Why do vegans quit? The most common reasons among ex-vegans

Created on: November 4, 2026
Last edited on: November 4, 2026

Why do vegans quit and go back to eating meat? Commonly cited reasons include health complaints, social pressure and changing personal motives. But does that mean that veganism does not work in the long term?
No - studies show that different experiences and challenges lie behind going back.

Health problems - is a vegan diet really to blame?

Former vegans sometimes report a lack of energy, digestive problems or nutrient deficiencies. Such accounts can certainly be honest. But it does not follow that the absence of animal products was in itself the cause.

This is a classic case of the Post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy (Latin for “after this, therefore because of this”): Just because something happens after an event, it was not necessarily caused by that event. Perhaps at the same time the person:

• Ate fewer calories
• Reduced their protein intake
• Consumed more fiber
• Did not take vitamin B12
• Already had a nutrient deficiency that was only discovered during their vegan period

A poorly planned plant-based diet can lead to too few calories being consumed. The often unusually high fiber intake can initially cause digestive problems. Nutrient supply is also an important issue: In particular, vitamin B12 must be reliably supplemented on a vegan diet.

On this condition, a well-planned vegan diet can meet nutrient requirements and promote health. That is why you have to distinguish between an individual experience and a general statement about veganism. Anyone who feels unwell should have possible causes checked by a doctor instead of drawing sweeping conclusions from individual experiences and going straight back to animal products.

Lack of ethical conviction: What role does motivation play?

Time and again, ex-vegans show up on social media saying that they finally “feel free” again. But an important question is often overlooked: Were these people really vegan out of ethical conviction - or did they simply eat a plant-based diet for a while?

Because there is a crucial difference between a plant-based diet and a vegan lifestyle: Someone who eats a plant-based diet avoids animal foods. This can be for health reasons, for the environment, to lose weight or because of a diet trend. Veganism, on the other hand, goes further. At its center is the ethical position that animal abuse is wrong.

Someone who eats a plant-based diet because they want to feel fitter can re-evaluate their diet at any time. Maybe a different diet subjectively works better. Maybe the motivation is lacking. Maybe they just like cheese too much. Someone who understands veganism as an ethical conviction, on the other hand, asks a different question: Is it justified to abuse animals for my pleasure, my habits or my convenience when vegan alternatives exist?

What do studies say about former vegans?

A survey by the animal protection research organization Faunalytics questioned more than 11,000 people. At first, the results sound devastating: 84% of those who had tried a vegetarian or vegan diet had given it up again. What is important, however: The study looked at ex-vegetarians and ex-vegans together. It also included people who had only tried this diet briefly. So the 84% does not mean that 84% of all ethically convinced vegans eventually go back to eating meat.

What stands out: 58% of former vegetarians and vegans named health as one of their original motives. This shows that many people start a plant-based diet with motives quite different from animal rights. If personal benefits are in the foreground, the decision can change as soon as these expectations are no longer met.
This does not mean that former vegans fundamentally had no ethical convictions. But it makes a difference whether someone avoids animal products for their own benefit or fundamentally questions the abuse of animals.

Peer pressure - when the social environment becomes stronger than conviction

Another underestimated factor is social pressure. People want to belong. Nobody wants to get stupid remarks at every family gathering, among friends or when eating out.

These very social challenges have also been studied scientifically. A study from 2023 followed the experiences of 20 young adults switching to a vegan diet. Among other things, social acceptance emerged as an important factor in whether the change was maintained. The previously mentioned Faunalytics study also confirms this: 63% of former vegetarians and vegans found it uncomfortable to stand out from others because of their diet.

Social pressure can work in both directions: Some people start a plant-based diet because the people around them live vegan. Others return to animal products because they want to fit in with their non-vegan surroundings.

Conclusion: Why do vegans quit and how can you stay vegan in the long term?

Research shows that there is no single reason. Health expectations, social conflicts and personal motivation all play a part together.
Some have tried a way of eating without looking more closely at the animal rights arguments behind it. And that is exactly why it is worth doing more to educate people about animal ethics and the background of the animal industry, instead of marketing veganism as a diet trend. Because anyone who avoids animal products only because of a trend may start eating them again with the next trend.

That is why we should not regard every return to eating meat as proof against veganism. Instead, we should work to prevent the main reasons for going back, for example by educating people about health aspects and creating a supportive vegan community.

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