this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2025
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Just curious because you're specifically using the term plant-based: are you eating plant-based or are you vegan? If not the latter, how come?
No judgements whatsoever - just curious
I use the "plant-based" label because people get weird about the v-word, and quite frankly I'm only super-strict about meat and egg so don't think I've really earned the title. I avoid dairy, but it shows up in a lot of unexpected places so I give myself some leeway with micro-ingredients. Why? Because it's more effort than I'm willing to put in. I know that won't be a satisfactory answer to diehards, but it is an honest one.
Or perhaps you are asking if it is only about food? I don't use non-food animal products either (e.g. leather, wool, down).
My last paragraph is really more rhetorical because it's a very predictable "whatabout." While not wanting to bother with the effort certainly is true (in-line with my attitude on dairy micro-ingredients), having easier availability to small local farms wouldn't change anything in this regard. I'd still stick to a plant-based lifestyle. If anything, it's something I might have used as a crutch while phasing out animal products. But I am past that now.
This is part of the problem with the “v-word” movement. There are so many purity tests when, in the end, it is literally impossible to avoid all suffering. Industrial agriculture kills untold gobs of animals and insects. Almond farming uses shit tons of water that would otherwise feed a healthy habitat. Having a cat or dog means participating in the animal products industry as well.
This doesn’t mean “give up”, but it does require the admission that there is no ultimate piety that can be achieved - despite what some would have you believe. They are either willfully ignorant or lying to further an agenda. All we can do in our position in modern society is try our best to minimize suffering, with the understanding that there will always be some.
Wait, are the micro-ingredients you're referring to the traces of dairy you get with most foods you buy? Like even food that's specifically labelled as vegan? Not quite sure what else you could mean since these products would still be considered vegan since they're not made up of or consist of animal products.
But yea, it's tough to keep scanning ingredients list for potential non-vegan ingredients. It's relatively easy for food for me nowadays but stuff like soaps, face wash, laundry detergent and stuff like that that's not always explicitly labelled as vegan can be tricky to navigate around. Nail polish is easy because I found a brand that's specifically vegan and cruelty-free. :)
You'll get there some day (if you want that). We all start out small and it takes some effort, but it's manageable in the end. 💚