dating as a vegan

You would be surprised that I am not a dating expert but it is true. I am, of course, being sarcastic as I have very little experience in love. 

But I do know how it is to date a non-vegan who has no idea that plant-based ice cream exists and is surprised that there is such a thing as vegan cheese. 

For safety reasons, I will not go into more details about that guy but I will share what I have learnt about dating as someone who lives ethically and animal-friendly. 

I do want to encourage you not to feel pressured into going out with anyone if you don’t want to, though. After my dating experience with this guy, I found out a lot about myself that I might share in a later post.

Most importantly, I found that I want to spend time alone. So please, if you are not interested in being with someone, do not feel like you have to. 

However, if you do want to, here are tips on dating as a vegan:

    • Be transparent about your lifestyle from the get-go.

Let the person you’re about to start dating know who you are from the start. With that, I do not mean that you wear your vegan shirt on the first date, but don’t hide who you are. 

I was always honest about who I was so the guy knew what to expect. I did not apologize for not eating something that wasn’t plant-based nor was I sorry for asking the waiter a question about the drink I was ordering. 

  • Be willing to answer their questions with kindness. 

The person I was going out with was the kind of person who had no idea vegan ice cream existed (yeah). I had to educate him on all the alternatives and answer a million questions about why I am living that way.

If they are curious, you might be asked the same things and you better know how to answer them well. Remember to know that there are individuals who have yet to meet a vegan so you may be the first person that will represent the lifestyle.

Also, be kind and understanding. Even the most stupid questions may sometimes be coming from an honest place. 

  • Stand up for yourself, your philosophy and your beliefs.

If the guy/gal is making nasty remarks or is making fun of you, know that you have the right to stand up for yourself. Better yet, you must stand up for yourself and your philosophy.

The guy I was dating thought being vegan was funny at times, and I constantly had to tell him that this is not a joke to me. It was annoying but it was crucial that I did so. 

  • Know what you stand for and know when to leave.

Eventually, it didn’t work out and we ended things. It wasn’t even veganism although it was an important disagreement we had. But still, I had to leave and move on.

You too should know how much you can take – or how much you are willing to take – and if it doesn’t work out when to move on. Animal rights are one of the most important issues we are facing today, so if this matters to you too, you must stand by it. 

Remember, you are allowed to leave.

Before you go out there, babe, I want to tell you something that is even more important than what I just shared. 

Stay safe. 

There are many dangerous people out there who will try to hurt you, and you must be your own advocate. If you don’t feel comfortable around someone, walk away for your own good. 

Please, please, please, put yourself first. If the person you are going out with is giving you bad vibes, remove yourself from them. I can tell you from my own experience that vibes don’t lie, no matter how much we want to believe otherwise.

Okay. 

Let me know in the comment section what you thought of this blog post. What will you use? What is of value to you?

You got this.

If you feel called to support my work, please consider buying me a cup of cappuccino. It helps me greatly.

Tanja

dating as a vegan

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