“Vegans should eat a wide variety of foods to maintain a healthy diet. See more pictures of vegetables.© Photographer: Coldfusion | Agency: Dreamstime
What did you have for breakfast this morning? Cereal and milk? Eggs and bacon? Maybe just some tea with honey? Not if you’re a vegan. Vegans take basic vegetarianism several steps further. Instead of abstaining only from eating fish and meat, vegans avoid eating, wearing or using any animal products. This means no eggs or dairy, no honey, no leather, fur, wool or silk, and no cosmetics or chemicals tested on animals.
There is plenty that vegans can eat, however. The Vegan Society recommends healthy servings of vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, oils and fortified nondairy products like soy milk. Some vegans eat meat substitutes like tempeh, tofu or wheat protein, sometimes called seitan. Vegans also take supplements of vitamin B12, vitamin D and calcium to make up for any dietary deficiencies.
But why do people choose this restrictive diet? How far do some people take veganism? In this article, we’ll answer these questions and learn a little bit about the history of veganism.
