Have you decided to get rid of all animal products? Do you want to benefit your health, help the planet and show respect for animals? Then veganism could be your way. We'll give you advice on how to go about it the right way.
If you're considering a new path - veganism - you've probably been thinking about it for a while and have plenty of reasons to go in this direction. But before you embark on this stage of your life, you need to think things through carefully so you don't cause yourself health problems.
What's in store for you?
Eliminate meat, eggs and dairy products from your diet. But how to do it? We're all different. Some people like to draw a line and change their eating habits right away, and absolutely, fundamentally. On the other hand, experts tend to recommend limiting animal products gradually. If you're used to eating meat, cheese or eggs every day, try incorporating vegan days once a week. If it suits you, add another day and continue slowly.
Adequate replacement
Of course, you need to offer your body adequate food. It is not a bad idea to get a medical examination first to make sure you are well and completely healthy and that you are not missing anything. It is also advisable to consult a nutritionist who understands the vegan diet. It's certainly good to find an experienced vegan who will be happy to share their knowledge. It's definitely not enough to just cut out meat and dairy, but the substitute must meet the nutritional values, otherwise you'll get poorer and it can take a toll on your fitness and health.
Veganism is not asceticism
You may be attacked and teased by friends and acquaintances, die-hard meat lovers, for denying yourself the joys of life. But this is a big mistake. Veganism offers a wide variety of interesting foods. Moreover, while they often don't consider the quality of the food they consume, vegans think far more deeply about the ingredients and are constantly educating themselves in this area.
Legumes, grains, healthy fats in the form of avocados, nuts, seeds, flaxseed oil, etc. should be the order of the day. They contain important omega-3 fatty acids. Also don't forget sprouts and shoots which have tremendous strength, nutrition, minerals and vitamins in them.
What will help you in this regard is to learn to read product labels and ingredients. Even a seemingly innocent product may contain animal ingredients. Be creative in the kitchen. Try new things, combine, improvise. Maybe you'll come up with a new recipe. Use herbs, spices.
What to watch out for is enough vitamin D and B12, which not only vegans can lack. But the way out of the problem is easy. A good source is spirulina or chlorella, for example. Fermented foods, tempeh, miso are also recommended, and you can enjoy delicatessen yeast, for example. Tofu, plant milks, figs, chia seeds...
Oh the flavours
If you like the taste of processed meat but don't want to eat it anymore, vegan substitutes like tofu, tempeh, soy sausages or sausages can be substituted. This is also an alternative, at least initially. They are already flavoured and resemble the traditional taste of, say, a hamburger. The spices also do a lot. You can prepare mushroom stew, mushroom 'julienne', portobello burger. If you like scrambled eggs or mushroom fritters, you can also make them with grated and seasoned tofu. Almond milk, soya milk, coconut milk, oat milk, etc. can be used instead of conventional milk.
It's true that you won't find vegan restaurants on every corner, but there are more and more of them and you can find a similar bistro in practically every major city. What's more, nowadays most restaurants offer vegan food or at least are willing to accommodate you.
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