Vegans are people who exclude animal exploitation for food or any other purpose.
Vegans, therefore, live on diets devoid of any animal product. Be it meat, eggs, or dairy.
There are several reasons why some people choose the veganism way of life.
But, Should Vegans Own (And Eat) Carnivorous Plants?
Vegans do not eat any animal products. Carnivorous plants are neither animals nor dairy products. As such, vegans can eat carnivorous plants. Keeping in mind that carnivorous plants feed on animals to obtain nutrients, there have been rising questions on whether vegans can eat these plants. We will go into deep details here in this article to explain vegans’ take on carnivorous plants, what vegans eat, and other related content.
What Are Carnivorous Plants?
Perhaps we need to start by understanding carnivorous plants in the first place.
Carnivorous plants are those plants that capture and digest small animals.
Most insects are their major target. They digest these animals to obtain food nutrients from them.
Some common carnivorous plants include:
- Venus flytrap
- Pitcher plant sundew
Others called them insectivorous plants because insects are their primary prey.
Why Are Carnivorous Plants a Concern to Vegans?
Carnivorous plants are not animals. They are plants with a unique adaptation to get food nutrients.
But why are they a major concern to vegans?
Fine, vegans live by the belief that it is prohibited to cause suffering to animals.
As living testimonies to that, they avoid any type of animal food.
Carnivorous plants have been a major concern because of the way they obtain food from animals and especially insects.
It is seen as if they are causing harm and suffering to animals.
But when it comes to deciding whether they should be eaten or not vegans have varying opinions when it comes to carnivorous plants.
While other vegans take them are merely plants, some avoid them for no apparent reasons.
Should Vegans Own Carnivorous Plants?
Veganism is concerned with avoiding animals and dairy products.
Vegans do not inflict whatsoever form on suffering to animals.
They do so by avoiding any form of animal diet.
The question of whether they should not own carnivorous plants has brought a lot of debate.
Well, since carnivorous plants do not fall under any category in the animal kingdom, it is no offense for vegans to own them.
After all, carnivorous plants like Venus flytrap are merely plants.
Perhaps the fact that they tend to inflict suffering on small animals like an insect by digesting them to obtain nutrients has been the epicenter of this debate.
Otherwise, they are plants like the rest.
Should Vegans Eat Carnivorous Plants?
Confusion ensues on the question of whether a vegan should eat carnivorous plants.
You need to distinguish between the feeding mechanism of the plant to answer this critical question.
Since vegans can own carnivorous plants, there is nothing that can stop them from consuming them as well.
Other vegans, however, stick to the belief that carnivorous plants should be eaten.
Some take them are mere plants and discard their method of feeding and there eat them.
Vegans survive on vegetables and plants for food. Their diet is exclusively on plant products.
That includes all vegetables. Carnivorous plants are, therefore, categorized as plant vegetables and can be eaten by vegans.
What Do Vegans Eat?
We just mentioned that vegans eat plant-based food without going into deep detail.
You are probably wondering how on earth can vegans survive without animal products.
Well, you might be in for a big surprise because vegans still lead a healthy lifestyle.
Perhaps even healthier than non-vegans.
There is a vast variety of food that vegans eat. Here are some of them:
1. Nuts
Be it almonds, cashews, or peanuts.
2. Whole Grains
There are many varieties of grains including wheat, oats, and rice.
3. Starchy vegetables
Such as corn, turnips, sweet potatoes, beets, and squash.
4. Plant Proteins
Such as peas, beans, and lentils.
5. Fruits:
Such as bananas, mangoes, oranges, pineapples.
This is just a snippet list of plant-based products that vegans consume.
There are hundreds of them out there.
And it gives them more reason to convince anyone that vegans can still lead a healthier life without animal diets.
There is every chance that most of the diets you currently enjoy are already vegan.
Even if not, you can make it completely vegan through simple adjustments.
For instance, you can swap a protein-rich meal from animals with a protein-rich diet from plants such as beans.
The good thing about it is that you can always get every single nutrient from plants that animals have to offer. You will still have a balanced diet!
Why Do People Choose to Be Vegans?
Like other ways of life, people choose to be vegans for several reasons. Below are some major reasons why people choose the vegan way of life.
1. Ethics
One of the most binding beliefs by most vegans is that all creatures should be accorded the right to freedom and life.
They, therefore consider animals to be like humans and that they should not be subject to any form of pain.
It is because of this ethical belief that vegans have, from time immemorial rejected the idea of killing animals to obtain flesh, fur, and skin.
Vegans do not wish to cause any physical or psychological stress and torture to animals.
They believe that animals should not be caged by humans. Instead, they should be let free to roam about and enjoy freedom.
In addition, vegans believe that it is not for humans to exploit animals for products other than flesh.
These include eggs, honey, milk silk, wool just to name a few. This is the chief reason why ethical vegans are opposed to drinking milk from animals.
2. Health Issues
While a majority of vegans are ethical, others simply don’t use animal products because of health concerns. They avoid them because of potential health benefits.
Some diets from animals like red meat, for instance, have been linked to diabetes, heart, and cancer diseases.
It is for this sole reason that some people choose the vegan way of life.
They prefer plant-based diets that are known to combat such ailments.
Certain plant diets have been known to improve digestion and help counter heart-related diseases.
3. Environmental Concerns
Some vegans chose to lead the vegan way of life due to major concerns about the environment.
In a bid to reduce human impact on the animal kingdom and the environment at large, some people choose to be vegans.
Research has shown that animal agriculture has an immense contribution to the greenhouse effect.
Therefore, diets that will significantly reduce animal production and breeding are ideal.
A vegan diet on the other hand is clean and healthy with minimum influence on the environment.
Bottom Line
Vegans can own and eat carnivorous plants just like any other plant. It is no offense.
Some vegans may still hold to the belief that carnivorous plants should be avoided because of the suffering they bring on animals by digesting them.
All the same, you have had a clear understanding of why carnivorous plants are normal plants with a unique way of obtaining nutrients.
Hopefully, this article will help you make an informed decision.
Related
References
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-a-vegan#foods-to-eat