This was originally published on Substack.
When I discovered veganism in April of 2014, I knew this was the life I wanted to live from then on.
Although I knew this was my new reality, it took a while to incorporate it fully into my lifestyle. Your heart may be absolutely in love with the idea of being vegan, but your environment can, and usually does, disagree.
While there were many books to help me eat plant-based, I needed something more. I needed realism because a lot of us do not have the support, the budget, or the systems to support our new decision.
After ten years of eating and being vegan, I am pretty confident I have found the best ways to begin eating plant-based in a way that helps you thrive. All you need is the courage to give them a chance, and allow yourself to be confused, uncomfortable and a bit brave.
Here are my 4 best tips to help you eat plant-based as a beginner:
- Get very clear on what animal products you want to stop eating first.
I was a dedicated milk drinker in my younger days. I would chug litres of milk a day, because I hated the taste of water. So when I started my plant-based diet, I threw meat, eggs and honey out first.
There was no point in quitting cheese, baked goods, and milk at the beginning when it was guaranteed to sabotage me. First, I had to part ways with what was not on my regular menu. Goodbye, flesh and omelettes.
While I admit I was and remain jealous of those who went vegan overnight, I know that the way I approached it worked best for me.
What animal products do you eat on most days? How difficult is it to imagine having to switch to their alternatives? Are you even willing to give up your favourite foods this early? Be honest.
And even though I gave up meat first, I found myself months later leaning over a bowl of wings and čevapčiči, at midnight, hiding from my family. I wasn’t even chewing, to be honest. No time for that!
But guess what? The fact that I started removing foods that I was least attached to (even with an occasional slip up!) meant that I was more motivated to continue progressing, WHILE searching for quality alternatives to the foods I would miss the most.
I was still eating cheese, but feeling proud of not consuming eggs and honey at all anymore, inspired me to eagerly try out vegan alternatives.
When the time came for me to fully live as a vegan, I had my cashew-based cheese ready and soy milk in stock!
- Go on a scavenger hunt to your local stores.
This is probably the funnest tip out of all four I am sharing today.
I’m encouraging you to take a weekend to just go window shopping at grocery stores. No need to even have money with you, just a notebook or your phone.
Write down what you are searching for, and start checking it off.
My advice is to go on a hunt for the following items: dairy, meat, egg, honey, and snack/candy alternatives. And don’t stop with just the basic descriptions of what you’re looking for; go deeper.
If you love full-fat milk, you will want to focus on soy and coconut milks. If you love seafood, you will want to search for algae-based products (wraps, flakes), vegan tuna, and slices of plant-based salmon. Meat alternatives are quite literally everywhere, and you can find everything from soy sausages to actual plant-based minced meat!
Honey is easily replaced by agave or maple syrup, and eggs can be substituted with plant-based egg brands. Or you can use chia seeds, bananas, tofu and even applesauce.
You need only a few hours of walking down aisles, writing down, checking off, and maybe taking photos, to be prepared.
Two days of this fun scavenger hunt across your local stores can save you hours of grocery shopping in the future. When you know what you need and know where to find it, shopping as a new vegan becomes easy.
- Be willing to be judged for taking it slow.
Stating that you are transitioning to veganism, instead of doing it overnight, will, without a doubt, attract judgment.
This is not surprising since, as vegans, we are aware of what happens to trillions of non-human animals, and we can’t quite understand why you can’t just do it.
Even I, a person who transitioned over a period of 11 months, struggle with this sometimes. It’s easy to forget how it feels not to know, to be confused, and just a plain old beginner.
Still, you should not listen to me or anyone else tell you that you must rush into something so life-changing. At the end of the day, it matters not if you took months to begin… if once you began, you never stop pushing forward.
We are after sustainability, thriving and long-term success. We are not an MLM or Theranos; we are a legacy organisation. Sorry, I love business and had to explain it in my terms.
Find people who support you, whether in person or online, and keep your vision alive by making daily steps towards it. Hopefully, this online hub I am building can be a part of that encouraging community for you.
- Study food labels and ingredients like you’re in school.
Okay, before I start, let me just give you a heads up: this is not difficult or scary.
I say this because when you think of having to stand in the aisle, with people walking around you, and read fucking ingredients and labels, it sounds crazy. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
But, again, taking 30 seconds to scan and learn the ingredients on the products you aren’t familiar with can save you time long-term. It also saves money. You won’t end up buying food only to give it to someone else because you won’t eat it.
There are countless ways to learn the ingredients at home: from googling them to asking ChatGPT.
Once you are holding an item in your hand, scanning the ingredients will be easier and less scary because your brain will already alert you when detecting something non-vegan. When you know, you know. And while knowledge is power, it is even more powerful when you are using it to buy ethically.
Treat it like school, with highlighters, gel pens, and a cute tiny notebook, or even stickers! Have fun with learning how to create a vegan life you will be in love with; there is already too much painful knowledge that comes with it.
Give these 4 ideas a chance, and I can promise you that going plant-based will be manageable and sustainable long-term.
What I got from the books I studied when I was at the start of this journey were the basics of how to eat enough protein, and maybe a tip or two on how to choose the best plant milk for my cappuccino.
There was a surprising lack of actual advice for actual people living in the real world. What I want to give, on the other hand, is a realistic approach to going vegan because I want you to do this forever, not just as a trend.
Now, it’s your turn to share with me what other things you are struggling with, or think you might, so I can help you solve them before they become too scary to face. I promise you, there is a 90% chance I have struggled with it at one point.
See you in the comments!
Tanja
