Is there such a thing as "Mostly Vegan" ?

J0hnick

This video pretty much sums up my situation

Does anyone else feel the same way ?, I find it especially difficult in rural Ireland, especially when the vegetarian option in your local restaurant is "Salmon" :rolleyes:

Flibble

I can relate to this. Definitely. I cook vegan at home, and I eat vegan when I'm out in Dublin (with my friends, who are used to me sending them menus in advance to make sure we're all amenable to the options).

Outside Dublin you're lucky to find vegetarian. My partner's mother wanted to treat me to a birthday lunch recently (in the midlands) & I nearly had heart palpitations; I HATE being 'the awkward one'. I was really, really stressed that we'd go somewhere I wouldn't even be able to get soup minus chicken stock. Like, I'm fine being 'that person' with my friends & family & partner, because they know me, but I get really anxious with anyone else. I ended up having soup (thankfully no nasty stock!) And a scone with cream etc.

So I'm 95% vegan at home, and probably 85% vegan when I'm out & about, depending on where I am & who I'm with.

I do just describe myself as vegetarian though as I don't feel I'm vegan enough to be vegan.

henryporter

Mostly Vegan and Vegan are not synonymous at all. The former is the act of occasionally eating, wearing or using animal products whereas the latter is 100% abstinence from those behaviours. One cannot (as the person in the video is attempting to do) state that they have deep and strong principals and then go off and ignore them when it suits (for example "to have some birthday cake")

I live in Dundalk, have lived in Monaghan and Mayo in the past - never had a problem being 100% vegan - granted I don't eat out a lot, but when I do we arrange in advance with the restaurant or cafe to have something prepared.

J0hnick

I guess she's a Flexitarian then.

Dandelion6

henryporter wrote: »

Mostly Vegan and Vegan are not synonymous at all. The former is the act of occasionally eating, wearing or using animal products whereas the latter is 100% abstinence from those behaviours. One cannot (as the person in the video is attempting to do) state that they have deep and strong principals and then go off and ignore them when it suits (for example "to have some birthday cake")

What if one's veganism isn't based on deep and strong principles?

Parchment

I ate a mostly vegan diet a few years ago but i still considered myself a vegetarian as i occasionally ate cheese/milk.

I dont see why you need a label for it though.

silent_spark

Dandelion6 wrote: »

What if one's veganism isn't based on deep and strong principles?

Then it's not veganism, it's eating a plant-based diet - that's a totally different thing. You can't be 'mostly vegan' but you can certainly eat a mostly plant-based diet.

henryporter

Dandelion6 wrote: »

What if one's veganism isn't based on deep and strong principles?

What could it be based on then?

Parchment

henryporter wrote: »

What could it be based on then?

Some people eat a vegan diet for health reasons.

Slaphead07

If that's what your comfortable with. You don't need a label and you certainly don't need to fit someone else's definitions. You might not be 100% vegan but you're doing what you can. Fair play.

zoobizoo

Do what you do... and don't worry about labels.

I often eat a vegan breakfast and vegan dinner and vegetarian lunch.

I was out for dinner on Saturday night and had fish (first time in a while). I also tasted my wife's steak which was pretty nice but didn't have me hankering after one.

I do right most of the time but know that I will never be vegan.

henryporter

Parchment wrote: »

Some people eat a vegan diet for health reasons.

Health reasons would equate to a principal of eating healthily, no?

_Brian

zoobizoo wrote: »

Do what you do... and don't worry about labels.

I often eat a vegan breakfast and vegan dinner and vegetarian lunch.

I was out for dinner on Saturday night and had fish (first time in a while). I also tasted my wife's steak which was pretty nice but didn't have me hankering after one.

I do right most of the time but know that I will never be vegan.

I agree with this.
Just be you, what's the rush to take on a label that you somehow will feel the need to live up to, resulting in disappointment if you vary outside the rigid terms associated with labels. Life's too short, just roll with whatever happens and be happy with yourself.

jus_me

Any advice for a new vegan struggling to find take away pizza places

adelcrowsmel

jus_me wrote: »

Any advice for a new vegan struggling to find take away pizza places

Have a look at the Any frozen vegan pizzas in Cork City area? thread http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057752826 and you'll see a post from Tar.Aldarion listings plenty of vegan pizzas takeaway if you are in Dublin and also a few mentioned for Cork

Tar.Aldarion

jus_me wrote: »

Any advice for a new vegan struggling to find take away pizza places

Where are you? Try these documents, there are loads in dublin:

http://irishvegan.ie/?page_id=4

vegetables

Yeah. I'm mostly vegan. I sometimes use honey.
I can't have processed sugar, and maple syrup is way too expensive.

Ragnar Lothbrok

vegetables wrote: »

Yeah. I'm mostly vegan. I sometimes use honey.

I never realised that honey was on the vegan no-list. It must be such hard work being a 100% vegan.

I've been vegetarian all my life (hippy parents in the 60s!) but would never have the discipline or desire to be a vegan. I think it's fine for someone to describe themselves as "mostly vegan" just as I think it's fine for someone to describe themselves as "mostly vegetarian" if they eat meat once in a while.

Tar.Aldarion

It was kinda tricky starting out due to learning new information but honestly it's really easy now for me, I put no thought into it these days. I found being vegan for myself pretty hard, but pretty easy when I focused on it being for the animals and their lives. It is also much easier now due to tehre being so many vegans, i can go to a meetup with 30+ vegans to socialise if I want.

Only awkward thing is food events with others but even then most places do vegan food or will make you something if you ask.
Generally it's called eating a plant-based diet if you eat some animal products, as veganism encompasses more than food but I don't have a big problem with whatever things are called really.