December 2024

Can Veganism Be Sustainable Without Compromising Ethics

let’s dive in. Today, I want to tackle a question that’s been on my mind for a while: can veganism truly be sustainable without compromising ethics? It’s one of those topics where the more you dig, the messier it gets. And spoiler: there aren’t easy answers.

Let’s start with the big one—sustainability. On paper, veganism is a win for the planet. Growing plants generally uses less land, water, and energy than raising animals. But when you zoom in, it’s not that simple. Take crops like avocados or quinoa. They’re staples in a lot of vegan diets, but their production has some pretty big environmental and social costs. Avocados need a ton of water to grow, and in some regions, their cultivation is linked to deforestation and even cartel activity. Quinoa? Its global popularity has made it so expensive that people in the regions where it’s traditionally grown can barely afford to eat it anymore. So, what’s more ethical: eating the avocado toast or skipping it to avoid contributing to these issues? See what I mean? Messy.

And then there’s the packaging problem. A lot of vegan products are heavily processed and come wrapped in plastic. Think plant-based cheeses, fake meats, or even pre-washed greens. You’re saving animals, sure, but the environmental cost of all that plastic? It’s not small. And let’s be real—none of us are perfect when it comes to waste, but it’s something we can’t ignore if we’re talking about sustainability.

Now let’s shift to labor. A lot of the plant-based foods we rely on—coffee, chocolate, bananas—are grown in places where workers are underpaid and overworked. It’s a big ethical blind spot in veganism. You’re avoiding animal exploitation, but human exploitation? That’s still on the table for a lot of these products. It’s not as simple as choosing “organic” or “fair trade” either, because those labels don’t always guarantee ethical practices.

So, can veganism be sustainable and ethical at the same time? I think it can, but it requires effort. It means being conscious about where your food comes from, eating locally and seasonally when possible, and focusing on whole, minimally processed foods. It’s about making the best choices you can with the information and resources you have.

At the end of the day, veganism isn’t about perfection. It’s about doing the least harm—balancing sustainability, ethics, and practicality. And yeah, it’s complicated, but that’s okay. Complicated questions are the ones worth asking.

My Experience with Misleading Vegan Food Trends

Today, I want to talk about something I’ve seen way too many times: misleading vegan food trends. I’m not just talking about the kind of stuff that looks good on Instagram. I’m talking about trends that are straight-up deceptive—things that are marketed as the next big thing in veganism, but when you dig deeper, they’re just… not it.

Let me give you a personal example. A few years ago, there was this big buzz about “vegan cheese that melts like the real thing.” Everyone was hyping it up, and I was like, “Okay, let’s try it.” Spoiler alert: it did melt, but it also tasted like cardboard dipped in oil. And when I looked at the ingredients, it was just a concoction of starches, oils, and emulsifiers. No nutrients, no flavor—nothing even remotely resembling real food. But it had a slick marketing campaign, so everyone ate it up, figuratively and literally.

Then there was the whole “superfood smoothie bowl” craze. You know the ones—brightly colored, loaded with fruit, nuts, and chia seeds, arranged to look like edible art. They’d cost like $15 a bowl, and people acted like eating one would give you superpowers. I fell for it once, thinking I was being so healthy. But guess what? That bowl had more sugar than a slice of cake. Sure, it’s natural sugar from fruit, but your blood sugar doesn’t care whether it came from bananas or a candy bar. It was dessert pretending to be breakfast.

Another one? Let’s talk about the infamous jackfruit trend. Oh, jackfruit—vegan pulled pork’s awkward cousin. Don’t get me wrong, jackfruit is fine if you know what you’re getting into, but the way people hype it as this magical meat replacement? Yeah, no. It has the texture, sure, but zero protein. It’s basically fibrous carbs in sauce. If you’re eating jackfruit tacos thinking they’re a protein-packed meal, you’re going to be starving in an hour. Trust me, I’ve been there.

And don’t even get me started on activated charcoal. Remember when that was everywhere? Charcoal lattes, charcoal ice cream, even charcoal toothpaste. People acted like it could detox your entire body. Spoiler: it can’t. If anything, it messes with your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and medications. But because it was black and “edgy,” people jumped on the bandwagon. I tried a charcoal latte once. It tasted like I was drinking a campfire, and the only thing it detoxed was my wallet.

What I’ve learned from all this is that vegan food trends often prioritize being trendy over being healthy, ethical, or even edible. These companies are smart. They know how to make a product look good on social media, and they know that slapping “vegan” on it will make people pay a premium. But just because something’s popular doesn’t mean it’s worth your time—or your money.

So, how do you avoid getting duped? First, look past the hype. Check the ingredients, look at the nutrition facts, and ask yourself if it’s something you’d eat if it didn’t have a shiny marketing campaign. Second, don’t assume that just because it’s vegan, it’s better for you or the planet. Sometimes, it’s just processed junk wearing a plant-based disguise.

If you’re curious about the nutritional pitfalls of some of these trends, NutritionFacts.org has a great article breaking down what to watch out for in plant-based products: https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/processed-vegan-foods.

At the end of the day, my advice is simple: stick to the basics. Whole foods, minimally processed ingredients—stuff that doesn’t need a viral TikTok trend to prove it’s good for you.

My Journey with a Personal Trainer

You know, it’s funny because I never thought I’d ever hire a personal trainer. I always assumed it was kind of unnecessary—like, who needs someone just standing there watching you exercise? But I ended up being really surprised, and now I actually find it hard to imagine going back to doing it all by myself. I guess what happened was I started noticing that, even though I’d been working out on my own for a while, my progress sort of stalled. I just wasn’t hitting new milestones, and some days it felt like I was just going through the motions.

So I decided to try working with a personal trainer. I’d been a bit skeptical, to be honest. But let me tell you, having that one-on-one coaching changed the entire game for me. It’s not just about someone telling you to do more reps; it’s more about having someone who knows what you need, how far to push, and when to back off. One of the unexpected benefits was how much more confident I became in the gym. I stopped feeling intimidated by certain exercises, and I learned the correct form that I’d definitely been missing before. My trainer was able to analyze how I moved, point out where I needed to make adjustments, and that kept me from developing bad habits that could lead to injuries down the road.

I also got some nutrition guidance, and that’s where I really appreciated having someone who respected my vegan lifestyle. Because, let’s be honest, sometimes you work with people who just don’t get it—they’ll try to push you toward animal-based products, and they don’t understand the ethical side of it. My trainer, on the other hand, helped me find ethical vegan protein powders that actually taste good. For a long time I thought all vegan protein powders were gritty or chalky, but I discovered some smooth blends that are sourced ethically, have full amino acid profiles, and don’t leave me feeling heavy or bloated. I realized I’d been missing out on a tool that could really help me reach my fitness goals while staying true to my values.

The cool thing is that the trainer I ended up working with wasn’t just some random person I found at a big commercial gym. I connected with Elite Wellness Training, and their approach was totally different than what I expected. You can find them here: personal trainer in boise. These guys really tailor your experience to what you need. It’s not cookie-cutter, it’s not one-size-fits-all. It’s like they actually take time to figure out what you want and what you stand for, then they build a plan that makes sense. I guess that’s one of the biggest benefits for me—having someone who acknowledges my personal ethics and still helps me push my boundaries physically.

Another thing that really surprised me was the accountability factor. Just knowing that I have someone who actually cares about how I’m progressing keeps me from skipping workouts. Before, I’d come home from work and say, “Eh, I’ll do it tomorrow.” But now, I know someone’s expecting me to show up and give it my best. That accountability and structure made a huge difference in my consistency and, ultimately, my results.

So, as someone who used to be skeptical, I can honestly say hiring a personal trainer was one of the best moves I’ve made for my health and fitness journey. It’s taught me to respect proper form, understand nutrition in a way that aligns with my values, and it’s given me that extra push I never knew I needed.