I've heard from a lot of you that in this beautiful new year of 2014, many plan to go vegan, or part vegan, or just give more veggies a whirl. I want to help. Having gone straight from rare steak eater, to vegan in one night, I assure you, I made many mistakes right off the bat. Hopefully, if I share some of mine, I can help you avoid these deadly sins...ok, they aren't deadly at all, but I think it will make things a little smoother.
Sometimes people are completely baffled as to what I live off of. Others think it must be sooo much work. Once you get used to being vegan, it's really easy. I often compare it to walking. You spend your whole life learning how to walk forwards. If you decide all of a sudden you want to walk sideways, it will be awkward, and you will probably trip a few times, but if you keep doing it, eventually walking sideways will be second nature.....I don't recommend learning to walk sideways and going vegan at the same time. That would really freak your friends out! So anyways, here we go. What NOT to do when going Vegan.
1. Don't throw out all your kitchen gadgets.
Steak knifes, fondu pots, cheese graters, a barbecue, meat slicer, grill pan, you name it! Although a good kitchen cleaning is a great way to start a vegan diet, don't throw out tools! Tools are tools, regardless of their original purpose, they are designed to be useful. They make life easier and, ehem, shall I say "fuss free". They can let you create and explore, and even though some tools intended use is for meat or dairy, you can find many new interesting ways to use them. Barbecue up some mixed veggies, use a meat slicer to evenly slice bananas lengthwise, dehydrate them, and hello banana candy! Before you know it "steak knife" will become tofu package opener, and "cheese grater" will be vegetable shredder.
2. Try not to talk about it too much.
You're excited about your new food adventures. Trust me, I get it! But don't go bragging to your meat eater friends about it... too much. I have noticed that people take food very personally. This is something they enjoy several times daily, so when someone waves their new food morals into your face, it can be annoying. Just wait for the "where do you get your protein questions". See, annoying. You can talk about it, sure, you will probably have to at some point, but just try to keep it simple. Chances are people will be interested anyways, so let them ask the questions. Itching with excitement and just want to tell people? Leave a comment here! The vegan community is very supportive.
3. Don't rudely turn down food.
You ate it a month ago, so when your friend offers you a cheese plate, don't scoff and be disgusted. Just politely say no thank you. Did someone plop down a piece of meat on your plate? Just return the meat to the serving plate. No need to make a big fussy deal. It's new to you. It will take your friends and family a while to get used to it too. To soften the blow, just say that you are currently experimenting with a vegan diet. Friends serving you food aren't trying to be jerks, infact, just the opposite, they are trying to be friends. It's not their job to cook for your diet.
4. Don't live off of salad.
I've gotten questions from new vegans wondering how they could possibly live off of this diet, and when I ask what they are eating, they tell me salad, hummus, and that's about it. Agh! I would be starving! Not to mention bored beyond belief. There are so many delightful things to eat and no need to be that limiting. Dive into vegan pastas, pizzas, sandwiches, soups. Asian food is a great option when on the run, just get the veggie options, and maybe check that there is no egg. Feast yourself galore! Don't deprive yourself. Meat and dairy are much more calorically dense than most vegan foods, so let yourself eat big bowls and plates of food. I almost always go for seconds. You are changing to an all new diet, so let yourself breathe a little. If you come across a vegan cupcake, go for it, want another slice of bread, do it. You are already eating healthier so get comfortable in this diet before considering limiting it even more. Don't forget to check out all my recipes here and give them a go.
5. Don't forget to cook!
Maybe you don't cook a lot, but if vegan is your goal, you will end up cooking often. This doesn't have to be a lot of work. Some people take a couple of hours on a Sunday and prepare large portions of food to last them throughout the week. Others, (like me) tend to cook on the fly. Whatever your style, make sure your kitchen gets some action. Even if you have great options at restaurants around you, nothing beats the price, the taste, and the comfort of a homemade meal. Cooking is even a little less frightening now. No worrying about meat being undercooked or raw eggs in batter. Vegan foods can be eaten at any stage of the cooking process. Pass the cookie dough!
6. Don't be afraid to try new things.
Going vegan is trying a new thing. Many of the dishes that used to be my faves don't even interest me anymore, and instead I have racked up a list of yummy new foods I like to munch on. There are so many awesome fresh fruits and veggies available, don't be afraid to venture away from the basics. If you see someone eating seasoned hemp seeds, have a taste, never heard of seitan? Try that. Seaweed chips? Sure thing. Dragonfuit? In the basket. You probably won't like everything, but you may come across your new favourite.
7. Don't leave the house without snacks.
In the beginning it is tough to know how to find vegan food on the go. Your old snack spots or restaurants may not have a lot of options, so don't get stuck somewhere, starving without anything to eat. Â I like to always have some fruit, a granola bar or some nuts on hand just in case I get hungry. Prepare some snack bags, and don't leave house without them!
8. Don't be so hard on yourself.
So you had something with cheese, or you ate meat or fish... yeah that isn't what your striving for, but what you are striving for is completely new. It's not about perfection. Your taste buds are learning, old habits are being broken, and that isn't always easy. Do you know that you can literally be addicted to cheese!? It takes about 3 months for your body to completely rid itself of these addictions. I used to be obsessed with cheese, now I don't miss it at all. It will happen! Give yourself some time, and before you know it, you won't even be interested in your old favourites.
I hope these tips have been helpful! I would love to know, what mistakes you made when going vegan? If you are in the process, what are you finding hard? Leave a comment, question, or just say hello!
Bon Appetegan!
Kahley says
Hello, I would like to add to this article! There are so many resources for vegans. If you have instagram, search #vegan and #whatveganseat. That's how I found some awesome accounts, with recipes and inspiration for new things. One thing I did was google things like "vegan lasagna", "vegan cookies", etc. which lead me to find cool blogs. As well as blogs and instagram accounts, there are multiple cookbooks, documentaries (Vegucated, Forks Over Knives, Earthlings), and vegan/vegetarian websites. Depending on where you live, there are sometimes certain events you can attend, like VegFest. Being vegan is the exact opposite of limiting; it opens you up to SO MANY new things!! Good luck to everyone who wants to be vegan, vegetarian, or to eat healthier!
Sam says
Hi Kahley!
Great tips, thanks for sharing! I totally agree, being vegan open my world up to so many things and taught me to be a good cook, and inspired me to write this blog! As I like to say, with limitation came inspiration! 😉
justagirllivinlife says
Hi! Just found your blog and so happy I did! I became vegetarian when I was 8 and now I can't imagine choosing to eat meat. (I'm almost 14 now.) I'm taking small steps towards being vegan but I've still got a ways to go. One of the biggest problems for me is lunch at school because although my school is great about offering vegetarian options, the vegan ones are limited. Anyway, I'm so excited to try your recipes. I'm planning to make my family the vegan pancakes and not tell them they're vegan. We'll see if they notice. 🙂 Thanks for all the advice and recipes!
Liz
justagirllivinlife says
Oops I meant French toast not pancakes^
Sam says
Hi justagirllivinlife, welcome!!
Wow, you are an inspiration, working your way to a vegan lifestyle already at 14! So inspiring.
I'm so happy you found my blog, and look forward to seeing you around. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sam
Rebecca Vendetti says
This is such a great blog! I am trying a 30 day vegan challenge this month! Snacks, I think, is the thing I need to prepare for the most.
Sam says
Aww thanks Rebecca!! Are you doing the 30 Day Vegan Challenge with Colleen Patrick-Goudreau? That's a good one. Snacks all the way!! I find especially because you are eating less calorie dense food, you might get hungrier than you are used to, so having snacks is always a good idea. Let me know if you have any more questions, happy to have you here!
Sam
Anonymous says
Thanks for your encouragement! I've been feeling pretty isolated and discouraged lately about starting a vegan lifestyle but I'm so happy I found you and your blog!
Sam says
You're very welcome, I am so happy you found my blog too!! Don't feel discouraged, going vegan is awesome! It made such a change in my life and all for the better. At first it was difficult but now it's so easy, I wouldn't even think about it, if it wasn't for writing this blog all the time! haha. Here is a post 1 Year Vegan!, where I tell my story, you might find it encouraging. Let me know if you have any questions or need any support.
Best,
Sam
Chelsea says
I have been a vegetarian for 6 years. Ive always considered being vegan but never fully attempted it. I do some vegan things, I'm just haveing a hard time letting go of the dairy and eggs. How do you substitute an egg salad sandwich, or scrambled eggs?
Sam says
Hi Chelsea,
Absolutely! You already figured out the right method, it's all about replacing old habits, with new habits. For egg salad sandwich try my Tofu Salad Sandwich, and for scrambled eggs, try my Tofu Scramble. Let me know if you are looking for any other dishes 🙂
Felisha says
Thank you so much for this post! I've experimented with going meat-free here and there but haven't fully committed to veganism yet. I've allowed myself to get overwhelmed with information and cookbooks but would like to keep it simple to start. Would you ever consider a post on what your typical weekly meals look like? I need a little structure to start in order to not fall off the wagon! Lol. And thank you so much for all the wonderful information and recipes you post 🙂
Samantha Turnbull says
Hi Felisha,
Welcome! Hmmm a week in meals, that sounds like I good idea, I haven't thought of that. I should do that, but I won't buy a bag of Oreos at the beginning of the week! Eek! haha. I find one of the easiest way to switch to a vegan diet, is just to replace your old habits with new ones. What are your usual meals? Maybe just adapting them slightly to vegan versions would be a lot less work than trying to find entirely new recipes. Replace butter with a vegan butter such as Earth Balance, replace cows milk with soy, almond, or whatever plant milk you like best. (I suggest trying a few different ones as they vary in flavour and consistency). Replace ice cream with a soy based, or coconut based ice cream. You can buy vegan cheeses as well, or I have recipes here: https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/vegan-recipes/ or just skip it. Replace animal meat with veggie meats you can find at the grocery store, or try grilled portobello mushrooms, beans or chickpeas, or tofu instead. Prepare tofu the same way that you would prepare chicken. Once you get comfortable you might be curious to try new recipes.
I am actually working on an ebook right now about how to go vegan, or the simple way to go vegan, or the ultimate guide to going vegan. Still working on a title. I hope to have that released soon to help. I really want to cover everything that anyone would be curious about or have trouble with, but break it into simple, easy to digest, fun information. Let me know if you have any more questions or are having any struggles.
Giusi says
i love your blog! :)))
you have such a delightful and empathic way of looking at things. it is refreshing. I knew a girl who was a new vegan.. and would totally make gross comments about meat every chance she got. it made me sick to my stomach. as a vegetarian, i hate that kind of attitude. She ate meat for most of her life..so, to judge people for eating it, is SO SO wrong. Just because someone finally saw the light, you can't penalize others for not doing so.
🙂 yay.
k that's all. have a nice day! 🙂
Samantha Turnbull says
Thank YOU Giusi!! You flatter me so much!
Yes, I find it a little funny when I hear some vegans talk about how people who eat meat are such "idiots", or any other number of insulting words. I usually say to them, "didn't you used to eat meat?" To which they often say "yes, but I didn't know..." or something along those lines. Well I think that if most people learned what they were really eating and supporting, they wouldn't eat meat. But shoving it in their face won't work, at least it wouldn't for me! I worked with two vegans at one point, and even had a vegan roommate, and I thought they were all crazy. It wasn't until I was presented the information through my own curiosity that I was willing to open my mind to it. That's why I try not to tell people to go vegan, and instead, let them ask me about it. And making a scrumptious recipe or two along the way certainly doesn't hurt 😉
Hahaha, have a nice day to you too Giusi! I look forward to seeing you around more. 🙂
Kaitlin says
I am a brand new reader and I haven't decided to fully plunge into being a vegan. In fact I probably never well! Just being honest. I have, however, decided to at least become a Pecastarian (I really hope I spelled that right!) or an at home vegetarian. I'm from the midwest so every meal involves some sort of meat, potatoes, and gravy. It'll be fun trying to make everyone else understand my food choices! Thanks for the encouragement and awesome recipes!
Samantha Turnbull says
Welcome Kaitlin!
I believe the spelling is pescetarian, pesce is Italian for fish. Welcome to the vegetarian world, even if you only visit now and then. Doing something is way better than doing nothing! Every time you choose not to eat animals, you are bettering your health, the environment, and saving animal lives. Eat all the potatoes you like, Dr. McDougall would be proud. Check out the Starch Solution if you don't know what I am talking about here: http://amzn.to/14PhjKz Great book!
Let me know if you have any questions, or need any support. Looking forward to seeing you around 🙂
Sara says
New reader (and fairly new vegan!) here. This was a really useful post - thanks for writing it! I've always been a huge coffee-toting, latte-sipping machine, so this past month I had a few sips of regular lattes when I was running on autopilot. Being surrounded by coffee-drinking non-vegans has definitely proved to be the biggest challenge for me so far!
Samantha Turnbull says
Oh I am a latte addict too!! I find almost every coffee spot I go has soy or almond milk. If they don't request it, and I am sure they will bring it in. Lots of people are avoiding dairy these days. I have my own little espresso maker at home so I can make my own lattes. Right now I am loving So Nice Barista Blend, it foams gorgeously! Nice to have you here Sara, and welcome to veganism!! I'm glad this article was helpful, let me know if you have any more questions. 🙂
Helene says
Thank you so much for this article. I recently became a vegetarian, and my supportive husband decided to join my journey. It's not quite easy in a retarded country about vegetarian stuff (I live in France). Lots of restaurants here don't even offer a single vegetarian dish...
But i get used to choose the right places to shop and to eat.
I changed the way I cook (it's not much of a problem for me, i LOVE cooking ;), and adapted a lot of my recipes to become vegetarian, or vegan when I can.
I'm slowly on the way to become vegan, and really appreciate the few tips that will surely help me achieve my goal!
Keep up the good work, the amazing photos and the great recipes.
XOXO Helene
Samantha Turnbull says
You're welcome Helene 🙂
Yeah, I would think out of all the cuisines in the world, French cooking might be the most challenging to find vegan options easily. So much meat and dairy! Consumers like you, will help that change. I will absolutely be keeping up the recipes and I hope to post more helpful articles soon as well. Thank you for supporting my work!
Sam
Anonymous says
I LOVED this article! Thank you, thank you for writing it! I'm not full blown vegan, but I think more and more about it the more and more I read and discover. Currently I'm off all meat except fish and I never drink milk. So cheese and fish are my only surviving hurdles. My best friend, as well as her husband and two children are all vegan so I've gotten a great first hand experience as to the lifestyle. They're even a chefs and entrepreneurs of their own vegan restaurant (Frisch in SLC). Because of them, I'm getting so much loving and tasty reminders all the time from their kind/logical knowledge as well as their tasty compassionate food. I used to be a chicken-every-meal-all-american-girl and I'm slowly becoming a more conscious/animal rights consumer. I really want to make the jump to full vegan but certain things I'm clearly okay with still overlooking (fish and cheese) as well as my husband eats nothing but fried chicken so cooking is an obstacle for us. Really I am just happy to read such a wonderful and informative article. Thank you so much again
Samantha Turnbull says
You're very welcome! You sound like me, I was a rare steak eater, and didn't even have any hesitation about it. Then I stumbled on some great books and movies, and after more and more research it became clear that I no longer wanted to participate in that industry in any way. Going vegan was one of the best life decisions I ever made! I'm so glad my article is helping you. Stick around for lots more articles and yummy recipes to help you on your journey. 🙂
rmgw says
We've been vegan here for nearly ten years: hooray to all those who're going that route. Must say number 7 is a winner: never leave home without some nuts and don't arrive at parties etc, famished so you think "oh what the hell". The difficulties dissolve with time, it's really pretty easy! Now to check your recipes!
Samantha Turnbull says
10 years! Congrats! Wish I had been vegan for ten years already. It really does get easier with time. I lost all cravings for animal products, you end up learning your favourite products so you don't have to read labels all the time, the people your around get used to it, and you just are vegan without even thinking about it!
I hope you like my recipes 🙂
walrusdelrey says
i just recently became vegan, and wow, i didnt almost every single thing on this list cx but honestly, i feel better than ever and becoming vegan was the best choice ive made.
itdoesnttastelikechicken says
That's great! It's awesome how you feel so much better, even if you didn't know you felt bad! 🙂
Kira_nxtlvl says
Wow, thanks a lot. This made trying the vegan thing seem not so very intimidating. It's one of those things I've wanted to try, but been afraid that some of my "true vegans" would have such scrutiny I almost couldn't take the pressure to "flip the switch" and never look back. It's nice to know that It's ok to transition away from these things...which I have been doing, rather than needing to declare to god and everyone that I will not longer eat animal products!
itdoesnttastelikechicken says
I’m glad that you enjoyed it and that I was able to help you feel more relaxed. I am happy to say that I am more of the relaxed vegan mindset. While I do try to eat vegan as best I can, that is my choice. My boyfriend eats vegan most of the time, and then occasionally has dairy and meat. I think whatever feels right for you is what you should do. Even if you are a meat eater, just trying to eat less animal products even a couple times a weeks is awesome! It's certainly less than before. Say it with me, I am an imperfect vegan, and I am proud of it! haha!
Mariana Marimon says
So this year I challenged myself to go vegan for a month. I really thought I wouldn't make it, so I chose the very short Febuary. But I fell in love with a vegan diet and I'm seriously considering going for it, for real. I love to cook and I'm amazed by how creative I have to be when planning my meals. It satisfies me. Plus, dropping some 5pds of old baby weight was a real motivator. I'm happy. Loved your blog.
itdoesnttastelikechicken says
Hi Mariana,
Welcome!
The same thing happened to me! I although I didn't set a one month goal, I was really worried that I would be able to keep up a vegan diet for very long... Then a funny thing happened...I liked it better!! Just like you 🙂 I started feeling better, looking better, and feeling totally satisfied at very meal without feeling bloated or like I over did it. My cooking became more creative too! (Hence the blog). Congrats on all your success so far, and so glad you are enjoying this diet..er scratch that...life choice! Thanks for the lovely compliment. I look forward to hearing from you more. 🙂
Laura @ It's Just Laura says
Hi Samantha! Great post! New vegan here trying to scale down my excitement to my family & friends, as you suggest in #2. All 8 of these ring a bell for me in some way. It's hard not to want your friends & family to realize the amazing tastes you now have when you start eating real food, or food as you say it should be called (which I completely agree with!). Cooking has become a whole new exciting adventure for me, too, in this new journey I'm on. I've decided to funnel the excitement I have into writing a new blog about my experiences - that way my friends & family can peek into my new eating life when they want but I still have an avenue for spilling out my excitement without overwhelming them. 🙂 Great blog. I like the way you write. I look forward to reading more.
Samantha Turnbull says
Hi Laura, welcome!
Glad you like the post. I don't want you to scale down your excitement to me! Just to those who aren't vegan yet. haha. I think nothing is more intriguing than a little mystery. Just wait, don't make a big deal of it, and when your family starts noticing how great you seem to feel, how much energy you have, how great you are looking, how you dive into a huge plate of delicious foods and still have tons of energy, they will take notice. They will ask, and they may just start trying it. When I first went vegan, some people looked at me like I was an alien. Now those same people are making my recipes. So glad you like my blog and my writing! Look forward to reading more of your comments, and I will be sure to check out your blog too 🙂
Crystal says
The second tip is so far the hardest for me. I want to share this secret to more energy, better health and weight loss with everyone. Recently i had to scale it back and only answer questions if asked.
Samantha Turnbull says
Haha! Yeah I think that is the hardest tip for most people, but it's important. I think this is where people get the idea that vegans/vegetarians are always trying to push their ideas on them. I know from experience most of us aren't, we are just excited, but I it often gets taken that way. I feel like I have impacted more people to reconsider their diet by not talking about it. If I don't make a big deal of it, people get curious and start asking me lots of questions. Then all of a sudden this diet doesn't seem like some animal protest, it just reveals it self as an awesome way to live that happens to make you feel and look great! haha. Thanks for commenting Crystal!
Katie says
Awesome advice! I still have internal issues when talking about diet preferences with meat-eaters. I get excited to inform them about vegan eating...but sometimes I get carried away into the facts on how bad meat is and realize I have to be respectful to the audience.
Completely agree with never leaving the house without a snack! I always have a back-up granola bar in my purse for such occasions.
Samantha Turnbull says
Hi Katie, I know, sometimes I have to catch myself from blabbing away, but I don't think peer pressure is the answer to get people to eat more vegan. I have been noticing that at my work, lots of people have started copying my lunches, I think just because they are curious. They can see I am happily enjoying myself with my enormous pile of food (they make fun of the size of my bowl), and yet I stay slim, and don't get groggy after lunch. Now I look around and see my coworkers with big bowls of quinoa, when they couldn't even pronounce the word before! haha. Glad you liked the post 🙂
Melissa @ Nourish By Melissa says
Love this post. The past 2 weeks I've done a lot of research on veganism and watched several documentaries; some that spoke about the health factor of animal products and others that spoke about the treatment of the animals. Both blew me away. I was always aware of the mistreatment of animals as well as the negative health effects of many animal products however the extent of both really shocked me. At the moment the only meat I eat is fish and chicken, I don't eat dairy except the occasional yogurt and eggs are occasional as well. This is how I've been eating for a very long time now and really thought I was ah-okay. The research I did really opened my eyes and I've developed a huge respect all those who have eliminated animal products from their diet wether it be for health reasons or for the animals or for the environment. I think that a transition to veganism is something I really want to do because I truly feel like a hypocrite eating products that I have such a strong opinion against. I don't think it'll be extremely difficult for me since it is common for me to eat vegan meals on a regular basis (not intentionally but just because I don't eat a ton of animal products to begin with so my meals often end up being vegan). I'm very excited for the transition and look forward to using you blog as reference 🙂 Sorry for the long comment but I just wanted to share my thoughts with you!
Samantha Turnbull says
HI Melissa! No apologies needed! I love reading your story! It is shocking isn't it? I always thought meat and dairy was good for you. You know, "protein and calcium" blah, blah, blah. I was horrified when I found out the truth! It sounds like you are on the right track. Since you already love some vegan meals, and realize that you can be totally satisfied without meat on your plate, it shouldn't be too hard for you. Good luck on your journey, and keep me up to date on how it's going! 🙂
Arlene Cohen says
Great advice. Thx. We have been enjoying your Parmagan recipe so much. You were right, the first batch I made is almost gone. The first time we used it Darryl insisted on using parmasan first. On his second helping he used Parmagan and has used it ever since. We had three Vegan meals last week and two so far this week. I am impressed with us! Thx for your support Sam. Last night I made my favorite (and famous) BBQ Ribs. I was so surprised because I didn't really enjoy them and kept thinking this might be the last time i ever make them again. Never had those thoughts before so I definitely must be changing! After my third rib (I can easily eat five or six or more) I was wishing I had made coleslaw (loving Veganaise btw). I went back for more salad and garlic bread instead. Another first! Going to try your falafel recipe soon and chickpea salad sandwhich very very soon. And your blueberry muffins. I have all the ingredients at the ready. xo Arlene
Samantha Turnbull says
Thats great Arlene! So glad your are enjoying the transition. That was one of the most surprising things to me as well, that when I tasted food I used to love, it's really not that good anymore! Isn't it crazy how your tastebuds can change so much!? The chickpea salad sandwich is one of my faves! I bet Darryl will love that one too 🙂 Keep up the good work! You're doing great!