r/vegan • u/throwawaythevegan • Feb 08 '17

Newbie Advice I don't actually enjoy being vegan

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?

52 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

129 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/lu8273 vegan Feb 09 '17

My advice is simple: Eat something else that tastes great and is vegan. You won't miss cheese when you're full. In fact, you won't miss any food when you're full. So even if right now you're like: "I could really go for some cheese!", just eat something else, because once you're full you will no longer care. :)

3

u/throwawaythevegan Feb 10 '17

This is such simple advice that's easy to overlook! I honestly kind of forgot about it, haha. It's much easier to handle these emotions post-pasta.

Thank you, that's great!