The Beginner’s Guide to Start Eating Vegan

Why is it hard to start eating vegan?

I have been vegetarian and mostly vegan for almost a year now. But, it was not easy at the start.

I tried many times to change my diet. I would eat vegetarian for a few days. After a stressful day, I would go back to eating meat, which I had been taught all my life. Then, I would feel bad and see it as a failure. I would stop instead of pushing forward.

We have to change our habits, we have to deal with the people around us, and we have to cook differently.

Many factors can make us stop.

That's why I wrote this guide, which I hope will help you. It’s the guide I wish I had when I started.

Be nice to yourself.

If you want to eat vegan, and you find yourself eating meat once in a while: Don’t feel guilty.

Every change takes time, and you need to accept that you won’t change overnight.

And that’s ok.

Eating vegetarian or vegan is like learning a new skill, when you start, you suck at it. Then, you create good habits, learn about cooking and nutrition, and improve.

You wouldn’t expect to run a marathon if you never even ran before, would you? It goes the same with changing your diet.

Be proud of yourself!

It might seem silly, but the first time I ate vegetarian for a whole day, I high-fived my girlfriend yelling  “Day 1 of being vegetarian!”.

I kept high-fiving her every day, building up a streak. It helped me build up the confidence and pride to say I’m vegetarian.

Keep a streak. You can do it with someone, in a habit app, or on a classic calendar. It makes you feel accountable. This feeling gives you extra motivation to keep going.

Do it at your own pace

When I started, I decided to keep eating meat once a week. This was the best choice I made because it helped me not feel pressured. Doing that, ended up helping me not eat meat at all.

And every time I ate meat, I realized it’s not the meat I liked but the fat that comes with it.

How to deal with social pressure?

There are two options here. Don’t tell everyone, or tell everyone (including yourself!).

You might find the label “vegan” scary, and I understand that. I find it completely fine to keep that to yourself. After all, it’s a personal journey.

I decided to tell people I was vegetarian right when I decided to change. First, it helped me convince myself. There was nothing wrong with labeling myself vegetarian. Second, people would consider my diet when cooking or choosing a place to go out.

It made me feel better, even if it came with questions.

So choose the most comfortable option for you, and tell the people around you when you are ready

Remember why you want to be vegan

If you are here, you want to align your diet with your values. You may want to do this for your health, the environment, the animals, or even your wallets.

Remember why you want to change your diet. Learning more about why will reinforce your determination to change.

The World Health Organisation published a review on the plant-based diet. It showed its benefits. I made you a quick recap how what studies have shown.

It’s better for your health

A vegan diet:

• Reduces the risk of heart disease, cancers
• Promotes a better immune system, skin and weight loss.
• Reduces cholesterols.
• Lowers blood sugar levels and helps fight diabetes type 2.

It’s better for the planet

We need to decrease our gas emissions to 2 tons per person by 2050. Our diet contributes to a quarter of the CO2 emissions worldwide. Mainly from the animal products industry. Eating a vegan diet is much more efficient, uses less land, and is essential to reaching that goal.

It’s better for the animals

This one is pretty obvious. Eating plant-based helps prevent animal slaughter. There are many resources available on this topic. Here are a few examples:

• Dominion on YouTube
• You are what you eat on Netflix (They depict the animal products industry accurately, without being as harsh as Dominion)

It’s better for your wallet

Take a look at your grocery receipt, look at the most expensive products when it comes to food. It’s the animal-based products. Eating vegan reduces your expenses.

Now don’t mistake me, if you eat only plant-based fake meat you won’t see much difference. But when you start cooking whole food, it gets pretty cheap.

Experiment!

You will discover recipes and ingredients you never heard of before.

Every vegan will tell you that.

Vegan food can be surprisingly tasteful! The best meal I ever had was at a vegan restaurant!

The best thing to do is to explore and experiment with different recipes.

When eating out, consider vegetarian and plant-based options. In my experience, vegan restaurants offer tastier options than regular restaurants.

Plan your meals to make it simple!

You researched and learned how to eat healthy, now you're ready to cook vegan meals. But, when the week starts, you get caught up in your busy schedule and don't find time to cook. Instead, you end up eating pasta and chicken.

How can you avoid this? Meal planning.

Pick a day (for me, it's Sunday) and plan your meals for the week. Aim for 4 to 5 dishes to cook. Make enough of each for 2 meals, so you don't have to cook too much!

Every 2 weeks, on Sunday, I also prepare homemade granola for breakfast. Then, each day, making my yogurt and granola bowl takes just 5 minutes! It's an easy way to have a nutritious vegan breakfast!

Give a chance to animal products substitutes

You can start eating vegan by using plant-based meat alternatives. It's a good way to start, but remember:

• They won't taste exactly like meat. See them as new ingredients with their own taste.
• They are still processed food. Have them occasionally!

There are many options, you will find something that works for you!

Learn about having a balanced diet.

I said it before, and I will say it again: a vegan diet can be unhealthy. If you only eat pasta 24/7, you will be vegan and yet very unhealthy.

I give you here the basics of what you need to know:

1. Your body needs proteins, carbs, and healthy fats. Proteins are essential to your muscles, bones, and tissues. Carbs are your main source of energy, and healthy fats are necessary to absorb some vitamins and for your immune system.
2. Plant-based proteins are found in many products. You can get enough out of a vegan diet. These include tofu, tempeh, lentils, peas, and beans.
3. Your diet will provide you with more fiber, which is great for your body. However, it can make you feel bloated and gassy. If that happens, eat less fiber and gradually increase the amount over time.
4. You need to supplement yourself with B12.

A note on supplements

Every diet needs some kind of supplement. Vitamin D is often lacking in winter due to our modern lifestyles. The standard diet is low in fiber. The vegan also needs some supplements.

• You need B12. This vitamin comes from the soil. In our modern sanitized world, animals are given B12, and the soil is enriched with cobalt. This way everyone gets B12, it’s just filtered through animals first. Vegan B12 supplements prevent exploiting animals.
• A balanced vegan diet should provide enough iron without supplements. Plant-based food contains non heme-iron that is not as easily absorbed as heme-iron from meat. Consuming Vitamin C helps increase iron absorption. In some cases, it might be beneficial but always consult a registered dietetician first.

• If you live above latitude 40° and want to avoid winter depression, take Vitamin D supplements. See the infographic by nutritionalsfacts.org.

Explore food options outside of your house

• If you start a vegan diet now, you have a good chance of finding great restaurants that serve vegan food near you. So why not give them a chance? It's a good way to try new flavors, and figure out what you like.
• Check out Happy Cow app to find vegan and vegetarian restaurants close to you.
• Connect with people who are already vegan. This could be friends, in Facebook groups, or on Instagram pages.
• Attend a vegan community dinner to learn recipes.

An easy recipe to start with:

My go-to recipe when I started:

• Simple Tofu Recipe

Final Note

So going vegan can be daunting but I hope I gave you all the resources you need. There are plenty of options out there and so many great things you can cook. it’s an amazing world to explore and I know you will find what you like out there! Have fun and eat well!