Thinking about a vegan diet? But not sure where to start. We packed this article full of helpful tips to get you started.
Each year more people are turning to a vegan diet/lifestyle to lose weight, energy boost, better skin and an overall improved health and wellbeing and, of course, for the environmental benefits.
There are millions of people suffering from diabetes, heart disease, obesity, high cholesterol, and many more health problems because of the foods they consume.
But there are countless research that proves consuming animal products is detrimental to our health. And that consuming a diet rich in whole plant-based foods can bring your body back into balance.
Yet the government and society hide the truth. Why is that? Simple, it’s because of the dairy and meat industry that are making millions while making people sick.
Some of that millions go back into funding for diabetic and cancer research. Ironic, isn’t it? They make you sick, then try to find resources like drugs for your illness… When all you needed was plant-based foods.
In this post we list tips to transition to a vegan diet for beginners. What do vegans eat? Some of the best foods with protein for vegan and some tips on transitioning easily.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links and I may receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no cost to you. See full disclaimer.
Veganism Definition?
Veganism is a plant-based diet free from fish, eggs, dairy, honey, and all animal products, including things made from animal byproduct.
And yes, the leather in your car is most likely made from animal skin, unless it’s vegan leather. Veganism also means not supporting or partaking in any activities that exploit or endanger animals. Like going to the zoo!
What Vegans Can Eat
Going vegan does not mean you will restrict your diet or eating beans and salads all day. It means consuming a wide variety of enriching plant-based foods.
I enjoy a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, from raw salads to steamed, stir-fry, soups, and in an extensive variety of recipes. I love food!
Choose from a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts that you can incorporate into any mouthwatering vegan dishes. Plus, the same spices you use on your meat work well in vegan dishes.
Besides eating whole foods, you can find vegan alternatives to just about any food with animal products, e.g. vegan cheese, chocolate, nut milk, soya coffee cream, vegan burgers and lasagna, vegan ice cream, etc. Any animal-based foods you can think of there is a way to make it vegan.
The list of foods to include in a vegan diet is endless. You just need to learn how to cook delicious vegan foods. When you are just starting out research is key to sticking with it and maintaining a healthy vegan lifestyle.
Find meal inspiration on Pinterest, YouTube, Google, or cookbooks to create dishes you will love. Best of all, eat until you feel full and eat whenever you are hungry. Well, as long as you are eating whole foods, not prepackaged processed junk.
Avoid prepackaged or junk vegan foods to live a healthy lifestyle. Eat a plant-based diet filled with raw and cooked foods to fuel your body for optimal health.
Read the label! Prepackaged foods contain hidden animal products. The easiest way to avoid them is by eating a diet rich in plant-based whole foods.
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Source of Highest Protein In Vegan Diet
Let’s answer the age old question, where do you get protein on a vegan diet? Below is a list of foods with protein for vegan.
Quinoa
Quinoa including white, red, black, or mixed varieties. 100g of quinoa provides almost 4g protein. Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it contains all 22 amino acids, making it a better option than rice and couscous.
Tofu
Tofu, or bean curd, is derived from soya, 100g of tofu provides 8g protein.
Tempeh a high source of protein for vegan diet
Tempeh – 42g of protein per 227g
Beans and Lentils Vegan Diet Proteins
- Lentils including Puy, green, and red: around 8-9g of protein per 100g
- Chickpeas, including hummus: 7g of protein per 100g
- Garden peas – around 7g per 100g
- Beans, including black-eyed, pinto, butter, cannellini, soya, edamame and kidney: between 7-10g protein per 100g
- Baked beans – 5g per 100g
Nuts and seeds contain high protein for vegan diet
- Hemp seeds – 5g per heaped tablespoon
- Ground linseed – 3g per heaped tablespoon
- Almonds – 3g of protein for every six almonds
- Walnuts – around 3g of protein for every three whole walnuts
- Pumpkin seeds – 4g per tablespoon
- Flaxseed – 18g of protein per 100g
- Pistachios – just over 1g of protein over 10 pistachios
- Cashew nuts – 3g per 10 cashew nuts
- Brazil nuts – 4g per six Brazil nuts
- Chia seeds – 1 tablespoon 2g of protein
- Buckwheat is actually a seed high in both protein and fiber, with 100g per 5g of protein.
Oats
Oats are a complex carbohydrate, providing slow energy release, packing 10g of protein per 100g.
Vegetable Sources Of High Protein For A Vegan Diet
- Asparagus – almost 2g of protein per six spears
- Avocado – over 1g per ½ an avocado
- Broccoli – almost 3g per 80g broccoli
- Brussels sprouts – around 2g per 80g Brussels sprouts
- Cauliflower – 1.5g per 80g serving
- Jerusalem artichokes – over 1g of protein per 80g
- Kale – almost 2g per 80g serving
- Spinach – 2g per 80g serving
- Sweetcorn – over 2g for every three heaped tablespoons
Spirulina
Spirulina – 57g of protein for 100g
Grains High In Protein In The Vegan Diet
- Spelt – over 5g of protein per 100g
- Teff – over 4g of protein per 100g
- Amaranth – over 4g of protein per 100g
- Sorghum – over 8g of protein per 100g
- Brown and wild rice about 4g per 100g
Reasons to Consider a Vegan Lifestyle
Lack of knowledge surrounding veganism promotes ignorant assumptions about the vegan lifestyle. Take the time to educate yourself and realize the impact your choices have on the environment and the animals. Documentaries such as Cowspiracy, What the Health, and The China Study taught me how foods affect our health. Be sure to watch them.
What the Health documentary highlights many health issues we all face because of consuming too many animal products. Knowing these implications on our health and the torture animals experience while in captivity was a strong enough reason for me to go vegan.
Below is a list of benefit of vegan lifestyle.
Go Vegan For Animal Freedom
Think about it, animal agriculture imprisons, force reproduction, and torture animals so we can eat. How inhumane is it to force these creatures to do what we want? By avoiding animal products, we support animals’ right to have freedom as much as we do.
Animals are tortured daily, skinned alive, forced to live in confined, unsanitary spaces, forced to reproduce, and then have their babies taken away.
Consider this, people treat their pets with such love and respect, so why on earth should we ignore other animals being tortured?
Go Vegan For The Environment
Animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of deforestation. This is providing space to grow the wide majority of grains needed to feed animals.
Methane has a global warming potential 86 times higher than CO2. Cows produce over 150 billion gallons of methane per day. And it takes 2500 gallons of water to produce 1 lb of beef, which is insane!
Animal agriculture is said to be one of the leading causes of climate change. Overfishing and annual bycatch are affecting the ocean’s ecosystem. Which directly affects our plane. In plain English, we may soon run out of fish in the ocean, so what do you think will happen to our planet then? For more info watch What The Health and Cowspiracy.
Improved Health on Vegan Diet
What The Health, claims that a vegan diet has been proven to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, lower cholesterol, reverse type 2 diabetes, reduce inflammation, and support weight loss.
This documentary highlights the overall positive impact a vegan diet has on improving our health. A balanced vegan or plant-based diet will increase energy levels and improve overall health.
Vegan Books to Read
If you’re wondering what to eat when on a vegan diet, then the list of vegan cook books below will help with meal ideas.
- Vegan 101 by Heather Bell & Jenny Engel
- The Fully Raw Diet by Kristina Carrillo-Bucuram
- Life-Changing Foods by Medical Medium Anthony William
- Vegan Table by Mayim Bialik
- Vegan Bowl Attack!: More than 100 One-Dish Meals Packed with Plant-Base
- The Light Shall Set You Free by Dr. Shirley McCune & Dr. Norma Milanovich
- But My Family Would Never Eat Vegan by Kristy Turner
- Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry
- The Raw Deal Cookbook by Emily Monaco
- Vegans Save the World by Alice Alvarez and Pamela Wasabi
- Quick & Easy Vegan Comfort Food by Alicia C. Simpson
- Afro-Vegan by Bryant Terry
- Alkaline Vegan for Newbies by Mr. Nigel Robinson
Equipment You Will Need to Make Life Easier
- Spiralizer – to make zucchini noodles, cucumber noodles. Squash, beetroot, sweet potato, butternut squash can all be spiralized.
- Nutribullet, Ninja, or Vitamix appliances for smoothie bowls, smoothie, soups, sauces, or salad dressings.
- Juicers – Breville, Huron, Nama.
- BPA-free containers for meal prep so you’re always prepared and never miss a meal.
- Mason jars for smoothy or juices
- Coconut bowls for salads, smoothy bowls, any meals
Tips To Help Transition To A Vegan Diet For Beginner
Research Meal Ideas
There are countless resources that offer meal ideas right at your fingertips. For example, YouTube, Pinterest, and Google offer meal ideas and how-to videos to make cooking a breeze.
Don’t Forget to Meal Prep
The easiest way to maintain a healthy vegan diet is to meal prep. This allows you to have nutritious foods available when you need it. Especially if you have a busy schedule, meal prepping allows you to plan and buy what you really need. This is the easiest way to avoid eating unhealthy foods, going hungry, and binge eating.
Know What Your Body Needs
Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, especially leafy greens, high in protein, drink plenty of water with lemon slices and drink green smoothy daily. Research and know where to get your nutrients from, eg. protein, calcium, iron. This way your body gets all the vitamins and nutrients it needs. This vegan transition guide is packed full of all the information you need to go vegan. It has a long list of resources, vegan substitutes, and much more.
Find What Works For You
The only way to know what foods you will enjoy is by trying them. Tofu, for example, is bland and flavorless, so I use different spices to add flavor. Now one of my favorite breakfast is a tofu scramble with spinach. It is so delicious and filling!
Find what food and flavors you love by doing research and trying new dishes. Just dive in!
Don’t be Afraid of Vegan Meals
Experiment with fresh foods, spices, flavors, and texture. If a vegan lifestyle is truly what you want, then make it happen. There are vegan alternatives to any animal-based meals, so you are not missing out.
Take a vegan cooking class, buy cookbooks, watch videos, find an APP, and check out social media for inspiration. The best way to learn and grow with a new skill is by doing. That’s how I got better at cooking, by actually cooking.
Take it Slow
If you are thinking of becoming vegan or just starting out, take it slow. Incorporate a vegan meal a day, then 1 day per week, and so forth. Don’t go all in, it’s easier to quit that way. Try out different recipes, the more you do, the easier it becomes. And Pace yourself to avoid becoming overwhelmed with the process.
Reading The Label
Reading food labels is a simple yet overlooked task. Some processed foods contain hidden animal products, so pay attention to the ingredients list. Gelatin, for example, is an animal protein that makes up connective tissue and is a common ingredient found in rice crispy, Jell O, candies, and yogurt.
Vitamin Supplements
Vitamin B12 is a supplement that is required for vegans, not found in plants. It is usually found in soil, animal products, and is often added to vegan processed foods. Vegans should include B12 supplements into their diet to avoid B12 deficiency. FYI animals are incapable of producing B12 solely and usually receive it through outside sources.
I recommended speaking to a medical professional before changing your diet.
Remember Your Why
A vegan diet is easy to stick to if your why is strong enough. If you are a vegan because it is trendy, it will be easier to quit. My reasons for being vegan are for health, the environment, and animal freedom. Think about the processes that animals go through before you consider consuming any animal products. Or think about the impact animal products have on your health, that could be your why.
Finding Support
Find support from other vegans on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube to help with the transition. There are countless websites and other resources packed full of useful information to make transition easier. The transition will also be easier if your family is on board with your alternative lifestyle.
Need more information to transition easier? Download this free vegan starter guide by Mya.
Resources: Films to Watch
Deadly Dairy, The Game Changers, Cowspiracy, Meat The Truth, Peaceable Kingdom, Vegucated, What The Health, Food Matters, In Defense Of Food, Hungry For Justice, Earthlings, Eating You Alive, Sustainable, The Truth About Alcohol, Food Choices, Sustainable Human, From The Ground Up, Eating Animals, Tapped, The True Cost, Trashed, Mission Blue, The Age Of Stupid, No Impact Man, To Vegan Or Not To Vegan, Vegan Every Day Stories, The Rise Of Vegan, Eating Our Way To Extinction, A Fall From Freedom, Gasland.
My Favorite Vegan Youtubers For vegan diet recipes
FAQ’s About Vegan Diets/Lifestyle
Can vegan eat eggs?
No, vegans cannot eat eggs, but some vegetarians do eat eggs.
Can vegan eat honey?
No, vegans don’t eat honey. Because it is considered an animal product since bees make honey. Some vegetarians do eat honey.
Can vegan drink milk?
No, vegans don’t drink milk. Because they take milk from animals. Vegans typically use nut milk/beverage instead.
What is the best way to transition to vegan?
The best way to transition to a vegan lifestyle is taking it slowly. Incorporating more plant-based meals throughout the day or having a vegan day once a week while consuming less animal products. Slowly eating fewer animal products while increasing plant-based meals is the best way to transition.
Final Thoughts
For people who do not understand the vegan lifestyle, it can seem like a crazy restricting diet. But once you understand what to eat to fuel your body, the results can be life changing.
Learn what and how to cook to fuel your body while sparing the animals’ life. This lifestyle might be right for you, or if you are already vegan, inspire someone else to make the change.
