There’s nothing to miss when you go vegan; not anymore, at least. That’s because the plant-based alternatives market has soared in recent years with growing demand, and it seems to be the tip of a rapidly growing iceberg.
A few decades ago, this question could likely have resulted in an answer of “perhaps, but taste pleasure doesn’t justify causing harm to a sentient being.” Today, it’s easy for vegans to simply say “no.”
Meat, cheese, milk, butter, and eggs all have delicious plant-based versions rivaling them. Virtually every major grocery store chain carries numerous vegan product lines. Wherever you seek to get food, it seems room is being made for vegan substitutes. Many are indistinguishable from animal-based products in taste, and they are only getting better and better with more demand.
You might be thinking: “the best tasting alternatives are too expensive for me.” But as demand grows, not only will flavors continue to improve, the pricing of these products will also.
Even if the most delicious vegan products don’t fit in your budget, however, and even if you might therefore be letting go of some of your favorite foods, this raises some fundamental moral questions:
Does taste-pleasure justify acts of cruelty?
Does a lower price tag excuse an individual for contributing to the violations of another sentient being’s fundamental rights?
Does convenience or comfort trump the pain and suffering of another individual?
Being vegan means the answer to these questions is always “no.”
The ethical principles that lead one to veganism supersede such concerns, meaning the basic rights of the animals involved take precedence. When one connects with the philosophy of veganism, it becomes clear and effortless to let go of concerns that are mainly self-serving, such as momentary taste-pleasure and convenience. The feeling of doing the right thing for the trillions of oppressed animals easily replaces any moments of missing anything that comes from an animal.
