Transitioning to being vegan

So you’re considering going vegan? Whether it is because of the environment, animal welfare, or maybe even for the health benefits, there are many different reasons why people choose to go vegan. Initially this may seem like a daunting change, so here are some tried and tested tips to help this exciting process go smoothly.

Go easy on yourself and be prepared to make mistakes

There are many approaches to take to transition to veganism; some people may switch overnight, and some may take a lot longer. There is no right way, and any steps you make are better than making none at all. 

Making small changes to your everyday meals is one of the easiest ways to increase the amount of plant-based foods in your diet. You could start by removing meat or dairy one day a week and go from there, or you could even try changing one meal at a time. 

There are alternatives for everything out there now, so gradual swaps will help to ease you in, and before you know it you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner

Get involved with online communities

Online communities are some of the best ways to receive support for your new venture. Vegans old and new are available to help, guide and advise you when you are unsure, and there are many pages out there that show what products you can buy. There are even pages dedicated to showing what is classed as “accidentally vegan” – products that contain no animal ingredients that you may well already be buying.

Do some research before a first shop

Going in prepared will help you to know exactly what you can get for meals. Knowing particular brands and products to keep an eye out for makes the act of shopping much less daunting, and you will also be reducing food waste by potentially buying things in error. 

Most supermarkets now have dedicated vegetarian and vegan (or plant-based) sections, where the majority of what you will want is grouped together, making shopping a lot easier. 

Try new things

Though it doesn’t have to, switching to a vegan lifestyle can enable you to do more from-scratch cooking, leading to many more possibilities in the kitchen. Take this opportunity to try out new foods and recipes you have never attempted before, or maybe even create a new version of an already loved dish. 

You don’t have to be an established chef for this; you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the number of meals you can easily prepare from things already in your kitchen or what extras you pick up in the shops.

If you need some inspiration for meals, check out this video on 3 easy Vegan meal ideas:

Remember why you started 

You’ll probably find going vegan a lot easier than expected, but if you do have a bad day or feel this whole vegan thing is too much like hard work – take a deep breath and briefly reflect on your choices and why you chose to start in the first place. Whether you’re doing it for animals, environmental, or maybe even health reasons, reading books or regularly watching informative and uplifting videos about veganism can help, as does keeping motivating visual reminders. 

Remember that going vegan is a learning curve, and it may take time to get used to. The mainstream concept of Veganism has been around since ~1944, but it’s still a relatively new concept to many people. It’s important you allow yourself time to learn about the various strands of Veganism – and remember to reward yourself along the way for the progress you’ve made.