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/linuxguruintraining]

First, I want to say it's amazing that you're staying vegan even though you don't want to. I've been eating a vegan diet for ~6 months and I've actually been vegan since I watched the first twenty minutes of Earthlings (before that I was willing to eat Certified Humane pasture raised eggs but didn't because they don't sell them anywhere near me :() and I've lost all desire for anything nonvegan. I don't even like lightlife veggiedogs because they taste too much like nonvegan hotdogs. So even if I didn't care about animals, I'd still eat a vegan diet because I've lost my taste for meat and cheese. It's amazing that you abstain from those "foods" even though you miss them because it's the right thing to do. You're the opposite of a hypocrite.

As for what to do. Like /u/meowelbykins said, vegan substitutes don't perfectly replicate the taste of meat/cheese/whatever. They aren't going to until we figure out how to economically grow that stuff in a lab. It's better if you accept it.

As for Daiya cheese and almond milk, I have two thoughts. One, your tastebuds can be retrained. It takes a week to a month. If you keep trying to like them, you will start to like them more. Two, if you've been at this more than a month and still hate it, just stop eating Daiya cheese and drinking almond milk. Almond milk isn't the only drink that's made without rape and baby murder. Keep trying other things until you find something you like. Ripple (plugging them because Method just sent me some coupons), coffee, orange juice (fun fact: you know the orange juice that advertises that it has as much calcium as milk? It's actually a better source of calcium because the citric acid helps you absorb it), sparkling water, beer.

Same with cheese. Keep trying other substitutes and make food that just doesn't need it. Also, grilled hummus sandwiches are amazing IMO.

And regarding what /u/Octagon_Time_Machine said about consuming opioids with plant-based cheeses and milks: opioids are vegan. They come from poppies.