Exploring the Challenges: Why is Veganism Not Practical?

December 26, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a study reported by Nourish You, an overwhelming 84% of vegans and vegetarians eventually abandon their diets, often due to perceived impracticality. Many face a multitude of difficulties that can make maintaining a strictly plant-based lifestyle feel unsustainable over the long term, from nutritional complexities to social hurdles.

Quick Summary

This article examines the significant hurdles some individuals encounter when adopting a vegan diet, focusing on navigational difficulties with social settings, managing costs, ensuring complete nutrition, and addressing broader logistical and lifestyle factors.

Key Points

Nutritional Deficiencies: Vegan diets require careful planning and often supplementation for key nutrients like B12, iron, and Omega-3s, which are most readily available from animal products.
Social Discomfort: Navigating social gatherings, family meals, and dining out can be challenging and lead to feelings of isolation and misunderstanding from non-vegan friends and family.
Higher Costs for Convenience: While plant-based staples can be cheap, processed vegan alternatives like meat substitutes often cost more than their conventional counterparts, making a convenience-focused vegan diet expensive.
Accessibility Issues: Availability of diverse, affordable vegan ingredients and restaurant options is limited in many regions, especially 'food deserts,' hindering practicality for some.
Emotional and Mental Strain: The commitment required to maintain the diet, dealing with criticism, and navigating social pressures can lead to mental fatigue and stress for many individuals.
Complex Ethical Footprint: The environmental and ethical impact of veganism is not always clear-cut, as factors like food mileage from imported goods and deaths during crop harvesting must also be considered.

The Navigational Challenges of a Vegan Lifestyle

Adopting a vegan diet goes beyond simply choosing plant-based foods; it involves navigating a world largely built around omnivorous customs. This can lead to frequent inconveniences, particularly in social situations and when traveling. For many, the mental load of constantly checking labels, planning meals, and ensuring adequate options when dining out can be a significant and fatiguing barrier. For instance, a simple dinner at a friend's house or a family holiday meal requires careful pre-planning and communication to avoid discomfort for all parties involved. Many ex-vegans cite this feeling of sticking out and social isolation as a major reason for reverting to their old eating habits.

The Social Strain and Lack of Support

Navigating social gatherings: Events often center on non-vegan food, leaving limited or unappealing options. This can lead to feelings of being different or creating extra work for hosts.
Dealing with skepticism: Vegans frequently face questions and criticism from friends and family, with some even acting hostile or mocking their choices. This emotional pushback can be a significant source of stress and resentment.
Misinformation and stereotypes: Many people hold onto outdated stereotypes about vegans being 'preachy' or unhealthy, fueled by a lack of understanding. This makes open and supportive communication challenging.

The Financial and Accessibility Considerations

While a whole-foods vegan diet based on staples like beans, rice, and seasonal vegetables can be cost-effective, the reality for many is different. The rising popularity of veganism has led to a proliferation of processed meat and dairy substitutes, which are often more expensive than their conventional counterparts. The price difference is particularly noticeable with premium substitutes like plant-based cheeses or pre-made frozen meals. Furthermore, individuals in 'food deserts' or areas with limited access to diverse supermarkets may struggle to find the necessary ingredients, making a varied vegan diet a privilege rather than an accessible choice. Subsidies also favor animal agriculture in many countries, keeping the price of meat and dairy artificially low compared to some vegan alternatives.

Comparing Costs: Vegan vs. Omnivore


Item Category	Potential Vegan Cost	Potential Omnivore Cost	Considerations
Staples (Grains, Legumes)	Typically very affordable	Also affordable, but may be used less frequently	Dried beans are cheaper than canned, but require more preparation time.
Processed Alternatives	Often more expensive	Generally cheaper, especially with subsidies	Mock meats, cheeses, and vegan ready meals carry a premium price tag.
Dining Out	Can be cheaper if ordering basic plant meals, but may be limited	Wide range of price points; more options available	Some restaurants charge a premium for vegan options or offer fewer choices.
Essential Supplements	Required for key nutrients like B12	Potentially required, but not universally seen as essential	B12 supplementation is necessary for most vegans; cost must be factored in.

The Nutritional Roadblocks and Health Concerns

One of the most significant challenges associated with a long-term vegan diet is the potential for nutritional deficiencies if not meticulously planned. Many key nutrients are primarily or most bioavailable from animal sources. While supplementation is a solution, it introduces another layer of complication and cost that many people prefer to avoid.

Key Nutrients to Monitor

Vitamin B12: Produced by bacteria, B12 is not naturally found in plants. Without supplementation or fortified foods, a deficiency can lead to serious neurological and hematological issues.
Protein: Although protein is available from plant sources, plant proteins are often considered 'incomplete' (lacking one or more essential amino acids) and can be less digestible than animal proteins. This requires careful food combining to ensure adequate intake.
Iron and Zinc: The non-heme iron from plant sources is less bioavailable, and absorption is further hindered by compounds like phytic acid in whole grains and legumes. Zinc bioavailability is also a concern.
Calcium and Vitamin D: Exclusion of dairy can lead to lower intake of these bone-supporting nutrients, potentially impacting bone mineral density, as noted in studies on vegan populations.
Omega-3s: Essential EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids are primarily found in fatty fish. While vegans can obtain ALA from sources like flaxseed, conversion rates are inefficient. Algae-based supplements are an option, but another added cost.

Environmental and Ethical Debates

The assumption that veganism is always the most environmentally friendly option is not without nuance. The practicality depends heavily on sourcing and consumer choices. Imported exotic vegan produce, out-of-season fruits and vegetables, and processed vegan alternatives can have a significant environmental footprint due to air miles and intensive farming methods. Some arguments also point out that animal deaths are an inevitable side effect of large-scale plant agriculture, including from pesticide use and habitat destruction. The practicality of feeding a global population entirely on plants is a complex issue, with some research suggesting a diversified, flexitarian approach might be more achievable and sustainable for a greater number of people worldwide. For those concerned with ethical sourcing, obtaining animal products from small, high-welfare local farms is also an option that complicates the simplistic vegan-good/meat-bad narrative.

Conclusion

While veganism is a deeply held ethical conviction for some, its practical application presents significant hurdles for many others. From the potential for nutrient deficiencies and higher costs associated with substitutes, to the emotional and social stress of navigating a non-vegan world, the lifestyle requires a level of commitment and vigilance that may not be sustainable for everyone. Acknowledging these real-world challenges is crucial for a balanced perspective on dietary choices and understanding why is veganism not practical for a significant portion of the population. For those who find these challenges too great, a more flexible, plant-forward or flexitarian diet may offer a more achievable path to balancing health goals with lifestyle realities.

Authoritative Link: The Impact of a Vegan Diet on Many Aspects of Health (PMC.gov)

Frequently Asked Questions

The cost of a vegan diet varies widely based on individual choices. While basic staples like lentils and rice are cheap, a diet heavy in processed meat and dairy alternatives can be significantly more expensive than a traditional omnivorous diet.

Vegans must be mindful of potential deficiencies in Vitamin B12, Omega-3 fatty acids, iron, calcium, Vitamin D, and zinc, as these are often most abundant or bioavailable from animal sources.

Vegans can experience social challenges when dining out, attending parties, or celebrating holidays, as food options are often limited. They may also face pushback, criticism, or misunderstanding from friends and family.

Yes, statistics show a high rate of attrition. One study found that 84% of vegans and vegetarians eventually discontinue their diet, citing various practical and social reasons.

Not necessarily. While vegan diets generally have a smaller environmental footprint, factors like air mileage from imported produce, intensive farming methods for some vegan crops, and the energy used in producing processed alternatives must be considered.

A vegan diet can be suitable for all life stages, but it requires careful planning and, critically, supplementation to meet nutritional needs. This is especially important for vulnerable populations like children and pregnant women.

Yes, some physiological conditions, such as susceptibility to kidney stones from high oxalate levels, can make a plant-heavy diet particularly difficult and even painful to maintain for some individuals.

Beyond dietary restrictions, the constant mental effort of planning, preparing, and checking ingredients, combined with navigating social friction and dealing with external judgment, is a major source of stress for many.