Like, i'm gluten-free and honestly gluten-free alternatives are MUCH more expensive than vegan alternatives. A tiny loaf of gluten free bread is like $10. Being able to pay for that instead of going without is a privilege. Because of the cost, the only gluten-free alternatives i can really afford is GF pasta + flour. Even then, the GF flour is pretty $$ so i don't cook with it often.
Meanwhile i can just make a vegan curry or rice and beans for super cheap. Even fancy vegan cheese like miyokos is only around $5 a pack - comparable to fancy dairy cheese.
But it's a privilege to have time and energy to cook every night, just like i would be financially privileged if i was eating impossible burgers all the time. And the same for the pure carnivore folks who spend what i assume is hundreds of dollars a month on eggs and animal flesh, or the yuppie omnivores who buy $20 worth of juices every day, or for people who are able to afford high end animal products like fancy fuck steak or caviar.
Agreed. Like, it's real easy for me to be a vegan right now, because I'm living at home and don't have to cook, and my family only eats vegetarian as it is. But before the pandemic, when I had to cook everyday, it was a legit chore. You want to find produce that is ethically sourced, vegan, non-gmo, supports local farmers and isn't out of your budget and there's enough variety that you don't get bored + meet all your nutritional goals. While your roommates can just pick a slab of meat and dump it on the stove -_-
Being vegan takes time, effort, money, and mental strength - if you're already out of batteries because of a stressful life, it's completely reasonable to not invest so much into veganism. But yeah, if you can do something, even a little, you should. Especially if you're a leftist.
What I get annoyed by is the ping ponging of arguments.
Omni: Veganism is privileged and low income people can not afford to eat a purely vegan diet.
Me: I am a low income person, and if I really need I can make rice and chickpeas which is .25c a serving, and add frozen vegetables as I need.
Omni: That food is bad though
like yeah, no shit I am poor. But even then it is way healthier and cheaper than microwave dinners or mince meat, and can be made on nearly any heat source including a microwave. Yes some people may have FODMAP or whatever, but it isn't an excuse for all of the completely healthy middle class people, who tell me vegan is bourgeois, to eat meat.