Q: Where do vegans get their protein?
A: Protein is abundant in beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, seitan, quinoa, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Many athletes and bodybuilders thrive on plant-based diets with adequate protein intake.
Messina M, Lynch H, Dickinson JM, Reed KE. No Difference Between the Effects of Supplementing With Soy Protein Versus Animal Protein on Gains in Muscle Mass and Strength in Response to Resistance Exercise. Sports Med. 2018;48(8):1663-1679.
Q: Don't plants feel pain too?
A: Plants lack a central nervous system, pain receptors, and a brain to process pain signals. While plants respond to stimuli, this is fundamentally different from the conscious experience of suffering in animals with complex nervous systems.
Taiz L, Alkon D, Draguhn A, et al. Plants Neither Possess nor Require Consciousness. Trends Plant Sci. 2019;24(8):677-687.
Q: Doesn't plant-based agriculture kill animals while harvesting crops?
A: Veganism is about minimizing harm to sentient beings as much as practically possible. While crop harvesting can inadvertently harm small animals, approximately 77% of global agricultural land is used to produce livestock feed. By choosing plant-based foods directly, we significantly reduce the total crops needed and overall harm to animals. A plant-based diet requires far less land and fewer crop cycles than animal agriculture, making it the most compassionate choice available.
1. Our World in Data"Land Use" by Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser 2. Poore & Nemecek (2018) Reducing food's environmental impacts through producers and consumers" published in Science
Q: What if you were trapped on a desert island and could only eat animals?
A: This is a surprisingly common question, and certainly a subjective one, but it has less to do with veganism and more to do with self preservation and a person's natural survival instincts. In everyday life there's no shortage of plant based food, and in no way are animal products needed for survival in the modern world.
Q: Isn't eating meat natural for humans?
A: While humans can eat meat, we also thrive on plant-based diets. What's "natural" doesn't determine what's ethical when we have abundant alternatives.
Unlike true carnivores, humans lack sharp claws and fangs. We need elaborate systems—hidden farms, hired slaughter, cooking and seasoning just to make meat palatable. If eating meat were truly natural for us, raw flesh would be appealing and we'd kill animals ourselves. Instead, most people are repulsed by slaughterhouses. This disconnection reveals that eating meat isn't human instinct, but learned behavior sustained by hiding the violence involved.
1. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Position Paper Citation: Melina V, Craig W, Levin S. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(12):1970-1980. 2. The Meat Paradox ResearchCitation: Bastian B, Loughnan S. Resolving the Meat-Paradox: A Motivational Account of Morally Troublesome Behavior and Its Maintenance. Pers Soc Psychol Rev. 2017;21(3):278-299.
Q: Won't going vegan hurt farmers and the economy?
A: Economic transitions happen gradually. As demand shifts, farmers can transition to growing crops for human consumption rather than animal feed. Many farmers are already diversifying into plant-based agriculture.
Hayek MN, Harwatt H, Ripple WJ, Mueller ND. The carbon opportunity cost of animal-sourced food production on land. Nat Sustain. 2021;4(1):21-28.
Q: Isn't factory farming necessary to feed the world?
A: Factory farming is actually inefficient—animals consume far more calories in feed than they produce in meat. Growing plants directly for human consumption uses less land, water, and resources, making it more sustainable for feeding a growing population.
Poore J, Nemecek T. Reducing food's environmental impacts through producers and consumers. Science. 2018;360(6392):987-992.
Q: Don't animals in factory farms live comfortable lives?
A: The vast majority of farmed animals live in intensive confinement with limited space, no access to outdoors, and undergo painful procedures without anesthesia. Factory farming prioritizes efficiency over animal welfare.
Norwood FB, Lusk JL. Compassion, by the Pound: The Economics of Farm Animal Welfare. Oxford University Press; 2011.
Q: Isn't being vegan expensive and inaccessible?
A: Whole plant foods like beans, rice, lentils, and seasonal vegetables are among the most affordable foods available. While some specialty vegan products are pricey, a whole-food plant-based diet can be very budget-friendly.
Flynn MM, Schiff AR. Economical Healthy Diets (2012): Including Lean Animal Protein Costs More Than Using Extra Virgin Olive Oil. J Hunger Environ Nutr. 2015;10(4):467-482.
