A Beginner's Guide to Going Vegan
You don’t have to be fully vegan to subscribe to this Substack, but just in case you’re curious about converting — this is the post for you.
Over the years, I’ve had so many friends watch a compelling documentary, make a passionate (but chaotic) commitment to go vegan, and then fall flat on their faces a few weeks or months later.
Their hearts were always in the right place, but making a huge lifestyle change overnight is hard to keep up with at best and can be dangerous at worst. Of course deep down, I’d love to snap my fingers and wake up to a vegan world, but if I were starting over today, I’d ease into it with these steps:
1. See your doctor
This is a good time to remind you that I’m not one and that nothing on That Vegan Friend should be constituted as medical advice. That said, I personally try to get bloodwork done before I start making any huge changes to my diet and again a few months after making said change.
For example: before going vegan I learned that I was pretty severely iron-deficient. Had I went vegan before learning that, I may have really struggled and eventually given up on my quest to go plant-based. There are plenty of vegan foods that are iron rich, including my favorite plant ever — kale. But iron is one of those things that’s hard to get enough of from food alone, so my holistic doctor told me about these iron fish (they’re not actually fish), and helped me find a vegan supplement that doesn’t wreak havoc on my gut.
2. Eat more of what you love
I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t enjoy a single naturally vegan food. All plants from berries to mushrooms are vegan, and delicious snacks like nut butters, hummus, and guacamole are, too. Heck — even Fritos are accidentally vegan.
So instead of thinking about what you can’t eat as a vegan, think about all the foods you already love that you can eat — and build complete meals off of. PETA has a great list of “accidentally vegan” foods that you may already love that can be great places to start.
My favorite snack has always been apples and peanut butter. When I transitioned from vegetarian to vegan, I loaded up on that favorite snack whenever I felt confused about what to eat. Today, I make it a full meal by using sunflower butter instead and topping it with granola — I have this combo for breakfast or lunch almost every day.
3. Eliminate animal products one-by-one
Okay, here goes: I think it’s a little difficult to cut out meat, eggs, and dairy in one day. Is it possible? Sure! But if you’re currently eating an omnivore diet, it will probably be a bit overwhelming.
Growing up I ate very little meat, so cutting that out was easy. If that’s not the case for you, I’d start with one type, i.e. beef, and then eliminate something else (chicken, all land animals, fish, etc.) week-by-week until you’re fully vegetarian.
Then I’d do the same with eggs and dairy until you’re eating vegan.
Those last two can sometimes be the most difficult since they’re hidden in so many things, so I’d take an elimination approach to that, too:
Replace the milk you drink with your coffee, put in cereal, and cook or bake with with a dairy-free alternative. My preference depends on the use case: generally I like oat milk for my rare latte, coconut for cereal, and soy or oat for baking.
Replace or eliminate eggs: Just Egg makes incredible scrambled and folded options and you can use egg replacer or aquafaba in your baking.
Eliminate your cheese intake for a bit: I absolutely love many of them now, but vegan cheeses really turned me off when I first transitioned. I think they can be jarring to the palette and you don’t want to give yourself a silly reason to back off of your commitment. As odd as it sounds, I found pizza to be easier to eat with no cheese vs. vegan cheese, and same goes for tacos. You don’t have to skip your favorite foods; just modify them.
From there, you’ll want to pay attention to what’s in your favorite packaged goods. On easy mode, that means buying things that have a clear “vegan” label on them, but that can be limiting. Most food labels will clearly call out whether something contains common allergens like eggs or milk, so check that if it doesn’t have a vegan label, and be sure to look out for sneaky ingredients like honey, whey, or natural red 4.
4. Stock your pantry
In addition to eating foods you already love, you will probably need to learn to love some new things, particularly alternative protein and fat sources.
Buy all the fresh fruits and veggies you can handle, but also consider stocking up on:
Legumes: I regularly buy black beans, chickpeas, and refried pinto beans, among others. Most beans are super versatile and can be used to make everything from veggie burgers to salad toppings.
Nuts and seeds: I was shocked to learn that I wasn’t getting enough healthy fats, and nuts are a great way to get on top of that. I love walnuts as snacks or salad toppings and pumpkin seeds have become my new snacking obsession.
Bits and bobs: In the fun and random category, I’ll include nutritional yeast — affectionally nicknamed ‘nooch’. Sprinkle it on pasta, avocado toast, or popcorn for a little protein boost and hint of ‘cheesy’ flavor. I’d also recommend replacing rice with quinoa to sneak in extra protein.
5. Experiment
Once you have a go-to list of vegan foods you know you love, start experimenting!
There’s a vegan version of almost everything nowadays, so have fun trying them out. I personally choose to eat a primarily whole foods diet when I cook or eat at home, but I do have some fun when I go out. Last week, I had vegan shrimp, cheese fries, and elote in Atlanta… yum.
Experimenting extends beyond the kitchen too, though.
Since veganism is an overall lifestyle — not just a diet — that meant that I needed to adjust my makeup routine and find new sneakers I liked when I made the pivot. I’m of the personal belief that using up whatever you currently have is the most ethical and eco-friendly option, so you may occasionally see me in Vans with a bit of suede or using up a non-vegan cosmetic item, however whatever I buy new is fully vegan.
A few of my go-tos for vegan beauty and style:
Stella McCartney: handbags, sneakers
R.E.M. Beauty: Ariana Grande is a plant-based queen and so is her makeup
Milani: a convenient budget-friendly line with many vegan options
Alright, hit me with questions if you have them and I’ll be sure to cover in a post soon…
Until next time,
That Vegan Friend