Starting a vegan diet can have its challenges, which is especially true if you’re used to eating meat regularly. More often than not, people are either misinformed or are getting bad advice on how to embark on a vegan journey. This transition doesn’t have to be tricky, but still, with many different resources and misinformation online, it is quite easy to get lost. A vegan diet has a plethora of health benefits, not to mention it’s more ethical than a meat-based diet and environmentally aware. This is why we’ve created this short guide on how to start a vegan diet when you are a meat-eater, as many people already are.
You might want to start small
Take note of how much meat you are eating per day or meal. If you usually have a habit of eating meat for every meal, you might not want to quit cold turkey (pun intended). As many people who have successfully transitioned from a meat-eating diet to a vegan diet suggest, you should start by implementing a no meat-eating day. For example, you should pick a day of the week and proclaim it a no meat day. Think “taco Tuesday” but in a different way. Most people thrive on routine and you will be no exception in this specific task. Once you are comfortable with not eating meat for a single day, you should slowly start removing meat-based meals from other days of the week. This is the part where you will have to figure out if you’re better off canceling the meat menu per specific day or cutting it from specific meal times such as dinner. Whichever way you decide to go, remember to start with that initial no meat day to get you a better start. Some of the reasons why it’s not recommended to cut the meat entirely at once are because you will probably feel hungry all the time, which in turn makes people have a much slower transition, or they will stop trying entirely.
The protein question
Another common problem that people transitioning from a meat-based diet face is the lack of protein, or better said, the misconception that a plant-based diet can’t possibly have a sufficient amount of protein as meat does. This can’t be further from the truth as many (and we’re saying many) food analyses have shown over the years. The only time someone gets invested in proteins (aside from bodybuilding training) is when veganism is brought up. As many experts have emphasized, protein deficiency is a very rare thing in the modern world and many sufficient meat replacements will get you the right amount of protein for your needs. Foods such as beans, seeds, and nuts all give a good amount of protein when mixed. Furthermore, a vegan diet can and will provide you with all the essential amino acids (protein building blocks). Good sources of essential amino acids (the ones our bodies can’t produce by themselves) are lentils, soy products, beans, chickpeas, cashew nuts, peanut butter as well as pumpkin seeds. All of these foods can be easily incorporated into dishes, making it all the easier to get your daily protein intake with no worries.
Essential nutrients
An important thing to consider when starting a vegan diet is that not all the nutrients that you’re used to will be readily present. For example, vitamin B12 is of huge concern in the vegan world since the only product that has it in adequate amounts is red meat. Vitamin B12 is vital for many processes in our bodies such as the formation of red blood cells. Furthermore, minerals such as iodine, magnesium, and vitamin D among others are also usually present in smaller amounts than a body must function properly. In addition to this, even some of the healthy fats that are usually found in fish are also missing. However, all of these specific malnutrition threats can be easily taken care of with the help of the right supplements. Some supplements such as the Omvits supplement range for vegans focus exactly on the lack of these commonly lacking nutrients to prevent you from facing malnutrition. Furthermore, there are also multivitamins and minerals available all in one pill which has been regulated to match the body’s requirements carefully. This technology has made it possible to get all the nutrients that a vegan diet lacks by nature in one go, and help you have a piece of mind.
Research research research!
Before you begin transitioning from your usual meat-eating diet to a vegan diet, the first steps you should take are the ones that will familiarize you with veganism in general. This will tremendously help you to be prepared and knowledgeable as you start changing your lifestyle. Some of the key things you should focus on will be discussed thoroughly. Firstly, you should do your best to learn the benefits of a vegan lifestyle as well as to educate yourself about the costs and general practices behind the production of animal products. Veganism isn’t only about dieting, it’s also about ethics and environmental issues, and every person has their reason why they are vegan. Next, you should learn how to optimally nourish your organism on a vegan diet so you don’t end up malnutrition. You should also be on the lookout for any kind of vegan products at your local grocery store, and you should look for vegan restaurants in your area. Reading, learning, and watching can offer valuable insights, especially now when there are so many blogs, videos, documentaries, books, and magazines about veganism that can help you learn all there is to know.
Starting a vegan diet is a wonderful feat, because not only that it’s healthy, it’s highly ethical and places a large relief on the environment. Remember to start your vegan diet slowly and carefully. Do your research, and invest in proper supplements to keep your body with all it needs to function properly. Last but not least, embrace the vegan community because they can offer plenty of insights!
