1.0HappyCowhttps://www.happycow.net/blogRaeSikorahttps://www.happycow.net/blog/author/raesikora/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="OtHWJaKCgd"><a href="https://www.happycow.net/blog/to-%e2%80%9cv%e2%80%9d-or-not-to-%e2%80%9cv%e2%80%9d/">To “V” or Not to “V”</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.happycow.net/blog/to-%e2%80%9cv%e2%80%9d-or-not-to-%e2%80%9cv%e2%80%9d/embed/#?secret=OtHWJaKCgd" width="600" height="338" title="“To “V” or Not to “V”” — HappyCow" data-secret="OtHWJaKCgd" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> https://www.happycow.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/v-or-no-v.jpg600180Photo credit: Ambro There has been a lot of discussion, buzz, arguing about whether or not we should use the word “vegan” or the word “vegetarian” in our outreach and discussions.  Some folks say that using the “V” word (vegan) turns people off and we should just say “vegetarian” because it is seen as less “extreme”.  While cooking at the meditation center I go to, I was told I could not label things vegan, even if they were vegan, because that word is too “political”. Last night we had two “couch surfers” stay at our house.  Neither one was vegan or vegetarian, but they shared their perspectives.  One of our guests said that the only vegans she ever met, before us, ate junk all the time and were very unhealthy.  I told her that they certainly did not represent all vegans and in fact were the worst “poster children” for veganism.  It only reinforced for me how important it is to be a healthy representative of our community.  While I was having the discussion with her, our other guest said she thought it was better to say “plant-based” than vegan.  The problem with saying plant-based is that this term only […]