A Beginner’s Guide for Transitioning into Veganism
So, you want to become vegan but you don’t want to spend a ton of money or completely turn your life upside down? Here are a few tips to help you along the way:
Consider going lacto-ovo-pescaterian to start. What the heck does that mean? It means consider being a vegetarian first. Keep eggs, dairy and seafood in your diet, but cut out all other meat. Then when you feel ready, try dropping them one by one and replacing them with an alternate protein source.
Replace staple items with vegan substitutes as you consume them. It can be very expensive to replace all your staples (butter, sugar, milk, cheese, cooking oils, meat etc.) in one trip. Instead, replace them as you run out. Your wallet will thank you.
Integrate vegan items into your diet one by one. Finding a brand of soy milk or vegan cheese that you really like can be a trial and error process. So take your time, or else you are likely to spend a lot of money, get frustrated with the results, and give up all together.
The transition into veganism won’t be a permanent lifestyle change if you turn it into a negative experience. If you completely change your diet overnight and spend a lot of money on products you don’t like, you are more apt to throw your hands up and go back to wolfing down hamburgers and chicken strips.
Avoid the all or nothing mindset. To quote Jonathan Safran Foer of “Eating Animals”, imagine living a life where you either lied or told the truth 100% of the time. It would be ridiculous! No one applies such an extreme point of view to other moral spheres, so why do it with your diet? If you make just a few positive food choices a week, you have done something worthwhile. You do not have to be a hardcore vegan to make a difference and to reap the results!
Join a community! If you are reading this, you are already on the right path because you’ve joined the Vegan Project community. Getting in touch with other vegans is a great way to gain support (especially important if your friends/family aren’t vegan), learn insider tips and tricks, and to generally stay motivated. Remember, you are not alone! If you are facing a vegan challenge, chances are someone else has already gone through it and you can learn from their experiences!
.…..For a list of some common vegan replacements that are available in the greater Vancouver region, stay tuned for “A Dummies Guide to Vegan Replacements”.
Courtesy of Contributor Jenny Duffy
~The Vegan Project
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I love this! Great advice
I will be retweeting!
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I have been vegan one whole day haha! I made the decision yesterday and I know I won’t regret it! It’s going to be hard but worth it ! Feel free to talk to me on twitter @jademarrey
Good for you Jade! If you need anything, or want to share any stories or recipes with our readers, let us know!
Thoroughly helpful posting A Beginner’s Guide for Transitioning into Veganism | The Vegan Project. Carry on posting!
Wow great tips from this site, I’ve eaten meat my whole life and today I’ve decided to become vegan. I’m going to be starting tomorrow and I’m looking for more tips! Tweet me with your advice it would be greatly appreciated. @Lilly_KC_Stew Thanks
I’d go vegan if you could eat gelatin. I just can’t give it up. It eats so good.
So i’ve decided to become vegan like yesterday. I am just looking for support and guidance in this new experience.
Hi Sabra! AWesome news! Send us an email to theveganproject@gmail.com and we will help any way we can
Nice, easy-read site!
Enjoyed the reasons to date a vegan…
Cheers
Thanks Michael!
I’ve been practising a plant-based diet for a bit over a year now but am trying to fully commit this year. As you quoted from Jonathan Safran Foer, author of “Eating Animals”, I agree! I am putting way too much pressure on myself trying to be perfect! I will try and do better than last year but I won’t get so caught up with feeling guilt. Thank you and Jonathan for the great tips.
Good for you! We believe every effort (small ones included) are a step in the right direction…but nobody’s perfect!
Just beginning to think about this and doing some research.
Good for you Barb! Let us know if you have any questions
Also just thinking about this. I feel I tend to abuse food as an emotional ‘fill’. I have not been well for 3 years yet have been on and off strict diets, only leaving me feeling frustration and failure. Food in fact is pleasurable to me. I am not overweight, by the way, but enjoy sweet coffee, any breads/grains/sugars (although I’m GF now), and meats of all kinds. I’m determined to get well! It’s time for change.
You have to do this for the right reasons. If you think that a meal would be missing without some meat, it’ll be hard to “transition.” I Was a vegetarian for a long time, and the one thing that was keeping me from being vegan was cheese, and butter xD. I naturally came to the decision to remove those, and I haven’t regretted it. I would also find it hard to be vegan if you don’t like to cook.
We agree Eddie. Eating a plant based diet can be very diverse, and can really help create the opportunity to get involved in the kitchen and establish a whole new relationship with food and cooking. Good thoughts on making the transition a natural one. Thanks for your comments.
I am beginning my conversion to go vegetarian and then hopefully down the road, I will make that transition to being vegan.
I have been addicted to ALL of the documentaries about food on Netflix, and Hungry for Change really hit home for me. I LOVE burgers, bacon, poultry, fish, everything. However, I want to feel good, look good, and do good to the world. I’ve been waiting for this purpose and sign to change my lifestyle and here it is.
If any of you know of support groups you can join, that would be great. I need the support!
Thank you so much!
Hi Jessica! Love your enthusiasm. Great to hear about your aspirations for yourself and the world around you. Please check out our facebook page, there is lots of interaction on there to keep you connected. https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Vegan-Project/118932808127245
I for one feel this was a amazing article. There may have been a few additional information, sure, but what was said was said amazingly and I could not agree more.
Any further articles on this subject coming? I really hope so.
I will bookmark just in case.