not alone:
“Over one-third [of consumers] would order soy products in restaurants (namely, a soy veggie burger or soymilk), if they could find soy on their restaurant’s menu.” (source)
and
“a National Restaurant Association poll found that one in five diners looks for vegetarian meals when eating out, and one in three orders a vegetarian entrée if it is on the menu.” (source)
(Photo: blueberry sorbet by Kim O’Donnel)
I know many people who qualify as part-time vegans. They know it’s good for their health mainly. I say take it any way it comes.
When I first became a vegetarian it was for dietary reasons. I didn’t know much about the animal suffering involved in meat production and didn’t think that much about it, like so many others. So I joined Elaine (the banner-carrier in our household even from a very young age) when she went veg. My digestive system had been not liking beef in particular. I didn’t like the way it sat in my stomach, making me feel blah. After I went veg, though, I took up reading about it and it wasn’t long before my main motivation changed.
Thus I suspect that people who would never consider giving up animal-eating for the sake of the animals might do so for the sake of their health. And eventually they might come around the way I did. In my experience, those who give up meat for their health tend to go back to eating it eventually, but those who move into compassion for animals don’t go back.
That sorbet looks amazing.
Also, I totally encourage my friends to choose non-animal based foods whenever they can, whether that’s only occasionally, or once a day or whatever. I remember when I started going veg it was so much easier for me to think of it meal by meal and eliminate things slowly. And the more I eliminated, the more I realized how easy it was, and how many other foods I was discovering in the process…so I think sometimes the part-time approach turns in to full time–it did for me!
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