How to Become a Vegan: Take The Plant-Based Pledge

CookUnity | 3/30/2023

Living a cruelty-free lifestyle is slowly becoming popular as more people in the US and worldwide are realising the importance of protecting animals from exploitation. According to The Vegan Society, veganism is the way of living by excluding all sorts of cruelty to animals for food, clothing, and other necessities.

For vegans, veganism is much more than a dietary preference; it is a moral stand where they raise their voices against animal abuse. Today we will share some practical tips for everyone wanting to adopt a vegan lifestyle.

Key Takeaways:

Veganism is a moral stand against cruelty to animals
A vegan diet keeps you healthy
Switching to veganism can be difficult, so take it slow

Understanding the Basics of a Vegan Diet

A vegan diet only involves consuming food consisting of plants and plant-based products. It does not include animal based products like honey, milk, fish oil, sprouted or fermented plant foods, grains etc.

The Importance of Minerals and Protein in a Vegan Diet

Importance Of Minerals And Protein In A Vegan Diet

Supplementary Food for Healthy Diet

Meat and other animal products are rich in vitamins, phytonutrients and antioxidants. However, since you are adopting a no-meat diet, it is important to take your daily dose of proteins and other nutrients, which are not present in adequate amounts in a vegan meal.

There are some other nutrients that you need to be aware of before adopting a vegan diet:

Calcium: Calcium is essential for keeping your bones, muscles, nerves, and teeth healthy. According to a recent study, people who started a vegan diet without planning and researching had a low bone mineral density and a high fracture risk.

Vegan foods rich in calcium: Fortified food products like tofu, bread, plant-based milk alternatives, juices, and other green leafy vegetables like broccoli and kale.

Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is crucial for metabolism, nerve, heart, and muscle health. It is easily found in animal products. However, if you are following a vegan diet, you must have food rich in Vitamin B12.

Vegan foods rich in Vitamin B12: Plant-based meats, plant milk, some soy products, and breakfast cereals.

Iron: Iron is important for your body to maintain a healthy heart and metabolism. Animal products are rich in heme iron which is much easier for your body to absorb. On the other hand, vegan food mostly contains non-heme iron, making it difficult for your body to absorb. People with iron deficiency suffer from anemia, which occurs when your body lacks iron to make hemoglobin.

Vegan foods rich in iron: Lentils, tofu, chia seeds, hemp seeds, chickpea pumpkin seed, raisins, dried apricots, and fortified breakfast cereal.

Omega 3 Fatty Acid: Another important component for cardiovascular health is Omega 3 fatty acid, a polyunsaturated fat. The three types of fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

Even though plant food sources like walnuts, flax seeds, and chia seeds are rich in ALA, however, EPA and DHA are mostly available in animal food products and certain exotic marine plant sources. If you have Omega 3 deficiency, you will suffer from fatigue, insomnia, joint pain, and cardiovascular diseases.

Vegan foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acid: Walnuts, seaweed, algae, edamame, and chia seeds.

Start Your Vegan Journey: A Sample Vegan Meal Plan for Newbies

Beginner's Vegan Meal Plan

So we briefly discussed the benefits of nutrients in your vegan diet. Now you may ask how to incorporate these food items into your daily diet. After consulting with dietitians and doctors, we have come up with a basic vegan plan for beginners.

Breakfast	Snacks	Lunch	Evening Snacks	Dinner
One serving of sprouted grain toast with peanut butter and banana.	⅓ cup of dry roasted unsalted almonds or 1 ½ cups of edamame	One veggie and hummus sandwich	1 cup unsweetened and coconut milk yogurt	Cauliflower and chickpea tacos with some Pico de gallo and guacamole
		One fruit, preferably an orange	Ten dry roasted unsalted almonds

Planning Your Transition to a Vegan Diet

Over the past three years, there has been a significant rise of about 600% in the number of people in America switching to a vegan diet. Well, the process of transition is pretty difficult, and you can follow two ways:

1. Cold Turkey Approach

Following the vegan cold turkey approach means that you will be dropping all animal products from your diet suddenly overnight. Removing dairy products from your daily diet can be easy if you are a Lacto-vegetarian (only having dairy products with a vegetarian diet). But if you are an omnivore and your diet involves a huge amount of chicken, beef, and ham, then the cold Turkey approach might be life threatening. Your body will go into a shock mode, and you will have withdrawal symptoms, seizures and irregular heart rhythm. So the Cold Turkey approach is not the most effective way to quit meat and switch to a vegan diet.

2. The Slow and Steady Approach

Slow and Steady Approach Source: Rachaelrayshow

The best way to switch to a vegan diet is “go slow.” Allow your body to accept this new plant-based, vegan diet slowly. So out of the four meals in a day, have a vegan meal at least once and slowly increase the regularity. Another way is to mark 2 or 3 days of the week where you will only have plant-based meals. The main aim is to help your body cope without animal-based products. Here is a list of tips you can consider to make the transition process smoother.

Step 1: Be Mentally Prepared: During the transition process, you will have cravings, and you may lose your appetite in severe conditions. The best way to combat this issue is to have small vegan snacks. Another easy way to combat cravings is to keep some vegan meals ready in advance.

Step 2: Contact A Health Care Professional Like A Dietitian Or Nutritionist: Licensed plant-based dietitians are well aware how to help newbies transition into veganism. Calculating the number of calories to the number of nutrients your body requires, an experienced dietitian will help prepare meal plans for you that will be tasty and healthy.

Step 3: Show More At Local Markets: For most people, going vegan is an extra burden on the pocket. This situation is true if you buy plant-based products from the supermarket daily. The best solution is to buy vegetables from your local markets, and you will save 30% more than during your non-vegan days.

Step 4: Join A Vegan Supper Group And Attend Meetings: Transitioning into a new habit is stressful and much more difficult if you do it alone. So while trying to switch to veganism, it is very common to feel isolated. So you can get in touch with the various social media support groups available on Facebook and Reddit. Here is the list of some popular online support groups:

Facebook Vegan Groups	Reddit Vegan Groups	Popular Vegan Support Groups
HappyCow Vegan Guide	r/VeganRecipes	Rochester Area Vegan Society
Forks Over Knives Official Plant-Based Group	r/PlantBasedDiet	The Vegan Society

How to Find Authentic Vegan Restaurants Near You?

If you are planning to switch to veganism, you first need to try out some authentic and exotic vegan dishes at some of the best vegetarian restaurants near your place. So to find good vegan food near you, you can follow these steps:

Google Assistant: The easiest way to find authentic vegan restaurants near your place is to ask your Google Assistant.
Google Maps: You can search for “vegan restaurants near me” also on Google maps. To set your preferences to suggest authentic vegan restaurants, click on Google Map Settings -> Manage Your Preferences -> Dietary.
Other Websites: For more vegan dining options, you can visit VegDining.com and HappyCow.net. These websites also have restaurant and food reviews primarily written by vegans and thus will be pretty helpful.
Foreign Restaurant Options: If you are visiting any other country outside of America, you can visit TripAdvisor.com. This directory has some of the top vegan restaurants and will have restaurant and food reviews from people worldwide.

Vegan Meal Delivery Services

Cook Unity Vegan Meal Delivery Service at a Click of a Button

Transitioning to a vegan lifestyle can seem overwhelming, but with Cook Unity's vegan meal delivery service, it has never been easier or more delicious. Featuring the largest selection of vegan meals crafted by award-winning chefs, Cook Unity offers a diverse range of options that cater to various tastes and preferences.

Whether you're looking to explore new flavors or replace your favorite non-vegan dishes with plant-based alternatives, Cook Unity's exceptional menu offers something for everyone.

With the convenience of having nutritious, chef-prepared meals delivered right to your door, you'll be able to seamlessly transition to a healthier and more sustainable way of eating without sacrificing taste or quality.

How to Locate Grocery Stores That Sell Fresh Vegetables and Plant Products?

The cheapest and easiest way is to cook a nice vegan meal in your kitchen. This way, you can ensure that you have fresh plant products and are eating healthily.

You can visit your local farmers' market and buy fresh veggies and plant products.
Use online grocery delivery services like:

For best organic products: Farmbox Direct
For fresh groceries: Amazon Fresh
Best budget grocery stores: Misfits Market

Maintaining a Vegan Lifestyle

Adopting a plant-based diet can be difficult, especially if you do not receive support from friends and family members. When a person decides to transition to veganism, they mostly have to deal with severe criticism and interrogation.

This is why you must surround yourself with like-minded people, and you can do so by joining vegan communities.

Importance of Finding Support

Don’t Feel Lonely

Joining a vegan support community and talking with supportive family members and friends will help you realize you are not alone. You will connect with many people in the same stage as you, learn about their stories, and get guidance and help from senior members.

Get Inspired

You can learn from people who have passed through your stage; their stories and experience can help you with your journey toward veganism.

Foster Friendship

Humans are social animals, so we love to stay in groups and communities. So when you join such a support group, you will develop deeper connections, make more friends, and can also clear any queries.

Tips to Overcome Craving for Animal Products and Criticism

Overcome Craving For Animal Products

Source: OrganicCauthority

Switching to a plant-based diet can be difficult as your body is used to having meat and other animal products. So it is common to experience cravings for meat products. In addition to this, people might criticize your choice of switching to veganism.

So here is a list of tips you may follow:

Ensure You Are Consuming Enough Calories

An animal-based diet is full of calories, and you must ensure you get the same amount from a vegetable-based diet. You can start with nuts, seeds, potatoes, rice, and other fruits. Also try to have fat-rich plant products, including almonds, hemp, chia seeds, nuts, avocado, etc.

Try Plant-Based Meat

Have you heard of the recently released delicious meat alternatives that have taken the world by storm? These products are known as plant-based meats. Popular companies that sell these products are Gardein and Beyond Meat.

Cook For Yourself

You can also try cooking delicious healthy meat substitutes made of plants like tofu, mushrooms, nuts, beans, and much more.

Focus On Your Progress

The world is slowly recognising the importance of switching to veganism. Popular global restaurant chains, ice cream brands have already started adding vegan products to their menu. Just remember that your sacrifice matters, and you are saving a lot of animals from cruelty.

Surround Yourself With Like-Minded People

You can join vegan groups, participate in vegan group meetings and attend local vegan festivals. Make sure to socialize with people who respect your views.

Get Help from a Health Professional

You can always contact a vegan therapist if you are struggling with criticism. Popular therapist directories like Psychology Today and Therapy Den will help you find a vegan therapist nearby.

How to Maintain a Balanced Vegan Diet?

If you are switching to a plant-based diet, here is a list of tips you must follow to ensure that you are eating healthily:

Avoid food rich in sodium and added sugars
Have high protein plant-based food like beans, lentils, and nuts
Avoid carbohydrates
Get an adequate amount of Vitamin B12
Have enough orange juice and plant-based milk for vitamins C and D
Eat nuts, walnuts, and other plant products rich in Omega 3 fatty acids
Have at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables per day
Drink plenty of fluids, at least 7 to 8 cups per day

Conclusion

By switching to a vegan diet, you'll be doing your part in protecting animals from cruelty. In addition, veganism also reduces the risk of chronic diseases and keeps your heart and digestive system healthy. Still, turning to veganism may take time, so try to be patient. You might suffer from cravings, for example, but do not lose hope.

Also, it's best if you do your research on all the advantages and disadvantages of the vegan diet before making such an important decision for a complete change in your lifestyle. Only this way, you'll be prepared to go all the way and never turn back to consuming animal-based products.

References: