Every January, the term "veganism" and "vegan" gets record amounts of hits on social media.
Everyone seems to flock to this craze -- but only for a month. Most people do this for social attention, to get more followers, to think they're helping reduce carbon emissions, saving the environment or the animals. And a small portion of people do adopt a plant-based or vegan diet for themselves.
And while all of those reasons do have merit, the most valuable diet is the one you will keep. So how many of those people who adopt a vegan or plant-based diet actually continue? Is is just a fad to get attention, garner followers, or is it actually sustainable long-term?
I've been plant-based for over 6 years, so I've seen this happen time and time again. I want to give you a realistic idea of just what going "vegan" or plant-based means in 2024.
First, though: some ground rules and definitions.
Plant-Based Vs. Vegan
You might have heard the terms "plant-based" and "vegan" used interchangeably at times. And though they do carry similar meanings, they are certainly not the same.
Plant-Based
Think of this as "little to no animal products".
Eggs included in the meringue? That's a no-go.
A "splash" of dairy in your coffee? Maybe. Just maybe.
Ultimately, you get to decide the level of strictness of your plant-based diet.
Plant-Based vs. Flexitarian
You might think this "little to no animal products" sounds a lot like flexitarianism, and you'd be right.
It Probably Doesn't Matter
Ultimately, you get to decide how you want to live your life.
That includes what you want to eat.
Meg Lewis, in her recent talk on Creative Mornings, had this to say:
Be yourself. Embrace yourself.