Oh boy, this blog post probably should have been written a while ago. It’s taken me so long mainly because I’ve dismissed just how much people seem to be concerned with what I eat. But on an almost daily basis I now get asked the all-important question:
“Are you vegan?”
The short answer: no.
The longer answer: kind of, maybe, depending on how you look at it, sometimes..?
The really long answer: I follow a plant-based diet. This is fundamentally not the same as vegan. I have never felt completely comfortable calling myself vegan (although I occasionally used the term years ago) as I switched to a plant-based diet for health reasons, not ethics. I feel like the term vegan is about so much more than just food, and I have never belonged in that category, so it doesn’t seem right for me to use that word to describe myself.
I like the word plant-based for many reasons, but mainly because it is vague. Depending on who you ask plant-based means different things. Some bloggers use to it to describe a diet consisting of 100% plants with no processed food, whereas the scientific community defines plant-based as a diet consisting of predominantly plants. Note: predominantly, not completely.
My diet is not 100% plants. This is because I eat what I want. I would say my diet is probably around 80% plants, which is what makes me happiest. The remaining 20% could be anything from enjoying some cake for a friend’s birthday, going out for pizza, or saying yes when my sister asks me if I want to taste the latest Ben and Jerry’s flavour. There is no food that I see as off-limits. This is my idea of balance, and I love it!
And yes, sometimes I even eat eggs. My parents live in the countryside and have a wonderful garden where they keep chickens. They live a very happy life there and all die of old age, long after they’ve stopped producing eggs. Personally I see no problem with eating these eggs – to be honest I don’t even know why I stopped as they’re just incredible and a key part of my childhood. This also means that sometimes when I go out for brunch I have a craving for eggs and I indulge in it.
When I’m at home and cooking for myself, pretty much everything I make and eat is vegan/plantbased/whatever you want to call it. But when I go out to eat I prefer to be much more flexible, partly because it makes my life easier (as well as for those around me), and also because it makes me happy and I love trying new things. Most of my friends aren’t in the health industry, and definitely aren’t even vegetarian, but it’s important to me to have an active social life and to be able to enjoy the amazing food London has on offer.
Come to think of it, I don’t think my diet has ever been 100% plants, because I enjoy a good cocktail at the weekends, or a glass of wine with dinner, and a lot of alcoholic drinks aren’t actually vegan. But that’s something that’s easily overlooked by most people. Even when I was very strict with my diet and ate 100% plants, I still always made an exception for alcohol.
I love having this more relaxed approach towards eating, and I guess part of the reason I’m able to adapt like this is because I was never an ethical vegan. I understand that for some people it may be hard to understand why I choose to eat this way, and that’s fine, but all I ask is for mutual respect regarding dietary and lifestyle choices, as we all have different reasons and are on different journeys in life.
Beautifully said! I love your posts and how clear you are when you speak.
This is excactly like me. I recently started not eating meat just because I didn’t like the taste of it. A lot of people seem to have a hard time around that fact though. I’ve also stripped my diet for dairy and gluten products as an experiment to see if that could be why my skin is not clear as it used to be. It’s especially hard as I’ve been growing up on a dairy farm in Denmark where all of these things are basics in the kitchen. Hard to explain to people even though it shouldn’t be. It should just be respected. It’s funny how people just think it’s okay to constantly question people with different diet choices. I’m not doing it out of ethical reasons but when I say I don’t eat these things anymore it’s like the try to defend why they are eating meat and I don’t even care. I just prefer to eat plant based just like you.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU….for writing about this. About a year ago I decided to stop eating meat…with the exception of fresh seafood if I get a craving or can’t find anything satisfying on the menu. However, I have struggled with the whole 100% plant-based and vegan label. This post has really helped me to see that is okay to not be 100% vegan or plant-based all of the time. NONE of my friends are, so when we go out to eat it can be really challenging and I like to indulge with them every once in a while. I just loved hearing this from someone else! 🙂 Love your perspective!
Couldn’t have said it better myself. I am plant based for dietary reasons as well, but still have that “5%” as you put it where I am flexible. I’m not sure why the topic of food has become so taboo, but people need to do what makes them happy 🙂
Hi, aside from the eggs, and the going out, this sounds just like me. I have moved away from the vegan word years ago.
Roy
Love this post Pixie, so well said! I admire you so much for your honesty too! 🙂 xxx
Thank you so much! 🙂 x
Omg. AMEN!!
I feel like you have just written all my own thoughts but from your head.
I’m always asked if I’m vegan or if I’m vegetarian or pescetarIan – WHAT AM I?! Because I think it makes other people more comfortable to put you in a box.
But I don’t really fit into any box. I’m 100% plants at home, flexible when I go out. And yes. Alcohol. 😆
I think vegans are amazing, but I don’t necessarily agree that eating animal products is inherently wrong. Breeding animals to be used as commodities is wrong. Treating animals with a lack of respect is wrong. But eating the odd egg from a happy chicken isn’t. (In my opinion.)
Anyway, well said & I hope your honesty is received well by your following.
Lorna | eatmyyythoughts.blogspot.co.uk
Thank you so much I really appreciate it 🙂 x
Love this post!
Pixie, you’re a star. That’s exactly me. 100%. Especially that part about not making others’ life hard is what stopped me from being 100% plant-based in the very beginning. Or having ice cream with my sister. Nobody can be 100% perfect and no one has to be. I mean, even vegans fly on planes, right? That’s not ethical or environmentally friendly either? And SO WHAT! We have to find our kind of balance and you’ve perfectly found yours!
Lottie
http://www.lottieslife.com
Thank you so much Lottie 🙂 definitely with you on the ice cream haha! x
Lovely post and this is exactly how I cook and live 100%.Do what makes you happy and feel no guilt if you eat icecream or eggs.My “sin” is also eggs and Halloumicheese every now and then.No dairy for me but I won’t get killed if my coffee is with milk instead of soy ;)Keep up the good work and be happy with what you do,it is a pleasure to read and follow you 🙂
This describes me perfectly. I do eat fish when I go to a restaurant if there’s nothing else I can have but don’t stress about it. I like a cake now and then and definitely drink alcohol. I believe you do what you can when you can with regard to healthy eating – sometimes it’s just not possible, say at a buffet or restaurant to stay plant based. I have the odd egg sandwich if there’s nothing else there. This is my first visit to your website, it looks great.
Thank you. No stress is so important! Glad to hear it’s working well for you 🙂 it sounds like you’ve got a great balance there!