Veganuary may be over, but don't expect the growing popularity of all things meat- and dairy-free to slow down. As a society, we're more conscious of what we eat than ever before, and major restaurant chains and supermarkets have caught on to our increased appetite for vegan products, giving us more (and tastier) options than in the past. These days, it's even easy to choose from a range of super-drinkable vegan wines.
But as food writer and former Great British Bake Off contestant Ruby Tandoh just reminded us in a series of tweets, this doesn't mean anyone should be made to feel guilty for deciding not to adopt a vegan diet.
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On Thursday, former Made in Chelsea star Lucy Watson, author of the cookbook Feed Me Vegan, tweeted: "If you’re against animal cruelty, like most people, then you should be vegan."
If you’re against animal cruelty, like most people, then you should be vegan.
— Lucy Watson (@imLucyWatson) February 8, 2018
Replying to Watson's tweet, Tandoh rightly pointed out that there are a wide variety of reasons why veganism isn't right for everyone, including "disordered eating, lack of access to vegan foods, disability, medical problems, poverty and the countless social and cultural reasons why we might eat a certain way to establish our place in a group/family/society."
there are so many reasons for not being vegan: disordered eating, lack of access to vegan foods, disability, medical problems, poverty and the countless social and cultural reasons why we might eat a certain way to establish our place in a group/family/society. this is unhelpful. https://t.co/dSiesoR2tk
— Ruby Tandoh (@rubytandoh) February 8, 2018
In her follow-up tweets, Tandoh explained passionately that deciding to go vegan is a privilege that not everyone can afford, both financially and in terms of their mental and physical wellbeing.
guys i'm not getting drawn into a first year philosophy discussion on ethics. all i have to say is 1) veganism is great if you can do it and defo a wonderful, kind, moral thing 2) not everyone is able to be vegan. that's it.
— Ruby Tandoh (@rubytandoh) February 8, 2018
Tandoh's own cookbook, Eat Up: Food, Appetite and Eating What You Want, aims to help reduce any guilt we experience over what we eat, and put the pleasure back into making food choices. Her tweets about veganism promote the same healthy message: that we should eat what we fancy, not what others tell us is "correct".
No one would deny that going vegan is a noble and for many people, very nourishing thing to do. But it shouldn't be used as a stick with which to beat other people who, for all kinds of reasons, decide not to follow the same lifestyle.
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