Going vegan is easy, especially if you take it one change at a time. And today--World Vegan Day--is the day to get started! These ten steps will help you make an effortless transition to a vegan diet. You can move through them at whatever pace feels doable, but by making one change each week, you’ll begin the New Year with a brand new healthy and compassionate diet.
1. Start out strong: stop eating birds. Even if you aren’t ready to go vegan overnight, dropping chicken and turkey from your diet has an immediate impact. Because these animals are smaller than cows and pigs, eating just four ounces of chicken meat per week translates to the death of 50 birds per year. And while all animals suffer in the agriculture industry, conditions for chickens and turkeys are the worst. These intelligent animals are also exempt from the Humane Slaughter Act, which means there are no laws in place to monitor the ways in which they are killed.
2. Make small easy changes that don’t affect meal planning. Trade in cow’s milk for calcium-fortified beverages made from almonds, coconut, rice, soy or hempseeds. These plant milks can stand in for cow’s milk in any recipe, and are perfect to wash down a cookie or pour over cereal. You’ll also find vegan sour cream, cream cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, chicken-flavored broth, and salad dressings. These substitutes are among the easiest ways to instantly drop many animal foods from your diet.
3. Explore veggie meats and cheeses. The growing demand for these products has resulted in an array of fun, convenient, and delicious choices—sausages, hot dogs, meat balls, barbecued meat, chicken nuggets, and ground beef-like crumbles—all made without meat. The selection of veggie cheeses made from nuts, rice, hempseed or soy is growing, too.
4. Start tweaking recipes. With one or two changes, you can still have your favorite dinners without the meat. Use meatless ground “beef” in spaghetti sauce or in tacos. Top burritos with guacamole and shredded soy cheese. Stuff manicotti shells with a blend of silken tofu and vegan cream cheese. Take the beef out of your favorite chili recipe and replace it with lots of chopped vegetables for a healthier version. Pile homemade pizza high with grilled vegetables and, if you like, vegan pepperoni.
5. Find a few new favorites. American diets aren’t as varied as you might think. In fact, most families cycle through the same nine or ten dinner menus month after month. Once you’ve tweaked a few to make them vegan, it’s not hard to replace the others with new vegan recipes. Check a few vegan cookbooks out of the library and have fun experimenting as you reinvent your meals.
6. Get acquainted with beans. One way to become familiar with these foods is to explore the cuisines of other cultures where beans are a dietary staple. Simmer white beans with tomatoes, herbs, garlic and olive oil for a traditional Sicilian delicacy. Hummus from the Mideast, curried lentils from India, and refried beans from Mexico are dishes that combine tradition with some of the healthiest foods in the world.
7. Wrap it up for lunch. Wraps made with any kind of flat bread or tortilla make good portable food. And you can wrap up just about anything. Spread a tortilla with hummus or tahini and pile with any combination of beans, vegetables, baked tofu, or whatever is in the fridge. Peanut butter with shredded carrots and raisins makes a fun wrap for kids. Hummus with chopped vegetables or baked tofu with spicy peanut sauce are favorites for wraps, too.
8. Explore egg substitutes for breakfast. Cereal with almond milk, or peanut butter on an English muffin, or oatmeal with chopped nuts and fruit are all healthy ways to start the day. When you have a little more time, tofu sautéed in vegan margarine with mushrooms and seasonings is a great stand-in for scrambled eggs. Not only is the tofu cholesterol-free, but its protein is linked to reduced cholesterol levels. For pancakes and waffles, try omega-3-rich flaxseeds instead of eggs. Whisk together 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (or flaxseed meal) with 3 tablespoons of water and let stand until slightly thickened. This replaces one large egg.
9. Explore healthy snacks. The switch to plant-based meals is a good way to make your diet healthier, but vegans like sweets and treats, too. Vegan ice creams are made from soy, rice, almond, hempseed, and coconut and they are all delicious. For healthier choices and kids’ lunch boxes, stock up on homemade oatmeal cookies, fruit crumbles, baked tortilla chips, popcorn, and trail mix.
10. Go shopping online. Depending on where you live, you may not be able to find everything you need in the grocery store. Online vegan stores have it all, though, and are great fun to explore. Visit Cosmos Vegan Shoppe, Healthy Eating, Vegan Essentials, Pangea, or The Vegetarian Site for a wide range of useful and fun vegan products.
Virginia Messina is a dietitian specializing in vegan nutrition. Her new book is Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-based Diet. Learn more about vegan nutrition by reading her blog TheVeganRD, or by following her on twitter.
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