Why I Hate Veganism

“Are you really going to eat that dead chicken” muttered my judgy, vegan coworker. And her comment made me want to scarf it down in record time. She also indulged in telling me that chicken was a carcinogen whenever I took a bite. Along with that, she scoffs at me for adding milk in my lattes, but newsflash: a latte is two-thirds milk. I should be able to eat what I want without being called a “murderous cow hater.”

I’m not against veganism, ⎼I love petting zoos as much as the next person⎼ I’m against the nosy (and noisy) “health junkies” who always seem to be peering into other peoples diets and making flash judgments about them. Does it really matter that my caesar salad has a splash of milk in the dressing? If you answer yes to this question, could you keep it to yourself?

And as much time as they spend talking about how “meat kills,” they spend twice as much talking about their vegan identity.  I don’t consider being a meat eater part of my personality, so why does it matter that they only eat beans?

While the loud and judgemental vegan stereotype is annoying, it’s even more irritating that a healthy diet seems to need a “healthy” catch in order for it to be seen as beneficial: Juice cleanses, cutting out meat and only eating cucumber slices. It’s dangerous that young girls see a fad diet like a juice detox as one step closer in their pursuit of an aesthetic bikini model without at least talking to their doctor.

I love fresh juice, but who actually thinks it is healthy to only have liquified oranges for two weeks? According to Healthline.com, the average 12 ounce juice has 65 grams of sugar. Three “meals” of that equates to 195 grams a day: 170 grams more than the recommended daily allowance. How is this beneficial? Does the “health” blogger who shows up on my Instagram recommended feed every 10 posts know this?

Not only can health fads be misleading, they can also be dangerous. After getting a call from my doctor about my bloodwork, the first thing she asked was “Are you vegan?” Due to family history, my iron levels are so low that she figured there was a lack of meat in my diet. This was an insulting accusation, at every meal I’m licking my chops in anticipation for my filet mignon.  I couldn’t imagine going without meat, and I get a headache just thinking about it.

For me, eating meat isn’t a want or a choice, it is a need. I eat lots of red meat and take iron supplements twice a day. With all of that, I’m still iron deficient. Even if you are perfectly healthy, a lack of meat can still leave you feeling tired and hungry.  And no matter how much kale is in that juice cleanse of yours, I’m almost positive that it’s not meeting the recommended iron value.

I can practically hear a vegan voice give me the classic “you just need non-animal protein” or “vitamin supplements would easily replace meat” when I tell them of my iron deficiency. However, the body absorbs the iron from red meat much more readily than any other type of iron-rich food or supplement, according to healthyeating.com.

So the next time my coworker tells me adding turkey on my turkey sandwich causes ulcers, I’ll continue to tell her that veganism is the number one cause of unhappiness.  After all, my day wouldn’t be the same without my usual bacon and eggs breakfast.