Pavel Tahkovuori, who lives a vegan lifestyle, presented the contents of his pantry.
Vegan activist Benjamin Pitkänen and responsibility expert Pavel Tahkovuori are friends and founders of the Viral vegans animal rights association. They also have a podcast called “I like Vegans” and have written together Dear animals we eat – information book (Into, 2024).
– I was eating my favorite pepperoni pizza and at the same time I was reading an interview with the slaughterhouse veterinarian in the afternoon newspaper. For the first time, I got an idea of how bad a condition pigs, for example, arrive at the slaughterhouse. I came face to face with it for the first time, and it felt bad. I didn’t want to support it anymore. After that, I decided to leave meat out of my diet, Tahkovuori recalls the moment, as a result of which he decided to become a Vegan.
In total, Tahkovuori’s life change took three months. For Pitksen, the process was faster; he thought about it all night. He describes that he was a devoted user of animal products when he was younger. Even the whole can of cow’s milk was consumed in one sitting.
– After high school, a close friend of mine became a vegan and recommended a documentary about animal production. I considered myself to be very fond of animals and I grew up in rural landscapes. It just hadn’t occurred to me that while I loved the animals living in my home, I was also turning a blind eye to the eating and suffering of other animals, Pitkänen says.
He has been vegan for the past eight years and has not regretted the decision for a moment. According to him, the change in eating habits was not difficult even then. Now the situation has progressed by leaps and bounds.
– Nowadays it is unprecedentedly easy and painless. Awareness has increased a lot and the consumption of meat and milk is decreasing. We are talking about a massive upheaval. It is no longer so obvious that it is ok to kill animals. Animal rights are emerging as an important social topic of discussion. The new nutritional recommendations also direct to increase plant-based food.
Attitude more positive
Although, according to Pitkänen, there is still a lot to be done in the attitude climate, the plant-based diet is viewed more positively all the time. The number of different plant-based products has also increased and availability has become easier.
Tahkovuori has two concrete examples of this.
– First of all, in the store, for example, the shelf of plant-based milk and yogurt products just keeps getting longer. The second is that when we went to tell about our book at Ii’s high school, even at Ii’s gas station there was something suitable for vegans to eat. This is by no means only a matter for young people or only for the capital region. It has seen a lot of progress.
When Tahkovuori gave up animal products, he was often asked where he gets his protein from, if not from meat.
– A shopping trip often goes through macaroni, cream and mincemeat to the checkout. In a hurry and out of habit, you don’t even look at anything else. Often the options are on the other side of the aisle. It went so well for me that the store felt a bit like seeing it again. Changes require breaking habits.
Benjamin Pitkänen and Pavel Tahkovuori urge to taste vegetable products without prejudices. It’s more important than thinking, Does vegetable nakki taste the same as meat nakki, is to think, Does it taste good. New flavors enrich life, the duo say. Pete Anikari
Extreme thinking?
The two say that the attitude of their close friends towards their dietary choice was mainly positive and curious. On the other hand, veganism has been considered an extreme thought.
– The point of veganism is that you don’t need to eat any animal in terms of health, animals and the environment. It’s more consistent that we don’t come up with justifications for what animals can and can’t be eaten, says Tahkovuori.
Pitkänen has received even harsher feedback from strangers. At worst, even death threats.
– It is often invoked that eating animal products is a tradition. But we can’t use tradition to justify injustices. After all, we have had some brutal traditions in history, but certainly we are all grateful that there is no longer, for example, slavery, or that equality between the sexes has improved, Pitkänen questions.
Now the two want to dispel the myth that veganism is some kind of miracle. Pitkänen reminds us that they have lived in exactly the same society, surrounded by the same imagery and customs as everyone else.
Zoom out
If, as a mixed eater, you want to reduce the use of animal products, Tahkovuori recommends turning your attention to, for example, oat-based plant-based milk products.
– For example, oat-based cheeses are really tasty. I would say the best plant-based cheeses on the market.
You can try modifying your own bravura recipe so that you first replace the meat with vegetable protein. After that, you can switch to plant-based dairy products.
– The change doesn’t have to be all at once. It may be, as it was with Benjamin, but I definitely say that taking solid steps is better than a quick sprint, which you quickly fall in love with, says Tahkovuori.
– When learning about vegan food, you should be curious and zoom out a little from your own life. When you let go of preconceptions, you may be surprised that eating is enjoyable even without animal products. Curiosity goes a long way, Pitkänen states.