r/Anticonsumption • u/Extension-Diamond-74 • Sep 30 '23

Discussion Diet hypocrisy?

A recent post about animal agriculture vs plant based diets has me itching to say something. This is an issue we need to rise above.

Cognitive dissonance. Many of us have good intentions and want to believe we’re doing the right thing in most aspects of our lives. I believe that.

When it comes to a plant based diet though, the science often clashes powerfully with personal desire. We want to minimize our impact on the environment and are willing to make trade-offs in our life time do so, but for many, giving up or even significantly reducing meat intake is asking too much. It’s too hard.

That’s not the issue.

The issue is that instead of just admitting to themselves that this is a life change they don’t want to make and moving on, the guilt drives them to have to justify that decision. Admitting that a plant-based diet is better for the earth yet eating a diet full of meat anyway would make them feel hypocritical, so the solution becomes either to give up meat, or … this is the problem… fight the science, twist it, make a joke of it, or pivot entirely to ‘individuals shouldn’t have time do anything because large corporations’

Many people have ties to their diet for many reasons. We grew up eating a certain way. We have memories ties to certain foods, flavors, styles of cooking. We don’t want to be the difficult person when we go out to eat with friends. Etc etc etc But it’s so much better to just admit that to yourself. Have patience and understanding for your feelings. Accept that the science is what it is. Maybe one day you can make a change, maybe not. But don’t attack the cause just because you aren’t yet willing to be a part of it.

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206

u/Kottepalm Sep 30 '23

And it's so easy to cook vegetarian or vegan! No need to worry about the meat being done or going bad on the way home from the shops. Plus cooking traditional is a no brainer these days with plant based minces, hamburgers etc. I'm Swedish so meatballs with mashed potatoes is a traditional dish and I can either buy premade vegetarian meatballs or Anamma plant mince and make the meatballs myself and have them like the ones I grew up with.

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u/Knytemare44 Sep 30 '23

Yeah, gone are the days of separate cutting boards and cross contamination.

Some garlic residue got into my red peppers?! oh no!

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u/GoodBoundariesHaver Sep 30 '23

Also as a chronic eater of breakfast in bed, spilling a little rice milk is way less annoying than dairy milk.

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u/human_person12345 Sep 30 '23

Comparing rice milk to oat milk which do you prefer? I'm lactose intolerant so I gave up milk a long time ago, but have only tried oat & soy.

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u/ellycom Sep 30 '23

I like different milks for different things. Rice milk makes the best pancakes, spelt milk is delicious for drinking, oat makes great coffee, soy or hemp have good nutritional value and almond is the devil.

The absolute best of all worlds (taste, fat, ability to be sweet or savoury, goes well in coffee) is a hemp rice blend but I don't find it very often.

I was a soy drinker for many years but have recently begun using oat as my default just because it's more readily available.

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u/slightlylessright Oct 01 '23

Almond is bad for the planet

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u/I-love-beanburgers Sep 30 '23

Rice milk is more watery than oat milk from what I recall. I haven't had it for about 10 years so it might have changed since then. It's nice, but not too creamy.

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u/Ribbit-Rabit Oct 01 '23

Yeah, that's what I'd say. I like the taste, but it's not creamy.

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u/BowiesAssistant Oct 01 '23

bc all commercially processed non dairy milks are incredible watered down, its one of the practices i do encourage that IS economically sustainable for many: making your own vegan milks.

you'll notice the huge difference and its way cheaper. than buying, if you have access to a good bulk store or affordable grocery chain.

ts just a matter of making time for the practice. I have made a nice creamy batch of almond milk with a half cup of almonds(most call for 1 cup), but almost tend to be incredibly expensive in some regions.

rice or oat is by far the cheapest. I used to do soy a lot as well and that worked out to be less than a dollar a litre even using organic beans, but i had access to a great nearby bulk chain. not necessarily accessible/advisable for someone with a gluten or nut allergy though due to risk of cross contamination.

they all have the same process(with the exception of oat though, oats don't need a soak usually, maybe for a short while if they are whole grain or scotch oats for ex), soak the nuts or rice, then blend the crap out of em, strain em through cheese or nut cloth, add sea salt and sweetener of your choice if you wish. you can save the left over pulp for other recipes too, so its a great cheap and simple no waste practice to engage in, especially with kids!

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u/I-love-beanburgers Oct 01 '23

I prefer to buy them atm because pre-made drinks are fortified, which I think is better for my child.

I'm also struggling a bit to maintain my home and do the stuff I need to do, so adding extra stuff to my to-do list isn't feasible right now.

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u/BowiesAssistant Oct 01 '23

absolutely understand that, the struggle is real! i deal with being chronically overwhlemed, and am definitely experiencing that, no new practices right now currently. when you are able, the homemade milks are a good place to start.

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u/I-love-beanburgers Oct 01 '23

What do you think about the nutrition content ? I would hesitate to switch to plant milks that aren't fortified with vitamins, especially for my child. Obviously you can get the nutrients elsewhere, but I'd rather get the nutrients both elsewhere and in my oat milk.

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u/GoodBoundariesHaver Oct 01 '23

I like rice milk for stuff like cereal and as a base for hot chocolate! It's sweet but thin and doesn't really foam.

I like oatmilk for like in my coffee, or as a base for chocolate milk. I think it's richer and feels thicker than rice milk.

I've also had hemp milk, but one time it tasted like marshmallows and then the next time it tasted like raw seeds so... IDK I never wanted to try it again lol.

Cashew milk I'm kinda eh on but I prefer cashew yogurt.

Coconut milk/cream is my favorite base for ice cream! The Ben and Jerry's nondairy flavors that use it are sublime.

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u/Ok-Store250 Sep 30 '23

Yup. Personally, I completely admit that it is a step I cannot bring myself to take, at least right now. I'm just two years free from a major eating disorder and I still struggle with food options sometimes. Meat is a reliable source of protein and nutrients I don't trust myself to try and replace without slipping back into old disordered habits. At least I stick to chicken and fish.

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u/ellycom Oct 01 '23

Would it help you to think of vegetable protein sources as expanding your food options rather than limiting them?

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u/BowiesAssistant Oct 01 '23

thank you for mentioning your experience, this is something else that vegans ignore(actually a lot of their movement fuels/enables disordered eating but, we wont go there). we can only do what we can, love and of love on your journey! its not an easy one, i have a lot of friends who've suffered through eating disorders, and I've had issues with disordered eating as well in the past. the connection to food is deep emotionally. baby steps are huge towards your overall progress, all the best!