5 tips for transitioning to a vegan diet
It’s the month of Veganuary! This means that many non-vegan people around the world will be trying their hands at a vegan diet. But what if you want to embrace veganism fully? While there are many reasons you may want to become vegan, including for health, environmental, and animal cruelty reasons, it’s not always easy to say no to that juicy steak or cheesy fries. So in this Pacific Prime Latin America article, we’ll give you some tried-and-tested tips for transitioning to a vegan diet.
1. Learn, learn, and learn some more!
What are the pros and cons of a vegan diet? Do you know how to stay nutritious whilst being vegan? Are there specific food products you’ll need to buy and incorporate into your diet? Can you get them in your regular supermarket or will you need to go to a specialist store? Is it more expensive to be vegan? What about eating out options? And so much more. These are just some of the things you need to research about before starting your transition to a vegan diet.
Whether it’s through reading, joining online forums, or even just talking to other vegan people, getting familiar with veganism will help you feel knowledgeable and empowered as you embark on this big lifestyle change. You can even check to see if there are vegan communities and/or meet-ups near you as they’ll not only be a source of information, but also a support group if and when you need it.
2. Add to your diet rather than subtract from it.
It goes without saying that it’s far easier to start incorporating vegan foods into your diet, rather than stopping non-vegan foods entirely. Incorporate whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, and other vegan favorites into your diet and understand how to prepare, store, and use these ingredients. Then look for quick, easy, and nutritious meal ideas using these ingredients and start compiling a few go-to recipes!
Another thing you can do at this stage is experiment with vegan alternatives to your everyday staples. If you have milk with your coffee in the morning, why not try out almond or oat milk instead? Or if your other easy breakfast is toast and butter, consider giving vegetable oil spread or nut butter a go. It’s not a problem if you don’t like certain products as there’s so many options out there. Just keep trying until you find something that works for you.
3. Remain motivated and positive, but accept that there’ll be setbacks.
Adding vegan alternatives to your diet is all well and good. But, if you want to make the transition fully, there’ll come a time when you’ll need to give up meat and dairy. It probably won’t be easy – especially if you’re a foodie and/or have food cravings. So the important thing is to remain motivated and positive. Remind yourself why it is you’re embarking on this vegan journey in the first place.
With that said, don’t be too harsh on yourself. Accept that there can and will be setbacks, and don’t be discouraged by them. After all, you’re making a long-term lifestyle change and not just following a diet or fad for a brief period. Tell yourself that straying from your diet plan or having a couple of cheat days when you start out is no big deal when you consider the grand scheme of things.
4. Gradual change or cold turkey? Decide on a transition strategy.
Some people like to throw themselves into the deep end, whilst others will give themselves plenty of time to adjust. You need to seriously think about the type of person you are and what strategy is going to work best for you when transitioning to a vegan diet. Here are some common options and approaches to consider, but you can definitely tailor the approach based on your needs and preferences.
- Slow transition from omnivore to veganism
- Vegetarian followed by veganism
- Full on veganism
5. Consider other aspects of a vegan lifestyle.
Finally, it’s not all about food! From make-up and skin care products that are tested on animals to leather hand bags and shoes, animal products comprise many aspects of our lives. So once you’ve fully made the transition to a vegan diet, consider whether or not you want to embrace a fully vegan lifestyle. Remember that there’s no right and wrong answer, and it all depends on your personal choice and why you’ve chosen this path in the first place.
If you do decide that a fully vegan lifestyle is what you’re after, there are many resources out there to help you find out which products you need to avoid. For example, PETA has compiled a list of ingredients that are derived from animal products and has even got a directory to help you search for cruelty-free companies and products.
Get in touch with Pacific Prime today!
Switching to a vegan diet? Whether or not it’s for health reasons, why not take the opportunity to prioritize your health? One way to do so is by securing a health insurance plan as it’ll enable you to access the best healthcare services without having to pay out of pocket for it. As a global health insurance brokerage, with over two decades of industry experience, Pacific Prime Latin America can help you find and manage the right health plan for your needs and budget.
To learn more about your options and the value-added services we provide, you’re more than welcome to reach out to our team today!
With over 5 years of experience in the field, Suphanida spends the majority of her day synthesizing complex pieces of insurance-related information and translating this into easy-to-understand, engaging, and effective content across a variety of media such as articles, infographics, whitepapers, videos, and more.
Suphanida is also responsible for planning and publishing three whitepapers released annually by Pacific Prime: The State of Health Insurance Report, The Cost of Health Insurance Report, and The Global Employee Benefits Trends Report. Additionally, she handles the LinkedIn profiles of Pacific Prime’s Founder and CEO, as well as Global HR Lead.
Suphanida’s strengths lie in her strong research and analytical skills, which she has gained from her BA in Politics from the University of Warwick and Erasmus Mundus Joint MA in Journalism from Aarhus University and City, University of London.
Being of Thai-Indian origin and having lived, studied, and worked in Thailand, the UK, and Denmark, Suphanida also has a unique, multicultural perspective that helps her understand the struggles of expats and globetrotters.
Outside of work, she enjoys traveling to new places and immersing herself in different cultures.
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