As we change and develop through life, so do our tastes when it comes to what we eat and drink, and in the past few years, as veganism has gone from a fringe movement to the centre of mainstream consciousness, many of us have found ourselves wondering what it could do for us.
We hear stories of energy levels rising, improved health, and a way of eating that fits our moral standards. So if you’re thinking that veganism might be for you, what do you need to know?
It Doesn’t Have To Be All Or Nothing
There’s something about a vegan lifestyle that makes us think that it always has to be a binary choice—either we are vegans or we aren’t. But that kind of thinking can put people off trying it, thinking they would have to make a full commitment. Not everyone goes vegan overnight—it can be a far longer journey with a number of different steps along the way.
Make small changes to your everyday meals so that it doesn’t feel so intimidating—try gradually upping the amount of plant-based foods you’re eating in a week until it feels far more familiar and manageable to make the switch.
Understand Your Reasoning
You should never go into veganism just because it seems like a trend; those efforts are bound to fail. No doubt giving up that bacon sandwich will be hard occasionally, so you have to be clear on why you want to pursue a vegan lifestyle.
It can be as simple as wanting to honour your body by eating a healthier diet. It could be a worry about the well-being of animals or about what it means morally to eat animal products. Or it could even be with a view to the planet and the adverse effects of meat production on the environment.
Whatever your motivation, understanding that and being able to focus on it will drive you to succeed, so seek out sources like these 16 must-watch vegan documentaries to gather all the facts.
Eat A Rainbow
You may have heard that vegans find it hard to get all the right nutrients that our bodies need, but that doesn’t have to be true.
The key is to aim for variety in the types of plant-based foods that you eat. Take care to try and ‘eat a rainbow each day—eating as many different-coloured vegetables, fruits, pulses, nuts, and seeds as possible.
The diversity in your diet will give you all the vitamins and nutrients your system needs; make sure you’re constantly eating different things.
Find Your Favourites
Becoming a vegan makes you very creative—if you’re craving something you can’t have, there is almost certainly a vegan alternative out there floating around on the web. Search for vegan alternatives to popular recipes, and a wealth of information exists. Plus, you can find some new favourites to add to your life as well. You’ll soon be embracing your inner chef!
