How To Make The Pivot To A Vegan Lifestyle, On Your Own Term

  This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Pexels - CC0 License

 I’ve never lived a vegan lifestyle, but have a few friends and family members who do. If you are thinking of switching to vegan eating, here’s some information that might be helpful:

 Veganism is something that many people are trying as of late, and not just because it’s trendy. To begin with, and perhaps the most fun part of this, is that so many vegan substitutes and alternatives to regular foods are available. Zucchini noodles (or courgetti), for example, can be a very healthy alternative to linguini or spaghetti to place into a tofu bolognese. Well spiced, it can taste delicious, and is tremendously healthy too.

 

Some people wish to become vegan just to see if they like it, others do so because they want to limit their carbon footprint and meat consumption. This might be for ethical reasons, or just because you want to offset some of your other habits, like traveling on planes often. No matter your reason, it’s fun to try veganism.

 However, while proponents of this diet sometimes get a bad reputation, we believe a lot of that is oversold and undeserved. That said - it is true that sometimes they can encourage an all-or-nothing diet approach. But veganism doesn’’t have to be 100% vegan all of the time, perhaps something you adopt to your current diet to give it more texture, or a way to learn new modes of cooking. That’s just as valid.

 So, let’s consider how to slowly make the pivot to a vegan lifestyle on your own terms.

 Try Some Largely Vegeterian Recipes

 Vegetarianism is rarely spoken of lately, as veganism seems to have stolen its thunder. This might not have been a deep conspiracy, but it can certainly feel as though the former has become obsolete. Absolutely not. Going full vegan and avoiding all and any animal products can be hard for someone starting a new diet, because it’s quite a strict diet and does require some adjustment.

 So why not get started with recipes that are vegetarian and utterly delicious, and you can remove elements like the melted cheese when you enjoy it in the future? So for example, this recipe that teaches you how to make a vegetarian enchilada casserole is a fantastic place to start, as it’s utterly delicious and gets you into the vegetable mindset; with a few tasty additions like the cheese as mentioned. 

 Experiment With Some Meat Replacements

 Veganism is a new form of cuisine to get used to, so it can be healthy to get comfortable with it ingredient by ingredient, rather than just adapting to the lifestyle in one fell swoop.

For example, meat replacements like duck replacements, pulled pork alternatives crafted from jackfruits, and tofu can be a fantastic place to start. Learning to fry these effectively is key, and simmering them capably in sauces (often it takes less time to cook these because of the lack of animal fat).

 Getting used to the timings, burn points and different cooking methods, like roasting vegetables compared to steaming them, can be a good place to start. In addition, enjoying the taste of vegan mayo, and understanding a healthy way to eat (vegan ingredients are not necessarily completely healthy just because they’re vegetables) is key.

 Understand Supplementation

 Vegan diets often lack in B12 which is important to supplement. A multi-vitamin can help out also. It’s also important to remember that some vital supplements that people enjoy, like Omega-3 from fish oil, might not be available to you.

 That’s okay because there are different alterantives, like chia seeds, vegetable rapeseed oil (to cook with, of course), ground linseed, and hemp seeds and walnuts. This way, you can make sure that everything you need in your diet, you’re getting. Some good vegan app reminders can help you keep on top of those added supplementation efforts, while some apps that allow you to log your foods for the day, like MyFitnessPal or Lose It! come with micronutrient trackers that help you identify exactly what you’ve eaten when. 

 Have Fun With Vegan Takeout Or Restaurants

 All-vegan, all-sustainable restaurants are becoming more and more common. You may be amazed at how well this works, for instance it’s not uncommon to see fish and chip vegan-only takeouts, providing tasty alternatives to the fish that would have been line caught, and using different oils and preparation methods for the chips.

 It’s an exploding food scene, which may be what has convinced you to go and explore it yourself. So don’t feel bad about setting off in that direction - a great amount of fun is to be had here. With a little care and attention, you’re sure to benefit in the best possible way.

 With this advice, you’re sure to make that excellent pivot to a vegan lifestyle.