"But What DO Vegans Eat?"

Just a short little rant tonight:
I so often get asked "But, what do you eat?" and I wish I had a short, easy answer because it seems so very simple to me.

I can understand the confusion though, I've noticed lately more and more people have begun to equate veganism with restrictions and limited, (and boring!) meals.

Every time I order a "vegan" meal at a special function or on an airline, it comes with salt-substitute, Splenda for my coffee and fat-free cookies for dessert. Who said I wanted those?

Even many fellow vegan bloggers are jumping on the no-carb, raw-foods, no-fat, gluten-free

bandwagon, which is probably furthering the general misconceptions about veganism. Some vegans may eat that way, but that's their choice, not some vegan "rule".

Being vegan does mean eating outside the mainstream and it is very different from the way "typical" Americans eat, so people often think that different = "restrictive".It also (unfortunately) sends the message that vegan diets might be difficult and less appealing and that's too bad, because they definitely don't have to be.

People assume everything I eat, cook or blog about must be healthy, low-fat, raw, low-sodium, organic, high-fiber, flax-filled, gluten-free, low-carb, preservative-free. But that's not what defines a me as a vegan.

Simply put, I try to have a diet and lifestyle as free of animal products as is possible. That's all.

I love my fried tofu, my glass of wine, my Oreos, my frozen vegan TV dinners and my trips to Taco Bell just as much as my trips to the farmer's market for fresh produce.

There's nothing wrong with a little salt, or fat (*gasp*) or fast food, in moderation of course. Yes, I try to keep my family's meals simple, healthy and inexpensive, but also, INTERESTING and appetizing. It's not a "restricted diet" by any means - no one ever leaves my table feeling "restricted" or "deprived".

I eat a much wider variety of foods than I ever did before becoming vegan, all the while doing my part for animals, the environment and our health. My friend and fellow blogger Bazu says it far, FAR better than I, please check out her fabulous list of "What Being Vegan DOES and DOES NOT Mean."

Obviously there are those with genuine, diagnosed allergies, and this rant is not directed at you, but I think we need to clarify, to ourselves and to society at large, that veganism is not a blanket term for "diet" or "healthy" or "activist". Sometimes I (and most of my vegan friends) are a little of all three, but sometimes we're none of the above.