For senior Hillary Yang, going vegan was the most logical and important next step from vegetarianism. Yang has been a vegetarian for almost four years and recently began the process of fully removing animal products from her diet.

“It had been an on-and-off consideration throughout my childhood, for no reason other than it felt wrong eating something sentient,” Yang said, “but it was in middle school that I really internalized the ethical and environmental importance of not eating meat. Vegans and vegetarians are driven by the same rationales–minimizing impact–but it’s veganism which is in far better alignment with that goal. In my view, going vegan will be the equivalent of carrying out my ethical principles more fully than I have been right now.”

Veganism, a lifestyle which rejects the consumption of food derived from animals, is relatively uncommon amongst high schoolers; according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, only about 1% of high school students across the country identify as vegans, with around 5% identifying as vegetarian. Junior Akhil Jois is part of that 5%; though vegetarianism is ingrained in his lifestyle, he doesn’t find himself attracted to the idea of veganism due to its sacrifices.

“I’ve been vegetarian my whole life, mostly because my family was so into it. It just kind of spread to me through food I eat at home being all vegetarian,” Jois said. “[But] when it comes to veganism, I probably wouldn’t consider it.”

Challenges

Like Jois, many people stray away from a vegan lifestyle because they find the dietary restrictions to be too tough to maintain; according to a poll by Psychology Today, 43% of ex-vegetarians and vegans found it too difficult to remain “pure” in their diet for a variety of reasons. Yang said she experienced a similar struggle when she first began her transition to a plant-based diet.

“It was pretty difficult at the beginning. I’m Chinese, and meat is a significant part of our cuisine, so even the concept of vegetarianism is pretty obscure to Chinese people,” Yang said. “The situation was definitely quite sticky with my parents, since their options were extremely limited when cooking for me.”

Similarly, Jois said having to give up foods he and his family uses often would be an extremely difficult change to adjust to.

“If I was vegan, it would be really hard for me to give up dairy products: basics like milk, yogurt and even ice cream when it’s really hot,” Jois said. “Cooking would also be difficult because I use some form of dairy in almost all of my food. It would also make eating healthy much harder for me; I feel like it would be overly restricting.”

Cafeteria manager Geneaster Ortiz said despite its potential challenges, she welcomed the prospect of veganism and was open to experimenting with it.

She said, “I’ve tried all the (vegan) stuff at the school, and my daughter eats a lot of vegan meals so I’m familiar with it. Sometimes she says ‘Oh, Mom, I eat that’ or ‘Mom, that’s going to be good.’ So I’m open to try anything; I have no problem with it.”

Ultimately, Yang said as time passed and she became firmer in her commitment, giving up meat became a more natural and unchallenging change.

“It wasn’t too hard giving up meat once I’d thought everything through,” Yang said. “The most difficult change was probably eating out at places with a lack of veggie options, but I’m optimistic since the plant-based food scene is always improving.”

Availability of vegan options

Another adversity that comes with veganism is the lack of meal options at school, according to Yang; she said the plant-based selection at this school was relatively limited. Indeed, the School Nutrition Association found that only 21% of school districts offer at least one vegan meal option. 

“There’s only a few vegan options on the lunch menu, and not many more vegetarian ones, and most of these are served only every other day in the Main Cafeteria,” Yang said. “But it’s definitely improved since I first got here, and I’m looking forward to seeing the menu expand further.”

The existence of vegan options at this school is a relatively new development, according to Ortiz, and cafeteria staff is always seeking to expand it.

“We currently have vegan buffalo wings, vegan chicken nuggets, black bean burgers and we have a new item this semester: veggie dogs,” Ortiz said. “Every summer we go to a conference and we check out new things; that’s where we saw they had veggie dogs. So we’re always looking for new things, new options for vegans.”

Despite these circumstances, Yang said she quickly adapted her own meals to support her nutrition; since going vegetarian, she found herself cooking more and with a variety of new, versatile ingredients.

“I’m in the kitchen a lot more often, experimenting with new flavors and dishes,” Yang said. “Plant-based staples like chickpeas, tofu and seitan have become weekly purchases for my family, and these raw ingredients are also a lot cheaper than meat, which is always a plus.”

Values

Yang said her long-term commitment to veganism directly stems from her appreciation for life.

“A plant-based lifestyle is sustainable, affordable, conscientious and healthy,” Yang said. “I also think that it’s not only a commitment to myself, but a reverence for the planet and its life, and that’s something I feel obligated and determined to uphold. I don’t imagine a scenario in the future where I’ll have some sort of moral revelation that’ll undermine my choice to be vegan.”

Jois said he also felt firm in maintaining his vegetarian diet and wouldn’t consider a transition to veganism; however, he said it wasn’t necessarily out of a moral commitment.

He said, “Filtering meat out of my diet has grown to be pretty important to me, but I would say less of a reflection of moral values and more out of habit and an aversion to change; that’s probably why I’ve never really considered going vegan, either.”

Ultimately, Yang said for her, veganism was an important part of her identity and aligned well with her personal principles.

“It’s a philosophy and lifestyle I’ve thought over often, and which I care for deeply,” Yang said. “Overall, I believe that my everyday choices should be in direct reflection of my morals, and through conscious eating habits, I can adhere to those values as closely as possible.”