Even though every vegan or vegetarian has had to, at some point, go through the highs and lows of adapting to a new plant-based diet, there’s not a lot of talk on how hard it is to make this transition. You can have the best intentions and know all the good a plant-based lifestyle does for the world and it’ll still be hard to give up your favorite sushi place, that weekend barbecue or just to adapt in general. Going from eating meat on a regular basis to cutting out all animal products is, to say the least, difficult. But, maybe we can make it a little bit easier. Here’s a few tips and tricks to help you smooth your way into your new veggie lifestyle.
Don’t Jump In! Take Baby Steps
After watching countless documentaries and learning about all the harm the consumption of animals products causes, your first instinct is to cut out all animal products at once! Unfortunately, quitting “cold turkey” could result in a harder transition process and even cause you to give up on going veg all together. There’s no harm in taking things slow. Instead of trying to cut out everything and then shamefully going back to eating meat, try taking baby steps. Why not start participating in “No Meat Monday” for example? Decide on a day of the week where you can start experimenting with not eating meat. After a while, try making it two days and then three. This way, you’ll gradually start implementing a plant-based diet and before you know it… boom! You’re all plant.
Try Finding Vegan Substitutes
The beauty of going vegan or vegetarian in this day and age is that the market for veggie alternatives has greatly expanded. We have vegan meat, vegan cheese, vegan sushi.. the list is endless! So, in the spirit of taking baby steps, why not try slowly substituting animal products in your diet with vegan alternatives? You could also start searching and trying out new recipes. The experimentation, finding out what works for you, being introduced to a totally different world in culinary is not only crucial but part of the fun! Don’t hold back and try every veggie dish you can get your hands on and enjoy this tasty ride.
Find Yourself Some Veg Friends
Although there are tips and tricks that can help you in this transition, the best way to transition into your new life is to get help from vegans and vegetarians that already went through the same transition period or from people who are “plant-curious” as well. There are many studies that show how much your friends and the people you surround yourself with influence your habits. This is no exception.
Learning new recipes from experienced vegans or sharing hardships with aspiring veggies can make the transition into your new diet a whole lot easier. And if you’re looking for an easy way to find vegan and vegetarian buddies online, you can always use Veggly! The app that helps vegans and vegetarians to find and meet each other just got a lot more inclusive with its new feature. Now, users can select the “Looking for help” category on their profile to show that they are eager to make this change in their life and are looking for support from a friend or even a romantic partner. Finding people that get you and get what you’re trying to do has never been easier.
In conclusion, you can say that going vegan or vegetarian has never been easy. It’s a completely different way of eating, thinking and living! So, to all aspiring vegans and vegetarians out there, chin up! The transition isn’t easy but we all know that it’s 110% worth it. And, if you’re ever in need of some extra help or support, there are many veg friends out that would love to lend a hand.
Got questions? How about a Vegan AI Assistant?
That’s right. You can ask Vegassistant anything you want. It’s your free vegan AI assistant. Expect the response from a vegan for anything you ask it! Its goal is to help you find amazing vegan recipes, vegan products, nutrition and other tips to make the vegan lifestyle easier and more practical for you.
As Veggly grows further, make sure you stay up to date and read messages from vegan and vegetarian users who found love among the community – all on this page here.
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