How to transition to a Vegan Lifestyle

I hope 2018 is going well for you so far and I hope that you’re keeping up with your new year resolutions. For many people, one of their resolutions for 2018 is going vegan, and that is a great idea for sure! Veganism is one of the kindest decisions you can make, for the animals, the workers and the environment. And, although I don’t usually go into that topic, it can be pretty good for your health as well.Veganism is important and urgent. However, I don’t believe that going vegan overnight is necessarily the best option in the long term: if you want to do it, go for it, but in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with a gradual change if it makes it easier for you to go and stay vegan. Going vegan too fast, without the proper planning, even though it might work for some people, might leave others feeling like they're missing their old, carefree lifestyle. That’s why I support gradual transitions: I’d rather have someone take years transitioning, but becoming a passionate vegan for the rest of their lives, than someone who goes vegan overnight only to give up after a few months. 

 
That being said, there are countless different ways to go vegan gradually. Here I share some of my ideas of how you could transition slowly to a vegan lifestyle, or just reduce your consumption of animal products. Even if you're not interested in going fully vegan right now, consider making small, easy changes to reduce animal suffering, even just a little bit. I bet you could find one change to make in your lifestyle that wouldn't bother you at all while still making a difference.

Choose the way that seems easiest and most enjoyable for you, while still thinking about the harms that these products bring to our surroundings.

By exclusion 

The most common way of transitioning to veganism is by starting to exclude certain foods. I, like many people, went vegetarian long before I went vegan. Most people start by giving up meats, then fish, followed by other animal products. But that is not the only way to go: if you love meat and giving it up seems to hard to you, but you don’t really care for eggs, why not give up eggs first? Or maybe you don’t really like fish, but you eat it anyway – it’s your chance to stop. Choose things that are easy for you to give up first, replace them by plant foods, and only then start challenging yourself by giving up things you think you’ll miss – it seems harder than it actually is, since when you start experimenting with plant foods you will quickly find new favorites. 

When giving up a food, I advise you to replace it by plant foods and not other animal products.  Some people give up meat and start eating more fish instead, but that is not helping them give up animal products, nor is it reducing animal suffering. What I think you should do is, say you want to give up pork first: Eat exactly what you would eat in your daily life, but when you would eat pork, eat a plant based option instead. In no time you’ll be comfortable enough to give up more kinds of animal products.

By meal 

Another way to transition is to change one meal at a time. Your everyday breakfast is probably very easy to veganize, so why not take that first step? You could also start by making one vegan meal a day (or a week, if it makes you more comfortable) until you find a few plantbased dishes that you’d gladly have instead of your current non vegan menu. Take it easy, one meal at a time.

Go vegan at home

Some people find it hard to go vegan because there aren’t many options when going out. So if that’s your case, why not trying to eat vegan at home then? Finish whatever you have left in your fridge and pantry and don’t buy more animal products – or make a gradual change to a vegan kitchen. When all your food at home is plantbased, congratulations! You're already doing a great job. When you're ready, you can move on to staying vegan when going out.

Go vegan when going out 

Maybe you live with someone who doesn’t support your choice of going vegan, and you don’t have much power in what you eat, therefore you don’t feel comfortable enough to eat plantbased at home. That’s okay – just try eating vegan when going out. The next time you go to a restaurant, try checking if they have vegan options. Try looking for all vegan places too! This way you’ll taste delicious vegan meals and you might even get inspired to cook a delicious plantbased dish that will convince your loved ones that eating vegan is actually easy and fun.

Go vegan right now – but without compromising 

That was actually how I went vegetarian: I decided to try not eating meat or fish for a week. But that week ended and I didn’t go back. I wasn’t stressing to much about it though, and if I was ever in a situation in which my vegetarianism became uncomfortable, like at other people’s houses or situations like that, I would eat meat. But the more time I spent away from meat, the easier it became for me to realize that we shouldn't be eating corpses, and the more confident I became in what I was doing. Eventually, it would be harder for me to eat meat than to go through those “uncomfortable” situations, and I haven't eaten an animal in about 5 years. 

Veganism is not just a diet

And although most people change their diet first and only then the other aspects of veganism, it can be easier for some people to go the other way around. Find cruelty free make up, hygiene and cleaning products (why not experiment with diy zero waste recipes so you can reduce your trash & save some cash while you're at it?). Stop going to zoos, aquariums and shows with animals, as they profit from the imprisonment of animals while often concealing their actions as a mean of "conservation". Watch documentaries, read books and try learning more about animal exploitation. Although a plant based diet is an important part of veganism, it certainly isn’t the only one, and there’s no reason for you not to change the other aspects of your life, even if you’re still eating some animal products.

Final tips

If you are vegan or are willing to give veganism a try, congratulations, you are so cool! Although it isn't hard to be healthy on a plantbased diet, there are important things to consider (as with any diet): Since most people eat animal products, these foods are supplemented with the nutrients that are usually missing from people’s diets, like vitamin B12 or D. If you’re not having enough foods enriched with these vitamins, please take a supplement. 

I am not a health expert, so I can't really give health advice. If you'd like to learn more about plantbased health, my favorite resources are:

http://www.theveganrd.com/

http://jacknorrisrd.com/ 

Being vegan isn't always easy, but it's an incredibly rewarding and empowering experience, and if you're up for the challenge, I promise it will be worth it. 

Will you be giving veganism a try? And if you're already vegan, how was your transition? I would love to know your stories!

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