Aubrey Manculich | Freelancer

If you’re considering transitioning to a vegan lifestyle, here are a couple quick tips to follow to make it easier to you than it was for me. When I made my decision, I lived in a college dorm and with my only food being from the dining hall, my options were limited. I had to figure out what I could eat and when it was available for me. Also, my family was very unsupportive and a lot of other people were too. I struggled a lot at first; here are some small things to keep in mind to make the transition more seamless for you.

Do some research before trying or committing to a vegan lifestyle. Just get yourself familiar with the types of vegans there are, what a vegan diet can do for you and maybe look at some recipes to get inspiration. It’s also a good idea to try and have a transition week before where animal product consumption is limited rather than simply cut off immediately.

Plan a two-week trial run for where you eat a strictly vegan diet. Pay attention to how you and your body begins to feel, especially toward the end of the trial.

Always check the contents and allergens part of your food’s nutritional information to see if there are any animal products. It’s also a good idea to check through the whole ingredient list — and sometimes look up the confusing ingredients — but usually the contents list will tell you right away. There are often vegan sections in grocery stores near produce or frozen vegetable areas and many vegan products have a “V” on them to distinguish them for convenience.

Realize that it may not be the most convenient life to live; there are fewer options when eating out and fewer easy options at the grocery store. You will have to cook your own food more often and many times it may be from scratch. However, there are countless cookbooks, online recipes and blogs to help. Some of my favorites include “Vegan with a Vengeance” by Isa Moskowitz, and the YouTube channel “Cheap Lazy Vegan.” The vegan community is much larger than you may think and it’s incredibly supportive.

If veganism is right for you, it’s a rewarding lifestyle that can give you a better relationship with your food and your health.

The most important thing to know is that it’s completely a personal decision, meaning you can live it however you want. Within that, the way any person chooses to live a vegan lifestyle will be entirely dependent on the reason they went vegan in the first place. Personally, I became vegan because most research I’ve seen regarding nutrition has shown me that whole foods and plant-based vegan diets promote the healthiest eating habits. As a result, colloquially, I call myself vegan despite really being what I call a “dietary vegan,” since I still use animal products, such as leather, but do not consume animal products.

Someone may choose to adopt a raw vegan diet because it’s supposed to be healthier, while another may decide to eat vegan with a cheat day once a month to avoid developing an intolerance to meat or eggs. Everyone can take part in a vegan lifestyle, however strict their opinion dictates their commitment should be.

When someone offers me food I can’t eat, I politely decline without further information why, unless they ask. If someone wants to make it public that they are vegan, more power to them, but not everyone does. If you’re worried about nutrition, simply pay careful attention to what you’re eating to ensure you get everything you need from a variety of foods. The point is, again, that it’s all up to you.

Contact the author at amanculich16@mail.wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis