So you’re thinking about giving up animal products for good but you’re not sure where to start? You’re certainly not alone! These practical tips will help you make better choices so you can stick with your new lifestyle long term, and most importantly, thrive on it!
Diversify Your Diet – Growing up as meat eaters, we become accustomed to having meat be the star of every dish. As such, if you’re just starting out on a vegan diet, you probably have no idea what the heck you’re supposed to eat! But you don’t have to think of this new change as limiting. There are loads of plant-based protein sources available including tofu, seitan, tempeh, chickpeas, or lentils that you can pair with just about any side dish. There are tons of options if you just do a little thinking outside the box!
Transition Slowly – So you just watched a gut-wrenching documentary about the horrors of factory farming and you feel compelled to give up all animal products overnight. While that might be tempting, we highly recommend not doing that. It’s important to transition slowly in a more sustainable manner so you don’t experience burnout early on. So instead of quitting cold turkey (no pun intended) overnight, try giving different things up gradually over time. Trust us, you’ll be way more successful in the end!
Don’t Rely Entirely on Fake Meats – If you’ve been used to eating meat for every meal your entire life thus far, you’re inevitably going to feel tempted to rely on fake meats to fulfill your protein needs. If you can afford that, then great! But if you’re like the rest of us and you live on a budget, then you’ll need to plan out your diet in a more financially sustainable way. Luckily, fake meats are not a requirement if you’re vegan and, as we mentioned in the first point, there are plenty of other ways to satisfy all of your protein needs.
Take a B12 Supplement – Vitamin B12 is mainly found in animal-based foods so if you’re thinking about cutting those out of your diet you’ll need to start taking a supplement. B12 deficiency can result in symptoms such as fatigue, feeling faint, heart palpitations, and headaches. Be sure to talk to your doctor first about what dosage of B12 is right for you!
Always Plan out Your Meals Ahead of Time – To state the obvious, most events simply aren’t catered to people who don’t eat meat. As such, it’s important that you always check ahead of time to make sure that the event you’re going to (be that a restaurant, dinner party, or something else entirely) will have a vegan option. If the answer is yes, then great! If not (as is often the case), then always have a plan to eat a filling meal beforehand, afterward, or load up on snacks during, because the last thing you want is to be sitting at a table hungry while everyone else is eating delicious-looking food. Just trust us on that.