Well, if nobody else is gonna eat it....
Posted by ZiziphusZizyphus on Nov 21, 2010 · Member since May 2009 · 54 posts
During the two years I've been vegan, I have rarely made exceptions for myself. But sometimes I find myself eating breakfast omelettes, pies or leftover cakes.
Why do I do this? Because I simply hate for food to go to waste. Occasionally in my family, somebody will have ordered an unsatisfying meal, or there are leftovers in the fridge they're certain they won't finish. In these cases, I'll finish the food off for them, animal products and all (although we could give some of this to our pet rats/birds, it would probably be too much for them and not very healthy).
I know this is likely going to be controversial, but what's your stance on leftovers like this? Is it better to fully stick to your principles, or to eat what's there?
whats more sad, seeing an animal being killed and eaten, or an animal being killed for nothing and being thrown away?
i dont necessarily do this as a vegan. before i was even vegetarian i would eat out of garbage cans while i was traveling and broke and its something im considering doing again when my band is traveling and i am completely broke. i have plenty of "freegan" friends, i dont look down upon them at all. sometimes i wish i could do it to prevent a beautiful creature from going to waste.
I've got no problem with someone dumpstering/ eating what's available b/c of need-- absolutely, if it's that or nothing, do whatcha gotta! But if something (someONE) has already been killed in the absence of need, hasn't that life already been wasted? If your neighbor kills your dog, do you say 'i'd better eat it so it doesn't go to waste'? or do you say 'why did you do that, you evil bastard?!' Eating it doesn't make it any less a wasted life, imo.
HH-- your characterization of my quoteunquote camp is rife with fallacy... but i forgive you! :P The better characterization is the 'all-or-nothing/ must please the vegan police at all times or else' camp vs 'i'm doing the best i can even if it's not perfect in all ways and at all times' camp... I think the attitude that encourages the most exploration of plant-eating is the one we should embrace; and the one most likely to alienate new/ imperfect veg*ns-to-be is the one that does more harm than good, and should be retired.
Yeah, the characterization was reaching. I don't think it's "vegan police" though. I haven't read, "No, you can't eat that." The response from vegans has been that it's time to get creative so the food will be used without feeling compelled to eat it.
eta: I'll throw something your way, although it's not specifically related to this thread. If a 'vegan' sneaked egg cake, but no one discovered them and they didn't tell, I wouldn't have a problem with it (well, I wouldn't know about it). My issue is when actions, however public, cause confusion.
Somewhat unrelated to the original post but I like the idea of eating out of the garbage. I mean, the way I just worded it makes it sound gross but I watched a special about people who get 90-95% of their food from the garbage and it was insane what they found. Bags of perfectly good bagels and boxes of cookies, unspoiled veggies still in the plastic! I personally wouldn't eat meat or dairy, etc if I found it in the garbage but if I were to find a pefectly good tub of yogurt in the garbage than I would bring it home to someone and not tell them I got it from the garbage. I don't like waste and if someone were to find perfectly good food in the garbage it would not only cut down on waste but it would cut your food budget, sounds perfectly fine to me.
eta: I'll throw something your way, although it's not specifically related to this thread. If a 'vegan' sneaked egg cake, but no one discovered them and they didn't tell, I wouldn't have a problem with it (well, I wouldn't know about it). My issue is when actions, however public, cause confusion.
Understood... & i do see possible harm there, too; just imo to a lesser degree. Like many things, I'm glad both viewpoints are well represented on VW-- i think there are good points on both sides, for folks to think through... (even tho, of course, mine are generally the 'right' ones! lol) >:D
Here's my 2 cents. I would go by the definition of vegan to determine if someone is vegan. The Merriam-Webster definition of vegan: A strict vegetarian who abstains from using animal products. A strict vegetarian who consumes no animal food or dairy products.
If you sneak a piece of cheese, you are not abstaining.
I really don't get how people think that by saying something than it becomes true. I can call my self a sewer because I have a sewing machine and book and mean to but does it matter that I never sew anything?
I could say I do yoga, but if I only do it sporadically and the last time I did it was three months ago, can I still call myself a yogi?
Sure, but that doesn't mean its necessarily true.
I used to think it was ok to wear leather shoes and purses that I had before going vegan, but I realized I didn't want to promote the image that I thought wearing animal products was ok, so I won't do it with food either. Your family probably isn't goingto change, so that would mean you would always be eating animal products. If that is what you want, fine, but IMO you wouldn't be vegan.
I used to think it was ok to wear leather shoes and purses that I had before going vegan, but I realized I didn't want to promote the image that I thought wearing animal products was ok, so I won't do it with food either. Your family probably isn't goingto change, so that would mean you would always be eating animal products. If that is what you want, fine, but IMO you wouldn't be vegan.
Same here. When my cousin came back from the middle east the army gave him a new pair of boots but he wanted to keep his old ones so he gave me the new ones. I didn't feel comfortable wearing them though because it looked like I was promoting leather and it went against everything that I believed in so I gave them away. He gave them to me so that he wouldn't waste them but I don't agree with wearing leather so again, I'd give it to someone who didn't have a problem with leather.
Here's my 2 cents. I would go by the definition of vegan to determine if someone is vegan. The Merriam-Webster definition of vegan: A strict vegetarian who abstains from using animal products. A strict vegetarian who consumes no animal food or dairy products.
If you sneak a piece of cheese, you are not abstaining.
I really don't get how people think that by saying something than it becomes true. I can call my self a sewer because I have a sewing machine and book and mean to but does it matter that I never sew anything?
I could say I do yoga, but if I only do it sporadically and the last time I did it was three months ago, can I still call myself a yogi?
Sure, but that doesn't mean its necessarily true.
Sigh.
The point is *THIS IS NOT THE HOT ISSUE!*
How 'bout this: everyone, just try your best not to use animal products. Mmmmkay? That's all! Call yourself the Queen of Sheba, if you like... just... try your best to not use animal products.
What 'your best' IS may not be the same thing today as it is tomorrow or next year... and it may not be the same as someone else's 'best'... that's ok! just keep trying, and don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't call yourself in the mean time. Just... keep trying your best not to use animal products; and i'll say 'Great! good work! that's awesome... keep it going!'' And that's *all* I'll say... whatever you call yourself or don't. Because the benefits of more people identifying with a vegan or mostly-vegan lifestyle/ community are *much* greater (imo) than the relative value of pure and absolute dictionary-definition 100%-all-the-time accuracy in the labeling of self or others: less animals eaten/ used, less suffering, greater receptivity of exponentially more omni-but-veg-curious people to exploring veg*nism... I understand the 'confusion' issue, but that's SO not the biggest deal, in my view... Guess i'm letting this thread go, as there's not much to say here that isn't repeating. If the OP can't figure out what to do about the supplement &/or self labeling issue, at this point, idk what else one might suggest! :P
I didn't really think the basis of the issue was whether or not the poster was still considered vegan. I thought it was more about waste vs. veganism and either agreeing that someone feels it's okay to eat something that's not vegan that would otherwise be considered waste or whether you agree or not and provide alternative uses for the food instead of eating it yourself.
I think what it comes down to mostly is why each of us is vegan. If it's for environmental concerns I could see someone still eating the food so that it doesn't go to waste, same for political reasons but if you're opposed to the killing of animals I could see someone supporting the flip side. That's just what I got out of it anyway.
I don't know. Leave it to a bunch of vegans to get into a philosophical debate about leftovers...
I don't know. Leave it to a bunch of vegans to get into a philosophical debate about leftovers...
Lol, consider it a good thing. We care enough to think about things that a lot of people would probably not think about.
I don't know. Leave it to a bunch of vegans to get into a philosophical debate about leftovers...
No doubt! you're right: this is kind of a funny thing to debate, isn't it? lol
Honesty moment: i've been blending this thread with the 'is this vegan?' thread, in my head... they've evolved to cover some of the same points, and are both things that 99.99% of the people i know in 3-D have never even considered, much less considered arguing about!
You guys are all awesome.
;D
Sigh.
The point is *THIS IS NOT THE HOT ISSUE!*
How 'bout this: everyone, just try your best not to use animal products. Mmmmkay? That's all! Call yourself the Queen of Sheba, if you like... just... try your best to not use animal products.
What 'your best' IS may not be the same thing today as it is tomorrow or next year... and it may not be the same as someone else's 'best'... that's ok! just keep trying, and don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't call yourself in the mean time. Just... keep trying your best not to use animal products; and i'll say 'Great! good work! that's awesome... keep it going!'' And that's *all* I'll say... whatever you call yourself or don't. Because the benefits of more people identifying with a vegan or mostly-vegan lifestyle/ community are *much* greater (imo) than the relative value of pure and absolute dictionary-definition 100%-all-the-time accuracy in the labeling of self or others: less animals eaten/ used, less suffering, greater receptivity of exponentially more omni-but-veg-curious people to exploring veg*nism... I understand the 'confusion' issue, but that's SO not the biggest deal, in my view... Guess i'm letting this thread go, as there's not much to say here that isn't repeating. If the OP can't figure out what to do about the supplement &/or self labeling issue, at this point, idk what else one might suggest! :P
I support what you're saying 99%. I applaud anyone in the world that tries to consume as little animal products as possible. I myself categorized myself as "one whom eats as little animal products as I can". Some things you can try your best at and be consider whatever that is. Sometimes you can't like being pregnant, you either are or you aren't.
The OP specifically said "in the two years I've been VEGAN.......I still eat meat". That's the issue for some of us. Surely you can see this.
The OP specifically said "in the two years I've been VEGAN.......I still eat meat". That's the issue for some of us. Surely you can see this.
Yep; i do! :-) That's pretty well outside the 'doing my best to avoid animal junk, tho not perfect at it yet' stuff that I'm quick to defend on newbies' behalves! :P
Sometimes threads diverge from original OP intent... I've been mainly responding to other more abstract ideas that have come up since then. I do see your point, there, and don't disagree with it.
Still think the labels are the problem, though-- if someone eats 100% vegan 364 days a year but has turkey at thanksgiving, they're not 'a' vegan... but still do so much good the whole rest of the year-- that effort is worth somethin', ya know? (not encouraging that approach, btw!!! but it's better than the way most americans eat)... i think you're right-- calling yourself 'a vegan who eats meat' is silly. Not saying folks should do that!... just that the larger problem, to me, is the meat-eating itself-- the naming error seems less egregious than the actual eating of the actual animal... it's a problem both ways, ok, just seems like one has way more effect on the world than the other... I'm not disagreeing with you; just prioritizing differently, I guess.
;D
;D
?! what's funny idk?!
;D
?! what's funny idk?!
To a person with no avatar, profile or info, and with only one post, who knows. Probably nothing.
Dalida????
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/85/206681897_8473ddb4a0.jpg
I also didn't mean to imply that it's a conspiracy. I don't agree with startaurus because I don't believe it's a sneaky way to get anyone to eat meat, dairy, etc. What I meant was pretty much what Tweety is getting at, that they don't mind leaving it there because they know someone else will always eat it. I don't see how anyone believes it's a conspiracy either considering nothing is being forced, it's her choice to eat it or not.
Startaurus, many people bring home food even if they don't like it so that it doesn't go to waste. They try to see if someone else in the household will want it.
The only thing I'm saying is never underestimate an omni in trying to get a vegan to eat meat.
I'm not saying it is in this instance what I'm saying is never underestimate and that the op should refrain from eating it and see if they say, "Aren't you going to eat it?" That's the only way they going to see if its a conspiracy or not.
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