FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions For Vegans

Here’s a few quick questions for vegans just beginning their journey – things that we’ve heard most from our new users or things we’ve wondered ourselves!


Table of Contents


What is the best and worst part about being vegan?

This question will absolutely change with every person you ask. But it is a very important question to think about. Self reflection and conversation with loved ones on the same path is crucial to stay motivated and inspired, not only with veganism but in anything you do. Veggums was started by a couple who chose to pursue veganism together and here’s what they think the best and worst part of being vegan is.

“The most difficult part of being vegan is that you have to find creative ways to cook for yourself.”

And…

“The best part about being vegan is that you have to find creative ways to cook for yourself.”

Sure, it can be challenging and tedious at time, but it’s extremely rewarding.

Transitioning to veganism is a wonderful, inspiring thing. But it can be very difficult starting out depending on your prior lifestyle. Ultimately, the key is to know your resources, keep your inspiration and support close, and don’t give up.

Is being vegan more expensive?

It can be, but it doesn’t have to be. We’ve actually found that we spend less money being vegan. Simply because we go out to eat less!

Depending on where you live, vegan friendly restaurants can be hard to come by. And many of them are a bit pricey, so you learn to cook more.

We believe that through strengthening the vegan community, we can make vegan friendly restaurants the standard – and more affordable too! So don’t let the cost scare you out of making the decision to go vegan, and don’t let anyone use that as an excuse not to be vegan.

What’s the hardest part about going vegan?

The most difficult part of adopting a vegan lifestyle is going to vary from person to person. Some people love a certain type of non-vegan food. Some people have a hard time letting go of the convenience of things like fast food, which are commonly not vegan. Some people don’t want to lose the “freedom” of ordering whatever they want from the menu at a restaurant. And still others have different reasons.

The best advice we can give is to identify your weaknesses and be fully aware of them. This awareness will help you stick to it and avoid the opportunity for excuses or too many “just this once” situations.

On the other hand, keep in mind that you are your biggest supporter. Don’t beat yourself every time things don’t go exactly how you’d like. Even if you slip up, don’t let that get you down or cause you to think you can’t do it. Truthfully, anybody can be vegan if they want to. And that’s the key – they have to want it.

Are family events and parties difficult when you’re vegan?

For us, the hardest part about transitioning to veganism was probably family gatherings. It’s easy to feel like a burden when grandma cooks an entirely separate meal for the two vegans. And it took us a long time to realize we were looking at it totally wrong.

Our families were simply trying to support us in something we are so passionate about. So if mom buys you a bunch of vegan snacks, don’t feel sorry – feel grateful.

Not only that, but we were inspiring much of our non-vegan family members to eat more vegan dishes the whole time along the way! If you encounter this along your journey, view their support for all that it is worth and be thankful. If it was too much of a burden, they wouldn’t be so accommodating.

If you find family events to not be so vegan friendly, take it as a challenge and don’t be discouraged. You may have to bring your own food, but show them just how awesome vegan food can be! Even if it’s just a vegan side dish to pass, you could end up turning some heads and changing some minds. (Oh, and we can help with that!)

“What can you even eat being vegan?”

If you’ve already been vegan for some time, you probably know the answer to this question – A LOT. It’s a common misconception for people to think veganism prevents you from eating much of anything, but that is not true in the slightest.

Yes, you have to be a bit creative in how you cook. But that’s what we find to be so fun! Once you start experimenting with different flavor combinations you’ll see that there are so many fun foods to cook and eat. It’s not all just fruit and veggie trays as some seem to think – although there’s nothing wrong with that either!

What inspires people to try veganism?

The inspiration behind transitioning to veganism can come from many things. Some of the most common would be making a stance against the poor treatment of animals, to be more environmentally friendly, or simply to eat healthier.

Most people, from our experience, have a combination of these three to varying degrees – accompanied by other reasons. Whatever your reasons, move through your journey with motivation and inspire others along the way.

We want the Veggums vegan community to be a place of encouragement and support. We ask that you please do not try to force these ideas on others, or look down on others who don’t share the same practices and feelings.

How do you get enough protein with a vegan diet?

One of the first questions you’ll probably be asked when someone finds out you’re going vegan is “well how will you get enough protein?”

Good news – the answer is “very easily”. Many vegan foods have a high protein content, often higher than meats.

Soy is a HUGE part of most vegan diets, including things like tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy milk, and more. Just one cup of raw soybeans contains 68g of protein!

Lentils are delicious and can be included in many different recipes like vegan soups or just by themselves! They are often boiled or stir-fried. One cup of raw lentils yields 50g of protein.

Chickpeas or garbanzo beans, the main ingredient in hummus (YUM!) are often very high in protein, containing 39g for every one cup.

These are three very common examples of protein packed vegan foods, but the list goes on.

What if I accidentally eat something that isn’t vegan?

This is a common worry for beginners to veganism. It is essential to approach this with the right mindset from the get go. Otherwise, you’ll likely cause yourself a lot of unnecessary stress.

First thing you need to understand is that it’s not the end of the world. Your effort and concern alone are more than what most do. Don’t beat yourself up.

It’s easy to do. Things that you’d never think to have animal products in them often do. For example, many breads contain eggs, miso and udon soup broths often contain bonito (fish), and some pasta noodles contain eggs as well.

Be aware of it, learn for next time, and move on with a smile. There’s no sense in getting yourself down about it. And you can use this experience to help others vegans too!