Try the Veganuary challenge!
If you’re new to veganism, you’re right on time. These days it’s more convenient than ever to steer clear of animal products. But you still have to do some planning to make sure you’re meeting your nutritional needs.
We’ve rounded up 7 tips and tricks for new vegans.
Plan your days
Map out your meals for the entire week and prepare your groceries beforehand. If this is an entirely new diet for you, consider how much your daily routine might have to change. Make sure to have a few vegan snacks on hand too.
Use technology to your advantage
One of the benefits of becoming a vegan today is that there are many apps out there to ease the transition. Check out HappyCow, Oh She Glows, Vegan Amino and Veg Menu in the App Store and Google Play for tasty recipes and vegan-friendly restaurants near you.
Take it one step at a time
Don’t feel pressured to become vegan overnight. Wean yourself off your favorite animal products one by one. Start with the simple changes first, then ease yourself into more of the plant-based diet.
Check your pantry
Starting a vegan diet doesn’t mean you have to start at zero. You might even have vegan-friendly options in your fridge and pantry. Some common household food items you might have include nuts, beans, lentils, fruit, rice and pasta.
Find your favourite protein
With meat out of the question, you will need to find a substitute for your protein. Some common proteins vegans lean to are tofu, rice, grains and beans. There’s plenty of imitation meat for sale, as well.
Vitamin B-12 is a must
In plant-based diets, vitamin B-12 is often hard to come by. It is recommended that vegans try especially hard to meet a daily requirement of B-12 (found in nutritional yeast and some cereals). If not, you can opt for a B-12 vitamin supplement.
Milk isn’t the only way to obtain calcium
Don’t worry about missing out on calcium if you are a huge milk drinker. There are other calcium-rich foods that do the same job. Foods with high levels of calcium include tofu, white beans, broccoli, sweet potatoes and plant-based yogurt.
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