So you’re interested in veganism because you feel bad for all those poor animals stuck in the living hell created by us humans. But whenever you’ve tried the cuisine you don’t get on with it and end up saying to yourself:
“I hate vegan food“.
For some it’s simply the taste or the mouthfeel and for others it’s just a manifestation of the fact that they actually don’t like vegans very much.
If you’re keen to be vegan but not so keen on the food then read on and we’ll try to help you embrace the vegan philosophy, of which the food is a vital component.
“I Hate Vegan Food” ( don’t even like the colour green! )
If you hate vegan food then maybe it’s because you haven’t been exposed to many of the amazing tasty vegan dishes which are out there. There are over 1000 different vegetable species [1] all with their own unique flavours. In contrast, meat eaters focus on mostly 5 or 6 types of animal flesh which often taste good only because they are highly seasoned (with vegetables) anyway.
Watch: Destinee and (chef) Jeff realise vegan food ain’t all bad!
( a light hearted 12 minutes from 2 self-styled “veggie haters” )
You may also like: “Why Veganism Is Bad For Animals”
Reasons Why People Hate Vegan Food
There are a few reasons I can think of why people may dislike vegan food. If you have any more then please feel free to post in the comments below.
Here’s my top 6 …
- Taste and texture
Yes, it’s true. Some people simply don’t like how vegetables taste or feel in the mouth when eaten. For these people, the ethics really have to trump all else before there’s any move to veganism. - Nutritional concerns
Many believe that adequate nutrition is not possible on a plant-based diet even though it’s been proven time and again that humans thrive on plants. - Social pressures
This is a big one. Even though it’s more accepted than ever, a lot of stigma has grown up around veganism, especially in the last decade. If you’re getting a lot of abuse from your peers then you may reject the food. - Personal preference
Most people believe it’s their right to kill animals to eat. It’s known as ‘speciesism‘. We think we’re so special that our personal preference overrides animal rights. Vegans have moved on from this old way of thinking. - Misconceptions about veganism
Social media has poisoned our minds. Terms like ‘virtue signalling‘ are bandied about and vegans are seen as ‘preachy’. In reality, most vegans just quietly and selflessly get on with it. Avoiding causing harm to others. - An excuse to avoid taking responsibility
Many people know how barbaric and inhumane the animal ag industry is, but they don’t care. Some of these people will claim they hate vegan food to sidestep their own moral compass.
As you can see, many of these ‘reasons’ are actually just excuses. I will probably be accused of virtue signalling just by posting the above but I always come back to the simple adage … ‘the truth hurts‘.
Yes, there are some legitimate reasons. It’s right to be concerned about nutrition, for example, but even a cursory Googling should assuage your fears on that one.
Is It An Excuse To Tolerate Animal Abuse?
I used to frequently get into heated exchanges with a work colleague who would always bring up my veganism in front of the whole room. It seemed like a personal mission for him!
You could often hear the desperate sighs of some people, fed up with having to hear the disrespectful nonsense burblings of this person yet again.
He used to often say he “hates vegan food” and I would ask him why. One of his responses was that the texture of vegetables made him gag 🙂
I always thought this was a pretty lame excuse and usually I’d just leave it there but when I continued with the questioning one day and started raising the issues of animal welfare it was head in the sand time for him.
He simply did not want to know.
He came with all the usual meatie arguments … “animals were put on this earth for us to eat” or “animals don’t have feelings”. Y’know the ones. We’ve all heard them time and time again.
He even started down the ‘crop deaths’ road and it was clear he was just regurgitating the nonsense he’d read on Quora or The Daily Fail or wherever.
On the crop deaths thing, you may also like: “Why Veganism Is Bad For Animals”
Do You Hate The Food Or The Vegan?
As mentioned above, there are over 1000 different vegetable species (1) and even more sub variations of many species. The combinations of veggies and flavours available to the plant-based chef are almost limitless.
Then there’s all the delicious herbs and spices to enhance those flavours. It’s really very easy to make tasty vegan food even with basic culinary skills.
So to claim you hate vegan food is a little puzzling to me. Do you hate all vegetables, like my anti-vegan work colleague said he did? I find that very hard to believe.
Let’s flip it over …
Do you ever eat unseasoned chicken, for example? I think you’ll find that’s pretty bland. Funnily enough it’s the flavours of the vegetables in the seasoning which create the taste you love in that bucket of KFC.
You can easily replace the chicken with a plant-based substitute like VFC has very successfully done and guess what? That vegan version tastes just as good as the bucket of cruelty you say you enjoy.
In the article, “How many chickens does KFC kill a year?” we look closer at that cruelty.
If you’re honest with yourself, maybe it’s just the vegan element you hate … and why might that be? Because vegans challenge your safe world view that humans were meant to eat meat, or whatever today’s argument happens to be.
Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook
It’s no secret we’ve lost our culinary skills in this hectic, modern world we find ourselves enduring. Convenience is where it’s at these days.
If we can’t throw some dishevelled looking slop in the microwave for a couple of minutes or have some poor sod on a scooter deliver a bag of dead animal then we don’t want to know.
We’re so detached from our food and it’s provenance that we now think it’s normal to survive on ready meals or takeaways. It’s laughable that some consider humans to be the apex predator – behold the wild human in his natural supermarket habitat, skillfully hunting his plastic wrapped, decomposing cow thigh curry.
Yeah … next argument please.
Maybe this is partly why some people claim they hate vegan food. Because whenever they’ve tried to cook anything from scratch it turns out a bit tasteless.
They have never been taught the basics of cooking fresh food and preparing delicious, nutritious meals for themselves and their family.
It’s actually a real shame because one can derive a lot of satisfaction from the simple act of cooking a meal for others … and it’s really not that difficult when you have some basic ingredients to hand.
So before you write off vegan food as something you hate the taste of, why not try something like a plant based meal kit box which comes with all the varied herbs and spices you need to prepare a super tasty meal with ease.
If you’re in the UK then check out our Grubby vegan meal kits reviews page for a fantastic introduction (if a little pricey) to the world of plant based cooking. I defy you not to find these recipes delicious.
Transition Tips For New Vegans
Recipes:
If you’re struggling to enjoy vegan food then it may help to try experimenting with different recipes and cooking methods.
Get yourself a decent cook book or check out some of the thousands of vegan recipes online. We also love Vegan Richa’s recipes and she’s rounded up her most popular dishes of 2023 in this post.
… and here’s a great 7 day vegan meal plan PDF from a certified nutritionist, all 100% free 🙂
That should be enough to get you started!
Vegan cooking is about the mindset as much as anything else. Once you give up the meat and dairy you will find new ways to make your food tasty. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Alternatives:
Dairy free milks are a big thing for my family. We get through quite a lot of the stuff! We do try to make our own milks when we can too,
But we’re not all that big on meat replacements. I picked up a discounted chicken-free kiev the other day and we just found it a bit bland to be honest.
These products do have their place, especially when transitioning but you shouldn’t rely on them to nourish you long term, in the same way meat does.
Dietary fibre notwithstanding, most meats are nutrient dense and so meat eaters don’t need to be too concerned about the nutritional profile of their meals. When you become vegan it’s a really good idea to learn more about nutrition and what your body needs to thrive.
But yeah … don’t assume the meat replacements are going to be enough to help you stay vegan long term. You need to focus on fresh veggies, pulses, legumes, nuts and fruit as the mainstay of your diet.
Support Networks:
It can sometimes feel a little lonely when you’re moving your lifestyle over to a vegan diet.
Finding some like-minded communities is a great way to support your transition until you feel confident enough to stand on your own two feet in the kitchen.
Here’s an active vegan forum that I try to get involved in weekly. There’s some really well informed guys and girls on here to help you navigate the sometimes choppy waters of veganism.
Twitter (or X as it is now known) has a vibrant vegan community with loads of advice for new and seasoned vegans alike, but just be a bit careful on Twitter, especially if you’re new to all this. You’ll find the anti-vegan trolls on there can easily make you feel very disheartened with their crazy misinformation.
We have many keyboard warrior vegans countering the trolls but just keep in mind the meat industry’s propaganda pushing tentacles are deeply embedded in social media.
You can also try Quora and Reddit for advice but again, be aware of the trolls … they seem to be mushrooming in number these days!
Common Misconceptions About Veganism
There is a whole load of stigma associated with veganism and this may be feeding into your dislike of vegan food.
If you associate negative emotions like anger or ‘pushiness’ with vegans then this may wrongly colour your perception of the food we eat.
Hell … you might even react by saying you hate vegan food!
Here’s a few common misconceptions about veganism which you may recognise …
- Veganism is expensive?
In reality, cooking vegan food is probably the most cost-effective option out there if you avoid the myriad of ‘replacement’ products. Fresh vegetables, dried pulses and legumes are cheap as chips but the ‘junky’ type UPF vegan foods will definitely put a hole in your wallet. That’s not real food anyway. - Veganism is unhealthy?
Plant-based diets have been proven time and again to be super healthy. Please don’t pay any mind to these oddball carnivore types who claim that plants are trying to kill us! Humans have consumed plants since the dawn of time. Have a look at the Stanford twins study for definitive proof. - Veganism is difficult to follow?
Ok, so in the early days you may experience cravings for your old way of life. Let’s face it, it was probably easier to not worry about this stuff. But I always think of the animals I’m not hurting whenever I feel like I’m wavering. It’s much more difficult for them. This makes it easier to follow, for me. - Veganism is extreme?
Eating only plants is really not an extreme position. Wanting to avoid the abuse, exploitation and slaughter of other sentient beings is just a minimum baseline really. Far from extreme. It could be argued that raising and killing over 90 billion land animals every year for our taste buds is extreme, no?
Wrapping It Up
Maybe some people genuinely do hate vegetables. I find it an impossible space to inhabit but there you go … we’re all different.
But contrary to popular belief, veganism isn’t even about the food we eat. Our dietary choices are a byproduct of the ethical code we subscribe to.
Thankfully, plant based cuisine is really tasty in my opinion so it’s a win-win.
We get to eat a wonderful variety of foods with almost endless flavour combos and we avoid driving the demand which sees 90 billion land animals slaughtered every year for food.
90 BILLION! … and that doesn’t even include the (over a trillion) fish. Not to mention the bycatch. I could go on, and often do … but that’s because I care.
If you’ve been sitting on the fence about plant based or even considering going vegan, now is the time. It’s never been easier and I urge you to take that step. Just try it.
I hope this article has helped shed some light on the issue for you today and if you have any questions or comments I’d love to hear them. Please post your thoughts below and we always appreciate a share on the socials below. Spread the love!
Last but not least, may we suggest you join us to be alerted of new vegan posts here on the blog.
Thanks for reading and have a peaceful day.
Rohan.
Rohan McAvee is just another vegan blogger trying to navigate the sometimes choppy waters of veganism and plant-based living. Based in the UK, for more than a decade he has been walking the vegan walk, trying to do the right thing for the animals. He’s never really wavered or been tempted to stray from the path and now feels he’s at the point where he can offer advice to new vegans and those considering making the switch. Vegan and loving it!
[1] – The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. More than a thousand vegetables, many of them forgotten. Sept 19th 2018. Retrieved 26th June 2023.