“Plant-Based Eating is for Girls”

Strength can be perceived in two ways: Emotional strength and physical strength. Both are not associated with veganism, yet they should be. 

Protecting someone innocent, less capable and less intelligent than you, I would call that strength. For me and a lot of other people, this notion of protection extends to innocent animals as well. Veganism should be associated with emotional strength. 

There are lots of athletes and sports people that now consume a plant-based diet. People such as Dimitar Djokovic, Héctor Bellerín, Patrik Baboumian, Alex Morgan and Lewis Hamilton. More people are noticing the health benefits of a plant-based diet. A plant-based diet should be associated with physical strength. 

Vegans are often incorrectly stereotyped as being small and weak. Society’s general (and incorrect) opinion of men is that they should be big, strong and void of all emotion. These two concepts are opposed to one another, therefore it comes as no surprise that the majority of vegans are women (74% according to Faunalytics in 2014).

Do men care less about animals? 

No. 

Men, when compared to women, do not care less about animals but I believe that society makes it harder for men to eat plant-based, that is to express how they feel and stand up for what they believe in. If they were to eat more plants for the animals or their health, their (closed-minded) family, friends and work colleagues may deem them to be less of a man. 

Whatever that means. 

Let’s take Wonderful Husband as an example. Wonderful Husband has just finished Veganuary (the pledge to go vegan for January) and he’s also been training for an upcoming Spartan race. He broke all of his previous gym records whilst being 100% plant-based in January. He’s stronger than ever and he weighs the most he has ever weighed, so a plant-based diet didn’t make him small and weak. 

Given his success it made me think of all the big, strong men in my life that have started eating more plant-based, whether it be for their health (physical strength) or for the animals (emotional strength). These men have stepped away from the norm and I’m super grateful for their strength so I wanted to make this post to tell them how mega they are. 

In no particular order, here we go… 

Just like Wonderful Husband, Mega Friend Steve took part in Veganuary. Mega Friend Steve was a big meat eater before his lovely wife went vegan. Now he is super open-minded about food, cooking amazing vegan meals and scouring the supermarkets shelves for vegan food to take home to his beloved. Mega Friend Steve found Veganuary super easy and has decided to go plant-based at least three days a week from now on. 

Mega Friend Steve, I think you’re mega. 

Bestest Daddy has been vegan for a few years now and if you’ve been following this blog, you’ll know I dedicated a whole article to his vegan journey (it was an interesting one!). Bestest Daddy is one of the most outspoken vegans there is when it comes to standing up for the animals, the animals come first in his mind and he’ll make sure people know it. 

Bestest Daddy, I think you’re mega (and I love you lots). 

Back in December 2019, Mega Friend Ali watched What The Health and went vegan OVERNIGHT(!). I woke up to the best ever message from him….

 

This was super unexpected as Mega Friend Ali was a big meat eater, but he’s been on a plant-based diet ever since. He claims it’s for his health but then he posted a video about animals… 

I warned him this might happen 😉 

Mega Friend Ali, I think you’re mega. 

Lovely Friend Cam is all about the animals. He very quickly gave up meat, milk and butter and is now on his way to a 100% vegan lifestyle. Lovely Friend Cam is a gentle giant and openly tells people how he cares for all the animals. He’s also helping me convince Wonderful Husband to adopt a second dog… One day we’ll get there 🙂 

Lovely Friend Cam, I think you’re mega. 

Super Friend Ryan is always keen to give me a cheeky little dig about being vegan, something along the lines of vegans only eat lettuce, haha! Yet, he’s the one that is actually super open-minded and has transitioned to using plant-based milk. His favourite is oat milk. If everyone made these kinds of steps then there would be a lot less abuse to cows!

Super Friend Ryan, I think you’re mega.

Mega Friend Victor eats a 90% plant-based diet and is an amazing activist working to end the mistreatment of animals in entertainment, often speaking out in public forums and voicing his concerns to the local government. Mega Friend Victor even managed to build his house on his plant-based diet. Can’t build a house if you’re weak right?!

Mega Friend Victor, I think you’re mega (and you build amazing houses!).

Super Strong Andy used to be a champion MMA fighter. Now he’s an MMA coach and guess what… He’s just gone (at least) 85% plant-based with a focus on organic fermented food. He’s eating so healthy! We need more people like Super Strong Andy to eat more plants to get rid of the negative stigma associated with a plant-based diet. 

Super Strong Andy, I think you’re mega. 

Lovely Friend Jim and I met when he was catering for Lovely Mum’s 60th birthday dinner. I was his first ever vegan diner and the dinner he made was delicious (you can check out the photos on my IG here). At the end of the night, he said something along the lines of “it must be so boring to eat vegan”. I hear this comment pretty often so I didn’t think much of it, however a few weeks later Lovely Friend Jim and his lovely family started making strides towards a plant-based diet. To make it even harder for Lovely Friend Jim, his whole career and client-base is around cooking meat, he even does cooking demos at BBQ shops. It’s tough for him, but then he does stuff like this… 

How amazing is he?! Lovely Friend Jim continually impresses me and I am so happy to have him on my side as an advocate for plant-based living. 

Lovely Friend Jim, I think you’re mega (and you cook delicious vegan food!). 

To all the men eating a plant-based diet or going vegan for the animals, you are an amazing symbol of emotional and physical strength. Your example of strength will help us ditch the illusion that plant-based eating is weak. I am very grateful for your support 💚