When you look online at what others are eating, vegan diets are everywhere. It makes you wonder what veganism offers that you might be missing out on. There are dozens of reasons why people choose to make the diet change; some reasons include personal health goals, a love of animals, environmental consciousness, prevention of future health risks, and a desire to fuel the body with nutritious plant-based ingredients. Many people are deciding to switch to a vegan diet now because of the sudden information about the benefits, and greater access to plant-based foods.
You’re probably here because you’re interested in veganism. Perhaps you’ve done your research and know why you want to change your diet, but don’t have a clue where to begin. It’s true that making the switch can feel overwhelming due to the wealth of information available and all the unfamiliar ingredients. We promise that swapping your old diet for a vegan one is simpler than it seems. With these tips, starting to eat like a vegan will be straightforward. So let’s dive into our best advice for beginning your new meal plan!
Tips for Starting a Vegan Diet
Becoming vegan generally isn’t as simple as cutting out animal products in one day; there are many tips you can follow to help make your transition into veganism as smooth and easy as possible. The ideas below are great ways to kick-start your vegan diet without burning yourself out or questioning what to eat.
Determine Your Pace and Timeline
There are multiple ways to go about changing your diet to a vegan one. You can begin by scheduling vegan days whereby you experiment with meals and find recipes you love. You can also slowly transition into a vegan meal plan by subbing certain animal products with plant-based alternatives until you feel ready to make the full switch. Or you can try jumping into complete veganism, but this method is the hardest.
Before you make the change, determine your timeline to fully cut out animal products. If you’re not sure about a timeframe, consider how you’d like to go about the diet transition to suit your lifestyle; listen to your body along the way and make necessary adjustments. The process should be fun and enjoyable as you find new foods!
Start Reducing Your Animal Products
If you decide to make day-by-day adjustments to your diet instead of going all-in with veganism, you can transition your body and mindset to vegan foods by slowly reducing your animal products. Instead of cutting these ingredients out of your diet, swap them for plant-based alternatives. This method gives you time to experiment with a few unfamiliar ingredients at a time until you’re comfortable cooking with them (and until your taste buds get used to the difference).
Look Up Simple Vegan Recipes
Photo by Taryn Elliott
Chances are, if someone asked you to name a full day of vegan meals, you’d have trouble coming up with a meal plan. Like any new diet, veganism requires that you learn new recipes and consider brands and substitutes you’re probably unfamiliar with. You can make the learning curve fun and informative by finding vegan recipes that are well-loved by others.
Vegan recipe books keep all your recipes in one place, but the internet is a great way to discover vegan meals that pass the vibe check. Plus, you can start building a community with your vegan peers as you work through the best animal product substitutes on the market.
Eat a Variety of Meals and Foods
An important piece of advice is to eat a variety of meals with an array of ingredients. If your version of veganism is eating the same rice and veggies for every meal, you’ll feel burned out and discouraged. The options available to those on a vegan diet are extensive and creative, so make sure you look around for an assortment of meal options.
However, don’t pressure yourself to cook elaborate vegan meals with a list of unfamiliar ingredients you don’t yet know the taste of. Exploring new foods is great, but it’s also smart to keep it simple when you’re creating new recipes from scratch every day.
Get Vegan Meals Delivered to Your Home
An incredible option when pursuing vegan meals is to have them delivered to you. This way you don’t have to come up with your own recipes or search for niche ingredients at the store. Rather, all the portions are provided to you, and you can select the meals you want to try in advance. Subscribing to a healthy meal delivery service takes all the hassle out of switching to veganism so that the swap feels exciting.
Takeaway
So you’ve decided you’d like to switch over to a vegan diet. While it may seem daunting, there are many tips you can follow to make your transition a seamless one. Whatever pacing you decide to follow, and however creative or simple your vegan meals are, remember that you’re fueling your body with nutritious, plant-based foods it appreciates!
