Veganism

What does "vegan" mean?

A vegan is someone who avoids consuming anything that comes from a non-human animal or an insect. This includes chickens, eggs, fish, milk, lobster and honey.

Vegans avoid leather, wool, silk and honey because these products endure the same exploitation and cruelty that animals raised for food are subjected to and similarly have negative consequences for the environment. Vegans also avoid purchasing products of animal origin and tested on animals. They also try not to participate in the suffering of recreational animals such as marine parks and animal-feeding circuses.
The term vegan is also used to distinguish consumer products that contain only plant-based ingredients (and are not tested on animals) from products with animal ingredients (for example: "This cake is vegan; it contains no eggs or dairy").The Food Fortification Project (F.E.P.) encourages veganism for ethical reasons and we want to make sure you are fully informed about this compassionate choice.

Why become vegan?

People become vegan for a variety of reasons, but from F.E.P.'s point of view the main reason for being vegan is compassion for animals. Animals are sentient beings. They are individuals who are uniquely aware of their own existence, who feel pain and pleasure, and who are connected with others by kinship systems that they value deeply and mourn their loss.
Veganism is also better for human workers and the world we live in. For example, jobs in slaughterhouses and dairy farms are consistently among the most dangerous jobs in the US: animals in fear or pain can desperately try to escape and injure workers. Process; livestock farming industries are renowned for their lax safety and health standards; and of course the standard tools of violence used in industry carry their own risks for workers.
It is clear that they suffer when confined, forcibly separated from their families, when their reproduction is controlled, and when they are maimed and killed in routine farming practices involving animals (The Food Fortification Project describes in great detail the fate of various "farms".

How to become vegan

The basic idea of ​​being vegan is to buy and consume only 100% plant-based products and avoid all activities that promote animal abuse and exploitation.
Switching to a healthy vegan diet isn't just a matter of eliminating animal foods while maintaining the diet you had before. Instead, you will need to reinvent your diet so that you can eat a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, and plant-based products. We know this is not easy for everyone, especially those living in areas with limited access to these foods.

Food on a Budget

When shopping for non-food items such as clothing, bedding, furniture, and body care products, it's important to understand what your items are made of. Usually the salesperson or manufacturer can help you with this, but you can also consider purchasing from one of the growing number of online vegan stores (which sell a wide variety of shoes, bags, belts, cosmetics, supplements, body care products, food products).
For textiles such as sweaters, rugs or mattresses, there is usually a label listing the materials (some vegetable and synthetic textiles are acetate, acrylic, cotton, hemp, linen, modal, nylon, rayon, and elastane). Fortunately, vegan clothing is easy to find (most T-shirts and jeans are cotton).
Shoes are also often labeled. Many contain leather, but often hemp or "man-made materials".
You can look at the ingredient list for soap, moisturizer, shaving cream, toothpaste, deodorant, and other body care products, but this can be confusing as many body care ingredients have chemical names. Instead, you may want to look for a "vegan" or "100% plant-based" label. And always make sure that the products are not tested on animals. If you are unsure, contact the company.
For cosmetics, unfortunately, many mainstream brands are not vegan, as carmine (crushed insects), beeswax, and other animal products are common. In that case, your best bet is to find some manufacturers that offer vegan lines; Again, the internet is a great resource. Note that most makeup brushes are made from squirrel or other spike brushes.
As a new vegan, it's important to do your best and remove obvious animal-derived ingredients from your shopping cart. Over time, you will become more comfortable with your lifestyle and gradually learn to eliminate the less obvious components.

Is a vegan diet healthy?

Yes, a vegan diet is healthy and suitable for people of all ages. In fact, it has been described by the American Dietetic Association as "Properly planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthy, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.