I stopped eating red meat when I was 12. I remember sitting at the dinner table with a pile of barbequed ribs in front of me, disgusted by the image of bones piled high on a plate. As my family gnawed on the meat, I felt paralyzed by my repulsion. I connected the food to the animal it came from and the image was burned in my head. So, at the ripe old age of 12, I decided to cut red meat out of my diet and I haven’t looked back since.Â
It’s not a secret that vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based diets are on an upward trend. Besides the increased interest amongst the general public, celebrities such as Billie Eilish and Harry Styles have proudly announced their plant-forward lifestyles. Selfishly, I love that plant-based lifestyles are becoming normalized as those like myself, who choose not to eat meat, are no longer ostracized for our dietary choices.
When I created this column, I wanted to open up a space that encouraged dialogue around how to be more sustainable and promote greener lifestyles. Veganism, however, is something that I have stayed clear of because I get that nobody wants to hear another privileged, 20-something white girl telling you how to live your life. But I also think it’s important to have a conversation about the hardships of the movement — the shit nobody talks about. Sometimes being a vegan is damn hard. Often an overlooked privilege that is not attainable for everyone, we need to consider the circumstances of a person’s life before criticizing them for their consumption of animal products.
Although I grew up with vegetarian family members, I was first introduced to plant-based eating in my early teenage years. I was totally shocked at the lifestyle adjustment I thought necessary in order to embody “the perfect vegan,” but I was determined to try.Â
This was back in the early stages of YouTube where Freelee the BananaGirl and the “Raw till 4” diet were at their peak. Anyone who has watched Freelee’s videos knows the bizarre nature of them; they promote eating a high fruit diet and cutting back on cooked plant food for its supposed health benefits. And while I agree that eating fruits and vegetables is incredibly healthy, I was thrown into the world of veganism from a very extreme and restrictive perspective.Â
Instead of eating one banana, channels such as Freelee’s encourage pounding back over 30 bananas a day alongside an abundance of mangos, kale, and a variety of other raw, unprocessed fruits and vegetables as whole, complete meals. It sounds crazy, I know, but with nearly 800 thousand subscribers, she had a massive influence on the growing vegan community, and I was certainly one of them. While years later, I can proudly say that I have found balance within the plant-based diet that works for me, my perspective on veganism has drastically changed.Â
Many people are quick to argue that it is a financial burden to make the transition toward vegan alternatives. This is arguably true if you are swapping out your animal-based chicken for faux chicken, but if you are ditching meat for whole plant foods like beans and legumes, the vegan option is considerably cheaper.Â
This argument is only valid, though, if you are privileged enough to have access to these healthier options and the financial means to purchase the healthier food option in the first place. This is something that isn’t often brought up when discussing veganism, but it is incredibly important. Without access to fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes, people have no choice but to consume whatever will sustain them — be it meat, dairy, or eggs. Food insecurity is something that is happening here, in the Fraser Valley. This is not a foreign concept to our local communities. Food deserts are described as communities that do not have healthy options available to them at an affordable and accessible rate. The most affected communities are those of marginalized groups, particularly Black and Hispanic communities. Factors that influence food deserts include things like access to transportation, community infrastructure, income, racial segregation, education, and employment; all of which contribute to the quality of life and accessibility of healthier options. It is a privilege to have a choice in what you consume; not everyone has such an opportunity.Â
Do I promote a plant-based diet? Yes, of course, I do. If you are in a privileged position that allows you to live close to grocery stores and are not faced with social and economic barriers, I would encourage you to make the switch. But this isn’t a conversation about why I think veganism is good for your health or the health of the planet, it is to point out the obvious: not everyone can be vegan. There are a variety of factors that may prevent a person from being able to align with the movement, and for that, we need to stop being so quick to criticize those still consuming animal products.
Sydney is a BA English major, creative writing student, who has been a content contributor for The Cascade and is now the Opinion editor. In 7th grade, she won $100 in a writing contest but hasn’t made an earning from writing since. In the meantime, she is hoping that her half-written novels will write themselves, be published, and help pay the bills.
