How To Go Vegan (and actually enjoy it)

I recommend not doing what I call going “cold tofurky.” Basically, deciding when you wake up, that day will be the very last time animal products will pass through your newly minted conscious and cruelty-free mouth. There are actually a few reasons why I recommend phasing out animal products as opposed to just trashing them immediately. For starters, unless you have a knowledgeably-curated meal prep or plan for the day/week you decide to give it all up, you are most likely not going to have a clue how to formulate the balanced diet, or at least, the same diet your body is used to. You’ll probably crash, burn and blame veganism for your low energy and mood-swings. I’m only half-kidding. Secondly, I believe when people take the “all or nothing approach” they are more likely to do the same in reverse. For example, you accidentally eat something that should be vegan but has milk in it. This is more common than you think…even the most experienced vegans are subject to the unnecessary use of milk in everything from veggie chips to frozen vegetable medleys. I digress. Say you’re having a good run of eating vegan after making diet-180 overnight but you accidentally eat something with milk. People with the “all or nothing” mindset might think,“well, that’s that, I can’t do this, better change my Instagram bio.” I say this out of love. And experience. Because I’ve been both of these people.
When you decide to venture into the foreign aisles of alternative-protein section at the grocery store, faux meats, cheese, yogurt, etc. might seem appealing. Or terrifying (what on earth is Jackfruit and why is it in a taco?) I highly recommend not thinking of alternative meats as meat. Think of it for what it is. Tofu is well-known enough to be recognized as tofu and not “a block of faux chicken” and I think we should take that same approach to all veggie proteins. Regardless of a company marketing their textured vegetable protein as “veggie beef crumbles” you know better. I don’t blame them of course but once you know what the stuff is actually made of, you’ll be less likely to compare it to its real meat (evil) twin. Tofu is fermented soybean, not faux chicken. Seitan (say-tan) is vital wheat gluten, not faux beef. You get the picture.
In the same vein of comparisons let’s talk about vegan cheese. You’re in a bagel shop and you see “Bagel and Vegan Cream Cheese” okay, odd. What’s that even made out of? Now let’s say the bagel shop instead says, “Bagel with Cashew Cheese” For a new vegan, or an interested convert, I’d say the latter makes it seem a lot less scary. Don’t compare dairy-free cheese to regular cheese. You’re immediately setting up for failure because you’re comparing apples and oranges.
If you didn’t care about your protein intake before, don’t worry about it now. As long as you are eating a balanced diet you will get enough nutrients and protein to satisfy your need. If you did care about your protein intake or have specific fitness goals, I’ll talk about what a vegan bodybuilder (hey, that’s me!) does for protein during a time when I need more than the average person.
VARIETY! Try new things. If you think about veganism as a restriction of all the things you used to eat before, I’d recommend reassessing your “why.” It’s not a restriction, it’s an opportunity to reframe the way you used to eat! It’s a chance to try those puzzling jackfruit tacos because as a meat eater you restricted your taco fillings to chicken or beef.You neglected the chance to try almond, soy, oat, hemp, cashew and coconut milk in recipes because you restricted yourself to dairy for so long. Now it’s your time to have a little fun in the store or at the restaurant creating things you never knew you wanted to try!