Easy-To-Follow Vegan Diet Tips for Beginners
We may struggle, when we initially transition from one thing to another. Changing your diet can be hard. But don’t worry: Here are some easy-to-follow vegan diet tips for beginners.
Preparation
Start with preparing yourself – physically and mentally. Going through a transition period is never easy for anyone. Doctors and dieticians should be consulted for expert advice before starting a vegan diet.
Think of why you want to be vegan in the first place. Is it for your health? For the environment? For the animals? In this way, you will be grounded on the main reason why you want to change and start going on a vegan diet.
Finally, you may list down the places in your neighborhood like restaurants or supermarkets where you can buy vegan food or ingredients. This will make it easier for you to find a place to eat or prepare your meals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkz0oH1JrAM
No pressure
Nobody is born a superstar. Be compassionate with yourself throughout this process – because it isn’t easy and you will meet some obstacles along the way.
If you’re struggling to replace one of your usual meals with a vegan alternative, try not to change it right away. You can try to slowly replace each non-vegan item one by one. First, try to drink soy or almond milk instead of cow’s milk. Then, try to replace your sausage with vegan sausage. Eventually, everything on your plate will be vegan.
Good things take time so do not pressure yourself. Unrealistic expectations may lead to disappointment. Give yourself some time to learn.
Prepare simple yet delicious vegan food
Do not compare the vegan food you eat to most of the vegan food posted on your social media. Again, remember not to set out unrealistic expectations for yourself.
At the start, try to prepare simple but delicious food. Also, preparing varied foods prevents you from easily getting bored with what you are eating.
Learn about vegan food substitutes
There are many vegan substitutes to our favorites. There’s almost any vegan substitute to whatever we want. Nowadays, we can even buy vegan meat or “fake meat”. For instance, products such as eggs, cheese, milk, and butter to name a few have some vegan substitutes.
Read food labels
Products may appear vegan from the front. Some ingredients are not vegan so make sure to read the food labels.
Some common non-vegan ingredients to watch out for are:
- honey,
- casein,
- lactose,
- whey,
- collagen,
- albumin
If you’re not sure if a product is vegan or not, you can have a quick Google check if this particular ingredient is vegan or not. You can also check our post about 10 vegan condiments you must have.
Find like-minded people
Like every journey, it’s equally important to be in a community of like-minded people. As a beginner, we can ask them for tips for our vegan diet. There are many vegan groups you can find online willing to answer any questions you have. In the end, being surrounded by people who don’t give you social pressure because of your eating habits is a great feeling.
We made sure these tips are easier to follow as there are many ways to kickstart your transition to being vegan. Many YouTube videos also give vegan diet tips for beginners. Give yourself time to prepare, don’t pressure yourself, and lastly, make sure not to be shy to ask for help. Here’s to being vegan!