Thinking of making a plant-based dietary change? Here are our top 10 tips to help you make a significant change for your health, the animals, and the environment.
Tip 1: Get Clued Up
Do your research before you decide to make the switch! Check out some of the excellent plant-based books and articles for motivation and advice, and collect some delicious recipes that you can’t wait to try. Read up on nutrition but don’t get too hung up on it. Eat a balanced diet, and you won’t go far wrong.
Tip 2: Make Like-For-Like-Swaps
If you thought you’d miss out on your favorite foods by ditching meat, eggs, and milk from animals, you thought wrong. Anything you can eat, you can eat vegan! From yogurts and cheeses to ice cream and mock-meats, there is nothing that cannot be made vegan.
Tip 3: Join a Vegan Group
It can be hard when no one in your social group is vegan. However, you can meet new friends by joining your local vegan groups. Meet them online or via local MeetUp groups, and you will also find like-minded people at local vegan fairs and festivals.
Tip 4: Go Out to Eat
A few years ago, vegan options at restaurants were few and far between. These days, there are so many incredible independent vegan eateries, as well as separate vegan menus at high-street restaurants. Use The Happy Cow restaurant locator to ensure you never go hungry, wherever you are.
Tip 5: Watch a Vegan Documentary
Watching vegan documentaries such as The Game Changers, Seaspiracy, What The Health and Cowspiracy is a brilliant way to help fuel your passion and remind you why you decided to make the change to a vegan diet. Be inspired!
Tip 6: One Step at a Time
Going vegan is a journey, and every journey requires you to pace yourself. Not everyone can make sweeping changes overnight so don’t feel bad about taking one step at a time. It will help you to make a lasting change to your diet and lifestyle.
Tip 7: Read Labels
Not everything that is vegan is labeled as such. So, read the small print and you may just find your favorite foods are accidentally vegan!
Tip 8: Make Vegan Food for Your Friends
Telling close ones that you’ve decided to try veganism is sometimes one of the most challenging aspects of transitioning to a vegan diet. One of the best ways to quash any naysayers is to cook up a delicious meal. A tray of brownies or huge Chili Sin Carne always hit the spot!
Tip 9: Experiment in the Kitchen
Don’t be afraid to experiment with new and exciting vegan flavors and ingredients. You may find, as many vegans do, that suddenly your culinary horizons broaden and you discover a world of food you never knew existed.
Tip 10: Make Errors. Move On.
In the early days, it’s easy to relapse or make a simple mistake. It happens to the best of us! It doesn’t mean you are not vegan or should give up. It just means you are human. Move on from it, and jump back into the delicious, compassionate world of veganism.
Image Credit: JoAnne McArthur / We Animals
