By Molly Patrick
Jul 28, 2015,
Last Sunday I shared a link on our Facebook page for the best vegan Mac & Cheese recipe in the whole universe. My Mac recipe is accompanied with a quick explanation about the difference between a vegan diet and a plant-based diet.
As soon as I shared the link, someone chimed in:
“Vegans are for the animals and plant-based eaters aren’t.”
This comment is the perfect example of a mindset that bugs the shit out of me. (this is a link to the image from our Facebook Page.)
This would be the mindset belonging to staunch, preachy, holier than thou, judgmental vegans.
This type of vegan typically only hangs out with other judgmental vegans (can we just call them Jegans?), and the only conversations that they have are about animals or veganism, which, let’s face it, to them, are mutually exclusive.
Vegans like this think that people don’t like them because they’re vegan, but they’re wrong. People don’t like them because they make anyone who isn’t 100% vegan feel like they just ripped Bambi’s heart out with their bare fucking hands.
Here’s what I want the “Jegans” of the world to piece together;
They make veganism look more like an ugly hateful cult then an uplifting and rewarding lifestyle, and this scares a lot of people off.
It scares people off who actually have an interest in eating less meat and animal products. Which in turn would save some animals. And isn’t this the whole point for staunch vegans? To save animals? (It’s a good thing vegans are looking out for the animals, because as was pointed out, plant-based eaters don’t give a shit about Bambi)
This is what I would like to say to the preachy, judgmental vegans of the world:
You’re doing more harm than good with your unfriendly, preachy, judgmental, totally unapproachable approach. I lovingly urge you to get over yourself, stop judging, and focus on being the change you want to see in the world without shutting the world out with your attitude.
I guarantee that this strategy will save more animals in the long run.
I get where the passion comes from, I do. Animals are awesome, innocent creatures, and in a perfect world everyone would eat a plant-based diet, saving billions of dollars in healthcare, putting a halt to the obesity epidemic, mending our environmental catastrophes and saving animal and human lives everywhere.
But we live in a world where eating animals has been richly steeped into who we are. It takes time for people to undo a lifetime of programming and conditioning.
And the last thing that people need when they’re trying to make improvements in their life is someone telling them that they’re not doing good enough.
So to the people of the world who aren’t totally vegan or plant based, but taking strides to incorporate more plant foods into their diet and less of everything, bless you. Keep up the awesome work and never let anyone make you feel bad about where you’re at in your process.
If you’re not 100% vegan, you might not get love from all vegans, but from me, you can expect lots of love, never ending support and encouragement, high fives, and plenty of booty bumps.
Keep doing your best, and remember that your best today will be different from your best tomorrow. And if your best today looks like a block of cheese, accompanied by a ham sandwich, I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me.
As a lifetime vegetarian, a vegan of 7 years and a mainly plant based eater for 2 years, I would like to apologize on behalf of judgmental vegans everywhere. I hope that one day we can all play on the playground together.
And if you don’t hear from me next week, the vegan police have me locked up somewhere, forcing me watch Earthlings over and over again, only giving me breaks to play with baby piglets and newborn goats.
Over and out – I have to go back to my cave, Smeagol style.
Today’s recipe is insanely easy. I should know. 10 minutes for lunch is about what I’m averaging right now. You can whip this sucker together in 7 minutes, tops.
Ingredients
- 1 large English Cucumber
- Hummus maybe from last week’s hummus recipe? (link below)
- Kalamata olives pitted and cut in half
- Grape tomatoes quartered
- Fresh basil minced
- Walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Use a spiralizer to make the cucumber pasta and place in a bowl or on a plate.
- Top with hummus, olives, tomatoes, basil and walnuts.
- I didn’t add measurements to the ingredients because you can add however much you like of each. Seriously, you can’t screw this up. One English cucumber will make two medium sized portions.
I hope that you have a happy week. May it be filled with support, love and encouragement.
If you have friends, family or co-workers who’ve been annoyed with vegans in the past, will you do me a solid and share this post with them?
31 Comments
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Well said. Love the recipe too. Love that it’s both raw and plant based. Thank you.
Hey Ella – you are most welcome!
xo
Molly
I just truly, TRULY want to thank you for your honest CLEARITY of “Jegans” and “Vegans” and those of us learning and testing this new way of eating our way into a whole new life style!
I ADORE YOUR HUMANESS: perfection in your imperfections!!
(refreshing)
So happy we found each other!
xo
Molly
This was amazing. I sometimes find I can come off as a preachy vegan (let’s face it…it’s hard to not jump into the ring, arms flailing, when people are going off about ‘ethical’ beef) but it does bother me when people get all judgy about others’ lifestyle choices. My friends and family who are not vegan are not shitty people, and don’t deserve to be berated for not seeing the world through my eyes.
Love it!
Hey Johanna – I’m totally with you.
Let’s keep spreading the love.
xo
Molly
I stumbled across your blog today and you’ve made a new fan. I am almost completely vegetarian, eating non-veg very infrequently – usually when I am traveling and it is a convenience or at social gatherings when there is no other option. I am moving toward a more vegan diet. My two eldest daughters are vegan and I have been primarily preparing vegan meals at home for the last two years. I’ve made quite a bit of personal progress in the last year though my daughter’s remind me that there are no “almost vegans” – either you are or you aren’t. They are leaning toward a more militant activist mindset and I frequently try to remind them that they will be more successful bringing people along with them than turning them away. (I will most definitely be sharing your post.)
Good for you! I’m in your corner 🙂
xo
Molly
Dude, the vegan police drive me bonkers!
I saw this post on Facebook and that particular comment. I wanted to slam this chick…but, instead I put up a quote about being a vegan who inspires other people to be vegan.
Really, if this girl would take her own advice, wouldn’t she be kind to ALL animals including her fellow humans? Vegan compassion my ass.
Lesley – You and I can be bonkers together! I’m right with you – compassion shouldn’t be selective.
xo
Molly
You at SO right. A few months ago I read a blog post by someone stating that vegans needed to begin correcting people in public when they got vegsn wrong. I deleted her blog from my reader and never looked back. Good for you for speaking up!
Ha! I am HAPPY to speak up!
xo
Molly
Molly, you have spoken my mind! Thank you! A few months ago, I got all excited about the chick-pea-brine-meringue thing and joined a big facebook group about it. I left pretty soon after when the ugliness reared its head – a few militants started publicly berating non-vegan members and saying that only vegans should be allowed in the group, and that the people who were there because they had egg allergies were offensive. WTF?! They don’t seem to comprehend that they are doing veganism more harm than good with that kind of attitude. Change isn’t effected overnight, but every step forward is a good thing, isn’t it? Apparently not, according to some.
Rachael – I hear you! That’s exactly why I started my own private FB group. I was so sick of seeing people getting bullied from other groups. Drives my totally nuts. Email me at [email protected] if you want to join our BAD ASS FB group!
xo
Molly
I don’t get vegans who are so nasty. I mean, I get what they want to accomplish, but who wants to listen to someone ranting and raving at you? Just like my son when I rant and rave at him to study. Does he do it? No, in fact it makes him want to do the opposite! I’m a vegan and my husband and son aren’t, however, they eat my vegan dinners about five nights a week, so in my book, that’s a good start. I doubt my husband will completely give up eating animals, but he sure eats a heck-of-a-lot less than what he used to. We should be happy as vegans, vegetarians, and plant-based eaters that less animal flesh is being bought in stores because of these part-timers. In a perfect world, everyone would be a vegan, but nothing is perfect …
Hey Trish –
I’m with you 100% – good work feeding those meat eaters of yours vegan dinners!
xo
Molly
I am vegan and totally agree! I am sometimes internally critical of the way some of the people around me eat or their views on certain food topics – I’m not perfect – but I try to keep those things to myself because criticising them won’t help! I find that my friends and family are actually interested in veganism and try to understand it because they aren’t scared of bringing it up with me.
Hey Jess –
That’s exactly it – you nailed it. When people don’t feel threatened they are much more likely to open up and start a discussion around the topic. And who knows what may come of that conversation – it could be a lot less meat and dairy in their life.
xo
Molly
Definitely, I’ve had my brother say he agrees with most of what I say but he admits he’s “too lazy and selfish” (his words!) to get on board with veganism. I respect that he’s able to be open to ideas but accept he can’t live up to those ideals (at the moment, at least). And my sister has started cooking with tofu and cutting down on meat, as well as using milk alternatives and always going for local free range eggs. All these things are really positive, in my opinion.
“People don’t like them because they make anyone who isn’t 100% vegan feel like they just ripped Bambi’s heart out with their bare fucking hands”
People who aren’t 100% vegan DID just rip Bambi’s heart out with their bare fucking hands. Wake up: you kill animals or you don’t. There’s no third option.
Of course there’s a third option. You get older, wiser, make small improvements consistently and the world becomes a better place. ‘Level 5 Vegans’ (although I’m going to start using Jegan instead) may be applauded for their commitment but I’m willing to bet that none of them managed to successfully go from carnivorous heathen to herbivorous halo-wearer instantly without slip-ups, mistakes and other ‘gotchas’ that they never considered. So remember that next time you see some rookie getting slated because a rabbit might have farted near the factory that made their lipstick – they probably hadn’t even considered it and would be happy to learn from their mistake but would rather not feel that they had to join a militia to find out.
For the record, I’m new to all this – tried Veganuary, had my eyed opened and embraced it but yeah I’ll put my hands up and admit that I wandered into it from a food perspective. Now I’m seriously looking at the ethical side (which I hadn’t really considered before), working on making changes to the rest of my lifestyle and wondering if come Veganuary 2017 I’ll be saying ‘hey, look at the journey I’ve made – all you wonderful people have helped me so much and I’m proud to pass that on to others’ or if I’ll just carry on being a healthy version of Simon because I got bored of people taking swipes at me and telling me that my best wasn’t good enough.
So Jennifer, what am I – apprentice vegan or do I have to go through months of hazing and an initiation ceremony before I’m judged fit enough to use the V word?
Well said Simon! Most Jegans think, you’re with us or you’re against us. In the Jegan world of such absolutes, they disregard those who are making an effort and those who provide resources to help with that transition if they so choose. When we rebranded our site in 2014 from Bold Vegan to Clean Food Dirty Girl, it literally exploded overnight. From our followers to our traffic. It was a strategic move to distance ourselves from the word “vegan” that’s often laced with judgement and holier than thou resentment of others who don’t think and eat like them. It was the best thing we ever did, marketing and branding wise.
So Jennifer…I take it you have never been a meat eater then?
Most of us have been at some stage in our lives. Lifelong vegans from birth are very rare, although I’ll admit they exist. Most vegans I know once ate meat and animal products before they saw the light, so let’s face it, the vast majority of us have taken part in the industry at some stage in our lives. Glass houses and throwing stones and all.
In my mind, anyone who wants to become more conscious of the impact of their diet on the environment, other people, animals and their own health is on a positive journey. That may or may not result in total veganism and we have to accept that it isn’t for everyone. That’s hard if you’re really into the ethical and animal welfare aspects of veganism and I have met people who really struggle with it, but if you want people to get on board with this, you’re not going to achieve it by being mean to people. That’s just gonna make people think “fuck you, I’m off to eat a steak”.
I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again. Molly, I love you! Your inclusive and compassionate attitude and approach is what changes hearts, minds, and ultimately it saves our beautiful Mother and all of us who live on her. Please keep up the awesome work you are doing. It is invaluable❤️
Thank you for that love!
xo
Molly
Thank you!!! You are the type of person that gives me hope for unity! Keep up the amazing work ????
Replying to an older post, but I just discovered your site and had to reply to this.
“Jegans” makes me so mad. Besides being mean and smug, they are doing their cause more harm than good. You do not win hearts and minds by shaming and berating people. Hardly anyone has been vegan since birth, and I guarantee you that not one of these Jegans became vegan because someone yelled and judged them into it.
I became an ethical vegan fifteen years ago and started eating WFPB two years ago. Vegan 100% of the time, and I manage about 80% WFPB. I personally don’t even care if I reach 100% clean, and my main motivation remains the animals and the environment. But I also want to stay healthy and feel better. Can’t it be both? I want fewer animals to suffer, and the people who eat WFPB who aren’t particularly ethically motivated and are “just” doing it for their health – they’re helping to achieve that. I don’t care how they got there.
The attitude, “People who aren’t 100% vegan DID just rip Bambi’s heart out with their bare fucking hands. Wake up: you kill animals or you don’t. There’s no third option,” is just wrong. There is a third option: cause FEWER animals to be killed. More and more people are REDUCING the amount of meat and dairy and eggs they consume. These people, simply by how many they are, are saving more animals than the far far fewer 100% pure vegans are. And I’m saying this as someone who DOES pass the “personal purity test.”
Thanks for the post. I’m happy to have found your site, Molly. I joined the FB group and look forward to reading more!
Hi Denise, we’re glad you found us too! Welcome!
Karen
I call them Vegan-gelicals. Su-per annoying- for health, for the animals, for the environment- alll excellent reason!
Can cucumber noodles be used cooked as any kind of pasta?
Hi Katelyn,
We wouldn’t recommend cooking the cucumber noodles as they’ll get mushy and lose their structure. We haven’t tested it, but you can try them uncooked in any pasta application that you’d like. We recommend sticking to toppings and sauces that would compliment the cucumber’s flavor.
Have fun experimenting and let us know what you come up with!
Cheers,
Stephanie