Veganism is about so much more than what you eat and I hope these vegan quotes will give you some food for thoughts. The popularity of plant-based diets has skyrocketed in the last few years, but veganism is a complete way of life that transcends beyond food choices, and even animal rights or environmental awareness, to encompass all aspects of personal morality and social justice.

No doubt eating a plant-based diet has improved my health, but by being vegan I’m taking care of more than my physical wellbeing. Veganism has genuinely made me a more aware, compassionate, and socially tuned-in person. There are so many great vegan documentaries which can educate you on what veganism really is, but another thing I like to do is collect veganism quotes from people and books as a powerful reminder of what being vegan really stands for. (I also have a selection of mindfulness quotes and yoga quotes that help me to show up to do my practice and remind me of what yoga really is, beyond the physical side of things).

I have taken so much inspiration over the years from amazing people in all walks of life who have shared invaluable insights on the benefits of being vegan, so I thought I would share some quotes about veganism and insights from some of my favourite vegan thinkers, ranging from politics to pop culture, and physics to fashion.

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The Vegan MD: Dr Michael Greger Vegan Quotes

Dr Michael Greger has made a name for himself as one of the most respected medical doctors advocating for a plant-based diet for great health and has quite a few good quotes on veganism. His research and writing is not just human health-centric but looks at a much bigger picture: his early research considers diseases that stem from industrialised animal agriculture, such as BSE (mad cow disease) and bird flu. He has recently turned his attention to COVID-19 and I’m excited to hear more from him in the future about the role of veganism in preventing future pandemics.

The most ethical diet just so happens to be the most environmentally sound diet and just so happens to be the healthiest.

I think of veganism humbly and holistically. It’s about taking personal responsibility in a world so full of needless suffering. It’s challenging one’s self to open one’s eyes and question society’s assumptions and habits. It’s about critical thinking and compassion and how we would like to see the world evolve.

Be a shining role model of the best qualities humane eating embodies: caring, compassion, and empathy.

We should all be eating fruits and vegetables as if our lives depend on it – because they do.

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The Actor: Joaquin Phoenix Veganism Quotes

It’s great to see how many famous vegans there are using their platforms to advocate for personal and planetary health through veganism these days, but Joaquin Pheonix has been doing it for as long as I can remember. He narrated Earthlings, one of my favourite vegan documentaries, way back in 2005 and has continued to speak out – including when winning an Oscar for best actor — about specism and the importance of being vegan as a form of social justice.

It takes nothing away from a human to be kind to an animal.

Since we all inhabit the earth, we are all considered earthlings. There is no sexism, racism, or speciesism in the term ‘earthling’.

Whether we’re talking about gender inequality or racism or queer rights or indigenous rights or animal rights, we’re talking about the fight against injustice.

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The Astrophysicist and Astronomer: Carl Sagan Vegan Quotes

Carl Sagan’s influence extends well beyond the realm of science; his meditation on the ‘pale blue dot’ changed how humans see themselves on not just a global, but a cosmological scale. He is remembered not just as a great thinker but for his extraordinary eloquence, which shines through in his profound and mind-altering insights on human and animal kinship and great quotes on veganism. It is not known for certain whether he was vegan (although many believe he was) but he is certainly an important thinker for vegans.

Humans – who enslave, castrate, experiment on, and fillet other animals – have had an understandable penchant for pretending animals do not feel pain. A sharp distinction between humans and ‘animals’ is essential if we are to bend them to our will, make them work for us, wear them, eat them – without any disquieting tinges of guilt or regret. It is unseemly of us, who often behave so unfeeling toward other animals, to contend that only humans can suffer. The behaviour of other animals renders such pretensions specious. They are just too much like us.

We are the product of 4.5 billion years of fortuitous, slow biological evolution. There is no reason to think that the evolutionary process has stopped. Man is a transitional animal. He is not the climax of creation.

In my writings, I have tried to show how closely related we are to other animals… and how morally bankrupt it is to slaughter them, say, to manufacture lipstick.

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The Fashion Innovator: Stella McCartney Veganism Quotes

Making more environmentally conscious and sustainable fashion choices can be really challenging. I wanted to give fashion designer and animal rights activist Stella McCartney a shout out for her truly ingenious and pioneering use of alternative vegan-friendly fabrics, from bioengineered silk to leather made of mushrooms. (Her prices, however, are eye-watering, so check out some of my favourite budget friendlier ethical clothing brands and vegan sneakers).

Everyone can do simple things to make a difference, and every little bit really does count.

The really great thing about my shop is that there’s not one dead animal in it. […] We use plastic, fabric, rubber- anything but leather. I almost feel like I’ve been put here to show everyone that it’s unnecessary.

We try to make earth-friendly decisions whenever we can, as it’s part of our brand DNA.

There’s nothing fashionable about a dead animal that has been cruelly killed just because some people think it looks cool to wear.

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The Political Activist: Gandhi Quotes about veganism

Putting this last because I am well aware that Gandhi is not a shining example of everything. But Mahatma Gandhi was undoubtedly one of the most influential figures of political and social change in the twentieth century. He is best known for his resistance to British colonial rule in India, which ultimately led to Indian independence. Most significantly he was an advocate of satyagraha, non-violent protest — a principle that went onto influence Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement. Gandhi, like many Indians, grew up a vegetarian which is a significant part of practising ahimsa, non-violence. I think it is clear to see the connection between practising vegetarianism and knowing that non-violence is a powerful tool for change. So here are some great quotes on veganism by Gandhi.

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.

I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man.

I do feel that spiritual progress does demand at some stage that we should cease to kill our fellow creatures for the satisfaction of our bodily wants.

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