Is KFC Canada’s Vegan Sandwich Not Truly Vegan?
Tastes like chicken...
Filed under: animals, food & drink — Michael d'Estries @ 9:53 pm
July 21st 2008
Sure, KFC Canada has announced a new vegan option on their menu (thanks to PETA’s decades-long campaign against the fast-food giant) — but do they really get what being a vegan means? I’ll let the purists decide here. Check out this email we received from a reader earlier today:
“I live in Calgary, AB and I was really excited to try the new vegan KFC burger. I called my nearest location to see if they carried it and then asked them how they cooked it. They said they fry it up in the same fryer as the meat. This was very upsetting and I just wanted to pass this news along as I think it might be something that should be posted since it kind of defeats the whole Vegan thing. I still applaud PETA’s efforts but thought it might be info that should be passed along to others were are also a little misinformed.”
Hmmm…something tells me cooking a vegan sandwich in the same place as a chicken sandwich seconds before ain’t gonna cut it. Thoughts?
I am not a vegan nor am I a vegitarian for a few good reasons. First of all, though, let me start off by saying that I’ve got nothing against vegetarians. I have many Veggie and Vegan pals, and while I may not agree with their diet and even fear that it might not be the best thing for their bodies, I haven’t got anything against them. No, my problem is with the militaristic Vegans who seem to believe that their diet is the only way of life and that meat-eaters are automatically murderers on the level of Ted Bundy.
I personally do not see a problem with eating meat. Why? If you look at our ancestors, they ate meat. We hunted, killed, and ate meat raw as neanderthals and only learned to cook it when we figured out fire. We evolved canines and incisors because nature obviously intended for us to eat a little more than vegetables and fruit and soy. Humans have hearded animals for food for centuries – were they savage animal-killers too, or were they eating meat because they knew something that the Vegans nowadays do not? While it is saddening that many slaughterhouses harm their animals and treat them so horribly, the fact is that killing is a part of the food chain and even if you eat a plant you’re killing something. I do NOT in any way approve of putting hormones and nasty stuff in my food; it’s all too Upton Sinclare’s The Jungle for me. This is easily fixed, however, by eating Kosher meats – still killing, but a lot less painful for the animal and also allows no room for torture.
Also, it is a myth that going vegan is healthier for the environment. It actually leaves a much bigger carbon footprint than if you eat some meat (the key word there is ’some’). As if this weren’t enough, many of the Vegans I’ve met suffer from vitamin and protein deficiencies and some of them need to take pills for the stuff they’re missing. Oh, what’s that, you say? Eating the right mix of proteins in legumes and rice gives you a full protein? True, but it’s not as complex and easily absorbed as meat is. Hence, constipation. Please explain to me how needing to take a laxative for the rest of your life is ‘healthy’. Also, french fries and onion rings are vegitarian, and they aren’t necessarily healthy. And what about fried tofu, greasy veggie dogs and burgers, and the processed soy beans and veggies that make soy milk, tofu, and other vegan staples? Meat or veggie, processed foods are one thing that everyone should avoid if at all possible – especially that flavorless iceberg lettuce; ew! Seriously, eat Romaine if you’re making a salad – the greener the leaf, the more vitamins it has.
The bottom line, unfortunately, is that a lot of Vegans are PETA super-activists that forget that humans, as omnivorous animals, need to eat, and that unfortunately means eating animals to get all the necessary vitamins, proteins, and minerals. Thing is, I do agree with PETA on some things – abusing your pet is a horrible thing to do, fur is indeed murder and shouldn’t be allowed unless you eat the animal (the Native Americans did it this way – using as many parts of the animal as they could), zoos should allow for the animal to have as much freedom as possible (Disney’s Animal Kingdom is an excellent example, with plenty of space for the animals to go when they aren’t out for the general public), and circuses should treat their animals better than they do or not have them at all. I find leather alright because humans eat cow, and many humans eat rabbit, so I don’t have a big issue with rabbit fur, either. No beef with wool; you don’t kill the animal for it and shearing the wool is actually necessary to help the animal stay in good health. Animal testing is needed to find cures for the real killers – Heart Disease, AIDS, and cancer – but I agree that we don’t need to test skincare stuff on rabbits. SOME meat in your diet isn’t going to kill you (it’s actually probably the best way to go diet-wise), and it isn’t automatically setting you up to get fat unless you cook it in twenty pounds of lard. If health’s the only reason you’re Vegan, then try adding some Kosher white meat or fish you catch yourself into your diet and stay away from fast food. Why white meat? White meat is much less fattening than even lean red meat is.
As for my diet, I’m mainly white meat and raw-veggie. I will eat red meat occasionally when I want a burger or something, and even then I try to eat Kosher even though I’m not Jewish. I cannot have milk, so I drink soy milk instead. I try to limit my processed foods as much as possible, and I make sure to get my dairy elsewhere (I only have an issue with milk, not with cheese, yogurt, or other forms of dairy). I do not eat pig products as it really isn’t that good and I’m not about to eat anything that might have (dead or alive) worms in it. I balance this with lean meats, like venison when I can get it (my mom knows a hunter pal who owns a processing plant and only kills for the meat, selling what he can and eating what he doesn’t sell), poultry, seafood, and lamb (which I swear has got to be the meat of the Gods, it’s so good). For all this meat-eating I do, I am very happy to say that I am in good health, with all the vitamins and minerals I need, and I’ve never been happier!
The main reason, unfortunately, that I am not and never could be a vegitarian let alone a vegan is that I have had far too much bad vegitarian fare in my life and not enough good veggie fare to offset it. It can be good if you make it right, but the sad fact is that many veggies and legumes are bland in and of themselves and all the flavor is in the spice, so for those of you saying that MEAT is bland… look again at what you’re eating! So tell me, vegans – how flavorful IS plain tofu? How about plain broccoli, plain zucchini, and plain carrots? Food in general needs flavor to be tasty, therefore saying that meat is ‘unflavorful’ is a moot point.
On the sandwich, I have a few questions. First of all, if you’re Vegan, why are you in a place that supposedly tortures chicken? Why would you wish to patronize such a place if you hate it so much? Second thing I’d like to ask is this – if it’s fried, isn’t it unhealthy anyway? Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot that many of you are hypocrites. My bad.
Last thing I have to say is this – KFc doesn’t have a ‘responsibility’ to make a separate fryer for you that uses veggie oil. KFc and other fast food restaurants are not going to go away. People eat meat, it’s a fact. So this little ‘Animal Liberation’ project of yours really isn’t going to go anywhere. Besides, isn’t mailing people pamphlets that explain in gory detail how their dietary choice is wrong kinda detrimental to what you’re aiming for? When I see your commercials, pamphlets and videos, it doesn’t make me wanna run to Subway for a Veggie sub on an all-wheat bun, it makes me wanna run to the bathroom and spew my previous meal into my toilet after I just cleaned it that morning.
Good luck trying to convert the ‘flesh addicts’ with your scare campaigns, PETA. I’ll be sitting in the corner of your little court laughing at how much of a pathetic bully you are and how foolish you’re making yourself look.
~ THE ABOVE MESSAGE MAY BE OFFENSIVE TO VEGANS, VEGETARIANS, AND PETA MEMBERS. PLEASE DO NOT READ IT IF ANY OF THE LISTED TERMS APPLY TO YOU. THANK YOU. ~
good to know that you think you’re in the ethical clear by consuming only kosher meats! And hey, if NEANDERTHALS did it, why not keep with the low brow traditions and hunt with pointy sticks and sport some loin cloths?
I dont quite understand the point of posting “vegetarians and vegans, dont read this!) considering the entire post is directed to animal liberationists, vegetarians, vegans and anyone else who has made sacrifices for the sentient, social creatures we share the planet with.
Since you claim to have vegan and vegetarian friends, I’m assuming you are aware that not all of us are militant feminists with hairy legs and a chip on our shoulder. And I am also hoping you realize that the incisors and canines we have been granted would be pretty hopeless if we were to try to rip into the carcass of something we just killed. Considering you have access to a computer, I’m going to be safe and assume that you live somewhere where you do not need meat to survive. No, not all vegans have tunnel vision. I realize that I am very fortunate to be able to make the choice of whether or not to eat meat/ animal products. I also realize that people in other places such as third world countries do not have this choice, and meat is part of what keeps them alive. In places like those, people hunt. They survive. We are part of the food chain, and we have the right to survive just as any other animal does. Those people hunt and kill out of necessity, and it is sad that it has to be that way, but it does. You and I however, have all things offered to us. We can make whichever choice we would like to regarding food/diet, and more and more people are making more compassionate choices.
I also refuse to believe that vegan diets have more of a carbon footprint than any other diet. Funneling soy, corn and water through an animal before it is slaughtered, killing the animal, shipping it, butchering it, taking it to the consumer (not to mention the antibiotics and hormones pumped into its system) doesn’t seem too eco friendly to me. Nevermind clearing rainforests for grazing land, crowing animal feed etc. Every diet has some impact on the planet, how much just depends on which one.
I would also like to know why fur is murder, and leather is not? Perhaps you were unaware that leather is not only a bi product, and that there is an actual leather industry. Is it because fur still looks like an animal? Or because cows are not as cute as rabbits? Or maybe because fur reminds us too much of our cats and dogs? You seemed a bit uninformed regarding the leather industry, but I’m sure if you “youtube” leather industry, you will be enlightened. Or perhaps you might like to look into Kosher slaughterhouses? Having your throat slit and your blood drain out of you while your innards spill out seems humane and dignified, doesn’t it?
Going back to carbon footprints, I understand why it might seem that vegan diets have a large one. Importing exotic foods from all over the planet to meet our dietary needs! But you must not forget that meat eaters consume these foods too, as well as a large amout of animal product.
Blaming health problems on a vegan or vegetarian diet is also inappropriate. Like any other person, if a vegan or vegetarian eats nothing but french fries, iceberg lettuce and onion rings, it is obvious that they are not receiving enough nutrients. If an omnivore eats nothing but burgers, french fries and iceberg lettuce, I’d say they were in the same boat. All humans need to eat well or our bodies won’t function properly. Just because we aren’t eating meat or animal products should not create the assumption that we are all nutrient hungry, gaunt and sickly.
“And what about fried tofu, greasy veggie dogs and burgers, and the processed soy beans and veggies that make soy milk, tofu, and other vegan staples?”
What about fried chicken? Grasy hotdogs and hamburgers, and the processed milk that people drink? After the long process of being pasteurized and made “safe” for people to drink? If that isn’t processed, I don’t know what is. Plant milks are just as natural as any other milks, and guess what? People process food. It’s part of eating. Unless you want to rip a carrot from the ground or bite into a freshly killed rabbit, its going to be processed to some degree.
“So tell me, vegans – how flavorful IS plain tofu? How about plain broccoli, plain zucchini, and plain carrots?”
Why don’t you tell me how flavourful raw meat is? How about raw eggs? Or maybe you could suckle milk from a cow and tell me about the experience? Using seasonings and cooking methods is a natural part of eating. Meat eaters do it, and if its natural for you, then its natural for us.
“On the sandwich, I have a few questions. First of all, if you’re Vegan, why are you in a place that supposedly tortures chicken? Why would you wish to patronize such a place if you hate it so much? Second thing I’d like to ask is this – if it’s fried, isn’t it unhealthy anyway? Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot that many of you are hypocrites. My bad.”
Arguable point. One could say that by purchasing such sandwiches is giving money back to a company that tortures animals. Others could say that by purchasing the sandwiches, you are creating a market for animal friendly foods, and more restaurants will get with the times and more people will realize that veggie diets aren’t such an inconvenience after all. Both points are valid, its just up to you to decide which you believe in. And calling many of us hypocrites? Are meat eaters for some reason exempt from this rule? I could even call you a hypocrite- you claim that animal suffering in slaughterhouses is horrible, but you continue to support them, kosher or not.
Lastly, not all vegans and vegetarians are PETA supporters. Although it may be hard for you to believe, we have minds of our own too. Not all vegans and vegetarians are hypocrites, either. Were still people, remember? People are flawed and people make mistakes, vegetarians and vegans and meat eaters alike. I give kudos to those who are doing their best to be compassionate and caring about the earth and its inhabitants. All of them.