What Do People Struggle With on a Plant-Based Diet?

Do you think it is easy to be vegan in the modern times? Even with a ton of resources and information on what to eat and what not which is generally the only struggle considered, just a few google searches and clicks away from you? With nearly a whopping 16% of the population being available and clicking on resources to migrate to a plant-based diet?

Well, it seems like every good thing has its own struggles. The need for you to shuffle through supermarket shelves for the perfect vegan friendly products or getting your way through a wide range of products to get the perfect one.

Maybe the hassle of looking out for the perfect meal when you are out on a date or eating out all by yourself. Or maybe it is the hassle of eating the same thing every single day making your days tasteless and taste buds bland.

Maybe it's about saying goodbye to some of your favourite foods making you rage with your daily cravings, and it is often hard to find purely vegetarian restaurants. Social hangouts with friends over snacks and food might sound as a dread to the ears now. Or maybe it is just your body lacking some of the nutrients that you require.

Lack of the particular nutrients causing you nausea, weakness, fatigue and some minor deeds such as bad breath and feeling sleepy all day long. Topping the problems up with a cherry on top might be the radically silly questions of people asking you about how do you dwell on the lives of just plants. Where do you get your proteins from? Aren’t you getting malnutrition?  Is it really necessary?

If you are someone who is strictly vegan you might have also faced struggle in finding the perfect vegan cream or any other beauty products, shoes and clothing that would not move you from your rule of thumb to never indulge in animal cruelty. Or even products that have been tested on animals.

Taking a moment to talk about the benefits before we start to rant on the problems that a vegan shall face. The vegan lifestyle is there for your rescue not only relating to the term of ‘weight loss’ for the only term that comes to mind. 

But also, a food plant-based diet helping one in long term health benefits and a lower risk of heart disease. All of that with just plant-based foods or to properly name it, a ‘vegan diet’.

The need to do some pretty tedious homework to get all the work done and planning yourself a chart to get you the perfect amount of nutrients and calories from just plant sources in the most efficient way possible. Asking for the commitment of opting for supplements for vitamin B12 and other nutrients like calcium. After all, saying goodbye to your favourite burger, pizza and snacks might be something out of a horror story but too good to be true that a plant-based diet may do you better for your health.

Bringing out the positive in every situation and how to tackle it through the facts rather than superstitions and bogus information that might be spread across group chats. 

Taking small steps of educating the mass, or bringing in your own food. Missing your cheesy and meaty flavours? Well the vegan alternatives are nothing but a blessing and you know what to take in. Nutritional yeast and soy milk alternatives for your cheesy cravings, or liquid smoke for your smoky barbecue outing major missing. 

Going through the essential food substitutes and there you have it! Good to go for all your needs of your favourite dishes with just a subtle twist. So, what might be the major headaches that follow you like the monsters under your bed and that too in broad daylight?

Dining in and Eating Out

Eating out can be one of the most painful experiences not because you might be an introvert with social anxiety but because of the lack of vegan options at your favourite restaurant. 

Where the only vegan option might be the salad and a side of fries or beans and that surely does not blend up with the platters of food that others might order. Generally, a reason to hide yourself out from outings or being that cousin at family gatherings that doesn’t show up anymore.

So, what do we do? The simple task of a little bit of a homework might be sufficient enough to get you through all of it. Planning your meetup places and outing destinations and checking the menu items on your ‘to visit’ restaurants online for vegan alternatives and dishes available. Maybe have a light meal before hand to be able to suffice with the only side dish and salad options that might be available.

Meals might also be a pain when it comes to you travelling to places that you might know about. Are there vegan options on the plane? Can I get to maintain a plant-based diet while I am out? Well, a home cooked meal has never done anyone any wrong. Little snacks or maybe a meal to fill in your hunger growls through the day while you are out.

What about the awkward looks at gatherings or thanksgiving meetups that you might receive while you give up on the delicious meats and deli? Try making something from them, maybe a plant-based meal to change their minds toward how tasty the diet can be?

Letting people know about your eating habits might be the best option to be declared before you ring their doorbell. People are usually happy to know about what you would like to eat and cook you just that.

A family meal will be the best as you focus on what is on the table that you might be able to devour even if it’s the simple kale salad. Let the host know about how you liked it after the meal.

Awkward moments and question

Hey you live on plants? How do you even get your daily protein? You will be skinny in no time! Wait, did you relate? Isn’t it cruel to hear such questions? People asking you about your diet and how bored you might feel at the end of the day just thriving on salads and veggies.

Well, the little things that you might be able to do in the situation is being patient and maybe trying to make them aware of the immense platter of options and how tasty they are.

Cravings

The only thing to make you think twice about the effectiveness and your decision of taking up the journey of a plant-based diet. Wait! Did you just forget about why you took up the diet in the first place? No, you just can’t give up on your morale.

Craving for your meaty and cheesy flavours on your favourite pizza and pasta? Well did you surf the internet? Getting the perfect alternatives is nothing but child’s play (literally). Tofu, Jackfruit, mock meats and many different alternatives might be the perfect solution for your cravings for the chewy and flavourful meat based proteins that your taste buds miss. Soy milk and almond derivatives of cheese might be the saviour of the day to be spread and grated on your salads to add that flavoursome touch to your dishes.

Other problems

The mitigation of animal cruelty is the only thing that shall be prioritized right? But what about the clothing and make up products that might contain milk derivatives and might be the result of animal cruelty?

Sticking to brands making the perfect options for you to go for by looking at their processes and searching for non-animal-oriented products for your daily use. Not forgetting about the fact of medications that might have been tested on animals and them being excluded from the list of prohibited products for the diet because we don’t want you to be sick at the end of the day with chronic diseases.

So, finally here is a small tip, the key of you being a successful person in the plant-based diet that you might be following shall be the use of patience and skill. The skill of making your way out of all situations whether it be an awkward conversation or someone judging you for being happy with just salads. Whether it be a restaurant with no vegan alternative or a new city you might not even know about.

Here’s to happy health.