In our daily discussions, vegans may be confronted with individuals who are inclined to argue that Veganism is not a pragmatic "lifestyle." (As an aside, labeling Veganism a "lifestyle" is erroneous as it fails to account for the substantive, ethical foundation on which Veganism is based.) The ground on which these arguments for the so-called impracticality of a vegan diet are built, are several, predictably common misconceptions: vegan food items are expensive, sparsely located or difficult to find, or more to the point, Veganism is inconvenient. These reasons are, of course, baseless, as any person who is Vegan can attest to. Also, when these reasons are being cited in opposition to a vegan diet the ideal non-vegan diet (i.e., well-balanced, composed of the necessary vitamins and minerals, daily exercise) is assumed to be an appropriate counter example, which for obvious reasons given the undeniable reality of the common diet, is improper if not entirely dishonest.
However, the more important issue is as follows. When one speaks of the practicality of a non-vegan diet they are appealing to easily accessible common "American foods"; for if they weren't, and their efforts to eat were not satisfied by merely walking to the nearest convenience store or fast food restaurant, their appeals to the practicality of a non-vegan diet become strained. If, instead of eating conveniently, they had to employ some thought and effort when deciding where to eat lunch, it seems unreasonable to argue that the same amount of thought and effort could not be employed to find vegan food. If, however, one remains true to their misconceptions and insist on the convenience of a non-vegan diet, they are committing themselves to the health risks that accompany such a diet of convenient non-vegan food. As it were, it seems unconvincing to argue in favor of practicality at the expense of health.
Take, for example, a situation where one decides to satisfy their hunger by convenient means - to get their Taco Bell or Burger King fix. For both the vegan and the non-vegan, food items, of equal cost, and equal nutritional value (or lack thereof) are a plenty. Perhaps you, a non-vegan, select the hamburger, while I, a vegan, choose the french fries and salad - or perhaps the baked potato (is that item still available at Burger King, it has been quite some time for me?). Both options are equally available and equally questionable. Or, we decide to eat at Taco Bell. Need I really say how many options are available for the vegan [think any vegetarian option without cheese and sour cream]?
How can the issue of health concerns be alleviated for the non-vegan? The answer necessarily returns us to the initial charge of inconvenience leveled against the vegan diet: to eat healthily, as either a vegan or a non-vegan, requires thought and effort and thus neither the vegan nor the non-vegan can make the claim of one diet being more convenient than the other. Both the health conscious vegan and non-vegan must take the necessary steps to ensure that their health needs are satisfied. To return to the "ideal non-vegan diet," it is irrational to argue that the efforts employed by an individual to satisfy those many requirements could not be taken-up by the vegan to be equally healthy and happy.
The result, it would seem, is simple: if one is concerned with the "convenience" of their diet, they necessarily sacrifice their health, which does nothing to improve the force of their argument - nor does it disprove the argument that a similarly [un]healthy vegan diet can be equally convenient; if, however, one is interested in eating a diet that is in their health interests or welfare, one will do well to put the necessary thought and effort into their food selection and avoid the downfalls of mere convenience.
Someone may respond by questioning the healthiness of a vegan diet, which is separate from matters of convenience. However, both the former and the latter are similarly hampered by common misconceptions about the alleged shortcomings of a vegan diet. Questions of health can be addressed at a later time. The goal of this post is to dispel the convenience/inconvenience myth being attended to here.
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