When I became vegan on January 16, 2013, I never realized what all I was giving up. Although I do not regret going vegan and will be one for the rest of my life, there are some things that are annoying and overrated with making this life decision. Making this life change was one of the hardest choices of my life, but I did not know that the biggest struggle would be other people. Yes, I do miss the simplicity of going through a drive through and getting a meal without having to special order it. However, the largest issue I find myself running into, same as with many other vegans, is the fact that you feel degraded by others who seem to treat you as an outcast. Here are some of the things I miss since becoming vegan:
1. People will ask you constantly about your protein intake.
Usually when I someone finds out I am vegan, one of the very first questions I get asked is if I get enough protein. Long story short, there is protein in everything. Beans, grains, legumes, and nuts have more protein, so they are easy ways to get that balance. I eat now without feeling bloated, and I get the right about of protein needed per day instead of eating more than needed.
2. People will quiz you about what you eat.
Don't get me wrong... I love being able to enlighten people about the alternatives to eating animal products. However, sometimes these questions are asked in more of a forced way, such as, "How do you not eat meat?" or "Does vegan food even taste good?" If you ask a vegan, or anyone with different from the norm of eating habits, what one eats, you will likely get an answer, but try your best to seem as if they are doing something wrong.
3. People will make jokes.
I get it, really, I do. There are jokes, such as "How do you know if someone is a vegan? They will tell you!"... besides the fact that the subject agreement is wrong with that statement (haha), the reason you can usually tell if someone is a vegan is because food gets brought up into discussion. However, picking jokes at one's eating habits really does get tiring after a while.
4. You will likely feel responsible to look a certain way.
Of course, we all have the social pressures of how we are "supposed" to look. However, those pressures are much more intense when people assume that vegans can only eat fruits and vegetables (since most do). Vegans can eat anything that does not contain animal products; meaning chips, potatoes, even some candy is fair game. Not every vegan is going to look like one is in shape to go to the Olympics, and the pressure to look that way is uncalled for.
5. You will get questions when you go out to eat and will more than likely be asked if you can eat anything.
Eating at the same places I did before going vegan isn't the difficult part. Taking off the cheese and/or meat from a dish seems simple, but one is usually asked additional questions, such as "Are you sure?," which can come off in more of a negative way than intended. Also, people try to be considerate by asking where you eat, but it makes you into more of a spectacle instead of someone who eats differently than average. Unless it's an all meat restaurant, vegans are used to adapting.
6. You will be made up to be a big deal.
I have been vegan for a while now, and no, it's not the first thing I bring up a conversation, despite popular belief. However, when the vegan can is opened, there seems to be no way of shutting it. Questions, comments, reactions, stares . . . it's almost as if you are a rare animal in a cage at a zoo. As much as I understand that people want to ask questions because it is interesting to them, I do wish it was more common to be vegan, or even vegetarian for that matter, because then I could feel more normal.
7. You will miss being oblivious to the reality.
The reality of why many vegans are vegan is flabbergasting. Despite the health and environmental benefits, animals' lives are finally respected. However, what comes with that is the problem of knowing what you used to be ignorant to. Without getting into too much detail, ignorance is bliss. But, I do not regret being vegan and learning about what truly happens to the innocent animals that are taken advance of everyday, no matter the difficultly that comes along with the knowledge.
Becoming vegan is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Don't get confused by this and assume that I don't like being vegan. It's one of my favorite things about me, although the comments can be overwhelming.
If you become vegan, know that you will have to grow a tough skin.
If you are vegan, I'm sure you can relate to this to your life.
And if you aren't vegan, I hope this article helps you realize the impact you can easily have even if you are trying to be helpful.
Here are some websites to help you either along your vegan journey or simply to educate yourself more with why vegans take the leap to veganism:
