Can Vegans Eat Avocado?
There are numerous viewpoints on this; you might wonder why it is even a topic for discussion. Avocados are plant-based foods; why should vegans avoid them in their diet? Now, vegans can actually consume avocado, though not all vegans do so. There can be different types of vegans, and they have different opinions about what they eat.
Why should vegans avoid a fruit that is beneficial for heart health and can help lower cholesterol levels? Avocados also contain a variety of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, vitamin E, potassium, and folate. Well, there is this category of vegans who think plants that are pollinated by insects should not be eaten. Yep, you read that right.
Take, for instance, the avocado plant; it is pollinated by Apis mellifera. Alongside other plant-based foods like almonds, cherries, plums, alfalfa, sunflowers, clover, squash, clementines, tangerines, cranberries, blueberries, pumpkins, apples, and a whole assortment of other vegetables. These fruits and some veggies can actually be found on the non-vegan list.
Why Vegans Should Not Eat Avocado
Well, for vegans that have been eating avocados and haven’t had any allergies or whatnot, you should keep doing it. There are people who completely avoid the fruit at all costs because it gives them allergies.
In general, vegans should avoid avocados because they are pollinated by Apis mellifera, the European honeybee. Hives of bees are transported around the country in a complicated rotation as the crops bloom, so they can visit the fields and pollinate the plants. Without the hardworking little bees, we would have far fewer fruits, nuts, and vegetables to put on the vegan table.
Vegans object to using honeybees to pollinate crops, especially almonds and avocados, because those are the heaviest users of bees. Vegans object to the exploitation of honeybees, either by taking (they say stealing) their honey or by transporting them around to fertilize crops. I mean, that is the whole concept of being a vegan: avoiding animals, not necessarily animal-based products, but products made by animals as well.
Why Are Avocados Classified As Not Vegan?
Avocados are good sources of healthy fats, protein, and other nutrients that are essential when eating a meat and dairy-free diet. Why are they not considered vegan? Some people feel that anything that is not classified as an animal is vegan. Well, it doesn’t work that way. Some fruits are actually animal products because they are pollinated by insects.
Some people feel that avoiding everything an insect pollinates is extreme. Vegans want to live in a world where animals are free and live to the best of their abilities. They don’t want to live in a world where animals are used to make products that will benefit mankind. This is kind of awkward, because you’ll see that some of the bags, clothes, and shoes are made from animal products. What will be left to eat for vegans if they avoid everything on the list of crops pollinated by bees? Will they have very little left to eat except bark and grass? No, they won’t; there are animal-free plants and products specially made for vegans. Every day, there is a new variety of vegan products; they’ve been doing it most of their lives, and they will probably always choose this diet in their next life.
