I guess what I’d like to share is not just how I became vegan but mostly how it’s been for me. So I’m actually pretty new to this, I went vegan in October 2016, which would make it around 8-9 months ago by now. And it feels much longer than that! I was never vegetarian; all it took was one short video showing the reality of the dairy industry, the awful treatment of the cows. Other videos followed and I no longer felt I could consume animal products at all. It took me about two weeks to cut out eggs and milk from my diet completely. As for meat, it was instantaneously off-putting and I couldn’t stomach the idea of ever eating it again. I had thought I would miss my old favorite foods like scrambled eggs or that I would be unable to eat out with my friends but I read a lot on veganism and the foods that I COULD eat that I haven’t been eating much before, and in the end it didn’t feel like a trade-off at all.
I feel so comfortable eating a vegan diet, I very rarely miss any non-vegan foods. Literally anything can be made vegan, and so easily, too. I’m mostly disappointed rather than feeling that my choices are limited when no vegan options are offered at a restaurant or a cafe because, come on, it’s 2017; switch your regular cow milk for plant milks, substitute eggs, skip the meat – there’s no need for any of that. Because of that mindset, I tend to forget that so many of my friends still enjoy eating meat and other animal products, although most of them are really respectful of my way of eating and the reasons why I choose to do so.
What sometimes still surprises me, in the best way though, is how my friends always make sure the places we go to eat have vegan options available and also how often they choose to eat vegan or vegetarian meals when going out together with me. Also, more and more of my friends are becoming vegetarian. I like to think I might have influenced them a bit by showing them how effortless it actually is. Feels like a huge win every time!
