11 Easy Ways to Go Vegan

If you’re looking to go vegan, you couldn’t have picked a better time. Going vegan is effortless these days. Most grocery stores offer a wide assortment of plant-based foods. There are eleven ways to go vegan without sacrificing meat with so many healthy vegan options.

Is a plant-based diet healthy?

Yes. A plant-based diet is considered nutrient-dense and rich in fiber, healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is a very healthy way of eating and can meet all your nutritional needs. If you want to go vegan but are concerned about the health of this diet, you’re in luck. A vegan diet has been proven to reduce your risk of:

• Heart disease
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Diabetes
• Digestive system disease
• Colon and breast cancer
• Obesity

If followed correctly, whole foods, plant-based diet limits the use of fats, added sugars, and processed foods, leaving only whole foods to provide nutrition.

This maximizes nutrient intake and eliminates foods that can cause poor health outcomes. Research shows that a plant-based diet can help you lose weight and lower your LDL cholesterol.

These diets are low in saturated fat, cholesterol-free, and rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Eleven tips to help you go vegan

When discussing being healthy, it can be helpful to avoid terms like vegetarian or vegan, eat more plant-based foods, and eat less meat, dairy, and eggs. This change in language makes the idea of eating this way less like a significant life change.

1. Make your regular recipes vegan friendly

If you want to deal with meat, it’s not that difficult. Especially if you choose good vegan alternatives. Take your favorite recipes and make them vegan-friendly with plant-based meatless options. For example:

• Vegan burgers
• Vegan Chicken Nuggets
• Faux bacon
• Strips without meat
• Veggie hot dogs

You’ll also find unique ways to make your recipes vegan. You can swap regular ingredients for vegan-friendly ones. Let’s try these:

• Butter: Vegan butter or olive oil
• Milk: Oat, almond, coriander, hemp, and coconut milk.
• Jackfruit: A good substitute for chicken or fritters. Use in a pulled pork sandwich, tacos, or gyros.
• Aquafaba: This is the liquid from canned chickpeas. A good egg white substitute for mousse, meringues, sponges, or brownies. Mix it with sugar and lemon juice to make vegan royal icing.

2. Don’t rush into your new plant-based diet

One of the easiest mistakes people make when going vegan is to think it has to be done overnight. It’s not! It’s lovely to take it slowly.

While that’s fantastic if you want to adopt a plant-based diet at some point, it’s also great to start by reducing your consumption of animal products only.

• Take simple, manageable steps like going meatless once a week or eating it once daily.
• Increase the amount of plant-based foods you eat as you feel more comfortable with them.
• Be kind to yourself! You’ll fall off the wagon occasionally when you’re just starting, and it will get easier over time.

3. Think more about what you can eat

It’s easy to contemplate what you miss when eating a new diet. But eating plant-based isn’t a big sacrifice when you focus on what you can eat instead of what you can’t eat. If there is a food you miss, take a bite of it and ask yourself.

• Is this dish as good as you think it is?
• Do I need another pin?
• Why do I miss you so much?
• Is it a textural thing or a matter of taste?
• What vegan alternative would be good right now?

Before you know it, you won’t miss non-vegan food as much. Most of these thoughts are in your head. There are so many delicious plant-based foods that you can try. Experiment with plant-based ice cream, cheese, and other snacks.

4. Try store-bought vegan foods

Does Broccoli Cheese Bread, Tamale Verde, Chili Mac, and Cheese sound good enough to eat? If so, then try store-bought vegan frozen meals. These are primarily available in the frozen food aisle of your grocery store. Gone are the days of making all your vegan meals from scratch.

Today, there is a wide range of frozen meals, bread, and sweets. There’s no need to feel deprived if you want to go vegan. Load up on these meals when you’re too tired to make a quick lunch or dinner. It’s an easy way to go vegan without giving up meat.

5. Go to vegan or vegetarian restaurants

One of the best parts about being plant-based! Almost every town and city now has a variety of vegan or vegan-friendly restaurants to choose from.

• If you’re tired and struggling to eat dinner, why not go out (if it’s available to you)? It can provide a welcome break, not to mention food inspiration.
• In addition to entirely plant-based restaurants, many popular chains now offer vegan menus or options. The easiest way to find vegan food near you is to download the Happy Cow app and search your area.

National chain restaurants that offer plant-based alternative meals include:

• Chipotle
• White Castle
• “Cheesecake” factory
• PF Variables

Another way to find vegan-friendly restaurants is to download the Happy Cow app. Here it lists vegan and vegetarian restaurants in your area and worldwide. There is a paid version for Apple devices and a free and paid version for Android devices.

6. Try vegan ethnic foods

Many ethnographic dishes are meatless. These vegan and vegetarian cuisines are worth checking out. Ethnic foods that offer plant-based foods include:

• Chinese
• Lebanese
• Mexico
• Italian
• Korean
• Indian

Try them at home or explore an ethnic restaurant to try these delicious dishes. Don’t be afraid to explore new cuisines.

7. Avoid vegan junk food

Don’t eat vegan-friendly junk food. – It’s not healthy; you won’t feel well. Instead, focus on eating whole foods, such as beans, fruits, vegetables, and grains. This focus ensures you’re getting the nutrition you need. Eat some fast food once in a while.

8. When going vegan for the first time, start with easy recipes

Remember that you are just getting started. Take it slow and cook with what you know. Make it real for you. Using complicated ingredients or following multi-step recipes can overwhelm you when trying a vegan diet for the first time. Try simple dishes.

• Vegetarian chili
• Veggie stir fry
• Pasta and zucchini with red sauce

9. Stay organized

Learning to eat vegan is easiest if you stay organized. Follow these tips to stay organized.

• Stock up on the right ingredients
• Shop with a list, not in your head
• Go grocery shopping after eating- There’s nothing worse than shopping when you’re hungry.
• Plan our meals – Write down the meals you want for the week. This helps you know what to buy.
• Buy some pre-made vegan meals- Be sure to buy pre-made vegan meals for quick, easy meals.

10. Get help; Learn how to go vegan from online communities

You might feel lonely munching on a salad when you’re out with your friends eating pepperoni pizza. Many groups and organizations help you eat a plant-based diet. Check out these helpful sites:

• The Vegan Society and Veganuary are great resources loaded with recipes, articles, and helpful information to help you.
• Some magazines have nutrition guides and recipe ideas. Vegan Food, Living and Plantbased Magazine are two popular vegan magazines to try.

11. Stick with your new plant-based menu

If you believe in yourself, the vegan life will soon become second nature. There is always a better reason to stick with your decision than to go against it.

If you’re having trouble with friends or family, don’t give up: our sections on socializing and dealing with these problems can give you some advice. Remember, there are many vegan groups you can join.

Make sure you do things along the way that remind you of the joy of living vegan and do it every time. You have chosen a unique, exciting, and profound way to live your life – make sure you enjoy it.

Is going vegan affordable?

Eating plant-based doesn’t have to be expensive. If you plan and buy wisely, you can eat a vegetarian or vegan diet on a budget. Here are some suggestions on how to stay on budget while eating a plant-based diet.

• Use dry beans: They cost less. But it would help if you soaked them overnight. If you plan, this is not a problem at all. Through this amount, you pour a bowl of water and put it in the refrigerator for the night. They will be ready to cook just the way you like them when they rise.
• Buy frozen foods: Frozen veggies and fruits are just as healthy as fresh. Lasts longer. You load up a good amount of food so they are ready when needed for soups, casseroles, or stews.
• Oats: Oats are a superfood for vegans. It is full of fiber, iron, and potassium. Plus, it’s an inexpensive food that’s great in many dishes.
• Product on sale: As a rule of thumb, don’t buy anything that costs more than $2.00 a kilogram. – Too limited, you say? And then raise it to $2.50. Just stick to this rule, and you will be saved.
• Splurge wisely: If you must splurge, then choose something that will make all your meals better. Some plant-based eaters suggest buying veganaise so you can use it in salad dressings or sauces, but that’s your splurge, so you decide.
• Eat more soup: Soup is healthy and cheap. You can make a decent broth by boiling a mix of veggies like celery, celery, potatoes, or swiss chard. After a nice broth with chopped veggies, add pepper, salt, a dash of lemon juice, and Tabasco. Viola! You have a heart-healthy, delicious soup. It costs you pennies to make this soup. Rinse over the basics. Stock your pants with pasta, rice, pumpkin, flour, and brown sugar.

Food ideas if you decide to go vegan

Here are some budget-friendly vegan meal ideas you can try this week.

Breakfast

• Oatmeal
• Whisk the tofu
• Bagels with vegan butter
• Fruit smoothie
• Butter with almond milk

Lunch

• Hazelnut peas
• Pasta with marinara
• Falafel in pita city
• Hummus dressing
• Avocado toast

Dinner

• Veggie stir-fry
• Loaded Baked Potatoes
• Veggie burger
• Brooding chicks
• Salad and soup
• Lentil chili

Balancing your vegan diet

A typical vegan diet replaces meat, poultry, and seafood with soy (such as tofu), legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. And in what proportions?

Aim for four equal parts on your vegan plate: Fruits, vegetables, grains (preferably whole), and proteins (beans, peas, nuts, soy). Mix it up. Don’t forget leafy greens and soy milk for your calcium needs. Mixed? A dietitian can help you develop a plan.

Final thoughts on small changes to help you go vegan

It’s a great time to go vegan. Most grocery stores offer a wide variety of plant-based products and meat alternatives. It’s easy, too, as there are plenty of vegan-friendly frozen treats and vegetarian and vegan restaurants.

If you want to try a vegan diet, take it slowly and be patient with yourself. As you learn to use vegan recipes and adapt to the diet, you will enjoy the benefits of eating plant-based.