Is it hard to become a vegan?

Question

Is it hard to become a vegan?

Answer 1

Not particularly unless you are really attached to meat and dairy. After a few years, you start to crave things if your diet isn't complete but you can easily figure out what you're missing based on what it is you are craving. (e.g. If you're really craving milk and cheese then maybe you're missing calcium, protein, vitamin D.) Just plan a healthy diet and you'll be fine!

Oooh, and I suggest Hazelnut milk as a milk substitute. It has as much calcium as milk and the same amount of protein and vitamins! Plus, it's delicious!

Answer 2

yes, its hard to separate yourself from chocolate. even if there is a vegan chocolate, its still filled with sugar cause of bitter taste and it harms your teeth and you gain fat more quickly. now I gave up on dark chocolate (I still eat white chocolate - its made out of cocoa butter, more neutral taste unlike bitter cocoa beans for dark chocolate).

cheese is a second thing. somehow you need to get some energy and luckily olive and all other plant oils are fat. so now cheese is also gone.

think, all the food that is made to feed the animals, could already feed the starving children around the world. meat and dairy production is number one pollutor of air and water, transportation is second. half of the fresh water is spent on animals. think of the droughts and dehydrated children!

I know veganism is very worth it. feeding starving children, more fresh water saved, less pollution. I'm still looking for something to replace milk. osteoporosis or whatever its called, doesnt sound like a good thing. luckily there is calcium in nature.

Answer 3

Vegan? Not as easy as vegetarian. I'm a vegetarian, though. Planning and buy food can be tricky. Especially with veganism you have to look at labels and ingredient lists for things like whey(which is usually the one that'll pop up and stop you from buying bread, tortillas, cereal, margarine, and chocolate), and lecithin unless it specifically says soy(which is usually the case). Eggs are traditionally used as emulsifiers to keep food together. Of course with a vegetarian diet things like gelatin are major product deal-breakers(eg. marshmallows, yogurt). Obviously anything with the words: beef, chicken, lamb, fish, and lard are out. Though many great products are made and labelled specifically vegetarians like broth and refried beans.

Label-reading is the biggest thing to deal with for me. I sort of graduated to a vegetarian diet. I was psuedo-veg(sort of fake veg) for several years. Then I cut out more and more meat from my diet. It helped that my sister was vegan at the time, I was forced to label-read for her and we ate the same meals. I was very attached to In-N-Out burgers and a great medium rare steak so it wasn't like I didn't enjoy meat occasionally. So if you're not gasping in disgust about meat and animal products then gradual might work best for you. If however you can't stand it for another day breakfast is a great way to start. Soy milk and oatmeal is something I really enjoy. Or vegan pancakes, which is the only way I make them now. Lunch: a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and some type of favorite bean. Dinner: Burritoes is my favorite. The internet has thousands of great(and some not so great) recipes. And books are becoming very common.

About deficiencies. Protein, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc, CALCIUM, and Vitamin B's are the biggest concern. Those are the most deficient in vegans and vegetarians since they're readily found in meat and animal products. When I want to know a good source for something I use World's Healthiest Foods. It lists the benefits of many different foods and it's mineral/vitamin amounts.

Hope this wasn't too long, dang, probably was. If you really care about becoming vegan or vegetarian it's worth learning about and doing some research.

Answer 4

It depends on how much you love meat & dairy. You should be a vegetarian first, before you become a vegan so it could be easier. It took me some time to become a vegan since I had to eliminate dairy from my diet..

Don't listen to people who say vegans only eat celery and carrots.. There are so many vegan foods, and they all taste wonderful. Plus, they're 10x's healthier :)

But I did research, followed all the steps & it wasn't as hard as I thought. :)

How to become a vegan -

http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Vegan

Answer 5

I agree with Zack. It definitely takes motivation. Motivation to become a vegan is easy to find if you research all of the health benefits and also the inhumane treatment of the animals in slaughter houses.

It wasn't hard for me. It was easy because people were constantly telling me that I couldn't do it or I shouldn't do it, which made me want to go through with it even more. I went vegan "cold turkey" style and very rarely do I have cravings.

Answer 6

Vegetarian=very easy

Veganism=a bit hard

Going vegan is a bit hard when you are attached to those milk products and eggs. Cheese are a bit hard to avoid and butter too and sugar too. But it depends on how committed are you. Eating vegan food everyday and trying to cook vegan meals will become your lifestyle and a routine. It wouldnt be hard anymore in the long run.

Answer 7

no takes motivation and commitment

Answer 8

No, not really.  (At least for me it wasn't, and I went straight from omni to vegan.)  

Just get yourself a good cookbook and you're totally set!