Being Vegan is Hard

Being vegan isn't always easy, or so the FDA would like you to believe. The truth is, being vegan is a very simple and clean way to sustain your body, but we've been lied to about our diets for so long that it makes people very uncomfortable to question why they eat the way they do. Most people have never stopped to wonder where the food on their plate comes from, or how it got there. It has been my personal experience that as soon as the word 'vegan' crosses your lips, the party on the receiving end automatically shuts down. This is occasionally accompanied by an eye roll and an assumption that you are a picky eater and difficult. This couldn't be further from the truth and is a misconception propagated by the media and factory-farming industry.

A question that I am asked on a regular basis is, "So what do you eat?" Although this seems like a simple question, it is very common. Most people simply can't imagine a life that doesn't include super-sized portions of meat and cheese. It isn't their fault. That's the way they've been programmed since birth. Instead of rolling my eyes back at them and giving them a snarky answer, I like to keep it simple and friendly. They already assume that my diet is difficult; I'm not going to contribute to that image with a bad attitude. The fact of the matter is that I eat a simple diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, starches and fats. I make it sound simple and easy, because it really is. I save money on groceries, the recipes I make are simple, and most restaurants are more than happy to comply with my requests to leave the meat and dairy off of my plate. One of the greatest challenges that veganism faces today is the misconception that it is a difficult lifestyle to sustain. As vegans, it is important that we meet the questions of our omnivore friends with a smile and good information, making our lifestyle sound as simple to sustain as it really is.