Transitioning into a Vegan… Where to Start?
Oh, the road to veganism… Some may imagine it to be full of rainbows, kale, and butterflies, while others may imagine it to be a daunting path towards stomach-emptiness. Whatever you believe the road to veganism may look like, I’m here to tell you that you’re right. The mindset that you choose to have going into this new journey and lifestyle will either be what helps you or hurts you− so you decide.
With that being said, I would like to first emphasize that everybody moves at their own pace. If you’re considering a vegan diet but are unsure if this major transition is for you, please know that this is not a race, and you are not competing against anyone or anything. This is about you; this is about your own growth and your own personal goals. While some people may be able to transition into the vegan diet cold turkey, it is absolutely okay to ease into it, and I’m here to explain how you can do this.
Step 1: Educate Yourself
It is important to soak up as much information on the benefits of a vegan diet as you can. Learning about the proven facts of these benefits may become your leading motivation. Ask yourself, why are you doing this? Why do you want to partake in a vegan diet? Is it because you would like to improve your overall health? Is it because you want to become more environmentally friendly? Or is it because you would like to stand against animal cruelty? Whatever your reason is, learn about it. These benefits will be your biggest eye-opener and motivation.
There are so many benefits of having a vegan diet, ranging from incredible health benefits to even environmental benefits. You can learn about these many benefits through eye-opening documentaries and articles. Some of my personal favorite documentaries consist of What the Health, Food Inc., and Forks over Knives, all of which can be found on Netflix. There are also plenty of reliable articles already written that highlight the benefits of vegan options.
With social media becoming a key feature of our day-to-day lives, why not use your time on social media to learn and find inspiration? Following vegan influencers such as Melissa Hanson, Natalie Matthews (aka the “Fit Vegan Chef”), and Berto Calkins will grant you the opportunity to learn more about vegan hacks, recipes, and overall health and wellness. There are plenty of vegan influencers on both Instagram and Youtube; search and choose which ones you would like to follow and see what you can learn from them!
Step 2: Mind over Matter! Overcome Internal Doubts so you can Overcome External Challenges
So you’ve learned as much as you could learn about the benefits of a vegan diet, you’ve found much inspiration from your favorite vegan influencers, but you just can’t seem to get over the thought of actually cutting your favorite meats out of your diet… I get it; it can be extremely overwhelming. But maybe, just maybe, if you re-train the way your thoughts process you can find this transition to be more bearable… and maybe even more enjoyable.
For example, instead of focusing on what you shouldn’t be eating, pay more attention to what you should be eating. It’s a marathon, not a race; this transition can be as gradual as you are comfortable for it to be. When you focus on the foods that you should not be eating, this diet becomes more of a strict chore rather than a healthy lifestyle.
Additionally, when you form a habit of negative thought processes towards your new diet, you might be more likely to beat yourself up whenever you eat something that you think you shouldn’t be eating. So instead of focusing on what you should not eat, I say you should re-train your brain to be more aware of the foods you could be adding to enhance your diet.
Step 3: Start Exploring
I believe the most exciting part of transitioning into a vegan diet is finding new recipes and ideas to experiment with! The vegan diet really allows you to get creative, so start exploring different vegan recipes and see what appeals to you!
There are so many vegan cookbooks, my favorites being The Budget-Friendly Vegan Cookbook: Healthy Meals for a Plant-Based Diet and Healthy Vegan, Happy Body: The Complete Plant-Based Cookbook for a Well-Nourished Life. Going through colorful vegan recipes will show you that there are ways in which vegan food can in fact taste good. Feel free to make a list of your favorite vegan recipes that you would like to try out!
It also doesn’t hurt to be on the lookout for vegan restaurants! Though there are a few restaurants today that contain delicious vegan options, almost any restaurant has menu options that can be modified to be vegan friendly. So the next time you go out to eat, pay more attention to what vegan options might be available, or what meals you could modify yourself!
Also, be on the lookout for any vegan options you might find at the grocery store! You’d be surprised at how many vegan options are actually available to you at your local Wal-Mart, but I’ll cover that later on in this article. For this step, simply explore the options and opportunities presented around you.
In addition to finding new recipes, vegan restaurants, and vegan options in the grocery store, it would also be beneficial for you to get in the habit of reading food ingredient labels. This is a good habit to get into in general, whether you’re an herbivore or an omnivore.
To do this, first and foremost you should be on the lookout for a “vegan” label. Though not every vegan item may not contain this label, some vegan items do. You may be able to spare yourself some time by simply searching for a vegan label before searching through the ingredients.
Reading food ingredients can get a little tricky, however, the vegan’s guide provides a list of ingredients that you should look out for in your food items. Some of the most common animal ingredients to remember are:
- Whey: A milk by-product.
- Pepsin: This comes from the stomachs of pigs.
- Lard/Tallow: This consists of animal fats.
- Aspic: This is an industry-made alternative for gelatine, which is made from clarified meat, fish or vegetable stocks, and gelatine.
- Lactose: This is milk sugar.
There are also certain food additives that you should be on the lookout for, such as:
- E120: This is carmine, also known as cochineal, which consists of crushed up beetles that can be used as a red food coloring.
- E542: This consists of ground-up animal bones in order to keep foods moist.
- E904: This is shellac, which is a glazing agent that is made from the discharges of an insect called the lac bug.
Getting in the habit of reading food ingredient labels can be a little confusing, however, it could be very useful in the long run of your vegan journey!
Step 4: The Transition- Enhance your Diet Before you Minimize it
Now it’s time to slowly work towards the actual transition, however, you might be more prepared than you realize! Remember how we talked about focusing on what you should be eating rather than focusing on what you shouldn’t be eating? Well, here is where we are going to put that into fruition. To start this transition, don’t take meat and dairy out of the equation just yet.
Instead, start this transition by adding healthier vegan-friendly foods first. Start by adding some more vegetables, grains, and legumes into your regular diet. Let your body get used to not only the taste of these foods but also let your body feel the benefits of this kind of nurture. You can also use this time to experiment with different seasoning strategies in order to adjust these flavors to your liking.
Next, start to consider certain vegan replacements. For example, try going from drinking cow milk to your favorite nut milk such as almond milk, cashew milk, etc. Or when you have that strong sweet tooth, maybe search for vegan cookies in your local grocery store rather than regular cookies. Better yet, you can search delicious recipes for alternative vegan-friendly sweets.
The next step is to begin to replace your meats with other plant proteins. For example, tofu, tempeh, edamame, beans, chickpeas, and lentils are other great sources of protein that can be used. This is the part of the process where you can actually experiment with your favorite recipes. Most grocery stores will also offer plant-based meat alternatives such as plant-based burger patties and plant-based sausages.
These alternatives resemble meat taste very well, and often contain a good amount of protein; however, they are also extremely processed and should only be used as an aid in your transition. These meat alternatives should not be used as your main source of vitamins, proteins, and minerals. Instead, they should be used occasionally and less often as you move further in your vegan journey.
A newly vegan may also benefit from the 80/20 vegan diet, where you can still have your cake and eat it too. This diet supports a vegan diet with 80% of the foods you consume, while in the remaining 20% you are able to indulge in whatever you would like. This diet could be great for any new and transitioning vegans, as that 20% window is used to treat yourself without feeling guilt; after all, life is meant to be lived to the fullest!
On the contrary, the 80/20 vegan diet is all about balance. It is okay to treat yourself from time to time, however, this 20% food window is not meant to be used for 12 shots of whiskey plus some sweets. If that were the case, it would not be 20%. Try to use the 20% window for healthier options such as grass-fed meat, a piece of cake for dessert, or maybe a glass of wine with your dinner for one night. It’s important to remember balance.
Step 5: Look into Supplements
You can’t discuss a vegan diet without discussing the use of supplements. First and foremost, everybody is different, and it’s best to consult your doctor before making any supplemental changes as some people may already have certain deficiencies before going into this diet. The use of supplements also varies depending on how many nutrients you’re getting from your meals, so it’s important to be aware of what you’re putting into your body and how much you’re putting into your body.
For example, a common misconception is that many vegans don’t get enough protein. This could be accurate if a vegan is not monitoring the foods that he or she is consuming. I would like to start addressing this misconception by pointing out that most Americans eat twice, and sometimes three times, the amount of protein that they actually need. The Dietary Reference Intake for protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight.
This equivalates to an average of 56 grams of protein a day for an average sedentary man, and an average of 46 grams of protein a day for the average sedentary woman. However, studies have shown that most Americans eat about 100 grams of protein a day and sometimes more. While this might not be a terrible thing, it is also healthy for a person to not consume the equivalent amount of protein as most Americans. With that being said, a person following a vegan diet should still be monitoring his or her food intake in order to ensure that he or she is getting enough protein.
In regards to supplements, Vitamin B-12 is crucial for many vegans. This vitamin plays a role in the development of red blood cells, helps to metabolize proteins, and supports a healthy nervous system. Many people can have low Vitamin B-12 levels, however, vegans, in particular, may face this issue as there are not many vegan food options that contain much Vitamin B-12. Vitamin B-12 is probably the most crucial supplement a vegan should take.
Another supplement that vegans might consider are iron supplements. Because taking too much iron can actually be very dangerous, it is so important for a person to consult their doctor before taking iron supplements. On the contrary, there are plenty of vegan-friendly foods that already consist of iron such as spinach and other dark leafy greens, cereals, beans, and tofu.
Newly vegans might also consider other supplements such as Omega-3’s, Vitamin D, and Iodine. However, many of these vitamins could also be found in regular daily multi-vitamins that should be taken regardless of a vegan diet.
The road to veganism might be short or it might belong, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. Once you begin to feel the benefits that you learned about in your own research that acts as your motivation, the journey becomes much more easier and enjoyable!
