5 Steps to Successfully Transition to a Vegan Diet

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I’ve been a vegan chick since October 24, 2009.  Yep, and I’m proud of it! I’ve made mention of my vegan journey on this blog and if you look closely at my blog’s header you’ll see that I display my vegan pride in a couple of cute images.

Since becoming a fab vegan chick last fall, I’ve been asked so many questions by friends and colleagues about my vegan diet. The questions ranged from what I eat to how-to tips to help someone transition. I happily shared my story each and every time and provided each person a short list of things I’ve learned that helped me on my journey to Veganville.

Also since launching this blog in April, I’ve been asked to write more posts about my vegan lifestyle. Last week an enthusiastic reader asked me to post some tips here on my blog. So without further ado, here are my top 5 steps on how to transition to a vegan diet.

1. Learn About Veganism. It doesn’t matter why you’re going vegan – health reasons, compassion for animals, etc. – the more you learn about the lifestyle, the better. Study as much as you can, and keep in mind that although you don’t have to adopt all of the vegan ways, it pays to be informed on the topics of animal cruelty and the health benefits. Some of my favorite books and magazines on the topic are The China Study, The Kind Diet, and Veg News.
2. Buy Vegan Cookbooks. I went vegan cold “Tofurky;” but before I did I stocked up on some great cookbooks so that I wouldn’t have to wonder what to eat. One of my favorite starter cookbooks for newbie vegans is “The Kind Diet” by Alicia Silverstone; I’ve made a lot of the recipes from that book. “Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food” by Alicia C. Simpson, and “500 Vegan Recipes” by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman are two more great books that I own and recommend that you add to your newly created vegan cookbook collection.
3. Clean Out Your Fridge. Eventually you’re going to have to raid your fridge and throw all of the non-vegan food into the trash. Some people say that this is one of the hardest steps in the transition but they also find it to be one of the most enlightening. I’ve discovered that you truly don’t realize how many of your favorite food items are made with animal ingredients Trust me; you’ll be shocked! Once you clean out your fridge, you’ll be so happy that you did because you’ll now be able to fill your fridge with delicious and good-for-you foods that are made with true wholesome ingredients.
4. Replace Your Staples. Now you’re ready to go grocery shopping and create a new list of your newly discovered staple foods. Here are some must-have items for your fridge and pantry: almond milk, coconut milk, rice, flaxseed milk, or soy milk instead of cow’s milk; Earth Balance Vegan Butter instead of regular butter or margarine; Ener-G Egg Replacer to replace eggs; and tofu, tempeh, mock meats, or seitan to replace the meat that you’ve thrown away. In addition, you should always keep a supply of brown rice, whole wheat pasta, lentils, beans, grains, fresh vegetables and fruit (organic if you can), vegetable broth, organic pasta sauce, cans of diced tomatoes, nutritional yeast, flaxseed, vegan burgers, and tea.
5. Veganize Your Fave Foods. When I first became vegan, I was somewhat saddened that I had to give up some of my favorite dishes such as pizza, tacos, spaghetti, and lasagna (I absolutely LOVE lasagna). But once I learned that I could make vegan versions of my favorite foods, I was a happy gal! I’ve since veganized all of those yummy foods listed above and I can truly say that I simply love the vegan versions better. Simply replace the meat and cheese with their alternatives and replace the non-vegan sauces and toppings with vegan toppings. Yum! Who would have thought?
6. *BONUS* Dine at a Vegan/Vegetarian or Ethnic Restaurant. I was living in San Diego when I committed myself to the vegan lifestyle, and luckily for me San Diego has a lot of popular vegan restaurants to choose from and a wide variety of ethnic restaurants too. Two of my favorite restaurants in San Diego are Loving Hut & Pizza Fusion. I totally enjoyed exploring meatless ethnic cuisine that I ordinarily would have passed over when I was eating the Standard American Diet (SAD). Now, I simply can’t get enough of Thai and Indian cuisines. Delish!

Are you vegan or vegetarian? If so, please share some of your tips in the comment section. If you’re not vegan, what are some of your questions and concerns about switching to a vegan or vegetarian diet?