Can You Be Vegan Without Eating Plant-Based?

First, we need to go through some definitions:

What is a Plant-Based Diet?

A plant-based diet excludes all animal products: eggs, dairy, meat, and fish. This lifestyle choice is often motivated by health and ecological considerations rather than concerns about animal cruelty.

What is Veganism?

Veganism, in contrast, is primarily a philosophy. I love the definition from the subreddit r/vegan:

Veganism: A philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans, and the environment. In dietary terms, it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.

While vegans often consume a plant-based diet, they also take additional actions to minimize animal exploitation. The two key messages here are:

1. "Seeks to exclude": Transitioning to veganism requires time, knowledge, and energy. It's not an overnight change.
2. "As far as is possible and practicable": Sometimes, avoiding animal products is impossible or impractical, either due to lack of information or health reasons.

Why Adopting the Vegan Label is Hard

I struggle with labeling myself strictly as vegan. Occasionally, when I go out, I might eat a vegetarian meal instead of a plant-based one. At home, I eat vegan, avoid non-vegan products, oppose zoos and fake animal sanctuaries, care about the animals I see every day, avoid leather, and promote plant-based food on this blog. This is why it feels wrong to always have to explain: "I'm vegetarian but mostly vegan most of the time."

Now I accept to say it: I'm vegan, just not a perfect one. I’m still learning and striving to exclude animal products from my life. However, I face challenges, such as social pressure and visiting family without imposing my beliefs. There are solutions to these challenges, like cooking vegan meals for my family, which I haven't tried yet.

The key takeaway is that adopting a plant-based diet is not the minimum requirement for being vegan. You become vegan as soon as you begin striving to exclude animal products, even if imperfectly.

Veganism: A Personal Philosophy

Since veganism is a philosophy, everyone tailors their practices to their beliefs and values. For instance, some vegans accept wearing secondhand leather, while some don't. Similarly, some vegans accept having pets, while some don't.

Some Vegans Not Eating Plant-Based (yet)

Here are some examples of people I consider vegan, even if they don't strictly follow a plant-based diet:

• Vegetarians who have stopped eating meat and fish due to animal cruelty but aren't yet aware of the dairy industry's impact.
• Vegans with Gut Diseases or conditions like Crohn's disease, which prevent them from maintaining a healthy lifestyle on a vegan diet.
• Transitioning Individuals on the journey to a fully plant-based diet but who haven't reached the destination yet.

Final Notes

Don't mistake me, the end goal is to go fully plant-based as much as possible. But veganism is more than a diet; it's a commitment to reducing animal cruelty and exploitation as much as possible. Every step towards reducing animal exploitation is valuable, and the journey is unique to each individual.