Authors: Gloria Mittmann, Susanne Siegmann, and Verena Steiner-Hofbauer (2026)
What’s the article about? (At a glance)
Background: Veganism is more than a dietary identity; it represents a way of living grounded in moral conviction and a political commitment to ending animal exploitation. Sustaining a vegan identity presents a number of challenges as vegans attempt to navigate a predominantly non-vegan world. Vegans can struggle to coordinate their dietary choices with loved ones, locate satisfying vegan food options, and are exposed to content about animal cruelty on a daily basis. How do vegans successful navigate these challenges? How do they experience being vegan in a non-vegan world?
The present research by Mittmann, Siegmann, and Steiner-Hofbauer explored the lived experiences of 100 self-identified vegans (90% female). Most participants were from Austria (82%) or Germany (16%) and had been practicing a vegan lifestyle for over 5 years (63%). Participants answered closed- and open-ended questions probing their relational, societal, and emotional experiences as a vegan, such as “How has your vegan lifestyle affected your relationships with family, friends, or partners who are not vegan?”; “Has your vegan lifestyle changed how you see society, human behaviour, or the world as a whole?”; “How has your vegan lifestyle affected your emotional or mental well-being?”
Key findings:
- Positive and negative emotions: Qualitative analysis revealed that participants experienced a mixture of emotions both positive and negative. Many vegans reported a sense of peace and satisfaction with their lifestyle choices (“(…)I know I’m having a positive impact on the environment, that I’m not responsible for animal suffering, and that I myself live in a healthier and more conscious way“), while also reporting some frustrations arising from their ongoing exposure to animal exploitation and doubts about their capacity to change things at a societal level (“(…) because you know that you can’t really change anything. In most cases, the law protects the animal exploitation industry“).
- Sense of belonging: Many participants reported time spent with other vegans as particularly meaningful and reinforcing, while acknowledging feelings of ostracism or relational distance from non-vegan family members, friends and partners. Online vegan communities were frequently highlighted as an important source of support (“I now frequently visit vegan subreddits online to read opinions, arguments, news, or recipes, but also because it gives me the feeling of being part of a worldwide community or movement, since I know very few vegans in my offline life“).
- Experiences at the societal level: Interactions within the wider social environment were often characterised by ambivalent emotions. While feeling at peace with themselves and their choices, and a connection to other vegans, participants’ attitudes towards society as a whole were less positive. Many reported frustrations with society and characterised it negatively, while some participants expressed hope that society is moving in a better direction (see the full article for details).
- Experiences across time: Participants reported experiencing several positive changes across their time living vegan including improvements in vegan food options that make everyday life easier, as well as family members, friends and colleagues becoming more accepting and accommodating of their choices over time. These positive changes were reported more consistently among vegans living in urban as opposed to rural settings.
Implications for advocacy
The present research spotlights the multifaceted experiences of vegans as they navigate a non-vegan world. While many vegans in the sample reported that their veganism was personally affirming, they also reported challenges related to navigating relationships, coping with the stress of animal exploitation, and maintaining hope that society is improving (see also Greenebaum, 2012; Markowski & Roxburgh, 2019; Veitch & Gregson, 2025). The findings converge with recent work highlighting the value of vegan community, a sense of belonging, and social support in sustaining vegan commitments. They also highlight the importance of supporting new vegans, practically and socially, during the early stages of adoption. The research shows that over time new vegans tend to cultivate essential skills and knowledge that serve them well, and social tensions often soften as family members and friends become more accepting. Thus, ensuring that new vegans have the means to navigate these initial challenges and find belonging and community remain important foci for vegan advocacy.
Quick Links
The paper “Becoming Vegan in a Non-vegan World: A Qualitative Analysis of Social and Psychological Experiences After Adopting a Vegan Lifestyle” was published in Volume 5 (2026) of the PHAIR journal.
To read the full open-access paper, go here
Blog post by Jared Piazza for PHAIR
Cover photo by Markus Winkler
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