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It is the question that vegans get asked all the time.
“Can you drink milk?”
It is up there with “can you eat fish?” and “can you eat cheese?”.
Despite Veganism becoming ever more popular, this is still a common question. At the route of the answer to this question is the fact that Vegans do not touch any product from an animal whatsoever. Whether it is a leather handbag, Doritos or even sweets that contain Gelatine, Vegans will not consume or purchase the product.
A vegan diet, therefore, consists of core foods within fruit, vegetables, nuts, and grains food categories. Vegans do not eat meat or dairy products.
Milk is a product of cows or in some cases Goats. No matter how the milk is produced, even if it is organically farmed, it is not a product that a Vegan will consume. There are a few reasons for this.
Like a Vegetarian, Vegans express animal rights concerns with all elements of farming. In short, it is not the cow’s choice to provide milk for human consumption, so why should we drink it? Sometimes, within farming, there is poor treatment of animals. Some are fed hormones and are forced to become pregnant.
There are also human health concerns. It has been shown in many studies that dairy products such as milk can affect digestion and raise cholesterol. This links with the fact that in some cases cows are fed hormones, which then passes through our own human digestive systems when we consume milk.
There are also environmental reasons. Farming is one of the core causes of global warming, as over-farming destroys natural habitats, and transportation around the world of farmed products adds to the global carbon footprint. Reducing the amount we farm will help to bring back natural areas and reduce CO2.
Further Reading: 7 Reasons To Go Vegan
Nowadays, there are a number of great substitutes for milk, yoghurt, cheese, and butter. This means we can enjoy the same great tasting meals without any environmental, animal welfare, or human health concerns. Substitutes are created from plant and soy-based products.
Along with meat and dairy, there are a number of other foods that contain animal products and, as such, Vegans will not consume.
Eggs, for example, come from Chickens. They are subject to the same sort of issues as cows when it comes to animal rights. The same can be said for honey, as, though an insect, is still a living thing and so is not consumed by Vegans.
As mentioned at the beginning, Gelatine is a hidden product that can make a Vegan’s life rather awkward. This is because, though the end product is a manufactured food, there are some that include this ingredient which is actually a product from animal cartilage. G
elatine has a specific texture that is perfect for gummy sweets and marshmallows, however, its use means Vegans will not eat these products.
The reasons why vegans won’t drink milk are the same reasons they won’t eat any animal product. There is a school of thought that if all humans were to turn Vegan, not only would it improve the environment but it could also help to solve world hunger, as farm animals are currently fed a large number of grains and other food that could be given to those in need instead.
The growth in Veganism means that there is now a wealth of different substitute products that are full of flavour and natural goodness. Why not check out our range of Vegan hampers and treat you or a loved one?
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