What (or who) makes it easy for you to be vegan?



Things that make it easy for me:

My family is very supportive and always has choices for me at gatherings. They never gave me a hard time about my choice.



My bf is amazing, and while he is not veg, he never, ever complains about my vegan cooking and actually quite likes it and always stands up for me when one of his friends makes a comment or eyeroll about my vegan cooking/baking, telling them how good it is and "you would never know it's vegan." He listens to me go on about whatever meeting or event I went to, or new book I read.



I have access to several health food stores. My favorites are Trader Joe's and a local one. (TJ's has GREAT prices on organic produce!) Whole Foods is great too, but further away from me and more expensive.



VB helped me a lot when looking for what products to buy, whether it be food or cosmetics, someone has reviewed or given their opinion on just about everything! Plenty of other websites have also been very helpful, like vegweb, for recipes.



I have one vegan friend, so we go to events together, talk about foods we've found or made, and experiences we encounter. It is so nice to really talk to someone who truly understands



The more information I learn, the stronger my reasons become, and therefore the easier it is for me to know that what I am doing is right for me.



What makes it easy for YOU?

Really liking baked beans (vegan in the UK). At least if I'm stuck in the canteen at Uni, or in a halls of residence, or in a pub ... there will always be chips and beans, baked beans cold from the tin, or jacket potato and beans, respectively!



The fact that I can pick up soymilk, faux meats, and soy yoghurts, all in the supermarkets. Yay for the 21st century Tesco even has some yummies like strawberry soymilk, and ricemilk chocolate.



VeggieBoards. I doubt I would have ever gone vegan without this place, and the people here.



Knowing it's the right thing.

Meeting and talking with other vegans online has made it easy for me. The internet in general is a fantastic resource for information.

For me it's more like what isn't easy about being a vegan at this point!



About the only tricky thing is finding restaurants that my family will be okay eating at that I like the food too.



I'm happy being a vegan.





Oh yes, and yuk @ tinned baked beans in a jacket potato.

My bf is the same. =) Hes an omni but will always at least try what I make (hes a picky eater). Hes also said that some of my vegan things are better than his mom's meat stuff. ;P



Also when we go out he'll be the first one to ask whats in this plate and is this made with any sort of animal product.



He also looks really hard for vegan candies for the holidays which is nice since I rarely get any from others. ;P





Also google has probably been my best friend in being vegan. So easy to look up vegan friendly restaurants, ingredients, etc. ;P

-Liking chick peas, humus, baked beans, veg*n chili etc.

-VB of course

-internet veg*n sites for info & finding items

-no longer feeling guilty about what I eat/wear

Picking up produce and eating it.

Seconded. It was one of the only forms of support I got.



Also- really liking veggies helps, and my brother, who really beleives that Veganism is morally correct (despite the fact that he isn't Vegan himself).

My DH, who didn't want me to go vegan but has been uber supportive when I ignored his advice and did it anyway



This forum, which is so helpful and makes me realise that a vegan lifestyle is possible and people are supportive even when you muck it up in the early stages.

I don't think there is anything particularly "easy" about veganism compared to being an omnivore because our environment is set up to suit an omnivore lifestyle.



There are things that make veganism easier compared to maybe 20 years ago but I wouldn't say that there is anything easy about veganism.

Goodness, everything is easy about being vegan in my world.



I know how to shop vegan. My wife is vegan. So are my kids. I get respect for being vegan. People expect me to be vegan. I enjoy being vegan. It is all quite easy.



I get support. I get identity. I feel great. Being vegan is easy. The rest of life, well, that's much harder.

Yay! It's great to see so many positive responses! I started this thread because I'm a bit tired of hearing how hard it is or must be, when I in fact I don't think it's hard at all. I admit I thought it would be hard, before I did it.

The easiest thing about being vegan is that feels good. I know it's healthy and I know it's compassionate and I know it's right for me. However, I also know I'm very fortunate.



The thing that amazes me are the folks on VB who are on very tight budgets and who have little or no family support. These vegans face constant questions and ridicule, and sometimes don't really have the money or the knowledge to feed themselves nutritiously.

My vegan roommate, my two vegetarian roommates, and my two roommates who eat meat but are very open to vegan recipes make it easy. When I am at school (just three more weeks and I get to go back) we have a vegan dinner about once a week, it's really a lot of fun to cook and eat together.



Also, having a Trader Joe's right near where I live at school makes it pretty easy to find cheap produce, lots of whole grain products, and tasty hummus. But mostly, it's the veggie friends.

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Him, over there in the picture. Also, cow and hen faces.

i like knowing that animals were not harmed in the making of my meals.



i like how pretty my meals are without chunks of dead flesh.



i like that i feel lean and energetic.



i love that my bf has joined my animal-friendly journey with me.



i took a vegan cooking class that made going veg a whole lot easier. my cooking class instructors are now my good friends. one got me involved with the american vegan society and the other with an awesome teaching program called healing species. the right doors have opened for me since going veg. it was the best thing i've ever done!!!

What makes it easy for me is being able to look at animals without feeling guilty

Cooking at home is easy and enjoyable.



I agree with those who say VB and the internet resources help you with support. It is so nice to know there are other vegans out there as I actually don't know any, even though I know plenty of l/o veggies.



My omni g/f has become interested in veganism and animal rights and doesn't think I'm freaky at all, which is nice. We've only eaten vegan meals together and she is one hell of a cook putting my efforts to shame. So I think I may have a potential convert on my hands, which will make things even easier.

Everything is easier with practice.



If you are struggling now then take heart that it gets easier the more you do it.

i thought that said feces when i first read it

Being vegan is tough...I think the hard part is smelling a good steak and telling my body that I don't like it. But there are some plus side, I notice that I feel more full of energy, and I eat less becuase my stomach doesn't take as much. But the hard part is staying on top of my diet because as you all know vegans give us a pale grey look to our skin becuase we are not getting the micro nutrients that we get from a meat diet. But Its a change but we have to stick with it. I enjoy being vegan.

Totaly agree



I also have a couple of health stores near me which makes thing eaier for me.

My deep love of chips I hate to make a fuss, so it's good if I go to a restaurant with non vegans because even if there are no vegan courses I can usually just have chips.



Also tofu. And the bakery down my road with it's whole range of non dairy delights.

Peace of mind.

Three fellow vegans in family;we have a blast at family get togethers ,swap recipes and so forth.

The tons of good stuff I get to cook and eat.

VeggieBoards.

Living in a large city with easy access to all kinds of vegan restaurants and stores which offer a huge variety of goods, including the 99 cent store which carries my favorite soy milk among other great items.

Soy Decadence mint chocolate chip.

Lara Bars!

The Lincolnshire Vegan Society - it's brand new and they're having cake and cheese tastings, bring-a-dish suppers and more. I had a long chat on the phone with the woman who is setting it up and it's so great to have local people to help and advise

I have a supportive and understanding family. My parents are vegetarians and raised me as such and when I was about to embark on my 30th year of life I wholeheartedly chose to live a strict vegan lifestyle. Knowing it is the "right thing" is what makes this beautiful lifestyle so easy. It's a beautiful thing to know that I don't consume flesh or any product that comes from a living or once living being. My husband, though an omni, is quite supportive and respectful. He encourages me every step of the way and while I wish I could convert him completely...he has adopted many vegan tendencies, especially when we are together.



Living in a big city avails me countless vegan opportunities in terms of grocer's, farmer's markets, and local venues that cater to vegans and vegetarians. Cookbooks, swapping recipes with other vegetarians and vegans, chatting with others of like minds and attitudes also makes being vegan even more rewarding. Education, keeping an open mind, and creativity certainly assists in creating the utmost optimal vegan lifestyle for myself. I love being vegan!!! There is nothing difficult about it...

My two roommates: one is vegan, the other vegetarian. My boyfriends sister is vegan, so he is used to it and it is very convenient for me when I am with his family. My older sister is vegetarian. I wish I had a trader joes, but Whole Foods is pretty close (just a tad expensive). I subscribe to the Vegan.com blog which I would recommend to anyone. I get at least one update in the vegan world a day and it reminds me how important the AR movement is. At my college I am a member of the Yoga club, and they host free vegan cooking classes for students once a week, which is awesome because I learn new recipes, and get a free meal, while meeting cool people! All the vegan friendly restaurants in my town make it much easier. And Chipotle helps me to feel like less of a vegan freak as I can eat there, and all my omni friends love to go there. Vegweb.com makes my cooking life a lot easier too

The fact that I am lactose/casein/egg/ and gluten intolerant make being vegan very easy!

Not so much the gluten intolerance....but, it DOES force me to eat more leafy greens and fruits.

lol!

1. The fact that I feel so much better not eating any animal products. I'm beginning to think I'm allergic to dairy and just never knew it. My allergy (grass, pollen, ragweed, mold...everything, it seems like) symptoms have decreased dramatically, I don't get as much stomach trouble as I used to and my immune system seems to be a lot stronger now.



2. All the wonderful vegan foods out there. I haven't found a vegan cheese I like yet, but I haven't actually wanted cheese since I went vegan anyway, so it's been a moot point for me so far.



3. And, of course, the biggest one of all: a clear conscience. I don't feel guilty about what I'm eating anymore. I thought that going vegetarian was going to ease my conscience and it did for quite a while, but I knew I needed to go vegan and it's such a relief to have made the switch and be able to look at cows and chickens and not feel that nagging guilt anymore.