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
100% true. It was incredibly easy to give up meat and 99.9% of animal products but I'm sadly still a liberal (vegetarian). I've found dairy to be such a culinary crutch and have had a hard time giving it up, even though I greatly reduced my intake of it for both ethical and health reasons.
In the end I guess since I was able to just drop most animal products with no issue and switch my diet over, I can do the rest too. Hell, I'll commit to it now that I'm thinking on the subject, there's no real reason why I shouldn't
(Aside if any cool vegans here can hook me up with a good like seitan salami recipe or brand I'd be so fuckin thankful because that flavor is basically the only meat product I've had any sense of craving for since I gave it up years ago.)
So this was me 10+ years ago. My thing was cakes and ice cream. I'd say just remember that casein is kinda addictive, and dairy is pretty bad for your gut as you get older. Giving up diary gives you low level mental withdrawal, but it passes quickly. All of us long term vegans have zero desire to consume dairy, you just gotta get yourself to that point.
Sorry I'm one of those "don't like meat texture" vegans. Hope some other person here can help you.
Even though the texture thing isn't me I get it, respect.
As for the dairy stuff, to be completely honest it's been in the back of my head for a while now, same as giving up meat was some time ago.
I don't remember what it was then but it just took a random catalyst one day for me to stop eating meat; it was surprisingly easy to write it out of my diet and cravings overnight.
I already struggle with executive function pretty badly at times but I wanna say it kinda allows me to just completely drop things permanently for the better too lol. I figure I should commit to eating vegan sooner rather than later so I'll give it an honest try.
I'm glad you're making it. Consider making your question as a post. I'm sure that someone can answer it.