How vegan am I?

Me at Lemon Festival

This isn't a question I get often. Rather, I get a 'AHA! You ate my chocolate cake! You have abandoned your principles and caved to the mighty chocolate god!'

I then explain that I'm not 100% vegan. What does that mean, for me?

It means that I'm against eating eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products because it's against my personal convictions. I know the suffering cows and chickens go through in farming industries, and I know that eggs and milk is a by-product. So, I boycott all animal-related products because of that.

I won't buy any of the products mentioned above. If I go to a self-serve restaurant, I won't serve myself something that I know contains one of these products. When I cook, I choose 100% vegan recipes and on my blog, I promote being vegan.

But I will eat dairy products on special circumstances, for example: My friend invited me over, and offered me a slice of chocolate cake. I'll accept it and eat it without asking if it's vegan or not.

Why?

Because being vegetarian in a world where 90% of people aren't, you're already an anomaly of society. People might not understand your decisions, but they will accept the fact that you don't eat meat. Now, you don't eat meat AND eggs AND milk? How am I supposed to offer you food?

So I keep it simple for my friends: I don't, won't, eat meat/chicken/fish/pork/other meats on ANY circumstances, because for me that's like signing an animal's death sentence. I'll accept your food that has eggs/milk in it, because I want to be polite, and I think you might be more receiving to me and open-minded of what I have to say if I make some concessions on my part.

I make similar concessions when I'm at a restaurant with my friends, and there's no vegan option. I also make concessions when I travel and when it's hard to find vegan snacks. I keep it easy for me: I'm allowed to be only 'vegetarian' while traveling.

So in between accepting the occasional non-vegan snack, going to a restaurant (very rare for me) or traveling, I'm vegan.

I hope I cleared up any doubts, and kudos to you that have succeeded in being 100% vegan :)