How To Transition To Vegan For Beginners? Step-by-step Guide

Why is it difficult to transition to vegan and give up all animal foods? When people learn about the benefits of veganism for their health, they become vegans. The only thing that stands in the way of starting a vegan diet is the rejection of many products. And to make it easier for you to transition to vegan, you should do the following:

• Take it slow;
• Read the composition of the products;
• Take food supplements or vitamins;
• Create a new diet;
• Move at your own pace.

Going vegan is a very serious step. If a person is used to consuming meat or dairy products, it is unlikely that the body will easily accept the transition to another diet. Thus, the most crucial tip on going vegan is to do everything slowly and gradually. It is also essential to replace those products you remove from your diet. 

After all, vegans should maintain the content of micro and macro elements in their bodies. In general, veganism is a long process. But thanks to our vegan for beginners guide, you can achieve results more quickly.

What Does Vegan Mean?

A vegan is a person who refrains from using and eating goods and products of animal origin:

• Vegans do not support all industries that kill or test animals;
• They do not wear clothes made from animals or use cosmetics tested on them. It helps not only the environment but also vegan health;
• When switching to vegan, people do not eat meat, eggs, milk, honey, etc.;
• Besides such prominent animal products, vegans should carefully read food labels. Because many products can contain ingredients that vegans do not consume. For example, it can be casein, whey, gelatin, and collagen.

Most often, vegans are ardent fighters for animal rights. They advocate worldwide for banning the circus and abolishing zoos. It is because animals are forcibly restrained at such events. In zoos, vegans often hold rallies in support of their residents. Besides, they have a negative attitude towards poultry farms, hunters, and fishermen.

What Should A Vegan Eat For Beginners? 

To begin with, you need to eat nuts such as almonds, pistachios, and the like. Consume almond, rice, or soy milk. And remember about the greens and fruits that are so important for vegans.

Avoiding animal products doesn’t mean you have to eat only salads. The ratio of vegans is quite diverse and healthy. But before starting a vegan diet, you should know what products are included in it:

Products that vegans can eat	Products that vegans can’t eat
Beans, peas, and lentils: chickpeas, green beans, black and white beans.	Meat and fish: beef, chicken, duck, fish and shellfish, mussels, squid, and octopus.
Soy products: soy milk, soybeans, and soy products such as tofu.	Eggs: Whole eggs and products containing them, such as baked goods.
Nuts: peanuts, almonds, cashews.	Dairy products: milk, cheese, oil, and cream.
Seeds: sunflower, sesame, hemp, chia, and flax seeds.	Sweet products: chocolate, sugar, marshmallows, lozenges, carbonated sweet water.
Whole grains: quinoa, whole wheat, whole oats, and whole-grain brown or wild rice.	Other ingredients of animal origin: honey, albumin, casein, carmine, gelatin, pepsin, and whey.
Starchy vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, zucchini, beets, and turnips.
Non-starchy vegetables: broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, radishes, and leafy greens.
Fruits: apples, pears, bananas, berries, mangoes, pineapples, oranges, and tangerines.

If you are on the step to becoming a vegan, you can follow this table. So it will be easier for you to navigate your new diet. You will know which foods not to eat and which foods to eat. But remember, if you have given up, for example, sugar, it can be part of other products. So, pay attention to the components of various products.

14 Motivational Steps To Becoming Vegan For Beginners

Have you decided to make positive changes by starting a vegan diet? You are on the right path. After all, veganism can improve your health, reduce anxiety and help the environment. Besides, one study shows that veganism can help people with diabetes. But before starting it, consider some tips on going vegan. The main thing is not to succumb to the temptation of harmful products and follow our steps:

1. Find Out A Reason

If you want to start a vegan diet, there must be a reason. You should understand why you are doing it and what benefit you will get. Thus, the first step to becoming a vegan is strengthening the belief that you should support the change. There can be many reasons for this, for example:

• helping the environment; 
• rescuing animals; 
• improving health. 

Determine for yourself why you have to start on the path of veganism. Then you will motivate yourself more.

2. Start With The Smallest

Veganism is primarily a rejection of the use of animals in everyday life. It applies to producing fabrics, testing cosmetics, and visiting zoos and circuses. It can be challenging to change your life at once to follow all these rules. Thus, switching to vegan should start with the simplest but essential: change the contents of your plate:

• A balanced and varied plant-based diet can be much better for your health; 
• And also – it is guaranteed to be more ecological and ethical for animals. 

3. Do It Slowly

Have you decided to go vegan? It is a great solution. But make sure you take your time. Giving up meat can work for someone very quickly. But if it doesn’t work for you, don’t feel guilty about it. After all, starting a vegan diet is a habit you should develop over time and make it your lifestyle. Start with small steps:

• First, become a vegetarian;
• And if you already are, give up milk or eggs for a while;
• You can also start with one vegan meal a day and then work your way up to two. 

4. Find Support

Finding social support is also significant. People who take the step to becoming vegan face great difficulties. Mainly if none of your close people follows a vegan lifestyle. If this issue is crucial to you, create a support group. It will help you get on the right track and motivate you:

• Try to find some vegan forums or groups online that you can join;
• Ask your friends for their opinion on your decision. Maybe they also want to take the path of vegan for beginners. Then you can help each other.

5. Read Product Labels And Ingredients

Most vegan foods say “vegan” on the packaging. Thus, you must remember such products and learn to find these labels. Once you master this skill, you can quickly determine if something is vegan. You will start finding products faster and make a vegan diet for yourself. 

Besides products, it is crucial to pay attention to detergents, clothes, and cosmetics. Quite often, people test it on animals. But switching to vegan, you need to avoid it. Knowing which products are tested on animals is a little more complicated. But you can orient by some signs to determine this fast:

• The product is not tested on animals if you see the bunny logo on the package;
• If there is no such logo, you can Google the company name to find out exactly.

6. Find A Food Alternative

One of the reasons why people do not want to switch to vegan is the fear of giving up their favourite dishes with meat. But vegan for beginners does not include a sudden change in products. Studies say you can find substitutes for your favourite products and slowly get used to their consumption. There are various vegan alternatives, from almond milk to meat substitutes:

• Replace dairy products with almond milk;
• Try the crispy tofu with herbs and vegetables, olive oil, and vegan cheese;
• Instead of chicken or beef, use meat substitutes for vegans;
• You will not notice their consumption differences when you get used to analogues.

7. Plan Your Diet

Starting a vegan diet, keeping a diary, and planning what you will eat for a few days:

• The best way to do this is to plan weeks. It will also give you time to plan your grocery shopping;
• The main thing is not to rush. Look up info on the internet and find foods that are good for you. It will help you better form your product list.

Going vegan can be difficult. But if you follow the steps of going vegan, the food will be delicious and healthy. You have to follow the practice every day, and then it will strengthen the matter.

8. Prepare The Kitchen

Do not allow the presence of meat and dairy products in your refrigerator. If you have them, you will eat them sooner or later. So, an essential vegan-for-beginners rule is to do a general refrigerator cleaning:

• Include leafy greens and plant-based proteins such as grains and nuts in your diet. From them, you can get the necessary dose of vitamins;
• You should also take vitamin, mineral, and omega-3 supplements to prevent nutrient deficiencies. 
• And when switching to vegan, remember about greens. It is not only a decoration for many dishes in the kitchen but also a source of vitamins.

9. Don’t Give Up!

Sometimes you can crave to taste a dish unsuitable for a vegan diet. In these cases, you can succumb to temptation:

• You have to remind yourself why you became a vegan;
• Know that you are not only saving the life of an animal but also helping the planet;
• Do not consume prohibited products starting a vegan diet. It can throw you off your path. So, remember why you have started and what benefit awaits you. It will motivate you even more.

10. Buy Products Wholesale

One of the most helpful tips on going vegan is buying products wholesale:

• It can be a great way to save money. Especially if you buy nuts and seeds, spices and herbs, flour or nuts;
• You can store them at home for a long time, and they will not spoil;
• Besides, buying in bulk also helps the environment. Because you don’t pay for excess packaging.

11. Take Liquid Supplements And Vitamins

Vegan for beginners can exclude foods that have vitamins from your diet. To maintain their amount in the body, food supplements will help you. There are two types of them:

• Liquid drops for the immune system

Micronutrients are extremely important for the human immune system. But certain food analogs when starting a vegan diet can reduce their amount. To maintain their norm for your health, these liquid drops will help you. Due to their large amount of adaptogens, they are better than ordinary liquid drops. After all, it contributes to the faster assimilation of nutrients in the body. They are completely natural and suitable for vegans. It distinguishes them from modern vitamins, which usually contain chemical additives. So natural components of immune drops protect the body from free radicals. Accordingly, immunity becomes many times stronger.

• Liquid drops for mental health

It is essential to maintain mental health when starting a vegan diet. After all, people can face difficulties due to refusing their favorite food. Drops for mental health can help you with this. They are suitable for vegans because they are natural. Their effect on the body causes a person to have a good mood, energy, and well-being. Besides, they provide all the necessary vitamins for the body.

12. Remember About Minerals And Proteins

Vegan for beginners involves paying attention to the number of minerals in the body. Be sure to look for plant-based alternatives that contain vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, and iron.

• Also, remember about protein because rejecting fish and meat can lead to its deficiency; 
• So, include in your diet food of plant origin that contains a lot of it: soy products, nuts, and cereals;
• The mineral and protein content should be average in your body.

13. Be Patient And Give Yourself Time

Everyone has their path and time to change their lifestyle to veganism:

• Do not despair if it suddenly seems complicated;
• Also, ignore the fact that if someone does not support you in this decision. It’s normal for people to question things that differ from their beliefs. So don’t take them personally;
• Enjoy the steps to becoming a vegan and motivate yourself to achieve good results.

14. Make Your Own Milk

If you like dairy products, start making them yourself. For example, almond milk has a delicate taste and corresponds to the ideology of veganism. To prepare it, you need:

• Soak a glass of raw nuts in water overnight;
• Then drain the water;
• Add 3 cups of purified water;
• Mix everything in a blender and filter through cheesecloth;
• Your vegan milk is ready.

This tip on going vegan applies not only to milk. You can also prepare other dishes that are useful for veganism. Find their recipes online or in books. Over time, you can invent even more food analogues for yourself.

Conclusion

Making steps to becoming a vegan is not an easy task. But if you follow all the advice and prepare your diet correctly, you will succeed. The main thing is to maintain the balance of vitamins in the body from vegan products.

If you lack certain trace elements, food supplement drops will help you. And remember one rule: when switching to veganism, it is better to fail often than to give up quickly.

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