How to Be Vegan for Life

Earlier this year, I had dinner with a lady who said she finds herself going back and forth with vegan life.

She has no problem staying vegan while doing an online challenge or as a group with her church, but goes back to a standard American diet once the challenge or Daniel Fast is over.

She asked what I think the issue is....


I believe the reason she can't move is that she isn't very clear about her why after the challenge is over.

Here's what I mean: Her only goal is to get to the end of those 30 days; not to truly embrace a vegan lifestyle. 

Your why is sooo important! It is the foundation of your vegan lifestyle.

Related: Two Key Steps You Must Take If You Want to Be Vegan

 

Tips on How to Be Vegan for Life

(1) Get clear about your why  

Why do you want to become a vegan?  Take a moment and think about it. Do you want to do it for your health? The health of your family? To protest factory farming? Do you want to protect our planet's precious resources?

Visualize what your life will look like when you transition to a delicious and long-term vegan life with your family. Take a few minutes and write down these reasons. Keep this writing on hand, so that you can refer to it when things get tough.

 

(2) Put as much of the lifestyle on autopilot as possible  

The less thinking you have to do the better. Establish easy go-to vegan recipes and keep your breakfast and snacks as simple as possible. 

Snacks and breakfast are the easiest time of the day to keep things simple...so do just that. :-)
 

(3) Always be learning & be open to experimenting  

It's not necessary to read or watch a vegan documentary daily, but it is important to stay connected with new information, recipes, and products as you move forward. Watching documentaries and reading new vegan books will motivate you to keep going and have fun in the kitchen experimenting with ingredients and cooking techniques. I have several tips on how to get confident in the kitchen on this blog post. 

(4) Find a community  

The Internet makes it sooo easy for us to connect with people from all over the world. Get inspired by like-minded people on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. Also, meetup.com will help you find local vegans to connect with as well.

Related: Where's Your Vegan Community?


 

(5) Be gentle with yourself  

Please please please be gentle with yourself as you move forward on your vegan journey.
Do you see all this Boyz II Men begging I'm doing right now?

Seriously! 

This is a process, so don't give up if it doesn't feel comfortable or when you don't feel like you're "doing it right."
There's a lot to learn (and unlearn), so don't expect everything to be perfect. 

Progression over perfection...always.

One of my favorite podcast episodes is my interview with Gail Roddy, who has been vegan for over 25 years. If you're struggling to stay on this lifestyle, check out that episode for more encouragement and tips.

>> Listen here <<

 

Share your own tips in the comments :-)

If you're brand new to vegan life, check out my previous post with tips on how to start your journey here.

4 Reasons You Should Ditch Dairy & Eggs

Folks always say to me, "I would go vegan but there's no way I can give up cheese or scrambled eggs."

I get it!

Since dairy & eggs are so prevalent in a standard American diet, it's hard for many of us to imagine living without these foods.

When I started my own journey in 2010, I wasn't sure if I could do it long-term because I loved ice cream and baked macaroni & cheese so much.

These days, it's easier than ever to embrace a vegan lifestyle without feeling deprived of your favorite dishes!

I promise once you find a replacement that works for you, it will be less challenging to move away from harmful & unnecessary animal products.

Here are 4 reasons you should just say NO to dairy and eggs:

• For your health -- high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol & certain cancers risk is higher for people who consume animal products.

• Dairy products aren't meant for humans -- Cow's milk is made for a calf..not for us. Have you ever thought about why we eat & drink the secretions of another species? It just doesn't make sense! Plus, dairy is just fat and designed for a calf to go from about 80 lbs at birth to over 400 lbs in just 8 months.

• Protest factory farming and animal cruelty -- Even if you're not an animal lover, the suffering of animals raised for food might be the most offensive and heinous of all animal farming. Read more about this industry here and here

• Environmental concerns -- Animals raised for food are huge contributors to global warming & pollution.

With so many awesome replacements for every dairy and egg recipe out there, there's no better time than now to embrace a healthier and more compassionate vegan life.

Go vegan for your health.

Go vegan for the animals.

Go vegan for the planet.

Q&A: What's the Easiest Way to Put A Vegan Meal Together?

A question from my Instagram....

I remember those days of struggling to put meals together!

Vegan meal planning felt so different from the way I was already eating, so the thought of not having chicken/beef as the center of the meal was overwhelming.

It is a different way of eating but not nearly as much as we hype it up in our heads.

For dinner (the area most of us struggle with), think of your meals in this combination....

 

Protein + grain/starch + 1-2 vegetables = Vegan Dinner

Example of what this looks like...

Plant-based protein

Lentils, black beans, walnut meat (used in recipes like this taco salad) vegan sausage, tofu, etc.

Grain/Starch

Rice, quinoa, pasta, bread, etc.

1-2 Vegetables

Broccoli, eggplant, mushrooms, etc.

Here's how that will look using a simple meal like stir-fry...

Plant-based protein  

Vegan sausage

Starch/Grain

Rice or quinoa (not shown)

Vegetables

Broccoli, bell pepper, onion

Instead of chicken, steak, etc. as the center/protein of your meal, you will now enjoy plant-based options.

Try not to overthink your meals and I promise it will become easier!

I hope this helps :-)

Here's the full recipe for the stir-fry

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This Tip Will Help You Go Vegan With Your Family

Every.single. meal. was a debate when we started our vegan journey back in 2010. Even though my husband thought it was a great idea for me go vegan, he still wanted chicken, beef and cheesy pizza on his own plate.

My son, Elijah (the pickiest eater of the 3 boys), only wanted chicken nuggets and french fries.

He didn't even want vegetables on his plate....

I already wasn't the most confident about cooking this new (vegan) way, so listening to chatter from the peanut gallery made me even more insecure.

I won't lie, there were times when I just wanted to give up.  

Change can be hard for so many of us.  

Fear of the unknown, not being sure what to eat, and dealing with complaints can have you even more discouraged.

I promise when you're consistent and persistent the transition will get better!

Our family is living proof of this.
 

TIP ON HOW TO GET STARTED ON A VEGAN JOURNEY WITH YOUR FAMILY....
 

~Replace ingredients to make their favorite meals vegan~

Instead of feeling like you can't eat certain foods anymore, replace them with compassionate and healthier plant-based alternatives.

With my son Elijah, I replaced his love of chicken nuggets with Gardein vegan chicken tenders and roasted his potatoes instead of buying them at a drive-thru.

Here's a very familiar vegan meal you can introduce to your family tonight...
I love spaghetti because it's delicious, filling and inexpensive.
*Ingredients*
-Spaghetti in the box (most of the pasta in your grocery aisle is vegan-be sure to check ingredients)
-Marinara sauce (saute onion, garlic, and dry oregano to add more flavor to your sauce)
-Add vegan crumbles from a brand like Beyond Meat (found at Target and many other stores) into the sauce. You can also use cooked lentils and sautéed mushrooms
Cook and serve like normal and I doubt your family will even question it!

If you need more info on how to make a vegan version of spaghetti, check out my previous blog post and video.

Think about some of your family's favorite meals and how you can make those meals vegan. 

Be gentle with yourself and your family as much as possible as you move forward. Sometimes it can feel like a roller coaster ride, but I promise the transition will get better as get more consistent.

If we can do it, I know you can, too! 

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11 Tips to Go Vegan This Year

There's no better time than now to get started on a healthy and compassionate vegan life. Do it for yourself. Your family. The animals. And for the planet.

What is a vegan? A vegan is a person who doesn't consume any animals (including seafood) or animal byproducts (including eggs & milk). Veganism extends to everything else in your life; including the cosmetics you use (no animal ingredients or testing) and clothing you wear (no real leather or fur), but in this post you're strictly talking about food.

An easy way to remember this -- If it has a face and/or parent, we don't eat or buy it.

 

11 Tips to Go Vegan This Year

 

1. Determine your why 

Why do you want to become a vegan?  Take a moment and think about it. Do you want to do it for your health? The health of your family? To protest factory farming? Do you want to protect our planet's precious resources?
Visualize what your life will look like when you transition to a delicious and long-term vegan life with your family. Take a few minutes and write down these reasons. Keep this writing on hand, so that you can refer back to it when things get tough.

Check out this previous post: 5 Reasons You Should Go Vegan with Your Family

 

2. Make the decision to go vegan

There's soooo much power in making a decision. Often we say we want to do something but tend to flip flop back and forth. The beauty of making a decision to embrace a lifestyle change, is that it forces you to take the necessary steps to make it happen.  You will start researching and experimenting in the kitchen once the decision has been made.

Check out the previous podcast: 2 Key Steps You Must Take If You Want to Be A Vegan

 

3. "Always be ready, so you don't have to get ready" - meal planning, eating out, etc.

My dad used to say this to me when it came to my schoolwork as a kid, but I feel this quote is also relevant to vegan life. One of the biggest obstacles you may face when transitioning to this lifestyle is getting adjusted to all of the planning that takes place.

Most of us are so used to just eating whatever we want, the extra step of reading ingredients labels (to ensure there's no eggs, meat, dairy) and asking your server questions while dining out, can feel so overwhelming. I promise with consistence this will get better.  

Just be sure to add time in your schedule for meal planning, grocery shopping (to get more comfortable in the store & to read food labels) and check out restaurants menus online to see what vegan options they have available before you leave the house.

Feeling rushed will only discourage you, so "always be ready, so you don't have to get ready."

Check out this resources:

Happycow.net is a good resource for finding vegan restaurants near your home and while traveling.

Is it Vegan? is a great app to determine whether or not a product is vegan while grocery shopping.

Finding Vegan is a great resource to findvegan recipes around the interwebs.

4. Don't restrict yourself more than you have to 

I often get emails and social media comments from people who want to start a vegan life and follow a:

• Gluten-free

• Raw vegan

• No-oil

• No vegan junk food

• Etc, etc, etc. lifestyle.

Here's the thing: If you're very new to this lifestyle, don't feel like you have to make all of those changes at once.

Make being vegan your top priority and if you want to add in other changes as you get comfortable, do just that.

Focus on replacing your eggs, meat, dairy and other animal products with plant-based alternatives.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with just keeping a simple vegan approach because as you grow and learn, you will find what works best for YOU.

You don't want to be in a situation in which you feel like you have to do everything at once and end up doing nothing at all. Embrace the process and don't get wrapped up too much in adding other dietary stipulations in the beginning.

 

5. Take time to get comfortable in the kitchen

Don't believe the hype -- You have to get comfortable in the kitchen if you want a delicious and long-term vegan life.  With a few basic skills you can dominate in the kitchen and not spend a million hours in there prepping and cooking.

Check out this previous blog post: How to Boost Your Confidence in the Kitchen

 

6. Find a supportive community

With only about 2% of Americans identifying themselves as vegan, this lifestyle can get pretty lonely. Being a part of a vegan community can keep you accountable and give you someone to bounce ideas off of and vent to. Since it's very likely that people in your every day life aren't vegan, use social media to connect with like-minded peeps.

Fact: Nearly all of my vegan friends are people that I initially connected with online.

Don't be shy! Here are a few tips on how to connect with other vegans on & offline

• See what's going on in your local area using meetup.com - search for vegan/vegetarian groups that connect at restaurants and do other activities together.

• Follow folks you resonate with on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (all of my real life vegan friends came from these sites). Be sure to connect with these folks, too! Be active :-)

• See if your city (or a neighboring one) offers vegan/vegetarian festivals - There are so many vegan festivals that happen during the summer/early fall that offer music, food, speakers and of course so many like-minded folks. Vegan.com has a list of festivals. Also, Google the nearest major city to you and "vegetarian festivals" and see what you get.

 

7. Explore your grocery store/farmer's market in a new way

Once you start a vegan journey, you will realize your grocery store has much more to offer than you've ever imagined. I didn't really explore the international/ethic aisle until I started this lifestyle. I know it can be a bit intimidating, but being open to new ingredients and unfamiliar spices, fruit and vegetables will make cooking and transitioning that much easier.  

Challenge yourself to add something new to your cart each time you go to the grocery store and/or farmer's market.

 

8. Make a vegan version of your favorite dishes

The good news is you can easily make (or even buy) a delicious vegan version of all of your favorite foods. 

Here's an example:

I love cornbread! Since the conventional recipe calls for eggs, milk and butter it isn't normally vegan.

Instead of feeling like I can never eat cornbread again, I use vegan margarine instead of butter, almond milk instead of dairy milk and replace the eggs with Ener-G egg replacer (you can use Follow Your Heart vegan egg, too).

Get the recipe here

The result is a delicious and familiar vegan version of the cornbread I ate before becoming a vegan.

Figure out how you can replace non-vegan ingredients with better plant-based options.

9. Realize it doesn't have to be all or nothing

A big misconception about starting a vegan journey is that you have to immediately throw all your animal products in the trash and eat only salad. My advice is to start where you are! Don't feel like you have to do everything at once if you don't want to.

Back in 2008, I started off as a vegetarian and even though I didn't think I would become a vegan (tried once and it didn't work), starting as a vegetarian likely led me to a vegan lifestyle.

Don't discount gradual changes.

Do the best you can every. single. day.

 

10. Focus on what you can eat and not what you can't

Right now you may be thinking: No eggs? No seafood? No cheese?  What the hell is there left to eat?

I promise there's sooo much variety when you decide to embrace a vegan lifestyle.

Before starting myself, I didn't eat quinoa, kale, cauliflower, Field Roast vegan sausage or nearly as many chickpeas as I do now.

Think of this way, you're going to replace all the meat, dairy and eggs with even more fruit, vegetables, legumes and grains - all the good stuff! 

PLUS, there's a vegan alternative for everything you can think of these days -- including milk, eggs, cheese and even fried chicken.

 

11. Progress over Perfection - Always

I think this is the side of vegan life that many don't talk about. Whether you're on the journey for a few months on a few years, you will soon realize that this journey isn't perfect.

Being vegan is a journey and not a destination. Most of the time you may stay on track, but overall it can be a roller coaster ride.
Keep moving forward and please please please don't beat yourself up if you get off track. Beating yourself for eating something non-vegan will only hold you back. 

I hope these tips helped you at least consider starting a vegan journey. Even though this lifestyle change is an adjustment, realize that anything worth having is worth fighting for!

 

You can do this!