The Jordan Harbinger Show, Ep. 1203: Veganism | Skeptical Sunday (Aug 31, 2025)

Main Theme:
Jordan Harbinger and co-host Jessica Wynn take a deep dive into veganism—its definitions, ethics, health implications, societal perceptions, and challenges—through a critical, humorous, and highly practical lens. The episode aims to bust myths, clarify confusion, and address strong opinions around veganism, both from inside and outside the movement.

1. Setting the Stage: Veganism Unpacked

[01:18 - 03:29]

• Skeptical Sunday episodes focus on breaking down misunderstood topics. Today: veganism—as salvation to some, a “social cult” to others.
• Jessica Wynn, a decades-long vegan, shares her personal background: “I was the little kid, you know, feeding my steak to the dog and only eating the fries for my Happy Meal.” [03:29]
• Veganism is presented upfront as a lifestyle with varied motivations: ethics, health, and psychology.

2. Definitions and Dietary Labels

[05:15 - 06:32]

• Veganism = “No animal products, period. No dairy, no eggs, no leather. If it moves, clucks, squirts milk, or it's tested on a bunny. I'm not buying it.” – Jessica [05:40]
• Differentiations: vegetarians, lacto/ovo-vegetarians, pescetarians. Jessica notes the nuance: “It's sort of a personal definition, but it can be really simple.” [05:31]
• Microplastics, seafood, and unavoidable contamination in modern life get a shoutout.

3. Social Perceptions, Stigma, and Personal Stories

[07:24 - 10:47]

• Jordan critiques why veganism elicits such strong reactions: “It's not a terrorist cell. It doesn't really hurt me.”
• Jessica notes, “Vegans are just looked down on by some people. Literally. While I was writing this, I was listening to a Phillies game and the commentator had to get a vegan dig in.” [07:24]
• Anecdotes on being ostracized, family resistance, and the “Midwestern grandma” approach to sneaking in meat.

4. Motivations for Veganism (Ethics and Personal Experience)

[10:05 - 14:48]

• For Jessica, “it's psychological. First, I can't separate the murder from my plate... As an adult, I don't think I could choke down a burger with a gun to my head. It's not politics. It's just who I am.” [10:10]
• The hypocrisy debate: Jordan admits, “If you're eating meat at some level, you kind of have to just accept that level of hypocrisy.” [11:30]
• Broader drivers: health, genetics, and especially ethics per Peter Singer’s philosophy: “You shouldn't ask if animals can reason. You should ask if they can suffer.” [13:47]

5. Is Veganism Healthy? Myths, Nutrient Deficiencies & Processed Foods

[14:48 - 18:58]

• Not all vegan food is “healthy”: “Oreos, technically vegan. French fries are vegan. Most vodka is vegan. It doesn't mean any of that is good for you.” – Jessica [14:48]
• Importance of reading labels and self-education: “It's not just food. It's clothes, it's makeup, it's beauty products.” [18:00]
• Unexpected animal by-products (e.g., guanine from fish scales in cosmetics).

6. Navigating Modern Veganism – Convenience vs. Health

[16:28 - 18:58]

• Veganism is much easier today but more processed: “Veganism got less healthy as it got popular because big food companies cornered the market and pushed processed junk.” – Jessica [17:21]
• “Now you can be a junk food vegan.” [17:36]

7. The Dairy Debate

[25:19 - 28:54]

• “We’re not meant to consume animal milk... In fact, it's linked to higher risks of cancers and heart disease.” – Jessica [25:27]
• Jordan’s counter: “Milk builds strong bones so we can grow up and look like Olympians on the Wheaties box. That's what the commercials promise, right?” [27:04]
• Discussion on the power of dairy industry marketing and ethical considerations.
• “Keeping mammals in constant lactation for mozzarella sticks, I don't think there's a good reason.” – Jessica [28:15]

8. Vegan Substitutes & Realistic Expectations

[29:44 - 32:25]

• Vegan ice cream and cheese fall short: “Store bought vegan ice cream, it's just kind of a sugary, expensive lie... Expecting substitutes, that's a myth.” – Jessica [29:52]
• Instead, “throw some peeled bananas and berries in the freezer ... that's a pretty good dessert.”
• The main point: Expecting perfect plant-based replacements is a recipe for disappointment.

9. “How Do You Get Your Protein?” and Nutrient Challenges

[36:57 - 41:15 & 61:43 - 65:10]

• On B12: “To get the necessary amount of B12 from nature, you'd have to eat so much algae and seaweed it would be unpleasant... if you're Vegan, take a B12 supplement. No exceptions.” – Jessica [37:03]
• Iron, calcium, omega 3s, vitamin D: All manageable but require education, food variety, sometimes supplements.
• “Plant-based protein is everywhere… Elephants, horses, giraffes, rhinos, they're all giant jacked vegans.” – Jessica [62:52]
• Plant proteins require higher volume: “You just have to eat so much more.” [63:24]
• Jordan: “Beans and broccoli can make you swole, eh?” Jessica: “Yeah, I mean, eat enough of them. Yes.” [63:55]

10. Kids, Pregnancy, and Veganism

[55:36 - 60:33]

• Can kids and pregnant people thrive vegan? “Absolutely, if you plan right. It's really hard, though... A vegan diet needs to be managed so carefully.” – Jessica [55:36]
• Animal diets for pets are non-negotiable; forcing veganism on carnivorous animals is unethical.
• Some research shows vegan kids might be a little shorter, but no critical deficiencies noted if the diet is managed.
• Jessica’s advice: “...if my hypothetical toddler wanted pizza and cake at a birthday party, I don't think that should be an issue.” [60:03]

11. Mental Health, Orthorexia & Extreme Diets

[48:22 - 52:38]

• Veganism and depression: “Some studies link vegan diets to a higher rate of depression and anxiety, but the data... is all over the place.” – Jessica [48:40]
• Orthorexia (obsessive clean eating) can impact both vegans and meat-centric dieters: “Any extreme diet that triggers problems including veganism or meat only diets.” [50:50]
• Extreme restriction, not veganism itself, leads to health issues (see: Steve Jobs’ disastrous all-carrot diet).

12. The Processed Food Trap & Food Industry Influence

[31:40 - 48:22]

• Ultra-processed vegan products are common but not healthy: “Those fake meats are kind of gross.” [47:09]
• “Corporations saw the profit loss from people ditching meat and they flooded shelves with ultra processed vegan junk.” – Jessica [31:40]
• The need for nutrition education and label literacy.

13. Animal Ethics, Ag-Gag Laws, and Environmental Impact

[66:10 - 73:07]

• Factory farming, animal ethics, and the often-hidden cruelty of industrial agriculture.
• Ag-gag laws “make it illegal to film what's happening on farms and in slaughterhouses,” defending industry secrecy. [67:06]
• “Factory farming is unethical no matter what your package says. Animals feel pain, they feel pleasure. They fear joy. And ethical vegans believe that they deserve moral consideration.” – Jessica [69:17]
• Environmental perspective: Plant farming uses less water, land, and causes less pollution than livestock. Jessica calls out the dairy industry for promoting “scare” campaigns against almonds.

14. Lifestyle or Diet? Final Thoughts and Advice

[73:10 - End]

• Jessica: “Veganism is a lifestyle too... It's not about being perfect, it's about being conscious.”
• Even one “vegan” meal a day or reducing meat/convenience food makes a difference.
• “Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store. That's where the fresh fruits, vegetables and yes, fresh fish and meats are. And they are better than anything you're going to buy down an aisle.” – Jessica [73:54]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Nobody's trying to confiscate your brisket.” – Jessica [08:01]
• “Got Milk? Is what the villain says right before the laser Beam fires in your indie movie.” – Jordan [28:41]
• “Our bodies are amazing. And our cravings tell us what we are deficient in. So chocolate... is high in iron and magnesium. And those monthly chocolate cravings women get, that's just your body asking for what you're losing.” – Jessica [41:03]
• “I just want the guy that's eating Cheez-it crusted hot dog casserole who can't make it up a flight of steps without wheezing to stop lecturing vegans.” – Jessica [73:17]
• “It shouldn't be a big deal, but the way vegans probably see meat eaters is the way a meat eater sees someone gnawing on a chicken foot.” – Jordan [33:36]

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Definitions and Misconceptions [05:15 - 06:32]
• Social Perception & Stigma [07:24 - 10:47]
• Ethical Motivation/Early Life [10:05 - 14:48]
• Veganism & Health Myths (B12, Iron, etc.) [36:57 - 41:15]
• Dairy Debate [25:19 - 28:54]
• Kids, Pregnancy, and the Vegan Diet [55:36 - 60:33]
• Ethics and Ag-Gag Laws [66:10 - 73:07]
• Wrap-up and Practical Advice [73:10 - end]

Tone and Language

• The conversation deftly balances expertise, skepticism, humor, and personal anecdotes.
• Jordan uses self-deprecating humor and admits his own dietary hypocrisies.
• Jessica is pragmatic and non-dogmatic, emphasizing listening to one’s body, the importance of nutrition, and the realities of navigating veganism in a “meat-centric” world.

Summary Takeaways

• Veganism is complex, personal, and not always “healthy by default.”
• Ethical considerations and the impacts on animals and environment are core for many, but motivations vary.
• It is easier than ever to be vegan—but the processed food trap is real.
• Deficiencies are avoidable but require education and planning, especially for kids and pregnancy.
• Veganism is less about “perfection” and more about conscious choice and balance.
• Criticism of veganism is often based in culture, marketing, or personal discomfort—rather than fact.
• Eating fewer animal products, even occasionally, helps—veganism isn’t all-or-nothing.

For Those New to Veganism:
This episode provides a grounded, nuanced, and practical guide to the realities (and pitfalls) of going vegan—without dogma, with plenty of humor, and with an emphasis on critical thinking.