10 Helpful Vegan Diet Tips for Non Vegans

Many people make the assumption that it’s really easy to become a vegan; you just stop eating food that comes from animals. But it’s not that easy. In fact, it’s really difficult. It takes a great deal of time and knowledge, information and education to truly understand what it means to become a vegan. You will have to read a lot of labels, ask a lot of questions and find out what kind of food is good to eat. You’ll have to re-learn all your favorite recipes. What some people forget is that just because you love cookies and they’re not made of meat or cheese does not make them all right to eat if you are trying to convert to a vegan lifestyle. After all, there are eggs in cookies. And you will have to learn these rules. So what happens when non-vegans want to look into the lifestyle and want to become vegans? Well, you have to learn some of the most helpful tips. And fortunately, we have those tips right here for you.

Don’t Tell Anyone Right Away

Here’s the thing many long time vegans have to say; don’t tell your friends and family what you’re doing right away. You should get used to this way of eating first, and then let them in on what’s happening in your life. People mean well but they do tend to make you feel bad about what you’re doing and they can cause undue stress in your life.

Find a Group

A vegan support group might sound a bit silly, but long time vegans swear by them. This is a group of people who will help you get through the initial first stages of being a vegan, from the difficulties you will face to the issues that you might encounter. These are people who get it, understand it and know just what to and not to say to you when you are going through this process.

Consider it a Journey

Becoming a vegan is not a race. You don’t have to see how fast you can do it and then race to the finish line. In fact, you can do it slowly and you can do it well. You can become a vegan on a journey. It’s actually better to view it from this point since you will take some time to get where you want to be. Experts agree that when you think of it as a journey instead of a race, you will be far happier and more relaxed as you learn the process.

Don’t be Afraid to Experiment

This is something you have to do when you become a vegan. You have to experiment with things you like, things you don’t like and things that you might question. The whole point is to find out what you do like and don’t like and go from there. You can’t learn if you are not willing to experiment, so go ahead and see what you can learn in this process of your new life.

Get Fruity

When you think about all the fruits and vegetables you can eat and enjoy, you will be a lot more relaxed in this process. You already eat a lot of these anyway, so you aren’t changing your diet too much becoming a vegan. Focus on these things since you already know you love them and ask yourself how you can make them a staple in your life without actually giving up on the flavors you love and enjoy so much.

Learn to Sub

We all love salt and fats and good stuff that’s not good for us because it’s what adds so much flavor to foods. But we have to learn to substitute. You can add nuts and other items to your dishes that will give them some more complex and amazing flavors and still give you the opportunity to eat what you want. Just think about it in those terms and cooking will become a lot easier for you to do and even to enjoy.

Think Ethnic

Ethnic foods are so much healthier in most cases. Have you ever wondered why people from other countries are so much healthier than we are in America? There are various reasons, but one of the biggest ones is that people in other countries tend to eat a lot better than we. They eat healthier, more natural foods. So go ahead and look into your favorite ethnic dishes so that you can learn which ones are the best for your new vegan lifestyle. You will really enjoy this.

Consider Protein

You do have to think about protein. It’s one of the things you lose most of when you become a vegan. Since so many fish and meats contain the most protein you get on a regular basis, you will lose a lot of what you need. You should not, however, worry about this too much since you can find proteins in other items. You just have to consider this and make sure that you’re getting enough protein now that you’re no longer eating meats and eggs and other protein-rich dishes that don’t fit into the vegan diet.

Start Shopping in Bulk

One of the best parts of being vegan is the fact that you can shop in bulk. You can buy things and store them since so many of the vegan dishes you will eat are rich in grains and fibers. You will be able to buy these in bulk so that you save yourself not only money but also trips to the store and stress when creating meal plans and menus for the upcoming week.

Know You Can Go Out

One thing that pro vegans want non-vegans to know is that you can go out to eat. Many restaurants are really good about considering those who eat a vegan diet. They have food that is specially made just for their vegan patrons, which is what makes it easy for you to go out and still enjoy yourself when you choose to do so.

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