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Why Am I Nostalgic for Burgers?
As a vegan, I have fond memories centered around very non-vegan food. How do I cope with this?
When I went vegan nearly three years ago, I didn’t realize how different my life was going to be. I had been vegetarian for about a year, and things hadn’t changed that much, aside from a few awkward encounters with my overtly omnivorous family members. Yet, by cutting out dairy, eggs, and honey and adopting a strict “no-animal products” lifestyle, it seemed like things changed drastically.
See, as a vegetarian, I could still go to a majority of the restaurants I had always frequented and order something. Usually, that something was a soggy grilled cheese and some fries, but it was something that I could eat with my omnivorous friends and family. But as a vegan? Suddenly, the local bar and grill had ceased to be a viable option for me.
Now, granted, being a vegan today is much easier than it was twenty years ago. With vegan options popping up in mainstream chains like Pancheros, Qdoba, Subway, and even Burger King, it’s easier than ever to find middle ground with omnivores. But what about the places like your local, small town mom and pop restaurant? Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, right?
