note: This w/u is a reply to two that have been nuked since. But I think it stands as is because it addresses some common errors in defining veganism
Wrong wrong wrong.
Veganism is a dietary preference that excludes meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal derivatives from the diet.
It is not a philosophy, although there are often philosophical reasons for adopting this dietary preference.
It is only a lifestyle or way of living in as much as any dietary regimen is a lifestyle or way of living.
It in no way impedes one’s ability to obtain proper nutrition. On the contrary, if carried out properly, it makes a diet high in good things like protein, vitamins, and unsaturated fats, and low in bad things like saturated fats, salmonella, recombinant growth hormones, and prions, almost impossible to avoid.
The adoption of this dietary preference is lightweight only if you consider better nutrition, ethics, aesthetics, environmental responsibility, and better food ‘lightweight’ concerns.
A well planned vegan diet should include:
- A complete protein source in every meal,1 such as beans and grains eaten in combination, or soy products like tofu and tempeh.
- A wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables
- Beneficial fats like olive oil and nut products
- Soy Milk, soy yogurt, and other calcium sources
- Spices, herbs, and other good stuff
1It is now known that it is not actually necessary to get every essential amino acid in ever meal, but rather just to accumulate them all over the course of a day or two. But hey, why not go for the gold and get them all every time?