Even PETA says ‘Don’t Worry!’
If you’re at all familiar with PETA, you know that they’re pretty serious about vegetarianism and veganism, and that they’d like to encourage everyone to go completely vegan. You may also know that PETA uses some of the most horrifying animal cruelty videos that would bring even the most hardened meat-eaters to tears as their encouragement.
That being said, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised to find practical, reasonable advice on their vegcooking.com site.
Basically, their advice is “don’t sweat the small stuff.” The small stuff being trace amounts of animal products that may be in your food. If you are changing your diet primarily for the sake of animals, you may find this advice a little confusing. Especially coming from PETA! Their point, though, is that eliminating animal flesh from your diet has a great enough impact. Also, if you go CRAZY sorting out trace animal products from your diet, your diet will be harder to maintain, and others who may otherwise consider going vegetarian, may be turned off by your dogmatic practices.
Sage advice from the folks at PETA. I can’t believe it either.
cincin Said,
June 22, 2008 @ 12:17 am · Edit
PETA used to scare me! I researched it several years ago and decided against being associated because of the bullying and demonstrations.
I have been meat free for 2 weeks now. I dabbled in my 20s and have struggled all through my 30s to return to it because I felt so GOOD but I love meat too much. I read SKINNY BITCH two weekends ago and that was it for me. The moment I read the first entry about the cruelty and abuse I was done with meat and dairy. Whereas I previously thought it would be too difficult to be vegan, I now find it not the least bit challenging. This new attitute is in part to what I read in the book and also to PETA. I remember a much less “supportive” PETA from back in the day. But the advice and support I have gotten from PETA this time around has been amazing and supportive and not at all bully-ish. I am feeling really good about my vegetarian choice and my involvement with PETA.
Rebecca Said,
July 22, 2008 @ 5:11 pm · Edit
I’m going to have to say I’ll never take their advice in this case. I’m allergic to beef and dairy, so I’m pretty sure it is important for me to notice!
If you go to their “I can’t believe it’s vegan” site, they note that some of the foods are made with refined sugars, which are almost always filtered with bone char…etc, but they say that being so strict on certain companies really negates all of the effort put into encouraging companies to offer vegan or vegetarian items. I think it’s brilliant as long as you aren’t vegan or vegetarian for medical reasons as well.
isa Said,
July 22, 2008 @ 5:41 pm · Edit
http://petakillsanimals.com
PETA are fucking terrorists and hypocrites.
That being said, I am a vegetarian and I do agree with this. I am a very strict vegetarian, in fact, but I figure that a few slips now and then don’t make you a bad person or an ‘inferior’ vegetarian.
isa Said,
July 22, 2008 @ 5:42 pm · Edit
PS: Good for you, cincin! It’s really much easier to be vegan/vegetarian than most people think.
Katey Said,
July 23, 2008 @ 9:37 am · Edit
What they are basically saying is to Vegans and Vegetarians to not sound like arrogant people.
I’m a vegan myself, but I dont make meat eaters life difficult. My boyfriend is vegetarian and if we cook burgers mine will be simply cooked in a different tray. If we are out I select items of foods which couldn’t possibly have a meat of dairy mix in it.
What they are also saying is that food companies LIE an awful lot - unless they are strickly a vegan company chances are the food is produced on the same line as non vegan, non vegetarian products only they don’t point this out. For some reason nuts you do need to point out but allergies to dairy aren’t seen as being so serious (thats sarcasm!)
Most people are vegans/ vegetarians these days as a statement which is wrong. I don’t eat these products because I can’t stomach them (and that comes from before I actually knew that chicken was a dead animal aka a baby!)
babette Said,
July 23, 2008 @ 11:33 am · Edit
I whole-heartedly agree, isa!
momo Said,
July 24, 2008 @ 12:41 am · Edit
I have no problem with not eating meat. But I’ll support PETA when they stop using ads that exploit and objectify women to get their message across.