So you’ve decided that you want to go vegan. Congrats, that’s a huge accomplishment! But, where do you go from there? For many of us, it may be unrealistic to transition from an animal-product heavy diet to a plant-based diet overnight, but here are 5 steps to make that transition into a vegan diet as smooth and efficient as possible. After all, going vegan should not have to be a difficult or uncomfortable process, and the easier the transition is for you, the more likely you will be to stick to this lifestyle! So, lets get started!
1. Identify the reasons why you are going vegan.
As cheesy as it sounds, being vegan is more of a lifestyle than a diet. If you are going vegan simply for weight-loss or specific health benefits, while that may be sufficient to motivate you to get started, it helps to have some extra motivation to stick to it in the future. Whether that is for environmental, ethical, personal, or health reasons, it helps to do some extra research into the animal industry.
You may think that you know plenty or enough about this industry, but trust me, there’s a lot that has been hidden from the public about animal farming. And, a good place to start for getting more information is with documentaries. You can find my list of my top 4 vegan documentaries, and they go over a range of topics and provide you with information and resources that are helpful when you are just starting out on a vegan diet.
They talk about the environmental impact of the animal industry, the overall damaging health impact of animal products, and the various different ways this industry harms our society. Watching documentaries like these is a really great way to build up some motivation and confidence when you are on your way to transition into a vegan diet!
Also, when you have some added reasons motivating you on this transition into a vegan diet, it will help you stick to it over the long run and also help you answer questions you get from others on why you’ve chosen to eliminate or decrease your consumption of animal products.
2. Find some interesting vegan or plant-based recipes!
Many of us have been raised on a very meat, dairy, and egg heavy diet, with most if not all meals containing at least one type of animal product. So, it is important to fnd some inspiration for vegan meals. Whether these are veganized versions of your comfort foods or completely whole-food plant based meals, you want to make sure that these recipes are within your comfort range in terms of cooking skills and time.
For those of you who do not enjoy cooking or feel like you are bad at it, I still suggest finding a couple simple recipes that you can whip up easily and quickly. But, the more you invest into your cooking skills, the easier this transition into a vegan diet will be and the more delicious and interesting your meals will be! Of course you can rely on ready made meals, but this will be expensive over the long run and these packaged foods typically have high sodium contents and lots of processed ingredients.
Starting off with a list of 2-3 recipes that you want to give a try is great and helps you develop some confidence as a newly vegan cook as well as become familiar with some vegan alternatives to animal products. Whether that’s learning how to cook tofu or maybe how to prepare a beyond burger instead of a meat one, this is very important in the first stages of your transition into a vegan diet!
We’ve probably all been told or heard that a vegan diet is boring and is just made out of soy products, but that couldn’t be further from the truth (at least most of the time!). Finding recipes that make YOU excited open up a whole new world to you about the possibilities of plant-based cooking. For some exciting, easy, and budget-friendly vegan recipes, check out some of my recipes here!
3. Stock up your pantry (and do it right!)
Trust me, it’ll make it so much easier when you transition into a vegan diet when you don’t have to go out of your way to go grocery shopping and have to figure out what you need to buy. Plus, contrary to popular belief, eating vegan does not have to be expensive! You just need to know what you’re getting and stick to basics such as beans, grains, and veggies to stay within your budget.
You don’t need to get fancy vegan cheeses or pre-made plant-based meals, just get some canned beans, potatoes, leafy greens, some kind of plant-milk, rice, pasta, nuts, and seeds, and you’ll be off to a fantastic start! Seeds such as flax, hemp and chia seeds are very high in omega-3 fatty acids that are necessary for our health and aren’t found in many other plant-based foods, plus they are also packed with protein and fiber.
When you’re starting out, I suggest getting one of these types of seeds and adding it to cereal, oatmeal, smoothies, or as a topping to salads and other meals. Additionally, these seeds can act as an egg replacer in baking recipes, but don’t worry because these seeds don’t have a strong taste. For a more in depth guide into stocking a vegan pantry, check out this post here from the blog Pick Up Limes.
4. Start with switching one meal to vegan and work you way up from there
Whether that one meal is breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it really makes the transition into a vegan diet much easier to ease into it one step at a time. So, for the first week or so, start off with one vegan meal per day, then the next week make it two, and after three weeks have all three meals be vegan!
Of course this is just an example of how you can make this work, but if you want to make the transition into a vegan diet longer or shorter, feel free to adjust this to your desires. It makes it easier to make a big change by breaking it up into smaller steps to keep you from feeling overwhelmed and to give you the confidence you need to stick to your goal.
5. Find a community of like-minded people!
Whether this is online through social media or connecting with friends that are also on a plant-based/vegan diet, this is very important. For all sorts of big life changes like this one, it is vital to have a support system to encourage you when things get rough and to provide wisdom, especially when you’re just starting out. Also, I know that many people are quick to judge when it comes to vegans and it can be very difficult when loved ones and family members do no support your decision to transition into a vegan diet.
But, to have people that you can talk to about your experience and who can relate to what you’re going through provides a lot of comfort and gives you support that your friends and family might not be offering you at the moment. If you have friends and family that support you, then that is fantastic! It’ll make this whole process a lot easier, but I’d still suggest finding a couple people that you can trust that have gone through this transition into a vegan diet themselves.
This can also mean following plant-based/vegan influencers and chefs on social media to get some inspiration! On youtube you can find tons of content on veganism, including meal plans, easy recipes, tips, and more. And, on instagram, it always inspires me to see what other vegans are cooking and doing to mix up my routine. Plus, usually through following some influencers, you will find a community of like-minded individuals that you can chat with and rant to if necessary. Trust me, having people who get what you’re a going through makes this process SO MUCH easier when you’re going to transition into a vegan diet.
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