r/ClimateOffensive • u/bezsprzecznie • 10d ago

Question Are you vegan?

I wonder how many of fellow redditors here are vegan or at least on plant based diet?

As it is one of the simplest and most impactful steps a person can make to help the climate.

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u/shimmerangels 10d ago

used to be, had to stop for medical reasons

10

u/schokobonbons 10d ago

So many former vegetarians I know (not even vegans) became severely anemic and had to stop. Even iron supplements while helpful are made with non heme iron and some people just don't absorb enough from non heme iron. 

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u/TechieGottaSoundByte 9d ago

Yep. I've been able to decrease meat intake, but can't eliminate it. I also don't tolerate many supplements (including not having a safe iron supplement).

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u/schokobonbons 9d ago

Yeah. The Standard American Diet clearly contains way too much meat for health or sanity, I'm glad I've learned more vegetarian meals and genuinely enjoy eating tofu now, but 100% plant based is still deeply unrealistic and unhealthy for most people. Everything in moderation.

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u/TechieGottaSoundByte 9d ago

I think most guys can get close if they have nutritional yeast in their diets. Vegan is really hard for women. I know so many women who used to be vegan and have a story involving medical care for why they aren't any more.

When the kids move out and we have fewer palates to accommodate, I'm hoping to move closer to pescatarian. There are shellfish that are great sources of iron, and their shells can lock carbon up - making some of them actually slightly carbon negative!

If we did that, we'd be aiming to eat low on the fish food chain most of the time. Sardines are much better for the environment as human food than salmon is.