Vegetarians / Vegans who go back to meat

​www.msn.com/en-ca/foodanddrink/foodnews/this-is-the-percent-of-vegetarians-and-vegans-that-go-back-to-meat/ar-AAv1MxA?li=AAggsmr&ocid=mailsignout

A study done by the Humane Research Council reported that 84% of the 11, 000 U.S. participants who went vegan or vegetarian at some point in their lives, went back to meat. They reported that a lot of the participants cited rushing into the transition as why they tended to go back to meat. They also suggested that people's reasoning for going vegan / vegetarian back in the day was much more health focused whereas today, environmental and animal welfare concerns are as much a reason as their health. 

​Here's what I think!

I went Vegetarian almost 17 years ago, and despite a few slips in the learning process, I've been meat free for the entire time. I've slipped up, don't get me wrong, but I am proud to say that I never went back to eating meat. It took me a bit longer to stop eating fish, but I also was in the process of educating myself and it took a lot of time to learn the ins and outs of this new lifestyle. From shopping and having to read every label, to learning new cooking techniques, to educating myself on animal rights. Without all of this education and determination to stick with it, who's to say that I wouldn't have been more lax about enjoying meat here or there.

Learning that according to this study, many of the vegetarians and vegans of earlier times were focused more on their own health and less on animals, directly correlates to why so many of them went back to meat. It's easy to cheat on yourself, without any compassion for animals, the only person you let down is yourself. For me, it was always about the animals. Without my ethical standards or compassion for animals, I may very well have gone back to meat. Without educating yourself and being wholly committed to helping animals at any cost, there's nothing holding you back from those cheat days.

What's the moral of the story here? Even if you are in it for the recognized health benefits, the known environmental impact, or the welfare of the animals slaughtered, educate yourself. Be aware of EVERY aspect of being a vegetarian / vegan and everything these groups stand for. The more knowledge you have, the less likely you are to give up / fail. Knowing what I know about the horrors of the meat industry, I can proudly say that I will NEVER go back to eating meat. And if you're passionate and educated, you never will either.
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Thoughts? Check out the original story and let me know what y'all think. Have you gone back to meat / dairy in your vegetarian / vegan journey? What triggered this? I want to hear from you!


​HAPPY VEG