A while back I was checking out at my local grocery store when I overheard a couple of employees talking to each other.
One said gruffly, βI hate vegan food.β
I try to limit the amount of talking I do to people who arenβt having a conversation with me. So I resisted the urge to start lifting up all of my food as I was packing it into my grocery bags.
In my imagination, I hoisted up each thing, one at a timeβ¦
βYou donβt like grapes? You donβt like carrots? You donβt like garlic sourdough bread? You donβt like pineapple? You donβt like baba ganoush and pita chips? You donβt like olives? You donβt like dark chocolate with almonds and sea salt?β
I donβt know what this βvegan foodβ was in his mind that he hated so much. But I seriously doubt that his statement was entirely accurate.
Everyone eats “vegan food”
Like everyone else on the planet, vegan or not, Iβm sure that guy has had vegan food many times over.
It could have been when he was rushed and just threw marinara from a jar onto plain pasta or made tomato soup and crackers.
Maybe it was the time he had popcorn at the movies without butter or made an entire meal out of Corona and an appetizer of chips, salsa, and guacamole at the bar.
Perhaps it was when he was a kid and he devoured his packed lunch of peanut butter & jelly, potato chips, a banana, and Nutter Butterβs.
I ate veggie burgers for years in college just because I liked them. Yet I didnβt actually make the leap until I was 30.
I ate refried bean burritos with no cheese and extra hot sauce from Taco Bell often during my twenties. Not because I ate a plant-based diet, but because I was a struggling actress who didnβt have a lot of cash.
Many people have these ideas that vegan food is healthy to the point of being bland, boring, and tasteless. They think it must involve tofu, tempeh, seitan, sprouts, or lentil loaves.
Well, guess what? You could actually go vegan, be vegan for years, and never eat any of those things if you didnβt want to do it.
You donβt have to grind flaxseed or sprinkle chia seeds or juice wheatgrass.
Something is vegan by way of what is absent, not what is present.
If it doesnβt include meat, dairy, eggs, or honey, itβs vegan.
And thereβs a whole great big world of foods out there that donβt include those things. But by the trepidation some people have around βvegan food,β youβd think it was a disease they might catch.
βHello, Poison Control? I accidentally ate a cookie made with flour, maple syrup, baking soda, oil, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Now Iβm getting these sudden urges to buy a Prius and start composting. Send someone quick!β
The hesitance around plant-based food is kind of ironic when you think about it. Because when you hear those travel stories about people visiting far-off places and being served food that they donβt recognize, their worry is never that the mystery item on the plate isβ¦ cauliflower.
The worry isnβt that theyβll unknowingly be served star fruit or goji berries.
Furthermore, do you know who won’t be serving you food tainted with pink slime or crushed beetles? Vegans.
However, in our day-to-day lives sometimes it can feel as if vegan food is perceived as cough medicine – something to be choked down or just tolerated, if eaten at all.
As a vegan, it can feel like youβd be better off surreptitiously handing your potluck dish to someone else before you step inside, so that no one is associating it with βthe veganβ and trying to steer clear of it.
Now, obviously Iβm not announcing to everyone at the potluck or games night, βHey, everyone! I brought vegan salad, and vegan potato chips, and vegan cupcakes, and vegan hummus with vegan celery!β
But they know I brought it. So it can feel like itβs already tinged with negative bias before it had a chance.
At a family gathering, my nephew joked with me that I needed to stay far away from my βpariah cookies,β so that others wouldnβt be suspicious of them. (He was just playing around with me. As it came to pass, they were actually a huge hit!)
It reminds me of that experiment from a few years ago in which pre-schoolers were given the exact same foods, but some were in McDonaldβs packaging and some were not. The kids were asked to try all of the foods and then questioned if the foods tasted the same or if there were some that they liked better.
The kids overwhelmingly preferred the foods that were branded with McDonaldβs logo. According to the report, βchildren were significantly more likely to prefer the taste of a food or drink if they thought it was from McDonaldβs for 4 of 5 comparisons.β Β You can see the study for yourself here.
(I saw a similar experiment a while back with adults and the perceived quality of liquor based on the bottle design. Interesting stuff.)
I feel like the exact opposite of the McDonaldβs effect is what happens for many people when they hear that something is vegan.
Hand them a cookie or a piece of bread or a cupcake. They eat it and like it.
Tell them itβs a vegan. Suddenly, they find flaws that werenβt there before.
“Itβs dry.”
“It’s too healthy.”
“It’s too crumby.”
The vegan stigma drags it down.
A while back a friend asked me for a chocolate cake recipe for someone whose child is lactose intolerant.
I pointed her to the recipe for wacky cake (on the Food Network site). It’s a depression era cake that didnβt use animal products because of war rations.
I didnβt grow up in a vegan household. But that is the cake I grew up eating at birthday parties and celebrations. That was my momβs go-to recipe.
I also pointed my friend in the direction of several cake mixes and jarred, shelf stable frostings that are accidentally vegan, in case she wasnβt inclined to make things from scratch.
My friend told me that when the recipe was given, it really put the person at ease that vegan food could be so normal.
Sheβd always avoided their vegetarian restaurant in town because she was sure that she wouldnβt like their chalky food. But now that she saw that it was just everyday stuff, she was open to the idea of trying more.
So what do you do then?Β How do you change perceptions?
I have a friend who says that if something is vegan, people just shouldnβt say that it is. Then others will eat it.
But of course, the problem with that is two fold.
One, itβs helpful for people who are vegan to know that, hey, thereβs food there for them.
Two, itβs never going to expand peopleβs definitions if theyβre left in the dark about what vegan means, and that it can be amazing.
(And if you had one bad vegan meal you didnβt like, try again somewhere else with something else. Before I was 30, Iβd had plenty of meals β good and bad β that werenβt vegan. You just never know until you give something an honest shot and recognize what might be your own prejudices around an adjective.)
Basically, what it comes down to is this:
Vegan food is just food.
Itβs everyday, normal, regular food.
Itβs chips and salsa.
Itβs a banana.
Itβs french fries.
People sometimes get scared off by the term or discount it out of hand. And I want to tell them β youβve eaten βvegan foodβ many times over and enjoyed it. You just didnβt call it that.
Alexandra Rosado
I’ve taken to just not telling people the food I’ve brought them is vegan until after they try it. Then when their eyes light up and they say how good it is, BAM. VEGAN! And they are pleasantly surprised.
Cadry
Ha! That’s awesome! Good for you!
Alyce
Sadly, some of this may be a backlash against the “pushy vegan” stereotype. My partner has a friend like that, and it gets really embarrassing. We can’t even go out to dinner with her unless it’s a purely vegan restaurant, or she makes a huge scene. She isn’t that great of a cook either, so that doesn’t help.
Personally, I can’t figure out why food needs to be labeled any more than why people do. (An ingredient list for those of us with allergies is nice, though.)
And for some reason, this most made me crave bananas, veggie sausage, and maybe a vegan cinnamon roll. π I like your insights!
Cadry
Thanks for your thoughts, Alyce! I hope that you found that vegan cinnamon roll you were thinking about. They make any day better! π
silvererieann
Dude, I’m a vegan and while all my friends know, they break on me playfully. Guess what, they still love my cooking because vegan/veggie dishes are delicious, AND I make non-vegan dishes for them without drama. So many people buy into the post-70s NYC punk androgynous female/effeminate-not-quite-homosexual male angry political vegan/UC Berkeley yoga instructor who sings “Give Peace a Chance” on street corners with an acoustic guitar they can’t play dressed in frumpy thrift shop Land’s End fashion. Some people can’t believe I’m a vegan since I don’t discuss my diet… though I did lose 50 pounds.
Angela
This could be one of my all-time favourite posts! I think you put into words what so many of us feel on a regular basis. I don’t believe in hiding that something is vegan because I do think overtime (and this is happening now!) veganism will continue to become more and more accepted and “normal”. We’re already getting there slowly but surely. There isn’t as much stigma around vegetarianism and I think veganism will also see this one day in the future. It’s funny how a gluten-free diet or paleo diet do not seem to get the same kind of judgment that a vegan diet does. Thanks again for the post!
Cadry
Thank you, Angela! I agree that there is already a cultural shift happening in terms of acknowledgement and acceptance of a vegan lifestyle. I think that is especially true in larger cities where people are more apt to get exposed to a variety of vegan restaurants. Even in my small town, I’m noticing more and more vegan specialty items popping up in grocery stores. I’m glad there are people in my community who are buying them!
Bobbie {the vegan crew}
Amen!! There’s so much more I could say, but you’ve already said so eloquently and humorously what I always try to explain to people, so I’ll just leave it at that. Great post.
Cadry
Thanks, Bobbie! π
Maggie Muggins
Yes! I donβt come across it too often but it drives me nuts when people assume itβs going to be gross because itβs vegan. Iβve had people email about making cakes because it was for someone lactose intolerant and asking me if my cakes tasted βweirdβ. Mostly I found it funny since how do they expect me to respond? βYup, Iβve got the weirdest tasting cakes in town!β, lol
Me and my husband have a running joke whenever we feed someone something vegan for the first time, the response is usually βwow, this actually tastes really goodβ, so whenever we cook something new for each other, we usually respond with βthis is Actually goodβ, ha ha. I mean, really, what a rude thing to say to someone, like βhey, I thought this meal you went out of your way to make me was going to be disgusting, but it ACTUALLY tastes goodβ, sigh.
Cadry
Oh, my gosh! Your comment had me laughing out loud! Hilarious! That’s so funny that people ask you if your cake tastes “weird.” Why on earth would you post it if it did? “Hey, everyone! Like weird cake? You’ve come to the right place!”
I love it that you and your husband play it up with each other regarding it “actually” being good. So funny!
Richa
This is an amazing post Cadry.. its a fine balance to walk and deal with the vegan food haters..and the ones that go” omg. theres no meat in this.. i cant eat it ”
i had someone comment on fb that she hates vegan food coz she ate some at a restaurant. and i told her she grew up eating mostly vegan food made by her mom. and oohing and ahhing everytime. what she doesnt like is just the restaurant. so stop yapping:)
Cadry
So true! All of us have been to a ton of restaurants in our lives. Sometimes the food was good, sometimes it wasn’t. We didn’t blame Thai cuisine on one crappy Thai restaurant or waffles on a lackluster breakfast at Denny’s! Eating an unsatisfying meal at a restaurant doesn’t mean that all vegan food everywhere is bad, especially since, like you said, all of us have eaten it our entire lives. We just didn’t label it as “vegan.”
Caitlin
what an amazing post, cadry! YOU GO GIRL! i think my favorite part was this:
Perhaps it was when he was a kid and he devoured his packed lunch of peanut butter & jelly, potato chips, a banana, and Nutter Butterβs.
i share the same sentiment with you when dealing with ignorant people who “hate” vegan food, vegan people, vegan clothes. i keep to myself for the most part. but, when i have parties or go to family get together, everyone KNOWS my food is vegan. and for the most part, no one cares(luckily). but, even if they didn’t, i’m proud to be a vegan and to make vegan food, and i will shout it from the rooftops! π
Cadry
That’s the spirit, Caitlin! Shout away! π
Em @ Love A Latte
I smiled when you said “how do I get my parents to read this”? MINE TOO!!!
Cadry
If your parents are anything like mine, they watch a lot of Castle and The Mentalist. Maybe I need to buy some commercial time… π
An Unrefined Vegan
An outstanding post, Cadry! My neck got sore from so much nodding up and down. It gets really old being the brunt of jokes and being the weirdo in the group fielding all of the standard (and tiresome) comments about protein and what-CAN-you-eat?, etc. My diet is now incredibly varied, delicious and creative – far more so than when I ate meat and dairy. I never, ever feel deprived or miss what I don’t have. Now…how do I get my parents to read this… :-)?
Cadry
Aw, thank you! I hope that the soreness in your neck has died down by now. π It can be hard for some people to believe that a diet of plant foods could be so mouthwatering and varied, but it’s the truth! Now…. what’s your parents’ email address? I’ll send them an anonymous message. It’s a new service I’m providing. Tee hee! π
KellyC
You put this all so eloquently. I love it!
Cadry
Thank you, Kelly!
Ashley F.
Love, love, love this post! I was just explaining the other day to some people at my Crossfit box about what I eat, and I just wanted to shout at them that I eat food, just like they do, just without animal products. This is a great approach to the topic and it came at a perfect time for me – thanks for your insight!
Cadry
Excellent! I’m glad it came at such a good time!
Somer
I couldn’t have said it better! Love LOVE this post Cadry! I hosted dinner one night and we had a burly meat eating police officer over. He kept saying “I didn’t know vegan food could taste this good” Har har har π
Cadry
That’s wonderful! Inspiration by salivation!
Em @ Love A Latte
I love this post because so many times I tell people I’m vegan and they ask me what I eat which is understandable, but this is a great way of stating it! It makes vegan food normal!
Cadry
Thank you, Em! Whenever people ask what vegans eat, I think it’s because in their minds most of the dinner plate has disappeared! If there’s no meat or cheese, what is there? Sometimes folks can forget that they eat plenty of other foods too and grew up eating them. They just never dubbed them “vegan.”
Debby Sunshine
Very cute post! So true…”vegan” is a dirty word to many. You are right when you say that when you bring a prepared dish to a party many people will look at it as being tinged with “the plague of vegan.” I think people think of overcooked vegetables, lentils, sprouts and seeds when they think of “vegan food.”
Cadry
Yes, I think you’re right!
jess
great post cadry. i too wonder what the big fear surrounding “vegan food” is all about. sometimes i think a lot of it has to do with people holding insecurities about their own food choices when it comes to meat & dairy consumption — if vegan food is weird, scary & unpalatable then there’s even more reason for them to avoid examining there own food choices.
so that’s why my favourite way to win them is with kindness and cupcakes! xo
Cadry
I like the way you think! Let’s change the world with kindness and cupcakes! π
Kristy
This is another wonderful post! Your poison control comment slayed me. I had to read it out loud to Chris. π
We have a friend who absolutely despises all things vegan. It’s almost like he makes a point to eat as unhealthfully as he can. His wife, at one time, was doing demos for Fabe’s cookies, and she would bring home cookies and not tell him that they were vegan because she knew he wouldn’t like them. He LOVED those cookies, but her sister accidentally spilled the beans and he hasn’t touched one since. Another funny story, though, is that his wife, after meeting Chris for the first time, told our friend “I never would’ve guessed that he’s vegan! He’s not pale and sickly looking- he has muscle!” Chris and I often laugh at the ideas and stereotypes of veganism that the two of them must have. The stigma behind that word is so bizarre.
Cadry
That’s so unbelievable (but not) that your friend wouldn’t continue eating the cookies he had already tried and liked simply because they were vegan. It sounds like something a child would do, and so it makes it that much more shocking that it was an adult! But like you, I have similar stories that I could share. People are full of idiosyncrasies!
Whenever people say that vegans are all pale and sickly, I wonder who is this “vegan person” that they’ve seen? After all, vegans come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. It’s not like there’s just one type of person out there who’s vegan. It really runs the gamut! But David and I have this ongoing joke about the tired and sickly vegan that these people have apparently drummed up in their imaginations, and we call her “Vegan Jenny.” Whenever we hear a tale like that, we weakly wave to one another as Vegan Jenny with whatever strength we can manage and assume that it’s her that they’re meeting. π
Andrea
Another great post! It does always seem odd to me that so many people don’t seem to realize that fruits, veggies, grains, nuts, seeds, beans, etc. are vegan. It’s also unfortunate that so many don’t know how to eat these naturally vegan foods without mixing them with animal parts, and that seems to be the problem. I remember attending a Christmas party once where even the green beans had bacon β not one dish was animal-free. Maybe people are afraid of vegan food because they are so unused to eating it. They believe food flavor comes from animals, and they are so afraid of being deprived that they won’t consider making the most of foods in their delicious vegan state. The first time I made a vegan Thanksgiving dinner, I was shocked to discover that the fabulous smells I associated with the turkey being cooked, was actually coming from the stuffing!
I get so tired of people feeling sorry for me, or superior because they enjoy sophisticated foods like fois gras and caviar and I don’t. I don’t feel deprived to be a vegan β I feel blessed.
Kristy
Yes, Andrea! That is the perfect way to put it! “I donβt feel deprived to be a vegan β I feel blessed.”
Em @ Love A Latte
Love this! Definitely blessed!
Cadry
You make a lot of good points. I too remember being surprised that the flavors of Thanksgiving for me were actually herbs like thyme, rosemary, herbs de Provence, and marjoram.
This is such a great line: “I get so tired of people feeling sorry for me, or superior because they enjoy sophisticated foods like fois gras and caviar and I donβt. I donβt feel deprived to be a vegan β I feel blessed.” All it takes is to watch videos or see pictures of geese being force-fed or veal calves being taken from their mothers and kept in tiny sheds to make those “sophisticated foods” lose their luster. The lives they live are lives of deprivation. Knowing that I’m not contributing to their suffering is a blessing every day, and I am thankful for it.
Chef Amber Shea
I love this post – you articulated something I’ve tried for years to explain to people (it doesn’t help that I’m usually frustrated when trying to explain my feelings on the matter). So well said!
Cadry
Thank you, Amber! It’s so much harder to explain your feelings when you’re feeling frustrated or on the defensive!
BurbankVegan
With regard to my being vegan, my nephew said, “I’ve had vegan food before. It was pretty good.” It struck me as odd that their was “vegan food” at all. You ate a banana once and it was pretty good? I guessed he was talking about eating at a vegan restaurant. But at least he liked it :-).
Cadry
That’s too funny! But yes, at least it was positive overall! π
Susmitha - Veganosaurus
In my early days of veganism, when it wasn’t commonly known that I was vegan, I used to feed people delicious baked goodies and after they’ve oohed and aahed and licked every last crumb off the plate, I’d announce that the cake they ate was vegan! :op
Now however, everyone knows I’m vegan and associates me with it, so I can’t pull that trick anymore. Haha
Thankfully the close minded people who wrinkle they face at the mention of vegan who cross my path are very few. When I do meet such people, most of the time I can’t help responding to them and making them see. I usually attempt to make my point using humour.
Luckily, in India vegetarianism is a big part of our culture so even meat eaters know and accept that they are eating delicious veggie food most of the time. So talking about vegan food isn’t too hard.
Cadry
It sounds like you have a really good attitude and take it all in stride. And that’s part of why you’re such a wonderful advocate for the vegan lifestyle! π
Live from La Quinta
I love this. So simple. Somehow “vegan” has become a dirty word in some circles. Or people are scared that it is boring, disgusting, or bad tasting. It is a shame. This is a great post that can educate anyone about what vegan food really is. If they take the time to read it, that is.
Cadry
Maybe I’ll just carry a copy of this post in my back pocket for a crinkled nose emergency! π And thank you for sharing the post on your blog. So sweet of you!
Laloofah
Well, obviously we just need to bring our vegan goodies to all potlucks, office parties and family gatherings disguised in McDonald’s packaging! Then everyone will eat it and love it best of all. Problem solved! *snork*
I agree with everyone, fantastic post! Entertaining and insightful and amusing and illuminating, as usual! π
Cadry
Okay, that is hilarious! There’s totally a study in there somewhere, or at least a comedy video! You’ve got my gears going!
And thank you so much for the kind words! They really make my day!
Ms. L-P
Love this!! The Poison Control section made me laugh out loud! Vegan food is food – it is so funny that it takes some time to point that out to people. Of course, people had to point it out to me too at some point. We just hosted a party that was all vegan (and my husband and I were the only vegans) and people didn’t even realize it until the end.
Cadry
Oh, that’s very cool and the perfect representation that vegan food is just normal, everyday, regular food.
Abby
Amen! This should be required reading for all! I actually have a rant-ish post of my own that I’ve been holding onto about the fact that everyone’s choices should be respected (looking at you, preachy vegans and carnivores who feel the need to interject “add a pork chop” to any vegan post or story on the Internet.) But this post is a million times better and so poignant and rational. I love it. I’m sharing it.
“Something is vegan by way of what is absent, not what is present.” I would add that it’s also not deprivation by subtraction. It’s actually adding in value π
Cadry
Thanks for sharing, Abby! Although, I’d still love to hear your version. You have such a hilarious and wonderful perspective on things.
That’s very true that by losing we are gaining. It’s not always perceived that way, but as so many others have commented, going vegan often adds more variety and interest than many people would expect.
FoodFeud
Great points. I am also laughing at the Poison Control conversation… if only eating a vegan cookie would get more people to start composting.
Cadry
Someone call Al Gore STAT! We’ve found the answer to all of our environmental problems! π
btlover2
What a terrific post! I was once a person who probably thought much like some of those you described above. It was sheer lack of knowledge and/or no interest in learning another way. But once I opened my mind and educated myself, it’s really kind of funny how true it is that vegan food is regular, real food. Simple as that π
Cadry
That’s so great to hear that you were open enough to have a change of heart! Good for you!
VeganLisa
I love this post! I’ve had all of the experiences you mentioned – especially at potlucks. But overtime I’ve won over my friends and family and created a Vegan Bake-Off that over 600 people attend annually. We just have to keep putting great food out there – be it a fruit plate, hummus and pita or an extravagant vegan wellington with chickpea gravy. The more we enjoy amazing vegan food the more people want to come to our potlucks. π
Cadry
Absolutely, Lisa! As always, I love your positivity and spirit! Delicious food changes minds and hearts! π
Amanda (@PicklesNHoney)
I love this post! And I would have loved to have been present if you had actually had your hypothetical conversation at the grocery store.
I used to work at an office where one of the VPs would always make comments about my food, and actually called me into his office once but told me to leave my “weird green smoothie” at my desk. That’s when I started making a habit out of drinking green kombucha and green juice at company meetings and joked with another co-worker that I might put a bowl of sticks on my desk and tell the VP they were my snack. It was so ridiculous, I decided to have fun with it. π
Cadry
You know how when some people get older they start saying all of the things they think? Well, here’s hoping that when I become a little old lady I just start spilling what’s on my mind and talking to grocery store clerks about kale and quinoa! π Right now I’m always very careful with my words, but it would be great to have the freedom to just let it all out! When that happens, I’ll invite you to the grocery store with me, and you can be a fly on the wall!
That’s such a hilarious story about your former co-worker/VP! I love it that you just had fun with it!
Emma
Hear hear! I completely understand your frustrations with this. Some people can be downright hostile and even refuse to try something just because it’s been announced that it’s vegan!
Cadry
Yes, the hostility can be rather surprising, can’t it? I’m sure that’s something that every vegan – new or longterm – has come into contact with at some point or another. Last spring my husband posted my recipe for banana soft serve on his Facebook page, and right away a person from high school he barely remembered wrote, “BARF!” Um, it’s pretty much bananas and cocoa powder… I’m sure those are ingredients she’s eaten plenty of times before… But most of all, why be so rude about it? It’s as if some people just feel like they have to lash out at the mere suggestion of plant-based foods.
Joey
Too right! This reminds me of a conversation between two of my nieces. “I like vegan food,” said one. “It’s just food, isn’t it?” said the other. Quite so. (I like to think I helped them to this conclusion with copious helpings of vegan cake…)
Cadry
Yes! I love that conversation! Plus, is anything more convincing than copious amounts of vegan cake? I think not! π