The 'Perfect Vegan'

Being vegan is very easy, but at times it can become challenging.

When I think of veganism, I would only think of it as a diet, but the official definition of veganism is:

"a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose."

Controversially, I believe that your diet is the easiest aspect of veganism. The biggest challenge is all the other sides to being a vegan, things you might not even realise are things.

Different vegans have different opinions of how many aspects of your life veganism should affect, some believing it should only go as far as your diet, while others weave it through everything they do. From my point of view, as a 20 year old vegan living in England, I thought I’d share the hidden aspects of veganism I've had to contend with and how it affects my daily life as a vegan. How vegan am I? If I don't abide by every single rule, can I still call myself a vegan? And is there such a thing as the 'Perfect Vegan'?

                                                                                             Plastic and Waste

Being proud I remembered to take my Thermos
 flask with me for my Oat Milk Hazelnut Latte.

It is becoming so much easier to find vegan food on-the-go, compared to a few years ago, which is a massive leap forward, but it's doesn't come without a price. Plastic has become such an severe issue, causing suffocation and injury to many animals when it isn't disposed of safely, and almost every type of take-away food is served in so much plastic packaging. 
Many vegans are also involved in the zero-waste movement, meaning they boycott everything in everyday life that would cause them to produce rubbish, or waste. Zero-waste methods can include taking their own reusable containers when purchasing groceries at specifically designed stores but it takes serious dedication to be at that level. If you aren't involved in the zero-waste movement but would like to do your bit to help the planet, simple changes such as investing a reusable water bottle, rather than buying a one-use plastic one each time you're out is a good start. Or taking a flask with you when you buy a coffee, (and getting a 25p discount too!) I usually keep a flask in my car so I can take it in with me if I choose to stop for a coffee on my way to work. I also keep reusable shopping bags in my car, rather than having to purchase a 5p one when I buy a few groceries. I've recently bought some metal straws too, for smoothies/drinks at home, rather than using plastic ones, and ask for my drinks without a straw in when I'm eating out. These seem like tiny changes but they all add up over time. It's such a shame that vegans change their diet to help reduce their carbon footprint and yet the amount of plastic used to package foods is causing the planet harm too. 

Leather

Quite an obvious one but still relevant. A question that is usually asked as soon as I speak about being vegan is ‘but don't you have leather shoes though?’ Leather is the skin of animals and is popularly used as fabric to create shoes, journals, bags, jackets etc. As it is used to commonly in fashion, it can be easy to accidentally buy something that has been made with leather without realising because it becomes so draining to check every label. I can definitely vouch for feeling resentful when I have to check before I purchase anything. There are so many types of faux leather nowadays, even one being developed that's made from pineapple proteins. But these alternatives aren't as readily available, so it can be tempting to buy leather out of ease. At the end of the day, obviously the morals in line with being vegan and buying leather on purpose, do not add up.

Bees
I’ve met vegans with opposite standpoints on bees. I personally believe that the products used that are made by bees have essentially been stolen, as the bees are incapable to give their permission for us to take and use them. You may think this is a bold and dramatic statement, but the ideals of veganism exclude exploitation, as well as cruelty. The health of the bees is sacrificed when we harvest their honey, which is their food source to feed themselves through the winter months. However, bee pollen, beeswax and honey are used in lip balms, lotions, face masks and even as a gelling agent is vegetarian sweets replacing gelatine. As it is not a direct product from a mammal, some vegans class it as acceptable and choose not to not worry about it. But the more we mistreat the bees, the sooner they'll become extinct and the sooner humans will be too, according to Einstein.

For Vegan skincare, I use Body Shop and Superdrug own brand products, as I know these are both cruelty free and 100% vegan.

Money

In the UK, the new £5 and £10 notes are not vegan as they contain tallow, a substance produced from animal fat, typically from beef or mutton. What can I do about that? Realistically… Sign a petition against it. There are some intensely dedicated vegans who choose to boycott money for the sake of aligning every single aspect of their lives fighting against the use of animal products and kudos to you, whoever you are! Don't get me wrong, I definitely do not agree with this, but money is a huge aspect of daily life. I don’t think it’s realistic to live practically refusing to make any contact with cash money. 

E Numbers
Despite over 24,000 products are now marked with the Vegan trademark, a seal of approval, making it more convenient for vegans to buy products without having to study the label, every shopping trip seems to consist of religiously reading labels of products to check the ingredients don't contain egg, milk or butter. But something no one told me, that I discovered when googling 'Accidentally Vegan Sweets', was that not all E-Numbers are vegan; E120, E441, E469, E542, E901, E904, E910 etc, the list goes on and on, and these are just the ones that are never vegan, meaning they're always derived from animal products. There are hundreds of others that are sometimes vegan, so you've got to be wary of them as well! If you're looking for readily available 'Accidentally Vegan' sweet treats, my go-to's include Skittles, Starburst, Jelly Tots, Oreo's, Party Rings and Bourbon Biscuits. All vegan and all delicious!

Soy Mocha from Starbucks and a Vegan Sandwich from Marks & Spencer... but so much packaging!

Palm Oil
Many people choose to be vegan due to their love of animals and their lack of wanting to cause them harm. However, other industries, such as the Palm Oil industry, has been linked to global warming and have detrimental effects on animals. It destroys the habitat of animals, clears forests making them more exposed to poachers and are killed whilst searching local villages for food so the consummation of Palm Oil by a vegan seems hypocritical. The palm oil industry poses a significant threat to endangered animals such as orangutans, elephants, tigers & rhinos due to habitat destruction, but also poison intended for rats can accidentally be consumed by other species too. If your reasons for veganism stem through animal welfare, then continuing to eat palm oil, used as a butter alternative and as a common ingredient in vegan staples such as peanut butter, biscuits and snack bars, can become tricky. 


Veganism is a personal choice and luckily, isn't a cult, so you are able to take it as far as you want to. Saying this, it can be extremely hard to align every aspect of your life with veganism, especially when it's only just becoming more accessible. Veganism isn't a one size fits all, it's a journey and you just have to do the best you can day to day. I have to tell myself this too. My hairdresser has used honey and oat shampoo on my hair before without me even realising and I have bought macho peas from Nando's (more than once), not realising they aren't dairy free, but it doesn't make me any less of a vegan, similar to how eating one pizza doesn’t make you obese, or how eating one piece of celery doesn't make you the epitome of health.

When I thought I was having vegan Nando's, not knowing the macho peas have dairy in them. (Nando's garlic bread is dairy free though, woo!)

The vegan diet is regularly seen as restrictive, but it doesn't have to be that way at all. If by using products that aren't 100% vegan or eating the bourbon biscuits that use palm oil, you're happy, healthy and enjoying your vegan lifestyle then you are your own definition of the 'Perfect Vegan.'