How vegan are you?

[michaelhobson]

So, this poll is just an example to get you thinking. How about that restaurant bread? I know enough vegans that I could find at least one to answer yes to every question. How about you? Personally, I'm somewhere between "ask the wait staff" and "bread is typically vegan, so I don't worry about it." I'm not saying that is the right answer any means, just being honest here.

 

For example, my kids wanted to go to Red Robin this week. It's a burger chain that offers veggie burgers too, they had been with there before with their vegetarian mom. They were really excited to find Boca Burgers on the menu, and that Daddy was going to have a burger too. I really didn't want to make an issue of the bread, probably vegan so I left it alone.

 

What about other small stuff? Any of you coffee fiends ever use the not-so-non-dairy-creamer when traveling or at work? Sodium caseinate is a minor ingredient, but still not vegan. I'm guilty on occassion.

 

I guess this is a confessional of sorts? I still own a pair of leather shoes and a couple pair of wool socks that I still use. They are very functional and will last for years. I will likely replace the shoes as soon as I can anyway, as I'm not really comfortable in animal skins. I'm less averse to the wool socks.

 

So, how vegan are you?

[Zack]

"bread is typically vegan, so I don't worry about it."

 

I don't really buy non-vegan food unless it's accidental. If it's offered to me, or an accident I don't really worry all that much about it.

 

Not too radical about it, but I do prevent buying it when I can.

 

I wear some leather skate shoes, but I bought them on closeout when the store was getting rid of them for good.

[michaelhobson]

Not too radical about it, but I do prevent buying it when I can.

 

Yeah, I don't buy non-vegan stuff, and am a regular label reader, but I'm not very fanatic about it otherwise. I don't sweat bone-char sugar, though I choose to only buy oranic for what we use at home. Worrying too much about small stuff kept me from going vegan for quite a while. I think it's better to commit to veganism and do your best.

[veganmadre]

I openly admit that I'm going through an "apathetic yet hostile" stage. Maybe it isn't a stage but it feels like it for me because I notice myself transitioning from one stage to the next - and it's full circle from when I first became a vegetarian. I used to be so passionate, angry and proactive and after a while I settled into a more peaceable existance when I didn't feel the need to constantly judge everyone else for consuming animal products. Eventually, I found myself just going through the motions of veganism. Doing it because I conscientiously know it's "right". I find myself in that spot right now but I also find myself transitioning back towards a bit of my hostility. As I surround myself with more and more vegans, I find that I have no desire to associate with nonvegetarians.

 

I voted that I have "more important things to worry about". I can see where being militant serves a purpose. Choosing to not eat bread because it possibly contains an animal product doesn't seem all the productive to me. The biggest statement we can make is via money. If you are already at a restaurant and paying for a vegan burger, what difference does it make if you eat their bread? You are already supporting that restaurant. If you tow a hard line, I'd say, you probably shouldn't eat there at all - thus decreasing their sales and sending a messages. Of course, just not eating there doesn't send a message unless you follow-up and explain to management that they have lost your business due to the fact.

 

I don't know. I do the best I can. I only buy vegan food from the store. I typically visit restaurants that seriously cater to vegans and I don't ever order food specificially nonvegan - including food with eggs/dairy/meat...That said, if I get something that is accidentially "nonvegan", I don't just throw it away. I don't see how that helps any.

 

I don't buy leather, I don't eat honey and I just upgraded my hand-me-down wool coat to a 100% polyester one. I'm a conscientious vegan 99% of the time.

[andgbr]

i'm really lazy asking if something is vegan or not, so, instead of taking the risk or asking, i usually avoid buying it..

[michaelhobson]

i'm really lazy asking if something is vegan or not, so, instead of taking the risk or asking, i usually avoid buying it..

 

I think that's a very reasonable plan too.

[Odidnetne]

I just don't really eat bread...or out in restaurants.

 

It depends for me when I'm out. For instance, I went to a bagel shop yesterday in New Jersey where they make the bagels themselves, and I asked about it, but since they make it all with fresh ingredients, everything was good (I try to avoid HFCS and other things like that too, the reason I don't eat bread or any bagels that aren't made fresh).

[michaelhobson]

I just don't really eat bread...or out in restaurants.

 

It depends for me when I'm out. For instance, I went to a bagel shop yesterday in New Jersey where they make the bagels themselves, and I asked about it, but since they make it all with fresh ingredients, everything was good (I try to avoid HFCS and other things like that too, the reason I don't eat bread or any bagels that aren't made fresh).

 

Awesome! Our bread for home is either homemade or from the bakery two blocks up. They make everything right there, and no weird ingredients. All stuff that should be in bread, the only thing that mucks up most of them is honey. No worries though, the sour dough is vegan and they just last week started making whole wheat vegan sourdough, so now we're really set!

[Odidnetne]

I just don't really eat bread...or out in restaurants.

 

It depends for me when I'm out. For instance, I went to a bagel shop yesterday in New Jersey where they make the bagels themselves, and I asked about it, but since they make it all with fresh ingredients, everything was good (I try to avoid HFCS and other things like that too, the reason I don't eat bread or any bagels that aren't made fresh).

 

Awesome! Our bread for home is either homemade or from the bakery two blocks up. They make everything right there, and no weird ingredients. All stuff that should be in bread, the only thing that mucks up most of them is honey. No worries though, the sour dough is vegan and they just last week started making whole wheat vegan sourdough, so now we're really set!

 

Aside from about 10 bagels, I haven't had bread since 2005, a piece of bread would probably put me in cardiac arrest though.

[michaelhobson]

side from about 10 bagels, I haven't had bread since 2005, a piece of bread would probably put me in cardiac arrest though.

 

That's cool. Of course the thread isn't really about bread. You could still tell us "how vegan are you?" Or not of course, if you don't want to.

[Odidnetne]

I like to be pretty strict, after working in kitchens for about 8 years all combined, animals products (in any form) pretty much me.

[michaelhobson]

I like to be pretty strict, after working in kitchens for about 8 years all combined, animals products (in any form) pretty much me.

[andgbr]

i'm really lazy asking if something is vegan or not, so, instead of taking the risk or asking, i usually avoid buying it..

 

I think that's a very reasonable plan too.

 

that's what i do when i go out.. but if i go to a grocery store or anything like that, i always try to find out if it's vegan or not.. i read the label, go to their website and so on.. but for some reason i don't like doing that on restaurants.. that's a whole different thing..

[michaelhobson]

i'm really lazy asking if something is vegan or not, so, instead of taking the risk or asking, i usually avoid buying it..

 

I think that's a very reasonable plan too.

 

that's what i do when i go out.. but if i go to a grocery store or anything like that, i always try to find out if it's vegan or not.. i read the label, go to their website and so on.. but for some reason i don't like doing that on restaurants.. that's a whole different thing..

 

We tend to go to restaurants that cater to vegans. But, I also take my girls out to eat every week, during the work week. They live in a small town about 35 miles south of here, not so vegan friendly as Pittsburgh.

[Odidnetne]

i'm really lazy asking if something is vegan or not, so, instead of taking the risk or asking, i usually avoid buying it..

 

I think that's a very reasonable plan too.

 

that's what i do when i go out.. but if i go to a grocery store or anything like that, i always try to find out if it's vegan or not.. i read the label, go to their website and so on.. but for some reason i don't like doing that on restaurants.. that's a whole different thing..

 

We tend to go to restaurants that cater to vegans. But, I also take my girls out to eat every week, during the work week. They live in a small town about 35 miles south of here, not so vegan friendly as Pittsburgh.

 

You tend to take a lot of people with you too to said restaurants.

[michaelhobson]

You tend to take a lot of people with you too to said restaurants.

 

Only about 20-30 good friends most of the time.

 

It's great taking that many vegans to a vegan friendly restaurant. Usually at least one of us has in the past, asked about the ingredients to every damn thing on the menu.

[FormicaLinoleum]

I chose "bread is usually vegan..."

 

If it's something that is pretty likely to be non-vegan, I will ask or not order it. But if it is something that usually is vegan, then I often don't ask. What I really prefer is to frequent restaurants that are either all-vegan, that label vegan items, or where I know the people there know what vegan is (which generally comes from having been a regular there for a while). We nearly always eat at the same 5-7 restaurants and at most of them we are known.

[Odidnetne]

I chose "bread is usually vegan..."

 

If it's something that is pretty likely to be non-vegan, I will ask or not order it. But if it is something that usually is vegan, then I often don't ask. What I really prefer is to frequent restaurants that are either all-vegan, that label vegan items, or where I know the people there know what vegan is (which generally comes from having been a regular there for a while). We nearly always eat at the same 5-7 restaurants and at most of them we are known.

 

The other people knowing is something I do a lot, except not so much employees. Whenever I've met people here I've asked the people I was with "This is vegan?" "This is good?" etc.

[andgbr]

i'm really lazy asking if something is vegan or not, so, instead of taking the risk or asking, i usually avoid buying it..

 

I think that's a very reasonable plan too.

 

that's what i do when i go out.. but if i go to a grocery store or anything like that, i always try to find out if it's vegan or not.. i read the label, go to their website and so on.. but for some reason i don't like doing that on restaurants.. that's a whole different thing..

 

We tend to go to restaurants that cater to vegans. But, I also take my girls out to eat every week, during the work week. They live in a small town about 35 miles south of here, not so vegan friendly as Pittsburgh.

 

i live in small town, nothing here seems to be vegan-friendly.. there's only 2 places to go, one is expensive and the other one gives me almost no options.. besides that, the only thing i'd find in ''regular'' restaurants for vegans would be the plain salad. it sucks.. if they only knew how to make a decent salad, i think i'd spend my dollars on it.

i can't wait to move to a city where i can find vegan stuff ( and vegans ) more easily.. sometimes i feels like i'm the only vegan around..

[MontanaVegan]

I rarely eat resturant bread.

I doubt anybody in our resturants would know anyway.

"What's vegan?" they would ask.

 

We tend to go to restaurants that cater to vegans.

I wish that we had anything like that in Billings, Montana.

Beef is big business in Montana.

I couldn't tell you how many steak and rib places we have here.

We are surrounded by feedlots.

 

There are only two place I eat at here, both Asian.

I have to remember to tell them no eggs in my VEGETABLE fried rice at one of them.

The other place is a Mongolian stirfry, so I choose my ingredients.

With my luck, the Kung Pao sauce, probably has something nonvegan in it

[Zack]

I rarely eat resturant bread.

I doubt anybody in our resturants would know anyway.

"What's vegan?" they would ask.

 

We tend to go to restaurants that cater to vegans.

I wish that we had anything like that in Billings, Montana.

Beef is big business in Montana.

I couldn't tell you how many steak and rib places we have here.

We are surrounded by feedlots.

 

There are only two place I eat at here, both Asian.

I have to remember to tell them no eggs in my VEGETABLE fried rice at one of them.

The other place is a Mongolian stirfry, so I choose my ingredients.

With my luck, the Kung Pao sauce, probably has something nonvegan in it

 

I'd be more worried about death by MSG.

[Odidnetne]

I rarely eat resturant bread.

I doubt anybody in our resturants would know anyway.

"What's vegan?" they would ask.

 

We tend to go to restaurants that cater to vegans.

I wish that we had anything like that in Billings, Montana.

Beef is big business in Montana.

I couldn't tell you how many steak and rib places we have here.

We are surrounded by feedlots.

 

There are only two place I eat at here, both Asian.

I have to remember to tell them no eggs in my VEGETABLE fried rice at one of them.

The other place is a Mongolian stirfry, so I choose my ingredients.

With my luck, the Kung Pao sauce, probably has something nonvegan in it

 

I'd be more worried about death by MSG.

 

I sometimes think that on those rare occasions that I get General Tso's Tofu (but they know it's vegan at the place I get it from), but it's rare that I eat out.

[Zack]

I literally feel my heart rate increase, blood pressure increase, and my liver cries, which is not good for me in my current condition....

 

I am so sensitive to it, which I consider a good thing.

[Odidnetne]

I literally feel my heart rate increase, blood pressure increase, and my liver cries, which is not good for me in my current condition....

 

I am so sensitive to it, which I consider a good thing.

 

The past couple of times I've noticed that, but is that just MSG for you, or Chinese food in general?

[Zack]

I literally feel my heart rate increase, blood pressure increase, and my liver cries, which is not good for me in my current condition....

 

I am so sensitive to it, which I consider a good thing.

 

The past couple of times I've noticed that, but is that just MSG for you, or Chinese food in general?

 

Anything like MSG, Autolyzed yeast extract, any of it.