“Veganism is not about giving anything up or losing anything; it is about gaining the peace within yourself that comes from embracing nonviolence and refusing to participate in the exploitation of the vulnerable.” - Gary L. Francione
Going vegan is simple. If you are going vegan, that means you are discontinuing consuming animal products including what you eat, wear, and use.
What You Eat
Vegans do not eat animals or animal secretions.
Vegans do NOT eat:
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Flesh (meat including fish)
- Honey
- Other animal ingredients/byproducts
Vegans DO eat:
- Vegetables
- Legumes (beans, lentils, etc.)
- Fruits
- Grains (oats, rice, wheat, etc.)
- Nuts
- Seeds
What You Wear
In addition to not eating animal products, vegans do not wear (or use to the best of their ability) animal products.
Vegans do NOT wear:
- Feathers (down, etc.)
- Fibers from animals (angora, cashmere, mohair, silk, wool, etc.)
- Skin (fur, leather, etc.)
- Other animal products
Vegans DO wear:
- Bamboo
- Cotton
- Hemp
- Jute
- Linen
- Microfiber
- Nylon
- Pleather
- Polyester
- Rayon
- Satin
- Suedette
What You Use
Vegans do not use animal products, to the best of their ability. For example, if a vegan were buying a new car, a vegan would choose cloth seats instead of leather seats.
Should I go vegan immediately?
Some people choose to go vegan immediately and never put another animal product in their mouth and never put another animal product on their body. We encourage you to go vegan immediately and never purchase another animal product. It is much easier than most people think it will be. You cango vegan immediately. And we recommend it. After all, if you have decided you no longer want to participate in animal exploitation, why continue to participate?
But some people choose to go vegan in steps. We do not recommend going vegan in steps (decreasing participation in animal exploitation in steps), but if you are committed to going vegan, that is excellent. If you choose to go vegan in steps, you could follow The BLDO Plan.
We do not recommend going vegan by adopting a vegetarian diet first. To learn why, see our “Should I go vegan by adopting a vegetarian diet first?” webpage.
While going vegan results in one not consuming products of violence, being vegan is not just about not eating this or wearing that or a list of Dos and Don’ts. It is about nonviolence in action.