Vegetarians: Why aren't you vegan?

Question

I'm a vegetarian, so this isn't meant to be mean. I'm just wondering why some vegetarians decide to be vegetarian and not vegan. Vegans can answer too.

Thanks so much!

Answer 1

I could not see myself as a vegan vegetarian is as far as i can go..........i incoporate vegan foods in my lifestyle with macrobiotic and rawfoods for different options but i could absolutly see myself eliminate dairy products for good in my life

Answer 2

Veganism is not the goal of all vegetarians.

Vegetarianism is more than just a ''commendable'' or ''applaudable'' effort. Each veggie is saving lives. So it doesn't matter if you are vegan or vegetarian. Whatever you are most comfortable with, I say.

I don't eat dairy or eggs, yet I'm uncomfortable with calling myself vegan yet because I eat honey.

@Brendan C- Veganism is not crazy. Vegans simply choose to avoid animal products. Nothing wrong with that. I would have thought that being a veggie yourself you would understand. Peace!

Answer 3

Good question.

Well one of the reasons why I'm not vegan is mainly because I cannot afford to buy soy milk to get my calcium

Another reason is, I will be moving else where and adapting to someone else's cooking, and asking them to remove dairy products, etc. is out of the question. (Although that does not mean I will give up my vegetarian ways)

Also, I'm not fond of pure vegan recipes, I'm normally accustomed to have dairy in some part of my diet.

Yeah those reasons basically sum up why I'm not vegan.

Although, when I'm living with my husband and all, I will most likely become vegan since I will not become restricted on how I eat.

Answer 4

I am a vegetarian, and I have been for 8 years. I know that I should be vegan, but I'm just way too in to cheese. I eat a lot of vegan meals, like about 75% of all my meals. I don't really eat butter, I substitute rice milk for most of my milk needs and use only SPCA certified free range eggs, and I never buy leather or other animal skins. But I can't stop eating cheese and honey. It's just weakness on my part.

I think that veganism is an amazing accomplishment, but just being a vegetarian makes a pretty big change to the world, both in terms of animals and the environment.

It's kind of strange that I often think how much I would like a piece of fish, or some chicken, but I won't go out and eat them, but I don't think like that about cheese. It took me a few years to become a complete vegetarian though, so maybe one day I'll be able to give up all animal products.

Good question, by the way. I wonder that about myself all the time and it's interesting to read other people's thoughts on the subject.

Answer 5

I can' t quite live without cheese...

Answer 6

I live in the Upper Midwest. Being vegetarian is hard enough, being vegan is a pain in the @$$.

Answer 7

Many people only look to taste in food and are unwilling to give up dairy products. I became a vegan slowly over about a year. I just gave up one product at a time. I did it because of the health concerns such as antibiotics and hormones, and even diseases that can be passed to you from the animals. I want to protect my children from any diseases I can.It is also important to give up sugar laden desserts,junk food,hydrogenated oil, mono sodium glutamate, and artificial sweeteners. I find it best to just stick to whole grains,legumes,fruits, and vegetables.The shorter the ingredient list is the better. I find animal products now gross. Such as the idea of eating an egg that came out of a chicken s bottom, or milk from the breast of a cow. An unknown plus to me was that my husband was actually lactose intolerant and we never knew it. So his severe allergies disappeared.

Answer 8

its hard for people to make such a drastic change, and it is sooo limiting as a vegan. but i like it, i because vegetarian about a year ago and made the change to veganism a month ago. i wouldn't go back now

Answer 9

I was vegetarian for 5 years before I became vegan.

At first, my reason was that I didn't understand veganism. It just didn't make any sense to me; I wasn't aware of animal cruelty in the egg and dairy industries.

Once I learned more about the issues, I was interested in going vegan but thought it would be way too hard. (I had no idea that soy cheese pizza existed!)

Later, I really wanted to go vegan but I was living at home and my parents were very much against it. I was almost done with high school, so I just waited until college to go vegan.

(To Brendan C -- Cows are slaughtered when they stop producing so much milk, usually after only 4 or 5 years. A cow's natural lifespan is about 25 years. The male calves are useless to the dairy and industry and are turned into veal. More info: http://www.chooseveg.com/dairy.asp )

Answer 10

I am trying to become a Vegan.. but its really hard because I love cheese, milk and yogurt so so much!

Its hard, lol

When I first became Vegetarian I wanted to become Vegan right away, but I thought I'd take it slow first and stop the meat. then I will stop with the dairy products afterwards.

Answer 11

I am a veggie, but i think vegans are crazy. vegans dont eat honey. we aren't killing the bees. vegans dont like milk, it doesn't kill the cow. there is a fine line between slaughtering the animal and using their bountiful resources.

Answer 12

to firestar, fish isnt vegetarian, and to emily veganism isn't very limiting, theres a vegan substitute for pretty much anything you can imagine

Answer 13

I consider the milk from my well cared for cow, and eggs from my well cared for hens to be a gift.  I would not eat either from sources I didn't know or trust, but I have no issues with consuming "left overs" from my own creatures.  I provide them with love, care, and shelter, and they, in turn, provide me with nourishing food for myself and family.  Outside of that, I live by vegan standards, but call myself vegetarian out of respect to actual vegans.  I have no issues with living this way.

Answer 14

Yea... Have you ever heard of steak.

Answer 15

I love fish

Answer 16

Because milk and eggs are like in everything and it's a huge hassle to get soy milk and not buy from stores......I think that eating eggs is immoral, but I still don't refrain. I need SOME protein. For pete's sake im already underweight. i don't really see it immoral to have milk and cheese though 0_o

Answer 17

i'm like in between vegetarian & vegan. i don't eat meat obviously, i dont eat fish, i only drink soymilk & cage-free eggs, i eat cheese, ice cream, sour cream etc. it's just so hard 2 give up like most of the food i eat that has animal products & having 2 read all the ingredients 4 animal products

Answer 18

Brendan C -- you should realize eggs and dairy involve killing animals too, just not directly.

I have been vegetarian and not vegan for over 10 years, and I recently realized the main reason I ate eggs and dairy was because I just didn't bother finding out about the egg and dairy industries.  I was addicted to cheese.

Answer 19

I married a Hindu and we follow the traditional Indian lacto-vegetarian diet. Having a diet different from my wife seems like way too much trouble.

I'm also leery of giving up dairy because I had fractures in my right arm (1998) and left knee (2002). Anyone over 40 who ever had a fracture knows you don't heal as well as a young person does. Dairy seems like a logical and easy to assimilate source of calcium.

Answer 20

I was vegetarian for 20 years before I went vegan.  My reasons over the years ranged from, "but I love cheeeeese!" to "I'd never be able to eat in a restaurant again" and other superficial reasons.  I abandoned the idea altogether for a number of years.  But once I came to terms with the cruelty of the dairy and egg industries, I couldn't not.  Veganism is far, far easier than I ever thought it would be.

Answer 21

I used to be a vegetarian, but then I became a vegan. My reasoning behind my choice to become one were because of the animals and because It is healthy. I got kind of paranoid from eating dairy and eggs because of the cholesterol too. It just bugged me that since our bodies already produce cholesterol why have more. Plus, I didn't want to died of a heart attack later in life (I know this probably wouldn't have happened, but I'm happy with my decision of being a vegan.) Right now I'm very happy, healthy, and energetic!