Going vegan is a daunting lifestyle change for anyone. There are so many avenues when it comes to veganism and it’s almost expected to make mistakes along the way.
After six years of being vegan, I’ve been through the ups and downs with living this lifestyle and I’ve made a list of five things to avoid when going vegan so you can have a smoother transition.
Research, Research, Research
Before doing anything, do your research. There are many different vegans and diets out there to explore and it’s helpful to be aware of the options you have when converting to this lifestyle. Find out what supplements you need to take when you begin cutting out meat, make sure you know what foods have particular vitamins and minerals essential to a balanced diet, and find out what’s accessible to you in your hometown.
Plan your approach
A few months before I went fully vegan, I was vegetarian. This was the easiest transition for me considering I was so conditioned to eating meat and dairy my whole life. Many people are different when it comes to going vegan. A lot of people go cold turkey — no pun intended, or they begin cutting things out slowly. Plan your approach so you have a clear goal on when you want to be fully vegan.
Have a meal plan
One benefit to going vegan is that you can eat until you’re actually full. No more counting calories, no more portion eating, no more limiting yourself from carbs! That being said, make sure you have a plan on when you’re going to cook and what you’re going to cook because at the beginning stages of going vegan if you have no vegan food on site you’re bound to resort to eating anything that’s available.
Note: When I say eating until you’re full, I’m talking about a healthy whole food vegan diet NOT vegan processed foods.
Take your supplements
This is self-explanatory, but I didn’t learn my lesson until my doctor told me I was lacking in iron and B-12. Not only is this embarrassing, but it’s also scary. So learn from my mistakes and take your supplements religiously!
Read labels (and be patient with yourself)
There is a lot to learn when going vegan and one thing that is more frustrating than anything is finding out that your favorite snack has a secret ingredient of some sort that’s not vegan. There are definitely going to be times when you accidentally purchase a food item that isn’t vegan and that’s okay. It’ll take time to know what brands to support and what brands to leave on the shelves. Just keep calm and read the labels.
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