Some people become vegan overnight. Some people have been vegan for years. But what about those of us who want to explore being a vegan, but who currently live a definitively non-vegan life? How can we start? What should we expect? How can we learn more? Why do people do it? How do we make it a practical life choice?
I am a new writer to DC Vegan, and my posts will cover my experiences answering those questions, and more.
The idea of being a vegan seems a bit overwhelming. Sure, I WANT to do it — but it seems that every time I turn around, I think of another change that I need to make. So rather than try to do everything at once, I am focusing on five things. I know that they do not cover everything, but I am hoping that they will be a good start. Changing my life will take some time, some patience, and a healthy dose of reaching outside my comfort zone.
1. Become a vegetarian.
The first step on this journey is to follow a vegetarian diet. I am not eating meat, chicken or fish at all. My body adjusted quickly, and I have found alternative protein sources to complement an otherwise plant-based diet. The trick for me is not to be a lazy vegetarian, which equals too many starches and other sugars, and not enough fiber, protein and fat.
2. Establish a support network.
No one in my direct life is a vegetarian, nevertheless a vegan. I need to establish connections with people who eat and live this way, and who enjoy all of the benefits of doing so. Just as with any new endeavor, I can learn so much from other people, and I want to become a part of both online and live communities that are supportive of this lifestyle.
3. Seek out recipes.
I need to increase my knowledge base when it comes to food preparation. I have dozens of cookbooks, but only two that focus on vegetarian dishes. I need to start compiling ideas, resources and tips, and then adjust my pantry and my shopping lists accordingly. I want to continue to make flavorful and healthy meals, which will require some conscious changes to my cooking and baking habits.
4. Research the reasons.
I have three main reasons for changing my life: (1) my health; (2) animal rights; and (3) the environment. I want to become much more knowledgeable about each of these areas so that I can speak to them with intelligence and grace. I suspect that this knowledge will also help to remind me why I am making these changes, which will help me to avoid feeling frustrated.
5. Embrace expected challenges.
I expect that my two biggest challenges will be removing dairy from my diet and making any needed social adjustments. From cereal to baking to pizza, I admittedly consume dairy on a daily basis. I need to look at each dairy product in my life and find alternatives. The social adjustments will be interesting to experience. It is much easier to tell people that you have been a vegan for years — the decisions are final and long-established — than it is to tell people that you are exploring this lifestyle. My husband and friends are extraordinarily supportive of everything that I do, so I do not expect to be met with direct resistance…but I do expect that I will have to make adjustments.
Here’s to the journey!
Sarah, best of luck to you! The first thing I did when I realized “oh shit, I think I have to go vegan” was to order every single vegetarian starter pack that I could find on the internet. They’re free and you can get them from everyone — COK, PETA, HSUS — just google it. Each one gave me so much information on why I was doing this and how I could do it (recipes, etc).
I also started listening to the Compassionate Cooks podcast. It was nice to have Colleen’s soothing voice telling me that I was doing the right thing, as I sat on the bus on the way to work. She was a nice start to every day and empowered me with so much info.
If you need any help, just ask. There’s nothing vegans love more than telling you how easy it is to be a vegan and how you can do it too.
Sarah- best wishes and thanks for giving transitioning vegans advice! One thing I urge to keep in mind, and I also would ask that you even consider adding to your post, is that if you are going to go vegetarian before you go vegan (I did that as well), please make sure that all meat is being replaced with vegan food. It is one thing to continue consuming egg and milk products while you transition, but if pasta with meat sauce is being replaced with pasta with alfredo sauce (instead of being replaced with pasta with marinara sauce), then no net good is being done.
It may seem like a nitpicky difference, but eating completely vegan for every meal that previously would have had meat opens your palate up to veganism while still allowing you to make a transition by eating cheese and eggs on occasions where you otherwise would have (pizza with friends, for instance).
Lastly, keep in mind that if you make mistakes, it’s no reason to give up!
Kudos and best of luck on your compassonate journey, Sarah. The web is a great source of vegan recipes. In any search engine, type in “recipe vegan” followed by a dish or ingredients, and optionally cooking styles (e.g., “Italian” or “quick”). A support network can help immensely, too.
Thanks so much for the great ideas and kind encouragement! Your voices are very appreciated. Amber — I am excited to listen to the podcasts; what a neat idea. Michael — you make a great point about food replacement. In general, I am taking the steps that you suggest, but I am sure that I can do better, and I will definitely reference this topic in the future; it deserves its own post, filled with good food ideas. Gary — Love the idea of searching for recipes by cooking style. Thanks for passing along the tip!
And watch this informative and inspiring video on why people choose vegan: http://veganvideo.org/
Also see Gary Yourofsky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bagt5L9wXGo
nice post! i’m in the same boat. i’m actually still converting to vegetarianism… which probably sounds wimpy to most vegans, but i still find it hard sometimes to get a quick non-meat lunch that will leave me satisfied! although, i’m sure it can be done, probably just takes more planning on my part. anyway, i appreciate this blog, it’s helpful!
I don’t think that’s wimpy at all. Up until 4 years ago I was an omnivore. I had plans to cut down on meat consumption, but never got any support from my (now ex-) wife.
When my girlfriend and I moved in together she said “I think we shouldn’t bring meat into the house.” I thought that was a marvy idea. I finished up my remaining meat products at my apartment, and the day we moved in together was the day I became a vegetarian. Two years later we were considering going vegan, and around my 40th birthday we decided we’d move towards becoming vegan (I credit Compassion Over Killing with this). We finished up all our cheese in the fridge and haven’t looked back.
So, at frickin’ 40 I became vegan. And I probably wouldn’t have if I didn’t have the support. So kudos to anyone on the path. And kudos to you for being proactive and finding this blog. Cheers!
I read with great interest the experiences of the new vegan. In March of last year I went on the taste of health cruise and became macrobiotic/vegan overnight. Since then I have lost 40 pounds and I feel amazing. Full of energy and great clarity of mind. I was already a vegetarian but only when I went vegan and also gave up sugar, processed food and dried baked flour did I have the experience of all my aches and pains disappearing and my moods calming down. I lie in Olney Md and I am interested in having vegan potlucks to meet others in the area who have the goal to be healthy of body and mind. Let me know if anyone is interested in having a dinner in February. Susan
1) I can’t believe you don’t know any vegans?
1a) If you don’t know any vegans, how did you end up on dcvegan.com as a writer?
2) Lots of delicious vegan pizza in the DC area. Just moved here and am astonished at so many places w/ vegan cheese. I’ve done cheeseless pizza for so long I’m floored!
3) Good luck! It’s really not that hard