How Do Vegans Survive?

A nonvegan’s curious exploration into the animal-free diet

Credit: twomeows/Getty Images

For some people, the word “vegan” means a person who eats only salad for every meal. For others, it may evoke the image of a svelte Instagrammer holding up a colorful, prettily arranged bowl of vegetables adorned with flower petals.

I’ve been fascinated by veganism for a while, not because of personal moral or ethical reasons, but because I’ve long been curious: How do vegans survive?

I really love food. I’ve always been in a healthy relationship with food, and I eat good stuff that nourishes my body. Sure, I enjoy a bag of chips every now and then, and depending on the occasion, I’ll guzzle down a bottle or two of ginger beer — but in the grand scheme of things, I eat a good variety of food that incorporates as many healthy food groups as possible. My assumption of veganism — based mostly on what I see on Instagram and YouTube — is that practicing it means living a highly restrictive lifestyle.

Here’s why. Recently, a popular raw vegan “influencer” named RawVana was outed as “fake” when she was caught eating fish at a restaurant. With more than 3 million followers, RawVana monetizes her following through weight-loss ebooks, detox kits, and an assortment of other merchandise. It turns out she started eating animal products again…