I've been overwhelmed and moved by the amount of support, and feedback since going vegan. It's fulfilling to know that people have been affected by my choices to live a vegan lifestyle, and many have been inspired to adapt vegan ways into their own life. Many have asked me for tips or help on how to become vegan and there isn't one simple answer, because the change is different for everyone. It's hard for some and easy for others. I found it easier, mostly because I had already been vegetarian for a few years before making the full transition to vegan. I also find it easy, because of the conveniences of vegan foods that are made these days; for example I'm currently devouring a pint of Almond dream dairy free ice cream in Praline Crunch flavor. The transition is also easier if you enjoy cooking. My transition was a big lifestyle change because I definitely had to cook a lot more, and it is a bit more time intensive, however with that said; it's also possible to lead a raw vegan lifestyle that requires little to no cooking at all.
My biggest word of advice is to transition into this change.. meaning don't give up everything overnight. Also don't tell yourself things like "I'll never eat meat again" or "I'll never be able to have cheese again", because I think the fear of something so permanent is what holds people back. Remind yourself that you can "cheat" every once in a while, or you can go back to eating animal products at any time if you feel that the diet isn't working for you.
Here are some tips and steps to transitioning easily into a vegan lifestyle.
1. Start slowly. Give up one item at a time to transition into the new lifestyle. Start by giving up animal products that you don't eat as often. Sub them for vegan options. For example, start buying a non-dairy milk like soy, almond, coconut, cashew, hemp or oat instead of dairy milk (I have used them all and they're all amazing tasting). Then gradually stop buying and eating meat, eggs, and seafood. Try giving up one new thing each week. Once you are able to stop eating these things at home, stop ordering them when eating out, and start checking ingredients of other foods that you buy. Many things contain dairy (listed as milk, or whey), and many things contain eggs. It will take a while to learn what foods have these ingredients in them and getting used to not eating them. It will probably be even harder to find alternatives that are vegan, especially when eating out. Take your time and work slowly. Don't hate yourself if you slip and eat an animal product once in a while, it make take time for you to develop the lifestyle of avoid all animal products easily.
2. Eat out less, cook more. Unless you can find a vegetarian or vegan restaurant, most chains offer no vegan options unless you modify a meal. Eating in will save you money and help you eat healthier and lose weight. You don't know what restaurants put into your food and what kind of fattening additives are in there. Make your food from scratch and you can count for literally every single thing you eat. Google vegan restaurants to find places near you that have vegan options if you do eat out, and remember that many asian food places offer tofu options and vegan alternatives (just check for egg noodles).
3. Graze all day. This will keep you feeling full and filled with energy. It will also aid in weight loss to keep your metabolism running all day. Keep snacks like raw fruits and veggies, nuts, pumpkin/sunflwoer seeds, or vegan protein bars handy to munch on throughout the day. Don't forget to be drinking water throughout the day too. It will also prevent headaches and keep you feeling alert. You'll soon learn that you don't need animal products to have energy, and the absence of meat and dairy will keep you feeling light and energetic.
4. Make substitutions. If you love cheese, try a vegan cheese alternative. My personal favorites are Daiya cheese (because it's tapioca based instead of soy; vegans may eat too much soy in their diet so I love to have other options), and Chao cheese slices by Field Roast brand. Any soy based cheeses are tasty and are good fillers for cheeses in recipes too. If you love ice cream, try one of many dairy free ice creams you can find at your local healthfood store. Almond Dream makes an almond based dairy free dessert, and there are plenty of brands from coconut milk too. Trader Joe's makes an amazing and affordable "soy creamy" in a rich vanilla, that's hard to live without. They even make ice cream sandwiches! There are also vegan soy based cream cheeses, ricotta cheeses, sour creams, parmesan cheeses, and anything else you can think of. I am not a huge fan of vegan meats as they are often heavily processed, but they aren't much worse than the heavily processed meat itself. I have these foods as a treat maybe once a week to stay away from processed food but I do enjoy the convenience once in a while when I don't feel like intensive cooking. There are great options like vegan sausages, vegan chicken tenders, vegan meatballs, and much more. Many taste like real meat and some don't but they are just flavorful and good. There is even vegan seafood for goodness sakes! I'm actually a sucker for the vegan smoked salmon on a bagel with Tofutti cream cheese. When cooking from scratch, mushrooms make a mean burger substitute and there are plenty of ways to combine plant based foods to make amazing raw veggie burgers like these.
5. Plan meals ahead of time. Make a list of foods you want to try to cook throughout the week. For each meal, double the recipe so you have enough to use as leftovers for lunch the next day (hence, less cooking and preparing to be done). When you go grocery shopping, make sure you get all the ingredients you'll need for these meals. On days you don't have time to cook, keep emergency meals in the freezer like veggie burgers (store bought or homemade ahead of time), or some of the vegan meat type foods I mentioned above. There are plenty of easy meals, such as vegetarian chili, soup, cooked whole grains, sauted veggies, etc. My favorite simple meal is this amazing pasta that has more than your entire daily need of B12 in it!
6. Smart shopping. Try visiting your local farmers market where you can support local farmers and often find a lot of good deals on fresh produce. Many small scale farmers don't use pesticides and their produce is natural and non-GMO which is a plus. If you shop at the grocery store, try splurging for organic.. it's well worth it in the long run if you do not want to eat GMO's and don't want pesticides on your food. Make sure to ALWAYS check ingredients labels. This is a must as a vegan. Some things conveniently say they are vegan on them, where others won't. Check ingredients for any kind of meat, fish, shrimp, milk, whey, or eggs. Also educate yourself on non-vegan products. Gelatin is not vegan- so that means no gummies, jello or marshmallows. (However we do get these Dandies brand vegan marshmallows that are to DIE for at our local healthfood store). Gelatin is actually pretty gross.. it's made of the tendons, cartilage, blood, hooves and bones of all the dead animals that were already stripped for their meat in the meat industry. Another thing is processed sugar; most regular non-organic sugars are processed with cow bones. To avoid this, only buy organic sugar, or sugar labeled vegan on it. Someone even educated me recently that many wines are processed with eggs. It's important to learn the process and ingredients of everything you eat, and where it comes from. Oh and most importantly.. when shopping, don't forget to use your reusable tote bags!
7. It's okay to cheat. If once in a while you have to splurge and eat the burger, or are in dire need to have a piece of salmon, it's okay because I can understand. I am not going to lie that on our recent vacation to the keys I thought I couldn't survive without getting some key lime pie. I splurged, and had some that Josh was getting anyway... I'm only human and yes, I do have cravings too. If you have to go for the piece of pizza just to crave an itch for cheese that's okay too. Just remember why you're doing this and once you've had your fun, snap back into vegan mode. Once you've been vegan long enough, you will easily be able to fight your cravings and onto your morals. I personally believe cheating is okay in the beginning, so you can remind yourself and your body that you aren't locked or forced into anything. The flexibility makes the diet and lifestyle change easier to try if you aren't scaring yourself out of it. Just understand that many people who give up animal products may not tolerate eating meat or dairy well after their bodies adapt to not eating them for a while. I forgot to mention that after I had that key lime pie I've felt crappier than I ever have in a long long while. I felt sick and nauseas. My body wanted to throw it up so badly. Some people's bodies may react like this. Other people are fine. I'll just say I learned my lesson and I'm done cheating on being vegan.
8. Try going raw. A raw diet is one consisting of no processed foods, and mostly just raw fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes. If you want fast easy preparation, meals consisting of rice and beans, quinoa and some mixed vegetables, oats and fresh fruit, amongst other things; this is a good diet to try. It's good to eat raw at least part of your meals to treat yourself and your body to pure natural plant based proteins in their natural state. I'm still transitioning into a more raw lifestyle myself, so as I try new raw recipes and gather ideas and suggestions from experience I will be glad to share.
9. Daily smoothies are a must. I never start my day without one! Spirulina is a life saver, and I make sure to add a serving or more into my smoothie every day. Same goes for wheatgrass. Both are amazing natural plant derived supplements that contain B12 and other B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, all your essential amino acids, and more. I blend them with some hemp protein powder (you can use any plant based protein powder), and some frozen fruit. I often add kale or spinach for extra iron, calcium, and minerals, and I promise you won't even taste it! Sometimes a smoothie is filling enough to be my breakfast and is a great way to start off my day with all the nutrients I need. I feel much more alert and awake on the days I have a smoothie compared to the days I don't.
10. Remind yourself why you're doing this. Is it to lose weight? Is it for the animals? Is it to get away from processed foods? Just like any other goal- when you're feeling frustrated, just take a step back and remember why you're here in the first place. The thought of tortured animals sure keeps me going every day. Don't deprive yourself of the foods you love- but instead find an amazing plant based alternative for what you're craving. You'd be surprised.. after being vegan for a while you'll stop craving processed foods, you'll crave meat less, and you'll eventually stop missing dairy. The decreased intake of sugar made a significant impact on me. I feel better than ever, my teeth are healthier, my migraines have gone away, and I have more energy than I used to before going vegan.
11. Ditch the leather, wool, fur and all that gross stuff that really doesn't belong to us... it belongs to the one that was robbed of it. You may not want to give up animal products you already own, but vow to stop buying new ones. Wear the heck out of the clothes you've got and get your use out of them. Some vegans are okay with buying used animal products from thrift stores, since they didn't purchase them new and support the company that manufactures them. Some people just don't like wearing animals and don't like the image it portrays. With so many faux fur and leather items out there these days, there really isn't an excuse to wearing animals for people who truly care about them and want to stop supporting cruelty. However, what you choose to wear and buy is a personal choice- and although I choose to abstain from wearing animals at this point in my life, I don't disagree with buying used products that have already had some wear of them and will continue to get their use out of them since they already exist.
12. Start buying cruelty free products. You'd be surprised what kinds of products have been tested on animals. Even your toothpaste, hand soap, cleaning supplies, and shampoo may have contributed to the torture of animals or even contain animal by-products. Here's my go-to personal guide of cruelty-free products I swear by. If you want to learn more about avoiding animal by-products and ingredients I recommend this book. I found it at a book sale and it's a great resource for vegans. Another option is to just shop for completely natural and organic products (I was aiming to make this switch eventually anyway).. so cruelty-free often goes hand in hand with natural items. Just look for the cruelty-free bunny logo on the item's package or for a specific label that says it wasn't tested on animals, and doesn't contain any animal by-products.
You'll learn in time that being vegan is or isn't for you. It's worth a try, or even a half try to start. If you're not sure if you can make the change, just start cooking vegan a few times a week and see how you and your family like it. Incorporate plant based meals into your lifestyle more and more until it comes to be easy and feels right, then make the switch over when you're ready. Good luck, and I hope some of these tips and ideas have inspired you! <3
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