Someone on Opposing Views asked a question, “Is there a middle way between vegan and vegetarian?”

The writer says that they are currently vegan for health, environmental and animal issues but that they’re considering eating nonvegan foods: “Ethically I would most likely indulge in cheese and eggs if I could be assured they were produced in a cruelty-free environment.”

My response:

Vegan is a type of vegetarian. If, when you say vegetarian, you mean lacto-ovo vegetarian, then you should say that. Because a strict vegetarian = a dietary vegan. Let’s review some definitions, shall we?

Vegetarian - someone who adopts a plant based diet. There are a variety of vegetarian types ranging from lacto-ovo vegetarian, ovo vegetarian, lacto-vegetarian, vegan, raw vegan… Even some people who eat fish call themselves vegetarian, though the proper term for those people is pesca-vegetarian or pescatarian.

Vegan - someone who abstains from using animal products for food, clothing, cosmetics, and other uses as much as possible. A vegan eats a plant-based diet, but they also wear plant-based clothes, and in general live a lifestyle that avoids any unnecessary animal use.

Now, onto your question about eating eggs. In general, calorie for calorie, eggs are the most cruel. As you said, free-range labels cannot be trusted and the humane farmer is rare indeed. Besides that, eggs are full of cholesterol and they pose a risk of salmonella infection.

Since we have no nutritional need for eggs, why bother?

If, for baking, you need egg replacements, here are some suggestions:

• Use a commercial egg substitute product like Ener-G egg replacer.
• Simply omit the egg and forget about replacing it.
• Ground up flax seeds.
• Mashed banana.
• A little soy milk curdled with vinegar.
• Soy yogurt.
• Tofu.
• Applesauce.
• Nutritional yeast.
• Mashed cooked chickpeas.
• Water and baking powder.
• Mashed potatoes.
• Agar powder.
• Canned pumpkin.
• Purreed prunes.
• Cornstarch.
• Arrowroot.

Now, onto dairy. Again, we have no nutritional need for cheese.

Dairies tend to be incredibly cruel…removing baby calves and turning them into veal… overworking lactating mothers and slaughtering them at a quarter of their life spans… and remember that HSUS undercover video of cruel slaughter practices from a Chino slaughterhouse? Those cows were used up dairy cows. Every dairy cow is destined for death . She becomes cheap beef.

And in fact cheese is pretty bad for your health . It’s full of fat and cholesterol .

Better protein sources exist:
beans, quinoa, tofu, seitan, tempeh, edamame, nuts, faux meats, faux cheeses, nut milk, seeds, etc.

As for replicating the taste of cheese, I recommend trying some of the following vegan cheese brands:

• Daiya
• Sunergia
• Follow Your Heart
• Teese
• Bute Island
• Vegan Gourmet

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