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If you're reading this and are considering a plant-based or vegan diet, I applaud you! Making any major life change may seem overwhelming, which is why I wanted to provide you with practical tips on transitioning to a vegan diet.
The tips in this article are things that I have learned and done when transitioning to both a vegetarian and vegan diet 10+ years ago, which have helped me (and my family) tremendously, and I hope they help you as well.
With that being said, let's get to it!
Go vegetarian followed by vegan
Transitioning to a vegan diet was pretty damn easy for me and I attribute that to having been vegetarian for a few years before going vegan.
A vegetarian diet refrains from consuming all meat, including meat and poultry, whereas a vegan diet refrains all animal-based products and by-products (I.e., dairy, eggs, and any animal by-products in the ingredients of an item).
If you opt for going vegetarian first, please do read the following points as you may also find them helpful during your transition.
Alternate between eating meat and vegetarian/vegan (start slow)
When I went vegetarian at the age of 15, I altered the months from which I would eat meat to eating a vegetarian diet (I.e., January I ate meat, February vegetarian, March back to meat, etc.). Living at home under my mother's roof and being surrounded by the family had left me feeling incredibly nervous about their reaction, and to be honest, was quite nerve-wracking for me when attending family events.
Alternating months was a great way for me to test the waters of how my family would respond and to also acclimate them to the idea of this new way of eating. It also provided my mom and me a great window of opportunity to learn what meals could easily be made vegetarian and what meat alternatives were available in supermarkets. I imagine that this was helpful for my mom, as she was able to see what replacements were available so she wouldn't have to make two separate meals for a family of four (which she never did).
By the time that I transitioned to a 100% vegetarian diet a few months later, it wasn't a big surprise to my family and came with far less criticism.
Incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet (crowd out)
An easy way to transition out animal-based products is to simply increase or incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet. Fill your plate with larger portions of veggies, legumes, pasta, stir fry, tofu, and other plant-based food and less meat and other animal-based products. Eating more of the plant-stuff will naturally leave you with less room physically to eat the animal stuff.
By adding more plant-based stuff in, you're essentially giving your mind and your body the time to adjust to this new way of eating and to alleviate any pressure that one may feel with making any major lifestyle change. In essence, you are giving yourself the time to learn and adapt to this new way of living.
Sample animal-based alternatives
While you're slowly incorporating more plant-based foods into your diet, why not sample some animal-based alternatives at the same time?
More than ever, there is no shortage of vegan options in the supermarkets, especially if you are in a heavily populated area. If you are still at a loss when it comes to being in the kitchen and what to make, animal-based alternatives truly do make the transition much easier for anyone. The following list is just a brief example of all the products that are easily made vegan and are readily available in (some, but not all) grocery stores.
Burgers
Sausages
Hot dogs
Milk
Cheese
Yogurt
Butter
Marshmallows
Ice Cream
Chocolate
There are also many products such as Oreos, Ritz crackers, bread, and pasta are vegan and aren't labelled as such. A quick Google search will teach you about what products are vegan, which may help in making the transition much easier.
Learn how to cook
Honestly, if you don't know how, please learn how to cook! Cooking is so much fun and is such a great creative outlet. I have found that going vegetarian and vegan forced me to get into the kitchen and to experiment with new recipes and try new things, for which I am forever grateful for. Going vegan, exposed me to a large variety of cuisines, that I would not have otherwise tried, so be adventurous and have fun with it!
Choose to have one vegan meal a day
Likewise, opt to have one dedicated vegan meal a day and build it up from there. Start by having a vegan breakfast every day and as you build an arsenal of various breakfast recipes, you can expand and transition your lunch to being fully vegan and from there, your dinner.
Living with your parents? Be prepared and have recipes in hand
If you are currently living at home under your parent's roof, I would recommend being prepared, as not all parents may be supportive and may lack the resources (recipes or knowledge) to know how to make a vegan dish. Moreover, parents and loved ones may have concerns about your overall health and whether you will obtain all the required nutrients from a vegan diet. If you think that your parents will have this concern, it's best to do your research on any shortcomings in terms of nutrient availability, along with products commonly fortified with vitamins and minerals (plant-based milk is a prime example) and present it to them. Also share with your parents your willingness (if that is the case) to take a multi-vitamin, to give them that extra peace of mind as well.
It is also important to be able to explain why you are transitioning to a vegan or plant-based diet, whether it is for the welfare of the animals, the environment, or for your health. It is a great opportunity to have an open conversation with them about what is important to you and may expand their awareness at the same time (I.e., animal welfare, the environment, health) and help reinforce how important this is to you.
Lastly, it is important to also be in the kitchen yourself; this is a change that you're making! So take the initiative in preparing meals from time to time and help your parents in the process to help normalize this change and broaden their knowledge of vegan-friendly meals.
Bring a dish to social gatherings
Honestly, do this! While many people are willing to accommodate and make a vegan-friendly dish, there are just as many that may be at a loss as to what to make or may make what they think is a vegan dish, but it turns out not to be.
Do yourself and your host a favour and alleviate the pressure and bring a dish that you can not only share with others but one that you can also eat yourself. I can tell you firsthand that I have never been to a social gathering where the host was not appreciative of the gesture and that there is nothing more uncomfortable than going somewhere and having nothing to eat.
So do yourself and everyone a favour and bring a dish.
Review a restaurant's online menu beforehand
While many fast-food restaurants now carry a vegan option, if you're going to be eating at a dine-in restaurant and you're not sure if they offer a vegan option, go online and take a look at the menu beforehand. If they don't have a menu online, simply call the restaurant that you are going to and ask if they have any vegan dishes.
At the very least, if a restaurant doesn't have any formal vegan options, salads can easily be made vegan with a vinaigrette dressing and some of their main meals may also be made easily vegan by omitting a few ingredients. Further, if it seems that all the restaurant has to offer is a salad, you can always opt to eat a small meal before going out to ensure that your appetite will be satiated after having the salad.
Remember: if you are going to a restaurant with a group of friends or loved ones, your main focus should be on enjoying their company and not the food.
Alternatively, eat vegan at home
If it feels like a lot of pressure and is incredibly stressful while you're out of your house, opt to take some pressure off and give yourself some breathing room and eat vegan while at home and eat vegetarian meals when you're out on the town.
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At the end of the day, how someone transitions to a vegan diet is personal and is going to look different for every person. I do hope that you find these tips helpful as you contemplate or begin transitioning to a vegan or vegetarian diet and if you need any support during this time, feel free to reach out to me as I am always happy to help!
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