Being vegan often means answering the same questions again and again.

1. Where do you get your protein?

タンパク質はどこから摂っているの？

2. Don’t you miss bacon?

ベーコンが恋しくならないの？

3. Isn’t it really expensive to be vegan?

ヴィーガンってお金がかかるんじゃないの？

4. What do you actually eat? Just salad?

実際、何を食べてるの？サラダだけ？

5. Aren’t humans supposed to eat meat?

人間は肉を食べるようにできてるんじゃないの？

6. Don’t plants have feelings too?

植物にも感情があるんじゃない？

7. If you were on a desert island with nothing but animals, would you eat meat?

無人島にいて動物しかいなかったら、肉を食べる？

8. Isn’t it rude to refuse food when someone cooks meat for you?

誰かが肉料理を作ってくれたときに断るのって失礼じゃない？

9. But lions eat meat—why shouldn’t we?

ライオンだって肉を食べるのに、なんで人間はダメなの？

10. You must be iron deficient, right?

鉄分が不足してるでしょ？

Here are some conversations based on the above questions.

1. Where do you get your protein?

Ken: Wait, you’re vegan? But… where do you get your protein?
Mina: [smiles] I get plenty from beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, quinoa, nuts…
Ken: Seriously? That’s enough?
Mina: Yup! Most people eat more protein than they need. I track my nutrition and it’s always fine.
Ken: But don’t you need meat to build muscle?
Mina: Not at all. There are tons of vegan athletes and bodybuilders. Plants have more protein than you think.
Ken: Hmm… I always thought vegans were protein-deficient.
Mina: That’s a common myth. But actually, fiber deficiency is more common in meat-based diets.
Ken: I never thought about that. Maybe I should eat more beans.
Mina: Definitely! They’re cheap, healthy, and good for the planet too.

2. Don’t you miss bacon?

Sara: I could never be vegan. I love bacon too much.
Tomo: Yeah, I liked the taste too. But I like my health and values more.
Sara: Still, don’t you miss it?
Tomo: Not really. There are good vegan alternatives now. Plus, cravings go away after a while.
Sara: Like what?
Tomo: Tempeh bacon, rice paper bacon, even store-bought ones. They taste great.
Sara: It just wouldn’t be the same for me.
Tomo: Maybe not, but that’s okay. It depends on your priorities.
Sara: Huh. I never thought about giving it up for values.
Tomo: For me, it wasn’t about giving something up. It was choosing something better.

3. Isn’t it really expensive to be vegan?

Yuki: I heard being vegan is super expensive.
Alex: It can be, but it doesn’t have to be. I eat mostly rice, beans, vegetables, and tofu.
Yuki: But all those special vegan products cost a lot.
Alex: True, some packaged items are pricey. But you don’t need them.
Yuki: So you just eat plain food?
Alex: Not at all! I cook a lot with spices, sauces, and seasonal ingredients.
Yuki: Hmm. I guess I thought vegan meant fancy health food.
Alex: It can be, but it can also be super budget-friendly.
Yuki: Interesting. Maybe I’ll try a week on your budget plan.
Alex: Go for it! Your wallet and your body will thank you.

4. What do you actually eat? Just salad?

Jake: Be honest. What do you actually eat? Just salad all day?
Nao: [laughs] Nope. I eat pasta, curry, stir-fries, burritos, ramen… all vegan.
Jake: Wait… you can have ramen?
Nao: Sure! I just use plant-based broth and toppings like mushrooms, tofu, and veggies.
Jake: Huh. I always pictured boring lettuce.
Nao: That’s a stereotype. Vegan food is super diverse.
Jake: So you never get bored?
Nao: Never. There’s always something new to try.
Jake: Maybe I need to try vegan ramen sometime.
Nao: I’ll take you to my favorite spot!

5. Aren’t humans supposed to eat meat?

Miki: But aren’t humans meant to eat meat?
Sam: Some scientists say we’re omnivores, but that doesn’t mean we have to eat meat.
Miki: But it’s natural, right?
Sam: Natural doesn’t always mean necessary or ethical. Lots of things are natural but harmful.
Miki: Like?
Sam: Violence, disease… doesn’t mean we accept them.
Miki: Hmm. I guess that makes sense.
Sam: We have choices. And now, we can thrive without harming animals.
Miki: I’ve never thought of it that way.
Sam: That’s okay. It took me time too.

6. Don’t plants have feelings too?

Leo: Don’t plants feel pain too?
Erika: There’s no real evidence they feel pain like animals do.
Leo: But how do we know?
Erika: Good question. But animals have nervous systems and brains. Plants don’t.
Leo: Still, you’re killing something.
Erika: Maybe. But eating plants directly causes less harm than feeding them to animals first.
Leo: So it’s about reducing harm?
Erika: Exactly. It’s not about perfection, just compassion.
Leo: That actually makes sense.
Erika: Glad you think so!

7. If you were on a desert island with only animals, would you eat meat?

Chris: Okay, but what if you were stuck on a desert island with only animals?
Aiko: Classic question! If survival depends on it, people might do lots of things.
Chris: So you would eat meat then?
Aiko: In a life-or-death situation, maybe. But we don’t live on a desert island.
Chris: True.
Aiko: I live in a city with grocery stores. I can choose kindness every day.
Chris: That’s fair. I guess it’s not a realistic question.
Aiko: Right—I’d rather talk about real choices we make today.

8. Isn’t it rude to refuse food when someone cooks meat for you?

Haruki: Isn’t it rude to refuse food when someone makes meat for you?
Lena: I appreciate the effort, but I kindly explain my values.
Haruki: But doesn’t that hurt their feelings?
Lena: Maybe a little, but honesty is respectful too.
Haruki: What if it’s your grandma?
Lena: I offer to bring something or cook together. It’s about sharing, not just eating.
Haruki: That’s a good way to handle it.
Lena: It takes patience, but it’s worth it.

9. But lions eat meat—why shouldn’t we?

Ben: Lions eat meat. Why shouldn’t we?
Yuri: Lions don’t have a choice. We do.
Ben: But we’re animals too.
Yuri: True, but we have moral reasoning. Lions don’t worry about ethics.
Ben: So being human means making kinder choices?
Yuri: Exactly. We can survive and thrive without killing.
Ben: That’s a powerful point.
Yuri: Glad you think so!

10. You must be iron deficient, right?

Natsuki: You must be iron deficient, right?
Ray: Actually, my iron levels are great. I get plenty from leafy greens, lentils, and seeds.
Natsuki: Really? I thought iron only came from meat.
Ray: Nope! Plant-based iron works well, especially with vitamin C.
Natsuki: So you never feel weak?
Ray: Only if I skip breakfast! [laughs]
Natsuki: Good to know. I might need more spinach myself.
Ray: Popeye would approve!

How many blogs have I started over the years?!

I always write about things that are important to me. This blog is about veganism. Telling you about some of my past and current blogs will be my self introduction.

I wrote a blog in the early 2000s called Better Puppy Buying. It was about the problems that occur when people buy puppies and kittens from pet shops and puppy/kitten mills. When I moved to Japan from Canada in the 1980s, I was saddened that the pet culture was so far behind the west, where pet shop sales of puppies and kittens was already banned. But nobody at all read the blog and after 100s of hours work, I gave up. Nowadays I run puppy and kitten pet import businesses that put buyers in long-term contact with ethical breeders overseas. The communication between them is great for Japanese pet culture.

Probably my most valuable blog is professional. I’m an English teacher working at several universities in the Nagoya area. I also own private English schools in Gifu Prefecture. Blogging about education helps me clarify my ideas. The blog is at one of my private school’s website, SOLE Japan.

Another blog I started last year (2024) is about coffee culture. I’m an amateur coffee roaster. I absolutely love coffee, and I love talking about it too, so I started offering English lessons to coffee professionals and hobbyists. You can read that blog here.

The coffee venture inspired me to start ヴィー英. I want to talk about vegan topics too. I’ve been a vegan for 10 years. Before that, I was a vegetarian for 7 years. So often, people want to argue the ethics of eating meat or discuss my decision to become plant-based. The conversations are repetitive and linguistically they are fairly easy to teach.

I hope you enjoy reading my blog(s) and if you want vegan-related English lessons, feel free to contact me!