Veganism at SIS – What are the challenges and how can they be overcome?
Veganism is a diet consisting of plant-based foods and no products derived from animals. To see what the students at SIS think about veganism, Lia F conducted a survey as part of her personal project. This is the 3rd and final article in her series about this topic.
More stories from Lia F.
Vegan options are easy to find in your local supermarket
Students at SIS generally believe in veganism: they are aware that veganism is beneficial for their health, common among teenagers, and good to start between the ages of 10-20 years. Despite such high awareness, most of the students are still not vegan. There are various reasons for this, but most of it comes back to the feeling that they cannot give up certain foods.
One suggestion for these students is to look at vegan products that are common in supermarkets today as an alternative option to their current diet. For example, diary products such as cow milk can be replaced with vegan milk made of almonds, soy, and oats. It is even possible to get vegan chocolate milk! Vegan replacements are available for almost every dairy product and can be easily found anywhere. When it comes to meat, there are a variety of replacements as well.
Another reason why many students find the vegan lifestyle challenging is the lack of options in the school lunch. For the upper school students this year, it is much easier as they have a lunch card and are able to eat in many different places. However, the 9th grade students said that they find it very hard to be vegan and eat in the school cafeteria because of the lack of options. Although there is no vegan menu, if students are aiming to have a more vegan lifestyle, they can begin by taking the vegetarian option. This option is not completely vegan, but it does not include meat. For students who believe that the meat industry is too brutal, this could be their first step of their transition into veganism.
The last reason why students are not vegan is that they are not motivated enough to change their eating habits. This may be due to their lack of education on this matter, or the long time it takes to cook vegan food. Most students at SIS are not vegan, which makes it harder for vegan students to relate and get involved with their classmates who are not vegan.
Such challenges of veganism can be overcome by thorough education about veganism and its health benefits. By raising their awareness of the issue and beginning with small alterations to their diets, students can change their mindsets and commit to a healthier vegan lifestyle.