Veganism Defined

We believe that a continued increase in the popularity of veganism will help to alleviate a number of issues that impact all of us. However, we also believe that attempting to apply black-and-white labels to one’s self or others can do more harm than good, especially if you’re in a state of transition. Thus, we take a “do as much as we can” approach as we continue to learn and grow, and try not to judge ourselves or anyone else for not being perfect. We invite others to do the same, as every little bit helps. Nonetheless, here is a description of some of the labels used to describe levels of vegetarianism and veganism.

Individuals who have adopted any level of vegetarian diet enjoy a vast array of foods except for: animal body parts (this includes fish and other sea animals), gelatin or any other products derived from the bodies of formerly living creatures. They may still eat eggs and milk products (hence the term “ovo-lacto vegetarian.”)

Individuals who have adopted a strict vegetarian diet, often called a vegan diet, also exclude animal-derived products including milk and eggs. This choice may be for personal health benefits; or it may be because the process of taking these products from other animals also has a range of negative environmental, economic, public health, and animal rights impacts. This is the diet we follow in our own cooking, and as much as possible when elsewhere. For purposes of the vegan waffle party, this translates to food excluding meat, seafood, eggs, animal milk, and gelatin.

Some who have adopted a vegan diet also avoid use of honey and processed white sugar, the latter of which is sometimes strained through charred animal bone. We ask our Waffle Party guests to simply label any items that include honey or processed sugar, for attendees who do not wish to consume these items. Our WaffleParty waffles utilize sweeteners such as raw sugar, blackstrap molasses and bananas.

Because we occasionally consume small amounts of egg, dairy and some products that are not fully animal-friendly when vegan options are not easily available, we are technically vegetarian-approaching-vegan. We’ve found that by simply eliminating these from our own food preparation/eating at home, and from events we host such as the Waffle Party, we can cut out most of it. Veganism in its purest form also includes a conscientious effort to eliminate products linked to animal cruelty in all areas of one’s life–not just those encompassing food. We’re not perfect in that area ourselves, but we don’t let it discourage us from increasing our responsibility where we can.

While there are no direct replacements for vegetarianism and veganism as some of the biggest steps one can take toward a healthy, sustainable and just planet, we can also take other diet and lifestyle actions to benefit the world. This includes purchasing produce grown at local farms to minimize transportation energy use (e.g., see http://100milediet.org), buying organic when possible, and purchasing “fair trade” versions of products such as coffee to minimize human rights violations. Again, for us, it’s not about being perfect or appearing perfect to others, but simply about doing what we can as we increase our awareness.

* Many vegetarians actually increase their intake of milk and eggs when they cut out meat due to health fallacies surrounding protein consumption–I did this for a while. The irony here is that a relatively large body of research shows many negative health implications for dairy consumption. Consider that humans are the only animal to continue consuming milk following the natural early childhood breastfeeding period, and that at least half of adults are lactose intolerant by some estimates…