Since I announced my pregnancy last year, I’ve been asked quite often whether we would raise our baby vegan. If I saw the question on my blog or social media, I would respond by saying that we decided not to label her diet or lifestyle and I explained why if I had the time. Since I was asked this question so frequently I recently decided to write a blog post on the topic to be transparent about our decision (see: Will you raise your daughter a vegan?). I’ve always been an open book on the blog and figured I could share our thoughts and also ask you to share your own experiences. I enjoy hearing other perspectives because I’ve never been someone who thinks that there is one correct way to do anything. What works for one family might not work for others.
As I expected, there was a wide range of opinions on the topic. Many of you left thought-provoking and respectful comments (whether you agreed or not), and I greatly enjoyed reading them. They led to some wonderful discussions with friends and family this week. However, there were some hateful and threatening comments attacking me, my family, and our decision. According to some, I’m no longer welcome to call myself vegan. This wasn’t entirely surprising; over the past 6 years I’ve often been accused of not being “vegan enough”, being “too mainstream”, or not “doing enough for the vegan movement”, yet here I was receiving hundreds of comments and emails each month from readers telling me my recipes changed their lives, that they were happy to be helping animals, reducing their carbon footprint, and getting healthy even if they weren’t “perfect”. Apparently, my welcoming and non-judgmental approach was indeed the catalyst for major change.
I realize that the scrutiny I’ve faced over the years is from a small percentage of vegans. Tearing each other down is never conducive to furthering the movement though. The majority of vegans I know are incredibly kind and compassionate both to animals and humans alike. However, the personal attacks have made me reflect greatly about whether this label continues to be right for me. Do I want to live my life striving for an elusive perfection that I know I’m too flawed to ever achieve? Or can I do it my way? While some of you will say “don’t let it bother you” and “don’t let them win” I’ll be honest in telling you that experiencing hate on a public forum from your own community wears you down over time. It’s a distraction from my overall purpose and you know what, it sure as hell takes the fun out of the journey.
In the end, I will keep on doing my thing, but without a personal label on my diet or lifestyle. Going forward you can expect to see the same types of crowd-pleasing plant-based recipes on this blog and in my next cookbook; this is how I love to eat and what makes me happy. My goal has always been to encourage others to reduce their animal consumption and embrace more plants in their diet. This is my passion in life not only because of how it has greatly improved my own and those close to me, but for countless other reasons. I still believe that the greatest change happens when we elevate one another, celebrate progress, and of course, share delicious food that challenges the norms of the standard diet. So that’s exactly what I intend to keep doing. There are many ways in which compassionate individuals can spread their message and this is what speaks to my heart. I have no doubt there is something out there for everyone.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years, and also, for reminding me why it’s important to remain authentic even in spite of criticism.
Angela
Please note comments are now closed – May 20/15
I have more love + respect for you than you could ever possibly know! xo
Ditto! Without fail, I spread your recipes weekly to friends, family, co-workers, whoever will listen. You do so much good for us (humans and animals), I greatly appreciate it.
Likewise! I’ve been a longgggggggggg-time follower of yours and it is because your blog is so approachable and accessible (as are your recipes) that I was able to transition from veggie to 90% vegan (and still going). It was also how I was able to show the most staunch carnivores that meat-free recipes can be delicious (and not just taste like you’re eating plain iceberg lettuce! lol). Sorry to hear you’ve met with extremists at all, but I suppose it’s not surprising. Thanks for sharing and continuing to share your inspiration :) Know that your supporters vastly, vastly, VASTLY outnumber and outshout your critics! xo
Ditto!!!!
I just had to jump on Ashley’s comment because it was so on point.
<3 to you both.
I have to tell you that I am also someone who gets attacked for not being “vegan enough”. I LOVE your recipes, I love that you are so wonderful at meeting everyone where they’re at, and I love that you speak your truth honestly and compassionately. I fundamentally believe that we are all good and that we’re all doing our very best, and that whatever works for someone is what works for them as an individual. I have finally reached a place where I realized that the people that are attacking my choices, or anyone else’s, are doing so from insecurity, which has allowed me to be compassionate towards them. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t put up boundaries, and I think that’s what you just did, with so much graciousness, kindness, and integrity. I am so impressed–and I am so glad that you will still share delicious recipes and wonderful viewpoints. Thank you! And by the way, I just recently dove into some of your soul-soothing african peanut stew, and like always, I smiled as soon as I had the first spoonful. Man I love that stuff!!! :)
I found Kristin’s comment to be on point! I’ve always found your blog to be a source of inspiration – both in my current adventures in moving towards being vegan (not quite there!) and in your musings on life in general and the challenges that everyone runs into. Her description of you responding with “graciousness, kindness and integrity” are so true. Please know that there are many of us who are incredibly grateful for the way you move through the world, the way you communicate that to the rest of us and the incredible recipes you share along the way. Peace and Love!
Angela, thank you so much for doing all that you do. I’m sorry anyone has been unkind to you, or shaming in anyway. You’ve made plant-based foods accessible to so many and you have helped so many people live healthier, happier lives feeling better.
Thank you for being willing to continue. I think setting aside labels is a good thing in this instance, that way you won’t have to justify yourself to anyone. You never should have to. You are doing good in the world.
I popped on here today to grab your recipe for a lasagna I’m making on Easter, for a man who nearly died from a sudden heart attack last fall. He’s been sort of low because he’s had to switch to a plant-based diet, in order to keep living. I was so happy to be able to invite him over, with his wife and know that I’d be able to cater a truly delicious meal to his dietary requirements without any problem. That it will be delicious and maybe even give him hope that he isn’t giving up anything, he’s on an adventure filled with new and delicious foods.
You’re the person who made that possible. Thank you, you are a light in the world.
I respect the care you took in the decision you have made. Angry, judgmental folks worldwide are creating an atmosphere that inspires a version that inspires suppression of our authenticity. I am not suggesting you are hiding. But the hate and anger you experienced reminded me of how Jews today are being told not to wear their yarmulkes in some areas of Paris or when they travel, the Muslim women who walk in fear of what their head covering will inspire, Democrats who avoid espousing their political views with a republican or vise versa.
Fear creates the haters and the haters send others iinto a state of fear. So it goes. Sad.
Dear Angela,
Thank you for speaking up and promoting diversity and wholeness = goodness, love, and compassion for family, people, community, and the world. You lead by example. Yes, I love your recipes, blogs, and book. However, it is bigger than that and you risked going there too. It is a way of life.
Many thanks,
Lauren
I’m with you Ashley. I love Angela and her whole attitude to food and eating healthy without being over strict. I am 90% vegan. I occasionally crave an organic egg or a piece of organic cheese, but when this happens I listen to my body as it must be lacking in something that these foods can fix. Keep up the good work Angela. We all love you and your recipes. xxx
Here, here! Keep up the good work. :)
I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Nearly every group of human beings contains a small number working out their issues in an extreme way. Your recipes are great and you offer a lot. I’m delighted that you are continuing to do this! From a non-violent and appreciative vegan :-)
One thing I’ve learned in life….judge not. Especially about how people raise their kids! My wife and I have learned just say nothing and smile, it’s ok to disagree with people but we respect how other people make their decisions. And I think Kate is right, it’s a small percentage of people who probably have other issues that they need to work out!
Spot on Kate & Tom! Love both your replies. If you’re content and happy with your own life and way of living you won’t feel the need to lash out to people that make other decisions in life. It’s a waste of energy.
I adore your recipes even though I’m not a vegan! As a college student trying to eat a plant-based diet on limited time and with a lot of unhealthy options/situations, I relate to the food experiences and self-image struggles you talk about in your cookbook. Don’t let the minority of people make you feel guilt for approaching food and life with a healthy, confident mindset. You’re successful and popular for a reason! Keep doing you.
People say the most biting things on the internet, things that most(!) would never never say to your face. Your reaction is mature and thoughtful, as is how you are raising your daughter.
Also, beautiful photograph of broccoli!!
Angela, you are an incredible mother and a wonderful friend!!! I am so proud of you and so sorry that you had to experience this. You are changing lives and keep focusing on the positive feedback and love!
Wow. It never ceases to amaze me how cruel some can be. But know there are so many more good ones out there sending peace, respect and love into the world. Keep doing what you are doing – so well – authentically your own way. I am a non-vegan trying to add more plant based meals into my and my family’s diet – and it is helping us in more than just the measurable ways. Thank you for the good you bring into our home, time and time again.
Love, April
Honestly, I had some issues with some of the reasoning in your previous post but I’m profoundly disappointed to hear that you got hateful and threatening comments from others professing to be vegans and I totally agree that tearing each other down isn’t going to help anyone. I’ll continue to enjoy your vegan recipes regardless of whether you label them as such.
Beautifully said. Forget the labels and do what is right for you.
What ugliness people have brought to this inspiring site. During this time, I am sure there are no words to bring comfort to you and I find the questioning of your parenting particularly distasteful but don’t let the negative comments tear you down. You have been an inspiration to so many and your message of non-judgmental positive eating has motivated the masses to be the best that they can. You are enough, you do enough.
Well chosen words. I completely agree.
Jessica speaks for my heart towards you as well. Thank you so much for all you have given me…you have been such a blessing through this blog. May your heart and home be filled with peace and love. So many people care about you and your family! You are precious to me, to us.
Christine, Susanne and Jessica, I agree with you spot on. I was downright sad – really upset – to read the venomous comments leveled at Angela. And I’ve really missed Angela’s presence on the blog. If I was there in Canada I would’ve made something chocolate and given her a hug! (I’m in the US)
Angela, the amount of change and hope you have inspired in my life and that of my immediate family’s from your blog and cookbook (I bought 4 for Mother’s Day presents last year! :) – it immediately became a fave and one of the gals is now going Vegan because of it) is nothing short of a miracle. I am so sick of people saying that “because this is my definition of how I do life, everyone else must follow.” It ignores the basic fact that we are humanity. Each different, each beautiful and each so important to the overall fabric of life. I would never have continued to scout out Vegan alternatives were it not for your “you, too, can do this Vegan thing” attitude (out-the-door power chia donut for snacks, anyone? Homemade granola without all the crap and less than half the cost of the store-bought stuff?)
I’m so glad you are continuing to do what you do with such passion and verve, while pulling in and protecting yourself. As others have said, there’s a reason why you are wildly popular in print, on the web and immensely respected: you give others the tools they need to live life to their healthiest, while be well-versed nutritionally, a great photographer, a kick-ass Mom/wife, and a voice we NEED now more than ever in a world of bagged-up convenient living.
I raise my Green Monster in gratitude to you, and just want to say, “Thanks for keeping on.”
Maybe I’m just super naive, but I’m shocked that you get hate mail and that people are attacking you. I’m not vegan, I still eat meat, and I don’t see myself becoming a vegan either. But what you have done is convinced me to eat less meat and more plant based foods. You’ve introduced me to recipes that incorporate healthy foods that I can eat instead of meat and that’s a miracle in itself! And honestly, isn’t being compassionate to others just the way to be? That driver who cuts me off in traffic, or that person who cuts me in line in Target, honestly, I have no clue what they’re going through and I’m just going to show them mercy and say nothing.
I, too have been very positively impacted by your blog and cookbook in the last 5 months. And while I’m not vegan or vegetarian, I see a positive shift in what I eat and have you to thank for it as stumbling upon Oh She Glows is what changed it all for me. So, thank you.
Laura, great response. I am not vegan either but Angela’s blog has inspired me so much to eat healthier in such a fun way. The recipes are fantastic and show eating plant based meals go way beyond your basic, boring salad. I am not a big fan of meat and this website has shown me how to make filling meals from just plants. I love it. But compassion is the main point here. We should be more compassionate to our fellow humans. You never know what someone else is going through. I think we should be happy for each other for making positive changes, even if it is just a little at a time. So much emphasis should not be put on what labels SHOULD be and support should be given to those who try!
I’m so sorry you experienced all that hate! As a dedicated omnivore, I have definitely benefited from the seeing the tons of options for tasty, healthy living you put out there. Thanks for all you do!
You can’t please everyone in the world, but you are doing what is best for you and your family, which is all that matters at the end of the day.
That’s upsetting to read. I didn’t see any of those comments, but I’m so sorry you had to read them. Your blog has always been a really positive part of my life and it’s where I come to find recipes that I know will make me and my family better, if only for a meal! That’s no small thing.
I read both your posts and I am sorry to hear and I did see some of the nasty comments that were made about your decision. As a new “vegan” that isn’t prefect either and has also decided not to label my children’s diets, and allow them to make their own decisions regarding food, I applaud you! My children eat a well balanced diet, containing more fruits and veggies than ever! They try new things and the bulk of their diet now contains more “vegan” meals than meat (guilty by association I guess). My choice to be “vegan” was mine, not theirs. Do I hope in the future they will take the lessons I teach them and make healthy decisions regarding food? YES – but I hope they do that with all the life lessons I teach them.
I love your website! Your cookbook was the first “vegan” purchase I made and I check your site at least once a day! Keep being the awesome person you are!!
I’m shocked some would respond so negatively. I think it’s great you are exposing your daughter to all of the options so she can one day make her own informed decision and in the meantime get all the nutrients she needs. My own son has several nut allergies. I don’t k pw how I would even begin to get him all of the fats and proteins he needs without some animal products.
Great post, keep up the good work (on the blog and with your little one). :)
Thank you for standing up for yourself and sharing your story. I also feel the pressure of being “not vegan enough.” Our lifestyle can feel, quite frankly, rather clique-y. I choose to eschew labels as you do and keep doing the best that I can for me and my family (aka a husband who “breaks vegan edge” for dessert and three cats who are definitely not eating plants).
Love to you and yours. Keep doing this great work.
That was a beautiful response.
I stumbled upon your blog 4.5 years ago when I wanted to be healthier and have a better relationship with food. You have taught me to seriously consider what I am eating and to recognize it as fuel for my body. I loved your post about how y’all came to decision to feed your daughter because that’s what I want for myself and loved ones. No labels, but access to really good whole foods.
I am disappointed to read this. Your blog is one of the most well-known vegan blogs on the web, so it’s sad to know that non-vegans won’t find that label here anymore, prompting them to learn more about veganism and its benefits. I am sorry a small but vocal group of vegans decided to be hurtful to you. The “vegan police” (as Colleen-Patrick Godreau calls them) only work to hinder the efforts of veganism, as they have achieved here by your decision to distance yourself from veganism.
I know you’re hurt by their mean words, but know that you have done amazing things for veganism! Your delicious recipes and positive attitudes have no doubt brought people to veganism, as well as encouraged non-vegans to eat more plants. I appreciate the work that you do, and I hope someday you decide to call yourself vegan once more.
I second Elise’s comments. Extremism has it’s place in bringing issues to the forefront for society to discuss or be aware of but moderate voices are the ones that lead most people to change their lives. Most non-vegans are turned off by extremism and will shun the whole concept out of defense of feeling they are being attacked. A less extreme stance gets past people’s defenses and allows them to make changes that have a domino effect. More and more people today are eating in a more compassionate way for more of their meals. Who knows what the effect will be in another 10 years.
I would keep the label of vegan meals but maybe describe your stance on where you stand. Your core audience, who have been helped by your creative and compassionate meals, are probably already aware of your thinking on this issue and will continue to use your recipes. (And fyi, when I make your recipes for the people I know, I always get requests for your recipes and I send them straight to your blog. None of them are vegans but many are interested in learning to make meals that are vegan. Domino effect right there!)
I third Elise’s comment!
i completlely agree! THANK YOU ANGELA! for your honesty, vulnerability and LOVE*
Well put Elise. I couldn’t express it better myself.
I know having a blog exposes us to scrutiny and it must be hard, but I agree, we shouldn’t let those who have extremism views win.
Stay strong Angela, but also, know that we support you no matter what.
Major kudos to you Angela! I agree that tearing each other down isn’t conducive of change or collaboration, it only serves to provide a temporary frustration for the person it was directed towards. The way you have approached the vegan diet has been inspiring, uplifting and all together AWESOME for the plant based and vegan communities. You were the first blog I came to when I went vegan and the one I refer back to the most, so you keep doing what you are doing! xo
You’ve handled the criticism beautifully. I’m sure it stings and you can’t just shake it off, but just know that you’ve inspired so many people with your passion, food, and compassion.
As a new mother myself, I can say this is unfortunately just one of the ways you’ll be criticized for your choices as a mom; it sucks even more, though, to have to take such hate-filled criticism from people who preach compassion for all.
There were a lot of respectable and thought-provoking comments (I read through the pages with both an open mind and utter shock), but the only reasoning and logic you have to follow is yours and your husband’s (because she’s both your daughter and his, of course).
Keep doing what you do so well and beautifully. I’ll continue (as an omnivore) to find tons of inspiration from your recipes!