I have been 100% ethical vegan for about 6 months now and previously mostly plant based for about 4 years (yes it was a long journey but ♪ we start from the bottom and now we're here ♪). Also I like to make lists so here is one for you my friends of my top tips for newbies vegans.
1. Go at your own pace
Some people prefer to jump in the deep end and just ripe the proverbial band aid right the fuck off. I am not one of those people, I like to be a pussy about it and slowly waddle in the water while bitching about it being cold it is the whole time. I will eventually get in the water but at my own pace SO STOP PRESSURING ME.
If you are the first kind of person, bless your sole but if you are like me don't worry you can still do this, promise. Chances are if you have made the decision the go vegan it is for life and not just to get bikini ready, therefore you should be properly prepared and shouldn't bite off more them you can chew. It's not the destination it's the journey or some motivational crap like that. The point is this is YOUR journey so you just do you boo!
2. Educate yourself
Let get one thing straight, this is not always going to be easy, especially in the beginning. You will feel lost, you will have cravings for none vegan foods, you will go through withdrawals and you most likely will feel social pressure to not be such a veggie eating weirdo and just have a steak already. It will be overwhelming at times and you might feel like giving up.
In these situations information will be your best friend. You need to be able to easily and precisely remember why you are doing this and cramming your brains full of irrefutable information on the subject will keep you on the right path. So go on young padawan! Watch all the documentaries, read all the books and have your mind blown!
CAUTION: please refer to the point no.1 because let’s face it somethings can be unseen or unlearnt. Since we don't want you to end up a sniffle blob that locks itself in the house for a month and cries itself to sleep by rocking back in forth in the corner ( been there ), go at your own pace.
P.S. But also don't be a pussy about it.
3. Eat enough (or carb the fuck up)
One big mistake new vegans often make, us included, is not eating enough. You have to eat until you are full and if you are hungry again 20 minutes later, then eat some more. This can be hard if you are coming from a history of calorie restriction/counting but trust in the system, sure you might gains a few pounds in the beginning but DON'T restrict, because you are just setting yourself up for future cravings and binging. If your diet consist of mainly whole foods that are naturally low in sodium and fat you just can't go wrong. I am pretty sure no one has ever overdose and leafy greens and whole grains so eat up and carb up, your body will thank you.
4. Be prepared
Never assume there will be something for you to eat no matter where you are going. Knowing the vegan restaurant and vegan friendly restaurants in your area makes the world of difference when planning a lunch with friends, a date night or after an afternoon of shopping when you are so ravenous and hangry you would punch a baby for a veggie burger. Same goes for when you get invited to a bbq or diner party, don't depend on on others to keep you feed, nicely remind your host of your dietary restrictions and ask them what they will be serving then make appropriate suggestions of foods you can bring the will fit the theme.
Furthermore I would suggest looking up vegan restaurants before you travel to a new destination and always carrying more than enough snacks with you (see baby punching above). Also don't be shy to call restaurant and asked them what ingredients they use when you're in doubt.
5. Open your mind
If you grew up on a typical middle class diet of white bread and baloney sandwiches ( I honestly don't even know if that's a thing since my parents were hippies) you NEED to keep an open mind. The world is full of flavours and you would be surprised how many cultures have vegan or mainly plant based traditional dishes, not to mention all the fruits and vegetable you probably automatically bypass at the market. Sure it might be hard for you to step out of your comfort zone and you might encounter some weird ass shit that juste make you go "nope!", but remember friends: Variety is the spice of life.
6. Find a community (us herbivore do better in herds)
You should find some vegan people to chill with, that's pretty much it. If you wanted to become a hiker you wouldn't move to Saskatchewan ( its flat there, google it), if you wanted to play the guitar you wouldn't ask a hockey player for advice. I could go on and on because this is really fun but I think you get it.
You can find a vegan potluck or exposition in your area, follow some vegan blogs, Instagram and Pinterest accounts or join a vegan forum. Gone are the days when the only other reachable vegan was your weird neighbour who doesnt wear shoes or deodorant so whatever floats your boat, just find a few or many likeminded vegan and chill with them.
7. Map out your surrounding
This point is closely related to point #4 so I won’t spend a lot of time on it. Most of the stress we had when we became vegan was linked to eating when we were out and about (which is pretty much all the time). We both love food and have I get a BAD case of the hangries when I'm not fed about every 2 or 3 hours ( you probable think I'm being dramatic for comedic effect but I'm really not) we have since created an awesome mental map of all the places that can feed us in our city. I shit you not, I am pretty sure I can find you a vegan meal within 10 mins wherever I am and life is pretty amazing because of it.
8. Be conceded
Chances are the raison you decided to because vegan has do to with some king of mind blowing truth bomb if not refer back to point #2 and get ready for a blowing of your mind. Once you have learned all these mind blowing truths some of you will want to run out and let everybody know so the revolution can begin and everyone can live happily ever after but I would caution again this.
Don't get me wrong, if you want to become the world’s most influential vegan activist go right ahead but in the beginning I would focus your efforts on you. Plus let face it some people don't want to change and some people truly don't give a fuck. Becoming vegan and trying to convert the whole world at the same time is a lot to take on so focus on you and if the latter is something you are interested in work your way towards that.
Plus in my experience leading by example is a great way to influence people and most people will come to you. I would also suggest cutting or limiting negativity, not everyone in your life need to be or go vegan but they should show some support or at least not but a total fuck nut about it.
By becoming vegan your taking part in something that benefit every living being on this earth so put your effort in being the best damn vegan you can possibly be today and fuck the rest for now.
9. But also remember you are not perfect
To me life is not about perfection. Perfection is so suggestive and you can waste a lot of time analyzing the best, right or perfect way to do X, Y and Z but you will just end up with unnecessary anxiety and wasted time. Some People will argue that this doesn't apply to veganism and I tend to agree to a certain extent.
You can’t be 90% vegan but you can be 100% vegan and still make mistakes. Alex, the other half of this blog, use to order this vegetable and tofu soup about once a week. It was from a none vegan restaurant but logically he thought that if you’re making a VEGETABLE and TOFU soup you would naturally use VEGETABLE broth, makes sense, right? We thought so too. One day I told him "you know you should really ask what type of broth they use" I was mostly worried about them sneaking in fish sauce but low and behold it was made with CHICKEN broth. Does that no longer make him vegan? I don't think so since hasn't order it since, and we learned a valuable lesson: Don't assume something is vegan.
So guys don't stress out about it. So you forgot to ask for agave instead of honey, it was a mistake. You shouldn't have a cow about it because you're vegan and you don't have cow anymore. Am I right?!
10. The web is your friend, now more than ever
This one is a short one. Want to know the best vacation destination for vegan? How to make vegan bolognaise? If you should take a b12 supplement? What tempeh is made out of? What is the best vegan cheese? The internet is your best friend so use it as much as possible.
So that's it, my top ten tip for new vegans!
So that's it, my top ten tip for new vegans!
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