this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2023
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Ugh being vegan is too hard, i dont want to only be limited to the literal hundreds of edible plants, and centuries of plant based cooking techniques. let me just eat the same 3 baby animals and their excretions.
Veganism isn't only about food. No idea how they handle checking every single item to see if it's vegan. There's a lot of stuff that uses non-vegan stuff to be produced.
Cooking is easy, the hard part is knowing what exactly IS vegan.
There's an app called Fig that I use that makes it much easier. You tell it what you don't want to buy (there are presets for vegan, vegetarian, allergies, brand boycotts, etc.), and you take a picture of the ingredients list on a product. It'll tell you if it matches your preferences, or even if it's questionable.
Like most things, you learn as you go. I just learned my dishsoap isn't vegan, but I already have it, I'm not throwing it away now. I just wont buy it again. I'll be checking the next soap I buy. Each new thing needs to be researched. I'm just more comfortable with my choices than I was before.
It's definitely not easy and takes some research, but it's not impossible.
For example, carmine is used as a red dye and is made of small insects that are processed for the dye. Some sweets use these, baking ingredients can too. If you don't know that, you may end up supporting something non-vegan as a vegan.
It's these little things, "unknown" and obscure knowledge, that can get you if you're not well informed.
The hard part isn't cooking at home, assuming you can cook and the household eats the same - it's eating out, eating with friends, visiting others. It always adds that extra layer of complexity to simple things, and regularly invites the same old conversations.
Not saying it's impossible of course, but without some conviction to stick to it and be strong enough not to bow to peer pressure (which is really hard for most people), it's difficult.
Peer pressure is pretty rude, though. One ribbing is fine, but after that it's just pride and bullying.