Living in a world where you don’t consume animal products seems like a rough life. You take meat, dairy, and poultry products completely out of your diet. Many people find that it’s pointless and a very deprived lifestyle; however, it’s actually not as bad as it sounds. I come from a household that has gradually transitioned to veganism.

Growing up, my mom was not as hardcore about not eating animal products as she is now. She would never eat red meat, but chicken occasionally would sneak its way into her diet. About a year ago, she went on a very healthy streak where she cut out all meat, dairy, and poultry from our house. Our family was turning vegan right before my eyes.

I used to get so angry when I would come home craving a simple grilled cheese and find that we don’t have cheese because it’s a dairy product. After about six months, I started getting a little more lenient with the idea of being a vegan. Of course, I snuck some meat in here and there. I would cherish going out with friends because I could eat whatever I want.

The three main reasons someone chooses to be a vegan is for health, animal rights, and the environment. Plants are a main food source. If you have ever even thought of going vegan you should consider the reasons you are doing it. It’s a major change in someone’s lifestyle.

Going vegan can be very good for someone, but it can also be very bad when it isn’t handled in the right way. If you do not get enough calories throughout the day you aren’t eating as much as you should. Of course a salad is not as many calories as a steak, so you have to eat bigger proportions in order to balance out the diet.

If someone were to adventure through my refrigerator, they wouldn’t find anything appealing. There is “meatless meat”, organic tortillas, and sorted beans and rice food products. The typical person would say that it’s nasty and inhumane to eat that way. It wasn’t a plan of mine to ever have this lifestyle at home, but learning to embrace it instead of mopping around about it has opened me to new things and learning that getting out of your comfort zone is a good thing.