Every now and again I toy with the idea of becoming vegan. Living where we do, in close proximity to three dairy farms, these moments tend to occur when I hear the bellows of the mother cows echoing across the fields, calling out as their calves are being forcibly taken away. It’s a horrible sound - heart-wrenching and guttural. And I think, ‘Those are mother creatures in anguish at the loss of their babies.’ And I feel a mix of intense sadness and guilt that this is happening because I, like millions of others, take milk in my tea, spread butter on my toast, and eat a bit of cheese.
I’ve been vegetarian for many years, and then a year ago I started eating fish again. Not often, but I did. And a couple of days ago I was thinking, this fish eating could be the start of a slippery slope. First a sardine, then chicken, then a bit of liver and bacon…
…visions of a zombie me loomed on the horizon of my over-active mind, chewing on the bloody hind leg of an impala…
…I managed to beat down zombie me by using a massive vegan club stick (which is like a crab stick but made from celery dyed a dubious shade of pink), and then (just to make sure) I had an explore of the Vegan Society website. And then I disappeared down a HUGE rabbit hole of vegan versus vegetarian versus meat-eating versus ethical farming practices versus animal cruelty versus ecological impacts versus health pros and cons versus the end of the world apocalypse, and several hours later I emerged feeling overwhelmed, frazzled and in need of some toast and marmalade. With butter.
Honestly, what’s a girl to do? It seems whichever decision you think you’ve made there will be a counter-argument which is equally persuasive. Of course, it all depends on who has written what you read and which reports are being sponsored by which invested parties. I could substitute cow milk for almond milk but almond milk production has environmental issues of its own, not to mention the way honey bees are treated in the USA (the biggest producer of almonds) for the pollination of almond trees. There is also the FACT that almond milk is vile in tea.
I explored the World of Vegan Cheese. Ye gods, the brands and varieties out there - it’s mind-boggling. And lots of them are classified as ultra-processed foods, too, which I am trying to avoid anyway. Ditto butter substitutes. Most of which come packaged in plastic. Another no-no.
The conclusion I have come to is that being vegan is all down to personal ethics. I buy honey from a local bee-keeper and I buy free-range eggs. I can live with these decisions, even more so if I start bee-keeping again myself. I shall NOT be hen-keeping again, though. Not with Nell the Poo in situ. Therefore, it’s all down to the dairy. I can cut back the milk I have in tea as a lot of the tea I drink is either green, fruit or herbal anyway. And I can try some of the better-made vegan cheeses for the little bit of cheese I eat these days. Am I over-thinking this? Can I cope with the extra work and vigilance that will be required? I don’t know.
I am on the lookout for more vegan recipes, though. I’ve just cooked up a batch of dried chickpeas to make some hummus, of which I am rather fond. And fish is definitely off the menu again. I have bought this to try. I’ll let you know what it’s like:
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