Going vegan? Are you considering it, but aren’t sure where to begin?
A vegan diet is one in which you do not consume any animal products, including meat, dairy, fish, and even eggs.
Many people, however, find the prospect of giving up all dairy and meat to be intimidating – especially if they enjoy eating out and are not very talented in the kitchen.
One approach that many people find success is to begin slowly and gradually. The following nine suggestions will make the transition easier and more seamless – increasing the likelihood that you will persist with the change:
1. Begin by eliminating red meat from your diet.
The initial step to going vegan should be simple and straightforward. Moreover, for many people, this process begins with cutting red meat (apparently, we are not as addicted to red meat as we are to cheese).
Begin by eliminating all red meat from your diet, including pork, beef, lamb, and other meats. Allow yourself to indulge in white meats such as fish, poultry, and shellfish.
Additionally, you can begin experimenting with meat-free versions of bacon and other meats that you can get at your local grocery shop or health food store to determine which ones you prefer. When you begin to feel comfortable with your decision to avoid red meat, you can on to the next stage of going vegan.
2. Prepare the Chicken by chopping it.
Remove the chicken, but continue to add seafood and fish such as tuna, salmon, shrimp, and so on.
Starting today, you can begin experimenting with vegan meal recipes.
You can find many of them online reviewed by other how-going vegans, so you can find the ones that taste delicious for sure.
3. Limit your intake of seafood and fish.
By now, you’ve progressed to the point where you’re almost completely vegetarian – congrats!
Cut back on the shellfish and fish, but continue to experiment with different meat alternatives, such as soy-based burgers and other such items.
Legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, and black beans will also contribute to your protein intake on this diet.
There are also whole grains, vegetarian mince, vegetarian patties, and a few more meat-free goods, such as vegan bacon, available. You’re passed one step more of going vegan.
4. Say Goodbye to Cheddar Cheese
For many of us, this may be the most difficult part of the process of going vegan. We are huge fans of cheese.
However, there are cheese substitutes available, such as rice cheese and soy cheese.
In order to determine which type of cheese is best for you, you’ll need to experiment.
Example: I dislike soy cheese, but there is a rice-based cheese available at my local grocery shop that is great – it even melts as well as traditional cheese.
5. Going vegan means doing away with eggs.
The fact that eggs are utilized in a lot of baked goods and recipes may make this a little difficult.
However, there are a variety of egg substitutes that you can use in your baking projects.
A number of people make use of gelatin-water combinations (which are OK for recipes using less than 3 eggs).
Other possibilities include apple sauce and egg-replacement powders, both of which may be found in a variety of specialist health food stores.
6. Eliminate the use of cream and butter.
Because the cream is frequently used in coffee – and butter is frequently used in recipes for baked goods – this can be difficult to accomplish and going vegan.
However, the good news is that there are excellent vegan options available. Coconut oil is a good substitute for butter in recipes (it has a 1:1 replacement ratio, which means it replaces butter 1:1). If you’re making evening dishes like stir-fry dishes, you can also use olive oil instead of butter.
For cream, there are a variety of wonderful non-dairy creamer substitutes available, including soy milk, coconut milk (which is quite thick and creamy), and even coconut butter.
Look around your supermarket store because there are specially designed non-dairy creamer options available in the health food department of most stores. These creamers will not separate in your coffee, unlike conventional coconut milk or almond milk (which may separate in your coffee at times).
7. Saying Goodbye to Milk
Forgoing vegan may appear to be difficult, but there are other variations available, so it isn’t that difficult (I actually found the cheese to be a lot more difficult!).
Rice milk, soy milk, coconut milk, and nut milk such as almond or cashew milk are all suitable vegan substitutes for milk and dairy products.
Additionally, this milk can be used to bake or cook with, consumed with cereal, or simply consumed straight from a glass of water or juice.
8. Identifying the Most Delicious Vegan Recipes
The good news is that you have now become entirely vegan. However, you must continue to live your life without being confined to your home kitchen.
Also, important is maintaining a social life, which includes eating out frequently.
When you think about going vegan, it’s time to start looking for new recipes that you’ll enjoy making (so you can make them up to have on hand throughout the week). I normally set aside one day, such as a Sunday, to prepare all of my meals for the week, freezing the meals that will be consumed later in the week.
9. Start looking into what you can eat in restaurants to see what you like.
Your neighborhood may have a vegan restaurant or café, depending on your geographic location.
Not sure what you’ll be able to eat at a particular restaurant? Most restaurants make their menus available online, so you can see what’s on the menu before you go.
You can also phone ahead and inquire as to what they could have that you might be interested in eating. Many restaurants will be more than happy to accommodate you if you let them know ahead of time (they want your business, after all).
So there you have it: nine ways to successfully begin a vegan diet without going insane and going vegan. Some folks like to take things slowly.
Another alternative, if you like to go in with both feet, is to sign up for a vegan meal delivery company for a month or two to get you started.
The benefits of doing so are that you’ll eat good food (which will make the transition less difficult) and you’ll be able to gradually adopt the lifestyle at your own pace.
Going vegan can be difficult, but there are several things you can do to make it a lot less difficult. Hopefully, these suggestions have been of use. Your health and strength will improve dramatically in no time!
Wishing you the best of luck and good health!
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