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Sloane Rowe
Mrs. Dunbar
Senior Project Paper
10/8/12
Vegan cooking isnt crazy!
Many people find cooking and eating elegant or specially prepared meals to be a vital
part of enjoying life. Food is used as a way to celebrate many holidays in America and all around
the world. Food in general is a focal point in many countries and cultures. Styles of cooking have
changed greatly throughout time, but one style of food has always been around, even if it was in
small amounts. Food which contains no animal products has been around since the beginning of
food itself. Some have done it for health reasons, others for their morals or religion. With the
idea of veganism becoming less taboo, many people are adopting cruelty-free diets. Veganism
has increased in popularity over the years, creating a higher demand for food without animal
products. Any recipe can be altered to coincide with the vegan diet, which gives a wide variety
of cultures and dishes the opportunity to be made completely vegan. Vegan diets are also the
healthiest for most individuals, provided they are balanced and altered to meet the specific
requirements for each individual.
A plant based diet makes sense for humans, naturally. Its also relatively easy to
accomplish, although you can still run into some problems, mostly with judgements and
discrimination through peers. Vegan cooking is a touchy subject for many who do not wish to
have their choices and beliefs questioned. Vegan cooking has a way of spilling over into your
lifestyle and affecting your views on other things, specifically animal rights. For many who
chose to enjoy vegan meals its more than simply cooking, it is a way of life. Removing animal

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products from your diet can affect more than just your health, for many it is an ethical choice.
However, these beliefs have caused much controversy throughout time.
The earliest vegans were outcast for their beliefs, and many still are. Children are bullied
for their concern for animals, and even adults find discrimination in many places. It was a much
more taboo idea to refuse a meal someone offered another in older times, but it did happen.
Some of the world's most well-known and renowned philosophers and intellectuals refused
animal products in a time period where the choice was contrary to the dictations of the ruling
power. The first of these was the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, who lived around 2,500 years
ago and has been considered the 'Father of vegetarianism (Goldstein, 47). Many people agree
that at the very least the concept of flesh-avoidance can be traced back to ancient Indian and
eastern Mediterranean societies (Suddath, 1). There are many other accounts of vegetarian or
vegan diets among people, but those people were scattered, and usually never connected with
each other. Some of the oldest known people to abstain from the flesh of animals were Plato,
Socrates, Newton, Leonardo Da Vinci, Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer, Albert Einstein, all the way
up to the newer humans with principles on what they should consume being Paul and Linda
McCartney, Richard Gere, Tobey Maguire and Kim Basinger, just to name a few well-renowned
people(Goldstein, 47). Information on whether the earliest people who did not consume meat
were vegetarian or vegan isnt completely certain, as the first people who identified themselves
as vegetarian are what we call vegan today(Davis, 4). Although this may not apply to all people
who identified as vegetarian, any person who is mentioned in this paper is believed to have been
vegan at some point in their life. Vegans have been also been called Pythagoreans. Until the late
19th century when the word vegetarian was coined, those who led an animal product free diet

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were referred to as 'Pythagoreans'(Goldstein, 47). Veganism has become more refined and
prevalent over time, though.
In newer times, veganism has seen rises in several bursts throughout the past hundred
years or so. Of course, in older times there were animal rights advocates and those who
supported veganism, but they were few and far between. In 1874 a man by the name of Dr.
Russel Trall produced the first known 'vegan' cookbook (Davis, 13). It wasnt a booming
success, but it did sell. In the late 1960's to early 1970's the vegetarian/vegan movement gained
momentum (Goldstein, 47). This time was a kind of live and let live time, causing people to
examine parts of their life which were affecting others, including their diet. This movement
inspired many people to change their eating habits. It also brought along a want for a vegan
cookbook. Several years passed before their request was filled, but filled it was. The cookbook
was not marketed as vegan, however. The word vegan wasnt even invented yet. It was only
described as vegan almost 100 years later. In November of 1944 Donald Watson decided there
should be a word that could make it easy to distinguish whether or not someone consumed milk,
ate cheese, or used any animal products. "Watson and a few acquaintances coined the word
'vegan'. They also founded an organization called 'The Vegan Society (Davis, 13). However,
this new sensation did not go without opposition. Margaret Thatcher, among many others,
refused to support raw vegan food, as it stopped jobs from being created in meat processing
factories (Davis, 13). Some of these arguments are still alive today, due to propaganda from the
meat and dairy industry. Australians in particular rely heavily on their animal products, such as
beef and wool. Many believe the vegan movement in Australia is killing the economy, but it is
simply opening up to alternatives to these products. If companies focused on these alternatives,
profits could soar and the economy could recover and possibly flourish. Back in Margarets day,

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however, raw vegan food was really the only option in that time if one wanted to abstain from
animal products. Factories didnt see much profit in making food for such a minority. There were
a few other animal rights activists around that time. A man named Jeremy Bentham was a very
vocal extremist who believed animal suffering could only be ended through animal liberation.
The 18th century utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham believed that animal suffering was
just as serious as human suffering, and likened the idea of human superiority to racism.(Suddath,
1)" Even throughout all this, however, The meatless lifestyle never really caught on in the West,
although it would sometimes pop up during health crazes and religious revivals (Suddath, 1).
Veganism isnt just popular in America, however. Its spreading all over the world.
Vegan food has become considerably more popular worldwide in recent years. As of
recent years, .4% of the UK identifies as vegan (Hood, 1). It may seem small, but that amount
has grown quite a bit in the past few years. In America, the statistics are even higher. 2.5% of
Americans may be considered vegetarian... 4.5% said they never eat meat. A similar statistic was
obtained for poultry, and 9% said they never eat fish or seafood. For dairy products, eggs and
honey these statistics were 3.7%, 6.7%, and 15.4%, respectively (Goldstein, 45). And even more
recent statistic suggest a quickening growth. "In 2005, there were 250,000 self-identifying
vegans in Britain and 2 million in the U.S. (Suddath)". With these numbers, many companies are
now offering vegan products. Some brands, such as So Delicious, are completely dedicated to
selling vegan products. Some of these companies choose to base their marketing techniques in
the health benefits of their products, which are backed by nutritionists and doctors worldwide.
The health benefits of a vegan diet are embraced by many doctors. There are many
proven possible benefits from a vegan diet. The most general of these that could interest
everyone is diets that contain no animal products increase life expectancy (Norris, 1). There are

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many common health issues in the world right now, one of the most popular being obesity.
Veganism is a way to avoid obesity. It has been shown "vegetarians and vegans are leaner than
omnivores (Rosell, 6)." Another study has shown weight gain over time is smaller in vegans than
meat eaters (while vegans in the UK have the lowest weight gain over time), which gives a way
to prevent obesity (Rosell, 1). It can also fight obesity, as meat eaters who transitioned to
balanced veganism showed significant weight loss (Rosell, 1). A specific example of this would
be heart health, which is extremely important, and a large problem in America.
`

Vegan diets have been shown to improve and protect heart health. Dairy products and

meats contain a large amount of saturated fats. By reducing the amount of saturated fats from
ones diet, one could improve their health tremendously, especially when it comes to
cardiovascular health (NursingDegree.net, 1). "Eating nuts and whole grains, while eliminating
dairy products and meat, will improve your cardiovascular health (NursingDegree.net, 1). There
are many other benefits of veganism and all its types. As well as heart disease, vegan diets have
been shown to combat diabetes.

Raw veganism has been used to fight diabetes in many cases. A diet of purely
unprocessed fruits and vegetables are one of the best ways to combat diabetes. Also, a vegan diet
is considered easier to follow than the standard diet recommended by the American Diabetic
Association (NursingDegree.net, 1). Rather than having to take medicine, diabetics have let food
be their medicine. It has gone positively for most diabetics, some have even reversed their
diabetes with their diet. There are other profits, also. Not only does veganism help the internal,
but it assists the external appearance as well.
Many people have experienced aesthetic improvements from switching to a vegan
lifestyle. Along with weight loss, other features have changed. A proper vegan diet appears to

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have caused the aging process to slow down in most people (NursingDegree.net, 1). Skin will
resist wrinkling on some individuals. It also prevents the skin from marring, in ways such as
helping scars heal. In most people, vegan diets will positively alter their skin to be more clear,
and lacking in acne and other marks (NursingDegree.net, 1). Skin is apparently greatly affected
by one's diet, and veganism is a way to positively affect it. These types of effects are not what
some are looking for, though. One can also consider the overall health of an individual, which is
typically more important than these aesthetic changes. All of these changes can be applied to any
age, even those who are considered children.
Vegan diets can be challenging for some, but there are ways to make a cruelty-free diet
healthy for most individuals. If some want to raise their children vegan, that can happen. As long
as the child eats a healthy balance of food, the child will suffer no negative consequences from a
vegan diet. Everything we need to grow is available in a vegan diet. The vegan diet, if done
correctly, can be nutritionally adequate to support any human at any stage in their life (Hood, 1).
Health worries may not be the only concerns, however.
Many people believe they couldnt be vegan because they are picky eaters, or they love
the taste of animal products too much. There are many alternative products, however. There are
many alternatives to cows milk available now. Many companies have begun to produce almond
milk, which is the most common alternative to cows milk. Another option is the many vegan
sweets for the food junkie, and alternatives to meat and dairy for the devoted meat eater.
Products on the market including non-dairy milk such as almond or soy milk, vegan cheese,
cream, chocolate, candies, ice cream, mayonnaise, lunchmeat imitations, pre made pizzas and
yogurt. Many companies that produce animal-free food have adopted the Vegan Society's

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sunflower logo or label the food as suitable for vegans and vegetarians. As compared to the
deleterious thoughts about transitioning, there are encouraging reasons to want to alter ones diet.
There are many reasons for people to wish to convert to vegan. These reasons include;
health, ecological as well as religious concerns. Dislike of meat is another reason. Compassion
for animals, belief in nonviolence, and economics are all reasons given (GoldStein, 45). Some
are persuaded to change because the studies conducted on veganism have generally leaned
toward veganism being healthier than other diets. Others are convinced to make the change
because of the effects on the environment from the meat and dairy industry. There are religions
which forbid the consumption of meat or any other animal products. There are some who simply
dont like the idea of consuming the flesh of a deceased creature. Generally, there are many
different reasons for people to avoid animal products, and each of those reasons are becoming
more popular. However, some of these reasons do not consider ones health.

Of course, as with any type of diet or food altering lifestyle, it is possible to have an
unhealthy vegan diet. Everyone should pay attention to their food intake. Some people require
supplements while others are fine on a well-planned meal schedule. Others may find it difficult
to be healthy due to restraints. Some of these restraints could be budget, or perhaps intolerances.
A common fear when considering transitioning to an animal product-free diet is where could one
get protein from. While some are concerned about protein, they lose sight of another important
factor of protein. How much protein does a human need? Depending on gender, and a few other
factors, the average adult will need 2.1 to 2.9 grams of protein per 100 calories (Kennedy, 1.)
Humans are all different, though. Some may need more proteins than the average person.
Notably, people with type O+ blood need additional proteins. Contrary to popular belief, many
type O+ people can thrive on a vegan diet (Debbie, 1). Individuals who have type O blood need

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more proteins than most individuals. Eating more proteins is essential to people with type O+,
however these can be plant proteins instead of animal proteins (Debbie, 1). There are many
sources of protein for vegan individuals. Protein can be found in beans, as well as nuts and nut
butter. Quinoa has become a popular source of protein.A few other sources include tofu, lentils,
sprouted grain bread, and many, many more. Non-dairy milks are sometimes high in protein. It
depends on which brand, and which type it is. Refined carbohydrates are not healthy for persons
with type O blood too much of, so those should be avoided or at the very least kept to as low of
an amount as possible when getting all the nutrients humans need.
Allergies can be complicated when trying to maintain a vegan lifestyle. Many people are
allergic to gluten. Those with a gluten allergy could consider a raw vegan regime. Another,
however less common allergy is a soy allergy. Most meat imitation products marketed towards
vegans are soy-based, which can be a problem for vegans who are allergic to soy (Aronson, 1).
Of course, not all vegan products contain soy. A wide variety of tolerated beans, nuts, seeds and
grains, as well as soy-free items like rice milk, almond milk (look for fortified types) are
acceptable substitutes (for soy) (Aronson, 1). There have been cases of people reversing allergies
once on a vegan diet. If ones immune system is strong enough it gives the body the ability to
fight allergies, perhaps even to the point of being unnoticeable. "With a healthy vegan diet some
can repair their stomach lining to the point that their allergies may become essentially
unnoticeable (Aronson, 1). There arent many raw fruits and veggies that are typical allergies,
so its safest to consume a raw vegan diet if one is worried about allergic reactions. This, and
many other factors has led up to the rising popularity in veganism.
The vegan community has enlarged in magnitude as time goes on. A greater call for food
without animal products in it has developed and begun thriving since the 1970s. There are many

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reasons for people to go vegan, such as ethics or an interest in long term health. With a rise in
both of these movements, veganism is becoming more widespread than ever. Cooking is a vital
part of many cultures, and vegan cooking is a part of that. With new information being
discovered all the time, its becoming easier to be vegan, regardless of physical characteristics
including age and health problems.