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There’s a way to talk about going vegan that doesn’t involve shame, blame, or rigid rules. A way that invites people in, instead of pushing them away.

Philosopher and author Matthew C. Halteman, has written one of the most generous, wise, and unexpectedly funny books I’ve read in a long time—Hungry, Beautiful Animals. It’s a love letter to what’s possible when we stop arguing about “being vegan” and start embracing the abundance that can come from going vegan.

Matt is professor of philosophy at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and a fellow at the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics in the UK.

In this conversation, Matt and I explore the role of family legacy, inner conflict, and philosophy in shaping our choices—and how compassion must be at the heart of advocacy if we want real change.

We speak about what it means to approach others as “vegans in waiting,” the metaphors that make change feel safe rather than threatening, and how joy—not obligation—is the most powerful fuel for transformation.

This is for you if you’ve ever felt torn between truth and tradition, or struggled to find your voice in a movement that often feels heavy.

Let’s dive into what it really means to flourish—together.

• Matt’s personal journey to veganism.
• The role of family legacy in shaping one’s philosophical outlook.
• Negotiating both a deep resonance and deep tension with family legacy.
• Using the inner family (or Internal Family Systems Model) to understand the different parts of us and how hard it can be to go vegan.
• The need for a compassionate approach to vegan advocacy.
• How to approach our fellow “vegans in waiting” with patience.
• The idea of “going vegan” rather than being vegan or veganism.
• The juxtaposition between an obligation based “ism” and an abundance based focus on flourishing.
• Matt’s fabulous book, Hungry Beautiful Animals.
• How and why Matt came to know, Going vegan must be about flourishing – and Joy.
• Was (is?) Matt ever the “angry vegan”?
• Matt shares (of philosophy), “I’ve never seen an area where there is this much agreement that this is the direction in which we should be moving”

If you loved that exchange as much as I did, please stay tuned for round two as there is so much more Matt and I could have covered. I was somewhat entranced.

It was one of those conversations where everything made so much sense. In my brain and my heart. I want to leave the last words to Matt, because he has an art for it. To quote him from Hungry Beautiful Animals:

I want to articulate a vision of the vegan life so beautiful that it captures your imagination and compels participation not by the threat of shame, but by the delight of your own irresistible desire to draw nearer to what you love. Share on X

Matt’s websites and where you can buy Hungry Beautiful Animals: www.hungrybeautifulanimals.com and www.matthewchalteman.weebly.com

Connect with Matt across the socials: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn.

Matt mentioned Carol J. Adams and her books including The Sexual Politics of Meat and Living Among Meat Eaters.

That’s it for this week in Healthification.

Plant Positive Journal Version 2 (printed and fillable PDF)

This journal and daily planner follows a twelve month format however is not dated so it is perfect to use at ANY time of the year.

Connect with Kate across the socials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

With love and gratitude plant friends.

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