A constant theme of vegan critics is that a vegan diet is unsafe – it lacks appropriate nutrition, is dangerous for children, causes mental health disorders etc. It simply is not what humans evolved to eat.

Is this true?

Well, we take a different tack to thinking about this. First, no diet is vegan – only human beings can be vegan. Veganism is a moral philosophy about being fair to other animals when we can do that. Whatever we eat is a consequence of making fair choices when we have the freedom to choose. Therefore we think of diets as being vegan-friendly if the food is sourced in a manner consistent with vegan ethics.

Second, veganism does not expect that people eat only plants come what may. Instead, a vegan-friendly diet is one that conforms to the ethics of veganism to the extent possible and practicable for anyone in their particular circumstances.

As we’ve explained before, the ethics of veganism encourage us to make fairer choices when we can. This means that we should give the similar interests of other animals equal consideration (fairness) and be consistent in doing so (justice). In simple terms, this means much the same as how we’d apply these principles to other people. Veganism proposes that whenever possible, animals should not be owned, regarded as commodities and/or a mere means nor treated cruelly. That is really why vegans don’t buy animal products when alternatives exist.

When it comes to diet, the proposition is that we have healthy and nutritious alternatives in the form of a huge variety of plants. Most people already eat some foods derived from plants, for example fruit, vegetables, grains, seeds, bread, sugar, wine, etc. But because meat and dairy come from farmed animals and those animals are owned, regarded as commodities and often treated cruelly, vegans don’t buy such products. They replace meat and dairy in their diet with plant alternatives.

But what if it isn’t possible to find suitable alternatives? What if someone’s genetic disposition causes a poor metabolic response to plant-based foods? There are situations in which some people can’t thrive on a plant-based diet. What to do?

The answer is simple. Veganism is an ethical stance, but as we said above it does NOT propose that people have to eat plants regardless of negative consequences or personal circumstances. When people cannot obtain or make use of suitable alternatives to animal foods, then they can and should include animal products in their diet. We have a duty to look after ourselves first and foremost.

In such situations, a vegan-friendly diet may indeed include animal foods. There is nothing wrong with that nor is it something to fear. Humans DID evolve to eat meat – we are omnivores. So while it is true that the evidence shows we can be healthy and thrive on a plants-only diet, we are equally as able to eat a mixed diet when necessary. It is the case that people can be healthy and thrive on a mixed, omnivore diet.

In fact, the diets of ancient hunter/gatherers were effectively vegan-friendly. That is because the people of those times ate what they could from their environment and in many cases they did so with some care to not destroy that environment. The animals they ate as part of their hunting lifestyles were free and able to live life on their own terms, subject to natural constraints.

In the end, a vegan-friendly diet is whatever diet will ensure your health and well-being in your circumstances while being guided by vegan ethics. Whatever the source of that food. People guided by vegan ethics will make genuine and conscionable choices whenever possible to avoid supporting unfair treatment of other animals – usually by eating a wholly plant-based diet – but their duty to their own well-being should always come first.

The truth is that you simply cannot have an appropriate vegan-friendly diet which lacks important nutrients or compromises your health. If someone’s diet isn’t nutritious, regardless of whether or not it’s vegan-friendly, that’s on them. Not the ethics of veganism.