Going vegan: getting started

 

Continuing with my vegan series, I want to focus less on the "why" (you can scroll back for plenty of reasons!) and more on the "how". I know lots of people support the idea and intention of a compassionate lifestyle but don't know where to start. So today I'm going to post a few tips to think about when getting started.

🌿 Remember there's no right or wrong way to go vegan (or vegetarian!) Some go cold turkey overnight. Personally, when I went vegetarian as a child I set a date in my mind and slowly phased out products for a smoother transition. This worked well for me so I used the same approach when going vegan. I consumed the non-vegan products I used to like during this window of time and made the conscious decision that would be the last time I'd have them. Everyone's different, but for me that helped.

🌿 Don't be wasteful - there is enough food waste in society to worry about as it is. You may have chosen a compassionate lifestyle but there is no reason to waste items you already have. Pass them on or use them up and don't buy them again.

🌿 Educate yourself about nutrition. In my opinion this is important to do in general, but it is particularly important if you are making a change in your diet to ensure you know where nutrients are found so you are fuelling your body with the best food you can give it.

🌿 Find a supplement that contains vitamin B12. If you haven't been taking one it's likely that you're deficient in it as it's not readily available in food. If you can, try and supplement vitamin D too as most of us are deficient in it during the winter months. (These vitamins are both very important to supplement as they are hard to come by through diet alone whether you're vegan or not!)

🌿 Remember every choice matters. The vegan police won't come and get you if you accidentally buy something that contains a non-vegan ingredient by mistake, or even if you have a moment of weakness during transitioning. There's no such thing as a perfect vegan, or a perfect anybody!