A Beginners Guide to Going Vegan
My Top 5 Tips For Going Vegan + My Plant-Based “Essentials” Shopping Guide
Calling all aspiring vegans! If you’re looking to improve your overall health & vitality, consider adopting a whole-foods plant-based vegan diet! There’s so much to be gained from consuming plant-based foods in their simplest form and fueling your body with an abundance of vitamins & minerals, healthy fats, sprouted whole-grains, fiber, and plant-based protein! Keep reading to find out my tops 5 tips for making your transition to veganism as simple and sustainable as possible & discover my plant-based food essentials, featured on my ultimate vegan shopping guide below!
Make your transition to a vegan diet simple & sustainable
Eating clean shouldn’t take all your brain power, however when transitioning to a vegan diet it can be overwhelming to know which foods to purchase and what to consume daily. It can be hard to determine which nutrients you need, what to avoid and how to incorporate a variety of nourishing foods into your meals. So to make matters simpler, I’ve come up with my top five tips for going vegan in 2019! My intention with these tips is to help make your transition to a vegan diet & lifestyle as smooth as possible.
Adopting a vegan diet isn’t expensive, unless you make it:
One of the biggest concerns for most people before transitioning to a vegan diet is cost. Many people assume that vegan diets are way more expensive than standard diets, but in most circumstances this isn’t the case. If you’re sticking to a whole-foods plant-based vegan diet (meaning you’re purchasing primarily whole-foods such as fresh fruit, veggies, sprouted whole-grains, raw nuts & seeds, beans & legumes, and raw healthy fats & oils) you’ll be saving a lot more money than if you had to purchase milk, eggs, meat, and other animal products. But if you’re purchasing loads of processed vegan food, such as fake meat, cheese, sugary sweets, & other highly processed vegan “junk foods,” then yes, it will be far more expensive.
The tips I’ve provided will help your transition to veganism be as simple & sustainable as possible and will help you eliminate the need to overspend on vegan processed food & “imitation” vegan food. I’m also not saying you can’t ever have vegan treats/junk food, because everything in moderation is fine. But my intention is to guide you in the direction towards a sustainable and environmentally friendly diet that will help you nourish your mind, body, and the planet, without having the urge to discontinue your new diet & lifestyle. My biggest goal for you is to feel in control of your eating habits and learn how to shop for a vegan diet without overspending on unnecessary vegan foods, and knowing when to treat yourself.
My Top 5 tips:
Consume whole foods as close to their natural state as possible
By choosing whole foods, your body will be able to digest and metabolize your food with ease, leaving more time for natural detoxification to take place. Consume fresh fruits and veggies that are in season, naturally gluten-free sprouted whole-grains, beans & legumes, and plenty of nuts & seeds! A vegan diet isn’t meant to be complex, confusing, or hard to follow, instead it’s actually one of the simplest diets to follow.
Like I mentioned earlier there’s plenty of imitation vegan foods along with super-foods, protein powders and supplements that may be confusing, overwhelming, and most of the time unnecessary for everyday consumption, but like anything you have to start small. Start by incorporating more plant-based whole-foods that are minimally processed into your diet, which will ensure you’re getting the most nutrients without spending a fortune on protein powders, supplements or other super-food powders. The best pieces of advice I can give for anyone just starting out on a vegan diet is to start out small, stick to real plant-based whole-foods, keep it simple, avoid processed vegan food (unless as a treat/special occasion), and fancy protein powders, supplements, & super-foods until you’ve determined exactly how your body feels and what it needs on a purely plant-based diet (without supplementation). Once you’ve adjusted to your new diet & lifestyle and you’ve analyzed how your body feels, then you can have fun experimenting with imitation vegan food and researching all about the different super-foods, protein powders, and other supplements on the market. I just know from experience that when I first became vegan and gained a greater interest for holistic health, I found certain isles at health-food stores to be overwhelming, and It wasn’t until after a few months of being vegan that I actually began researching and reading more about the products I would see at health-food stores.
Know your “why” behind going vegan
As simple as this may sound, it’s actually one of the most important tips for sticking to + maintaining a vegan diet long-term. Determine the reason why you want to transition to a vegan diet and why it will benefit you. Everyone has their own story behind why they went vegan, whether it be for personal health, animal welfare, the health of our planet, or various other reasons, so make your “why” unique to you! It can be easy to get caught up in what other people are doing & what they believe in, so when you find yourself slipping from a plant-based diet or you feel you’ve forgotten your roots, just remember your “why” and you’ll be back on track to remembering the reasons you started in the first place.
Reasons “why” you might go vegan:
-Personal health: Maybe you're experiencing digestive problems, skin breakouts, gut problems, mental fog, or lack of energy and mental clarity?
-Improving the health of our planet: Maybe you wish to reduce animal product consumption that’s contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, or maybe you want to reduce your overall waste & consumption of food processed & grown in an unsustainable environment, or method/practice.
-Maybe you’re against factory farming, so you feel better off going meatless? Or maybe you just want to try out a whole new diet & lifestyle and that’s your “why.” Whatever your “why” may be, make it unique and fitting to you, so you know why you started in the first place & how you can explain to others about the reasons why you decided to go vegan.
Create a sustainable & nourishing plant-based food/shopping guide
The first step toward consuming a healthy vegan diet is to establish a staple grocery list. If you don’t buy healthy food in the first place, it will be hard to eat a healthy vegan diet, simple as that. When getting started I recommend creating a list of every nutrient-rich food you want to try & that you think will give your body the most energy. Obviously you don’t know exactly what foods will work until you try them, but when transitioning to a whole-foods vegan diet you’ll be cutting out all animal products & highly processed foods which will help you choose foods that nourish your body, not harm your body. As long as you’re sticking to simple ingredients, a variety of color, and a plethora of herbs & spices, it should be easy to create a vibrant list that you can always rely on when shopping. Once you’ve created your list, you can organize your list into each nutrition category, consisting of fresh fruits & veggies, protein, beans & legumes, super-foods, healthy fats, nuts & seeds, and sprouted whole-grains. With a little planning and organization, you’ll be able to confidently create a nourishing food guide that will help you implement the freshest, most nutrient dense plant-based ingredients and food items into your daily meals. You’ll also gain a clearer vision as to what foods are right for your lifestyle and how you can nourish your body on a daily basis!
Focus on what you’re adding to your life, rather than what you’re taking away
A vegan diet consists of an abundance of nutrients, and is NOT a deprivation diet. Just because you’re eliminating all animal products from your diet does not mean you’re depriving yourself of essential nutrients or missing out on all the good things in life. Plant-based whole-foods are loaded with micronutrients that will nourish your body on a much deeper level, consisting of important antioxidants & anti-inflammatory-rich properties, and is full of vitamins & minerals! I believe a plant-based diet is the gateway to a life full of health & energy, and It goes far beyond just the personal health benefits gained. Adopting a vegan diet will enable you to feel healthy & vibrant in the present moment, while also benefiting the health of our planet, decreasing factory farming, and increasing conscious consumerism and zero-waste living.
Don’t feel like you have to become a “nutrition expert” or a “fitness guru” after going vegan
Let go of the pressure of feeling like after going vegan you have to all of a sudden become this “nutrition expert.” If you’re going vegan for reasons other than personal health, it may not be in your best interest to research and read nutrition books for hours about all the micronutrients your body needs and the scientific aspects of a vegan diet. It’s totally fine to not know “everything” about a vegan diet and “everything” about nutrition or living a healthy lifestyle after you go vegan. Like I mentioned earlier, everyone has their own unique reasons & story for going vegan, and yours might not be about nutrition. Just accept the reason why you decided to go vegan, educate yourself on your personal interests regarding veganism and don’t feel pressured to become some “nutrition expert” overnight. If you let social pressure get to you, you’ll never end up starting anything you’re passionate about, whether that be a vegan diet or something even bigger. Know your “why” and you’re golden!
It’s also important to remember that new things take time, so be sure to schedule yourself extra time for meal prepping during the week. This doesn't have to be an all-day event, but if you’re truly invested in adopting and sticking to a vegan diet full-time, then I highly suggest that when you’re first starting out, plan ahead and reserve the appropriate amount of time to prep & shop!
Fresh herbs
My ultimate vegan "essentials" shopping guide + my personal staples
These are my personal staples and my favorite foods + ingredients that I incorporate into everyday meals. This guide is meant to inspire and help you gain better ideas about what you can eat on a vegan diet and what to shop for before transitioning! After viewing my personal shopping guide, I challenge you to create your own vegan grocery list/food guide & get clear on the foods you want to incorporate into your diet on a daily basis. ~Live vibrantly & intuitively and eat, nourish, and feel empowered on the daily!
Anything with ( * ) next to it= Try and purchase organically, due to the possibility of having higher concentrations of herbicides/pesticides/fertilizers and GMO’s. These foods are also usually more environmentally friendly when purchased organically or even locally.
Fresh fruit: Avocados, mangoes, pineapple, tomatoes,* kiwi, coconut, bananas, peaches,* green apples,* plums, grapes,* and pomegranate. Berries*: Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, & strawberries. Citrus: Grapefruit, oranges, nectarines* & lemons + limes.*
Frozen fruit (best for smoothies/smoothie bowls): Mixed berries* (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries), acai packets,* mango,* and coconut.*
Fresh veggies: Zucchini, kale,* rainbow chard, spinach,* broccoli, green beans, snap peas, brussels sprouts, cucumbers, asparagus, celery,* carrots,* sweet potatoes,* red potatoes,* peppers, cauliflower, butternut squash, mushrooms, egg plant, garlic, & beets.
Frozen veggies: Edamame,* peas, stir-fry mixes, spinach.*
Sprouted whole-grains + pastas/breads: Brown rice, tri-color quinoa, chickpea pasta, buckwheat pasta, black bean noodles, steel-cut oats & gluten-free rolled oats,* Ezekiel bread, brown rice cakes, coconut wraps, sprouted grain Ezekiel wraps, and flax seed crackers.
Beans & Legumes: Black beans,* pinto beans, lentils, chickpeas,* and edamame.*
Nuts & seeds:* Raw almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and brazil nuts. Seeds: Chia, pumpkin, hemp, & sunflower.
Healthy fats: Almond butter,* Tahini, ground flax-seed meal, coconut oil,* olive oil,* and avocado oil.*
Dairy alternatives:* Coconut, almond, cashew, or oat milk & yogurt, cashew cheese, and ice cream made from various plant mylk’s.
Plant-based “meat” alternatives: Tofu (in moderation),* Tempeh,* Falafel, and veggie burgers.* (I try an avoid most vegan “mock meat” alternatives, because I personally don’t like the texture of “fake meat,” and I prefer eating wholesome & fresh plant-based foods instead). However, If you do choose to incorporate plant-based meat substitutes, do it in moderation and only buy meat alternatives that have the least amount of processing/additives to them or make your own.
Snacks: Granola/trail mix (look for ones sweetened with a less processed form of sugar such as maple syrup), dried fruit (mulberries, figs, dates, goji berries*), raw nut & date bars with coconut, fresh fruit or veggies with hummus, Himalayan salt popcorn, and various kinds of super-food energy bites/bars.
Condiments & dressings: Hummus, salsa, and vegan kale + cashew pesto, guacamole, coconut aminos, creamy avocado + garlic dressing, and apple cider vinegar.
Herbs, spices + seasonings: Nutritional yeast, Pink Himalayan salt, basil, cilantro, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic powder, fennel, thyme, and black pepper.
Natural sweeteners + daily sweet tooth fix: Dark chocolate (85% or higher raw cocoa), maple syrup, monk fruit extract, Green-leaf Stevia, and coconut crystals/sugar.
Top teas+ flavorful beverages: Kombucha, coconut water, organic cold-pressed fresh juice, herbal teas, mushroom hot cocoa, and turmeric golden mylk.
Supplements to consider: Vitamin B12 & vitamin D (always ask your doctor first), spirulina powder, plant-based collagen powder, and vegan protein powder.
Eco-friendly dishes (the basics): Coconut bowls, bamboo or glass plates, stainless steel, glass, or bamboo straws, and glass mason jars for on-the-go meals!