Like in the 90s, there were zero veg restaurants (in my town, anyways). The best you could do was Indian, and damn I ate a lot of Indian. I was lucky if a store had one kind of tofu. Soymilk wasn't really sold in the store. Fake meats and specialty veg foods didn't exist. No vegan ice creams and desserts and shit. Also no Uber Eats.
I listen to people complaining today and I really have no patience for it. I went vegetarian (not vegan*) at 19. I bought and cooked my own meals. I made a fuck ton of rice and beans. And I had to do this in a suburban hell with no car. Adults in a city whinge that it's hard and I'm like
Granted, people living in rural Kansas or whatever food desert might have it harder. For the rest, fucking just do it.
*I've been vegan for ten years now
It's probably slightly harder if you don't know how to cook at all.
Still not that hard, and vegan food is much faster to make than carnist food anyway.
place rice in bowl, pour in some water, place bowl back in rice cooker, press button. god it's SO HARD