How To Go Vegan In 10 Easy Steps
Charushila is an ISSA certified Fitness Nutritionist and a Physical Exercise Therapist. Over a span of 6 years, she has authored more than 400 articles on diet, lifestyle, exercises, healthy food, and fitness equipment. She strives to inform, educate, and motivate her readers via authentic, straightforward, and fact-checked information.
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Want to go vegan but have no clue how to go about it? Well, it’s not as difficult as you imagine. But it’s no cakewalk either! Going vegan is a life-changing decision, and you do not have to do it in a day. To make this transition smooth and easy for you, I have listed 10 ways to go vegan from being an omnivore or vegetarian. By the end of it, you will have a clear idea and feel more confident about one of the best decisions you have taken. Read on!
10 Steps To Become Vegan
1. Do Not Force Yourself
You have decided to go vegan. Good! But make sure you take your time. While becoming vegan in a day might work for some, if it doesn’t work for you, do not feel guilty about it. This is, after all, a habit that you have to develop and make it your lifestyle over a period. Start with small steps. Maybe give up consuming milk or eggs. Or you can also start with having one vegan meal per day and then move on to having two vegan meals per day.
2. Learn About Veganism
Start reading about going vegan online. There are numerous sites and online groups that can serve as inspiration. You may also check out vegan blogs to get an idea of why going vegan is the best thing to do, foods to eat, recipes you can make, and the restaurants near you that serve vegan food.
PETA and other animal support groups have blogs and videos that you can read up and watch to learn more about animal cruelty and how you can avoid being party to it. NASA’s website gives you an insight into global warming, what’s causing it, and what its effects are.
3. Find Social Support
Finding social support is very important. People who are already vegan or on the same page as you understand the struggles one has to go through and might help you find a better alternative than going back to your old habits.
Talk to a friend who is a vegan, join vegan groups, volunteer at an animal shelter, help strays get adopted, and listen to scientists concerned about global warming. With your vegan friends and support group, you will not feel like an outcast anymore.
4. Know The Food Alternatives
One of the main reasons people do not want to go vegan is that they fear they will miss out on delicious food. That’s not true! There are all kinds of vegan alternatives – from almond milk to mock meat that taste delicious.
Try substituting dairy with almond milk for coffee or chai. Try grilling mock meat instead of chicken or beef. Try crunchy tofu with a side of greens and veggies topped with olive oil and vegan cheese. You will not be able to tell the difference.
5. Give Your Kitchen A Makeover
If your kitchen cupboards are stuffed with animal products and meat, you will end up eating them. So, give your kitchen a makeover. Give away or donate all the animal products and restock the kitchen cabinets with vegan alternatives. Out of sight, out of mind!
6. Do Not Compromise On Nutrition
Vegan food is delicious. But you also get vegan junk food, which tastes great but has zero nutrition value. Include a lot of dark leafy greens and good sources of plant proteins like soybeans, nuts, and legumes in your diet to get a whole range of nutrients from plant products. You must also take vitamin, mineral, and omega-3 supplements to prevent nutritional deficiencies.
7. Learn To Make Delicious Meals With Mock Meat
Mock meat is made of tempeh, tofu, and other soy proteins. The texture mimics chicken and red meat. Buy mock meat for the taste as well as the protein required for your body.
Whether it is grilled mock meat or mock meat wings, you are going to savor it like real meat and chicken. All you’ve got to do is buy mock meat (widely available online or in the supermarkets) and prepare it however you want!
8. Make A List Of What You Can Eat Out
Being a vegan does not mean you cannot enjoy a night out or a lunch date with someone who is not a vegan. Do a little research about the restaurant you are going to. List out the vegan dishes on the menu and request the chef to customize your food accordingly. If you do not want to get into all the hassle, choose a vegan restaurant!
9. Remember Why You Started
Sometimes, you may crave for a dish that is not vegan. Maybe it’s a dish that your family enjoys when you all get together or something that your partner loves eating. In these cases, you might be tempted to give in to your cravings.
This is when you should remind yourself why you started being a vegan. Remember that you are not only saving an innocent animal’s life but also saving the planet and billions of humans and making it a better place for the next generation to live in.
10. Enjoy Your New Lifestyle
Giving up meat and animal products and being kind to the planet is not sacrifice – it is humanity. Feel good about it. Enjoy your new lifestyle and inspire others to adopt it. Start with yourself, at your home, and see yourself develop into a new human being that you are proud to be.
There you go – 10 steps to go vegan. Follow them, and you will be able to slowly turn vegan. If you have questions, please feel free to post them in the comments box.
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