Tips on Transitioning to a Vegan Diet

This blog post was inspired by the following message I received recently from a friend:

"Hi! So I am leaning toward veganism. I need advice! I have read too many disturbing things lately. I still eat meat sometimes, so going vegan would be really cold turkey for me. Any words of wisdom?"

Here are my Words of Wisdom for transitioning or switching to a vegan diet:

1. Don't be hard on yourself!
My first piece of advice for anyone going "cold turkey" vegan (I love the no pun intended use of that expression!) is to remember to not be too hard on yourself and make sure you do not feel like you are depriving yourself.  Just do the best you can and don't worry if you "slip up". 

If you're going from an omnivorous diet to a vegan diet, it's going to be a harder transition than if you are starting from vegetarianism.  You're going to suddenly have to give much more thought to the food you're eating than you're used to and this can prove to be very frustrating to many. Eating at home, you'll have better control over what is in your food than you will going out. I think people will often times give up on going vegan because they find it too hard to avoid animal products.

In my opinion, Almost Vegan Chef, Amber Shea Ford, has a great philosophy towards food and veganism. She says: "I prefer to be flexible and focus on enjoying what I eat! I think people can set themselves up for failure if they insist on being “perfect” (whatever that means!), and I find I’m healthier and happier if I don’t forbid myself to have any particular type of food... Simply having the option to eat non-vegan if I want to actually makes it easier and more enjoyable for me to almost always choose vegan."

2. Ask questions.
Ask as many questions as you can when dining out, be it a restaurant or a friend's place. There are so many hidden animal products in food that you've never had to think about before.  Some examples: Are the beans cooked with lard? Is the rice cooked with chicken stock? What is the base for the soup? Is there cream, butter or cheese in that?  I always check out menus online before I go out to see what I might possibly be able to eat. Chefs are usually happy to make you something special, especially if you give them a heads up.  One of my favorite restaurant meals was one made specifically for me, and when I went to the kitchen to give my compliments to the chef, he said he had so much fun getting creative for me!
If you are invited to a meal at a friend's place, make them aware of your new diet and offer to bring something or provide your favorite recipes.

3.  Vegan "cheese" tastes nothing like real cheese, so don't expect it to. 
There are lots of cheese substitutes out there and some are quite good. However, they are an entity of their own and do not directly replace the flavor or texture of the cheese they are named after, no matter what people will tell you.  As long as you keep that in mind, you can enjoy Daiya, Teese, Heidi Ho Organics, Vegan Gourmet, etc, on pizzas and pastas, tacos, in salads and so much more without being disappointed that it doesn't taste like cheddar or jack, or whatever else the packages says it tastes like. You're new to veganism, you remember what they really taste and feel like, and you won't be fooled.  My favorite cheese substitute is cashew. It makes great "ricotta" and amazing cream cheese. Here's a great recipe for a tangy cashew spread.

4. Familiarize yourself with vegan substitutes. 
Unless your reason for transitioning to veganism is that you don't like the taste or texture of meat, it may be easier for you to start off with mainstream meat substitutes like Gardein and Boca before you dive into tempeh, tofu, seitan and beans. As a natural foods chef however, I urge you to not get stuck on those highly processed products as they are not the healthiest options. If you don't already have a taste for beans, nuts and seeds, hopefully you'll be adventurous enough to try something new. Cooking beans from scratch is easy, inexpensive and tastes much better than from a can. Of course, cans are convenient if you don't have time or desire to cook. If you've never cooked tempeh, here are some tips on how to cook it well.

When replacing eggs for breakfast, you can turn to tofu for omelets and scrambles; for baking, flax slurries, applesauce, tapioca flour,  and egg replacer are just some of the substitutes. Here's a great link on how to use egg substitutes. Olive and coconut oils are great substitutes for butter.

5. Get to know what products may have hidden animal ingredients. 
Gelatin hides in a lot of desserts; lanolin (from sheep's wool) is often found in Vitamin D enriched foods, like orange juice; some wines and beers are made with animal ingredients, like bone char and fish bladder.  Peta has a long list of hidden animal ingredients. Barnivore is my go to source for vegan wine and beer.


6. The PPK is your new best friend.
The Post Punk Kitchen is a great resource for recipes, food tips, and a forum to connect you to other vegans and food lovers. Isa Chandra and Terry Hope also put out some of my favorite cookbooks.


7. Download or order a vegetarian/vegan starter guide. 
Check out Vegan Outreach, TryVeg, Mercy for Animals and Choose Veg for a starter kit. You can also do a google search for more information.

8. Reach out to other veg heads!
Finally, do just what my friend did to help you transition.  Talk to your more experienced vegetarian and vegan friends. Find vegan meetup groups or community groups in your area to get to know other vegans. It's fun to meet people with the same eating style as you and they are usually great resources for what and where to eat near you! Bookmark Happy Cow and download their mobile app for more great vegan resources.