A tricky part of changing your diet and lifestyle for many new vegans is the questions that you have to field every time someone new finds out that you’ve gone vegan.
Naturally, people have questions about your recent dietary and lifestyle changes. But, it can definitely feel overwhelming when there are several people asking questions all at once, especially if you’re not sure how to answer all of them.
So, here are some questions that you may be asked. And, if you’ve never researched these topics before, this is your chance to prepare in advance.
Don’t we need meat to be healthy?
You will be asked this. And the answer is no, absolutely not. There is no biological need for humans to eat meat, or dairy for that matter. What’s more, consuming animal products has been linked to various health concerns, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.
If someone has concerns about certain nutrients, rest assured that a vegan diet rich in fruits and vegetables is sufficient enough to provide you with everything needed to be healthy.
Of course, everyone should discuss these concerns with their medical provider. But, generally speaking, the only supplement recommended for vegans and vegetarians is Vitamin B12, which is lacking because produce is washed to avoid exposing people to the bacteria found in the soil.
If we stop eating meat and drinking milk, won’t we be overrun by animals?
Sounds crazy, but this is a very common question that people often throw out in the middle of the “but, why vegan?” conversation.
One thing that this question fails to consider is the fact that the majority of animals on the planet are bred with the specific purpose of producing meat. With decreased demand, production would naturally have to slow, which in turn, will decrease the number of animals we see on factory farms and elsewhere.
You can learn more about this here.
Where do you get your protein?
If this isn’t the pinnacle question that all vegans deal with, then we don’t know what is.
Everyone you talk to from now on is suddenly very concerned about your protein intake!
Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that lots of food contains protein. And, because the idea that you need meat and eggs to get your protein has been shared for so long, squashing this question seems to be somewhat of an uphill battle for vegans and vegetarians worldwide.
However, as you can see on this list of all of the best protein sources, there are so many foods that vegans can eat to get protein.
Tip: Turn the tables!
One trick to stop all the (mostly dumb) questions is to start asking your own.
If the person is particularly rude in their questioning, you might say something like: “Aren’t you concerned about high cholesterol leading to erectile dysfunction later in life?”
That is a conversation ender!
For a more reasonable person you might ask something along the lines of: “How much protein is in your diet, as a percentage?”
They probably won’t know and won’t want to think too hard about their own choices.
Whatever happens, don’t allow people to make you feel attacked or shamed for eating healthier.
Making choices that will help you live longer and avoid animal suffering is just a no-brainer, and anyone who has a problem with that probably isn’t someone who cares about those things.
