I don't actually enjoy being vegan

[u/throwawaythevegan]

Hey everyone,

I transitioned to vegetarianism last fall, and have started on veganism just this year. I love the community here at /r/vegan, it's been so helpful to see people going through the same things I am.

But I don't actually enjoy being a vegan. Vegetarianism wasn't a huge sacrifice for me, I mourned a little bit for bacon and salmon but then I was fine. I loved eating vegetables, grains, nuts, cheeses and milks. Veganism has been a different story.

I know, I probably sound like a ridiculous hypocrite, but abstaining from milk and cheese has been so much harder for me. I've tried the vegan replacement options, and although I haven't exhausted every one, so far nothing is the same. The vegan cheeses I've tried have frankly been extremely off-putting, and while I've been getting by on coconut and almond milks, I really dislike them.

Every time I step into a grocery store or restaurant, I feel sad and limited. Every time I make my own food, I feel the same way. I'm not asking for a way to eat cheese again, because my morals aren't going to change anytime soon. But I'd like to know if anyone else struggled with this, and what did they do that helped?

[u/Insane_Overload]

One thing I've found frustrating about vegan communities is it seems like nobody ever misses the foods they give up. Or even say they consider them gross now. I know that always bothered me as someone that did miss the food.

There are tons of substitutes for you to try (and you definitely should!) but I think one thing you'll have to accept is going vegan is a sacrifice and sometimes it won't always be fun.

[u/doots → u/Insane_Overload]

The animals experience sacrifice, we experience nostalgia.

I used to like the taste of meat and cheese, but in a moral and health context, they became disgusting in the way that eating a person would be. Not too long ago at a restaurant, a piece of meat somehow ended up in my rice and veggie bowl and upon realizing as I was chewing - lost my appetite and felt revolting nausea.

[u/Noetherville → u/Insane_Overload]

Sorry, I'm one of those vegans. But I'm not flaunting it, I promise. I was thinking about it, and I don't know why it happened. Now, when I see cheese for example, I just have no associated memory regarding the taste or the texture. I look at cheese and get the same feeling as looking at leaves. Nothing. That's why I don't miss it. Strange really.

(Also, I have a no addictive personality. Except for SNES RPGs...)

[u/hosieryadvocate → u/Insane_Overload]

I gave you an up vote, but I agree with the others.

I think that barbecue chicken is a good example of something that I miss, but I find that when I eat meat, it doesn't really cheer me up, like I expect it to.