Blog collab_Jolly vegan Q&A

Hello wonderful people, I'm here to serve you the high quality vegan content. A few weeks back I asked you to send some questions regarding veganism that you're curious about. I got quite a few and I'm gonna answer them with my perspective of course, so don't take any of this as facts. 

But I have my friend @gabriel_vugon here to give you an another perspective of his so that you can have not one but two views of whatever you're curious about. You're welcome.

Now shall we get started?

1. Why did you go vegan? +Why should I go vegan when I can eat healthy/happy without having to go vegan?

--> We've sort of answered these questions in our previous posts. Check out Gabriel's article here and my article here

2. What do you think that prevents people from giving up meat and going vegan/vegetarian?

Q: I think because we’re raised in such a non- vegan world. It’s a shame that eating animal products is the norm. Because it’s the norm, it’s more convenient for people to live that way. Being vegan isn’t hard but I have to admit that it is definitely not as convenient. One other reason is people tend to have prejudice towards this lifestyle. That’s why things like where do you get your protein, do you get enough micronutrients etc exist.

G: This is very good and also very difficult question to answer briefly. It's obvious to me that most people do actually care, to some extent, about animal suffering even just in a moment when they watch Earthlings, but that counts. So the answer is clearly not because these people lack love or kindness for animals, it's certainly not because they're not horrible people or not capable of feeling things. It's just that... well, going vegan is hard. It means you have to give up all of your delicious meat, dairy products, etc... and to get absolutely no reward or recognition in any kind for what you do, thrown in the inconvenience, the prejudices against vegans from other people. It's not that easy! I think most people do know that eating meat causes animals to die. But when they realize all of the difficulties of going vegan, most people are not willing to give up their desires for slaughtered, mistreated, abused, exploited animals that they never see. And so they try solve the problem by coming up with excuses not to go vegan. "Hmm, there must be a way that veganism is bad... Facebook pages on nutrition, help me out!... Oh, wait, look at these data and these nutrition found only in meat... Oh, so we actually need to eat meat to be healthy. Woops, that was close, those vegans almost got me. See, I knew veganism was bad."

So, to sum up : EXCUSES. Giving yourself one more excuse and you'll never be able to go vegan (or do anything well, actually).

3. Do you see any physical/mental change after going vegan?

Q: physically I don’t think I’ve changed much. My skin is better since I don’t eat dairy anymore. Also, I figure I was b12 deficient even before I went vegan/vegetarian. That’s why I got an afternoon slump when I have no energy to do anything. I’ve been taking b12 regularly and it has improved my energy level loads. Mentally, I don’t think there’s much of a difference. I guess I’m just more mindful of my impact to the environment and to the animals

G:

• Weight loss
• Less digestive problems
• No more constipation
• I feel better about myself, almost proud of myself that I'm doing something right

4. Do you have enough energy to study/travel/work?

Q: Yesssssss, I bike to school daily and it’s a 5 mile ride so I do have plenty of energy. Don’t worry as long as you eat enough food, there wouldn’t be any problem. Plants aren’t typically calorically dense meaning you can eat more than you usually do!! Who doesn’t want that?

G: I guess this question is quite typical but I'll answer it anyway. YES WE DO!!! You can easily find bodybuilders that are vegans on Youtube nowadays. The energy to study, to work,... comes from calories from food that we eat. So in order to have enough energy, we need to have enough calories in our diet. And since vegan food is not as fully packed with calories as meat, vegans actually have to eat more than meat eaters (which is a great thing btw) and that's just it, guys. Sometimes I feel like this is what meat eaters imagine vegans eat on a daily basis.

YUMMMMM

5. How to be vegan when I’m the only wants to be vegan in my family? What if my family/friends don’t support me going vegan?

Q: well, I’m the only vegan in my family and my dad doesn’t really support me. I don’t think there’s any difficulty that could make you absolutely can’t go vegan. It would be challenging to cook your own food or ask your family to make something vegan for you daily but just put a little effort and showing them that this lifestyle is a positive change. It’s ok if they don’t support you. I don’t think they would oppose your decision but don’t be too aggressive and judgemental towards their lifestyle as you wouldn’t want them to do the same to you.

G: Here’s a thing. You can’t just go downstairs one day, walk into the kitchen, whip your hair and say “Ewww, I’m not eating that. I’m vegan!” Nobody is going to understand that kind of rotten attitude. What I’m trying to say is that you need to explain to them the reasons why you go vegan, it’s almost as dramatic as a coming-out conservation but it’s going to just fine. And if they still don’t support you going vegan after listening to you, well you can still go vegan no matter if they like it or not. The truth is that they are your family, they’re not going to throw you out of the house just because you’re vegan. Being the only vegan in your family is a little bit challenging - I’m the only vegan in my family as well. People can be annoying at times (let’s not talk about family meals and your annoying relatives) and all vegans have to, or at least, have had, to deal with that. But hey, you’re doing something right!

6. I’m a busy student and I often buy food from the canteen and I don’t have time to cook. How can I go vegan? How to go vegan as a busy student?

Q: Research!!! There are so many things that are vegan, you just don’t know. My go-to vegan option when there’s nothing around is oreo. It’s not nutritious but it’s vegan and you don’t eat them every single meal so it’s fine. If you don’t have time to cook, I’m sure you have like 15 min a day to whip up something in the kitchen. My go-to is fried rice with veggies and tofu or some kind of soup. If I’m too busy (which I rarely do), I just make a smoothie (lol). I think it always takes effort to make any change. You can’t change nor make any progress if you don’t want to put in any effort.

G: Here's something you need to know about being vegan: You have to know how to cook for yourself if you're vegan. People always say they don't have time to cook because they're so busy but is it really true? Cooking does not take that much time, guys. Of course if you're not used to cooking for yourself, it will take a lot of time (a lot of cleaning and burning as well). But once you get used to it, believe me, you would wonder why you even thought of it as such a big deal before. There's tons of easy, quick vegan recipes that you can find on Youtube. Try to prep your meals for the whole week, that will save you a lot of time. And you know, cooking is such an important skill that it's ridiculous to me that some people don't know how to cook for themselves. It's a skill, in my opinion, that you must learn anyway, especially as a student, so why not go vegan and learn how to cook vegan food for yourself NOW?

If you're looking for quick, easy vegan recipes or tips on how to prep vegan meals as a busy student. Here are some Youtubers that you're looking for:

• Caitlin Shoemaker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9t-kSQhaa4

• Avantgardevegan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_wD2zydD_g&t=45s

• The Viet Vegan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F2HB1Ek94A

• Cheap Lazy Vegan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3eYVEyMpTY

7. How to cook vegan food?

Q: Just cook like how you cook your animal-based meal but replace it with vegan alternatives. Replace your cow’s milk with soy milk/almond milk etc, your protein with tofu, beans, soy curds, replace your fish sauce/ oyster sauce with soy sauce and mushroom sauce. The possibilities are endless

G:My first reaction to this question was: "Wow, that's like... a stupid question. I don't even know how to answer that!" But I guess what this lovely person (whoever you are) is trying to ask for is some tips on vegan cooking. Well, cooking a vegan meal is obviously simpler than cooking meat of course since you don’t have to deal with blood, the smell of raw meat, etc… But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. There are certain things you will learn on the way for example, how long it takes to cook the perfect rice, pasta, certain kinds of vegetables. You can replace egg in dessert recipes with mashed banana. Replace cow milk with soy milk. Try to experiment with new ingredients. The list might go on but it all boils down to one thing: Experiment and try new things. Good luck!

8. Is it hard to eat out as a vegan? What do you do when you go out with friends/family but there’s no vegan options?

Q:  It’s not but again I don’t eat out often since it’s expensive. Everywhere has vegan options nowadays and if they don’t have, all you need to do is ask for them to change a few things to make it vegan, and if you can’t find any, get the oreos (lol)

G: Obviously, being vegan will put you in some inconvenient situations and eating out with friends/family is one of those. It is hard being the only vegan in your family or your group of friends. So here are some tips that I can give you:

• Always bring some vegan snacks with you in case there's no vegan options. My favs are Oreo (yes, it's vegan), peanuts, dark chocolate,...
• Vegan options are always easily found in most Asian restaurants.