If you’re unfamiliar with the term “industrial vegan,” you aren’t alone. In June 2021, actor Craig Ferguson asked on his ABC game show The Hustler what an “industrial vegan” was, leading to its popularization.
People have been speculating about what makes an industrial vegan ever since.
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What is an industrial vegan?
From a strictly technical perspective, an industrial vegan is simply any item or substance which contains absolutely no animal ingredients.
However, there’s much more to it than that.
Industrial vegans are individuals who have decided to remove themselves completely from the animal agricultural industry, which is responsible for the death of billions of animals annually.
Commonly, an industrial vegan does not wear furs or leathers, consume dairy or eggs, eat meat or fish, or otherwise profit in any way from the exploitation of animals by humans.
Benefits Of Being An Industrial Vegan
There are many benefits to being an industrial vegan.
For example, not only is it much healthier to eat a plant-based diet without the saturated fats and cholesterol found in meat, dairy, and eggs, but you also spare animals from near-certain death.
You may have noticed that the word “vegan” is often associated with animal rights, and for good reason. When you remove yourself from the animal agricultural industry, you take away much of its influence when it comes to legislation.
You also reduce your carbon footprint.
Besides that, industrial vegans also tend to be more environmentally friendly in other aspects of their life—for instance, many choose to drive gas-electric hybrid cars rather than ones that run on gasoline.
One of the best parts about being an industrial vegan is the community you become a part of.
Because there aren’t many others in your area practicing this lifestyle, when you meet another person who’s also an industrial vegan, it often leads to lifelong friendships and sometimes even romantic relationships.
Is Being An Industrial Vegan Hard?
Many people ask whether it’s hard to be an industrial vegan. It’s not difficult at all—it really just means removing oneself from some ingrained habits and actions.
For example, if you love cheese or milk, then instead of drinking cow milk you’ll drink soy milk or rice milk. Instead of eating cheese on pizza or cheese in lasagna, you can easily substitute Daiya or another non-dairy cheese.
It’s much the same with meat—if you love beef, pork, chicken, etc., then don’t bother trying to cut it out of your diet altogether—instead, just eat less of it.
Instead of having a whole chicken, make it one or two pieces of chicken. You’ll still get to enjoy your food while sparing animals’ lives at the same time.
Over time, you’ll notice that your tastes change.
You start to enjoy foods without meat or dairy in them, and may even come up with healthier versions of your favorite meals using only the “meat” and cheese substitutes.
Eventually, you may not want to eat foods containing animal products at all.
Is It Moral To Be An Industrial Vegan?
It’s an interesting question—how can being more ethical ever be immoral? In fact, many would claim that it would be more moral to not eat meat or drink milk.
Ethically speaking, a cow never asked to be milked, nor a chicken to be decapitated.
They’re not even given the choice of participating in those actions.
In contrast, vegans decide for themselves that they don’t want to eat meat or drink milk—it’s more of a proactive approach than an oppressive one.
So yes, it is moral to be an industrial vegan—even more so than to be a non-vegan, since veganism is all about improving the lives of others.
Storing Vegan Foods
Many people wonder if it’s okay to store vegan foods in the refrigerator or freezer together with non-vegan foods.
The answer is that it shouldn’t matter, but if you’re concerned about cross-contamination, then be sure to store your vegan food on top where it can’t drip onto something non-vegan.
Another good tip is to use separate knives, cutting boards, and even plates when preparing different foods.
You can buy one-use items just for vegan cooking or simply use paper plates, etc., rather than using the same ones you may have used for non-vegan foods.
You can also read: How Do You Store Leafy Greens in the Fridge?
Is Being An Industrial Vegan Expensive?
There are many cheap food items that vegans can eat, especially if they don’t rely on soy-based foods like soymilk and tofu.
There are some good vegan recipes out there for snacks or meals that involve beans—you can even buy them canned at many stores for quick preparation after work or school.
Potatoes, bananas, rice, bread, oatmeal, etc., are all great cheap food items.
Having said that, there are also many expensive vegan foods available at health food stores and similar places which you may not want to try if you’re on a tight budget.
So in short, being an industrial vegan isn’t necessarily more expensive or less expensive than any other dietary choice depending on what foods you buy.
Industrial veganism is a lifestyle choice that some people adopt in order to reduce their negative impact on animals, the environment, and even humanity as a whole.
While some may consider industrial veganism to be more ethical than not being an industrial vegan at all, the choice is entirely up to each person who makes it.
Final Thoughts
Industrial veganism can be a great way to cut down on animal cruelty and to help decrease your carbon footprint, but it isn’t for everyone.
If you feel like you’d be sacrificing too much of the food you love in order to adopt this lifestyle, then perhaps it’s best not to make such a drastic change.
But if you feel like you could give up meat and dairy in favor of something vegan, why not give it a try? You might surprise yourself.
You can’t go wrong by trying out some vegan recipes and seeing if you like them enough to eat more and more of them until eventually, you find yourself wanting to avoid all foods containing animal products.
Or perhaps you’d rather stick to your current diet while still doing what you can to reduce the pain and suffering you cause by choosing not to be an industrial vegan.
Either way, there’s a lot of food for thought on this subject that can hopefully help lead you towards the best choice possible.
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