Michayla Yost has been a vegan for over three years and still gets asked where she gets her protein from.

"I love animals, so why would I eat them?" said Yost, a second-year psychology major.

"You don't eat who you love."

Yost was inspired to become a vegan after one of her high school teachers showed her class a documentary on veganism called "Food, Inc." Yost did her own research and over the span of a few months transitioned from vegetarianism to veganism.

She is now the vice president of Vegan Eating for Gators. The club's mission is to educate students on veganism and its benefits. They gather each month to cook vegan recipes together.

According to PETA's (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) website, the University of Florida has an A rating and is on the dean's list for being a "vanguard when it comes to vegan cuisine on campus."

But although veganism is becoming more accepted in popular culture, some people still have doubts about the lifestyle. Many question the nutritional value of a vegan diet.

Yost is used to facing these criticisms.

"I think a lot of people criticize veganism because there are certain foods that they would miss, but pretty much anything you can think of can be made vegan and taste amazing," Yost said.

According to The Vegan Society, "demand for meat-free food increased by 987 percent in 2017 and going vegan was predicted to be the biggest food trend in 2018."

Gainesville is following this demand. Grocery stores in town are progressively stocking up with more vegan-friendly options and restaurants are including more vegan dishes on their menus.

One of the latest additions to this trend is Gainesville's Meatless Monday Market. The goal of this market is to provide vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options to customers in a farmers-market-style venue.

Bhakti Gibson, owner/manager of the market, wants more people in the community to try a meat-free lifestyle.

"For our vegetarian/vegan critics, I would encourage them to give vegetarian/vegan food a chance," Gibson said.

"To their surprise, they might end up loving it."

As more people turn to veganism critics will remain, but society will be more accommodating to this group of people's needs.

"We're starting to have a real voice," Yost said.

"More and more people are listening to us."