Vegetarianism, by comparison, seems much more accessible: you give up meat and fish, but dairy and eggs can remain part of your diet. It appears to offer a middle ground between a conventional diet and complete avoidance of animal products.
But is veganism really too extreme for most people?

But is veganism really too extreme for most people?


And more importantly: can anyone become vegan, or are there certain personal characteristics that make some people much more likely to thrive on a vegan lifestyle?

Let’s take a closer look.
Veganism Is More Restrictive — But “Extreme” Is a Different Question
From a purely dietary perspective, veganism is certainly more restrictive than vegetarianism.
A vegetarian can still obtain nutrients such as vitamin B12, calcium and protein from dairy and eggs. A vegan has to find reliable alternatives through fortified foods, supplements, or carefully selected plant foods.
That makes veganism require more planning.
But being more restrictive doesn’t automatically mean being unhealthy or unsuitable.
The latest position paper from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states that appropriately planned vegetarian and vegan diets can be nutritionally adequate for adults and can provide long-term health benefits. (PubMed)

So perhaps the better question isn’t:

“Is veganism extreme?”
but:
“How demanding is veganism for a particular person?”

Vegetarianism Can Be an Easier Starting Point
For many people, vegetarianism may indeed be a much easier transition.
You can still eat cheese at a restaurant. You can have an omelette when travelling. You don’t have to check whether a pastry contains milk powder or eggs.
This flexibility can make social situations and everyday life considerably simpler.
And vegetarianism can already represent a substantial change in dietary pattern, especially when meat is replaced with legumes, whole grains, vegetables, nuts, seeds and other nutrient-dense foods.
But there is an important caveat:

Vegetarian doesn’t automatically mean healthy.

A diet based around cheese, refined carbohydrates, sugary desserts and highly processed meat substitutes can still be nutritionally poor.
The quality of the overall diet matters more than the label.

So Who Is More Likely to Thrive as a Vegan?

I don’t think there is a special biological “vegan gene.”
For most healthy adults, the question is less about whether their body is capable of being vegan and more about whether they can consistently build a nutritionally adequate diet and maintain the lifestyle.
Some people simply have characteristics that make the transition easier.

1. People Who Enjoy Food Exploration
If you genuinely enjoy discovering new ingredients, cooking, experimenting with tofu, legumes, grains, nuts, seeds and plant-based alternatives, veganism can become an adventure rather than a restriction.
For someone who sees food as a creative process, removing certain ingredients may actually create more opportunities to experiment.

2. People Who Can Plan Ahead
This is probably one of the most important factors.
A nutritionally adequate vegan diet doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require awareness.
Vitamin B12 deserves particular attention because reliable natural plant sources are extremely limited. Depending on the diet, attention may also be needed for iodine, calcium, vitamin D, iron and omega-3 fatty acids. The NHS specifically recommends fortified foods and/or supplements for several of these nutrients. (nhs.uk)
In other words, veganism rewards people who are willing to understand what they’re eating.

3. People Whose Motivation Goes Beyond Food
If someone becomes vegan simply because they heard that it is “healthier,” the lifestyle may be difficult to maintain.
But if the motivation is connected to ethics, environmental concerns, personal philosophy, or a strong desire to live consistently with one’s values, dietary restrictions can become much easier to accept.
The motivation gives the restriction a purpose.

4. People Who Don’t Need Their Diet to Be Convenient
This is an underrated factor.
Veganism can be extremely convenient in one city and surprisingly difficult in another.
It can be easy when you cook at home and have access to supermarkets with good plant-based options—and considerably harder when you’re travelling, eating at small restaurants, or relying on whatever food happens to be available.
Someone who is comfortable preparing their own food may therefore find veganism much easier than someone who depends heavily on convenience.
But Does Everyone Need to Become Vegan?
No.
And this is where the conversation often becomes unnecessarily polarized.
A person can significantly reduce their consumption of animal products without becoming completely vegan.
Someone else may become vegetarian.
Another person may simply eat more legumes, vegetables, whole grains and nuts while reducing their consumption of meat and highly processed foods.
These are all meaningful changes.
The goal doesn’t necessarily have to be a perfect dietary identity.

Veganism Isn’t a Competition

There is sometimes an unfortunate tendency within dietary discussions to turn veganism into a hierarchy:
Vegetarian → better.
Vegan → even better.
Perfect vegan → best.
But human beings don’t live in nutritional spreadsheets.
People have different cultures, habits, finances, social environments, cooking skills, preferences and priorities.
A diet that someone can maintain for 20 years may ultimately be much more valuable than a theoretically “perfect” diet that they abandon after six months.

So, Can Everyone Become Vegan?

For many healthy adults, a well-planned vegan diet is nutritionally possible. Current professional guidance supports this, provided that the diet is appropriately planned and nutrients such as B12 are reliably addressed. (PubMed)
But possible doesn’t mean equally easy for everyone.
Some people will find veganism liberating.
Some will find it inconvenient.
Some will thrive on it.
Others may prefer vegetarianism or simply a diet with substantially fewer animal products.
And that’s an important distinction.

Veganism may be demanding, but demanding doesn’t necessarily mean extreme.

Perhaps the real measure of a successful diet isn’t how many rules you follow.
It’s whether you can maintain it, nourish yourself properly, enjoy your food, and live according to the values that matter to you.
Sometimes the most sustainable change isn’t the most radical one.
It’s the one you can genuinely keep.