If you’ve signed up to try vegan this January @weareveganuary here are 10 tips to help you eat more plants 🌱
1. Learn New Recipes.
Try new recipes to expand your plant-based meal repertoire. Becoming vegan can open your world up once you focus on what you can eat rather than on things you can’t have. The truth is that you ca veganise any meal. There are also so many naturally plant-based meals you can make. I love Bosh and Pick Up Limes and Vegan Richa.
2. Read The Label
Products are often labelled vegan in the UK but a scan of the label is helpful. Non-vegan ingredients sneak their way into products such as breakfast cereal (certain type of Vitamin D3) and curry pastes (oyster or shrimp sauce).
3. Make Healthy Plant-Based Swaps.
Swap meat for protein, iron and zinc-rich foods such as lentils, tofu and beans. It’s important to crowd out animal products and add in healthy plant-based foods.
4. Eat Enough
It’s important to eat enough and feel satiated as plant-based foods are generally less calorie dense. Fill up on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes with some nuts and seeds.
5. Learn Nutrition Basics
The Plant Based Health Professionals website has lots of excellent, easy to follow advice about a whole foods plant based diet, free webinars and articles.
6. Add In Protein-Rich Plant Foods
Protein is the most overhyped macronutrient. We can get all we need from plants. Tofu, tempeh, quinoa, beans, lentils, peanut butter, whole grains and nuts are all good sources of protein. Check out my other post on great protein sources to add to your meals.
7. Don’t Give Up If You Slip
If you eat a slice of non-vegan cheese, don’t beat yourself up. All or nothing thinking doesn’t help and every plant-based meal you eat makes a difference. Just get back on track with the next meal.
8. Cook a Vegan Meal for Family or Friends
Why not showcase how delicious plant-based food is by cooking a meal for your family or friends? Cuisines such as Indian, Thai and Mexican are easy to veganise.
9. Supplement with B12
If you stick with a vegan diet after #Veganuary, remember to take a good B12 supplement – 1.5mcg daily is recommended for those in the UK.
10. Make the Connection.
Around 60 billion land animals and over a trillion marine animals are exploited and killed as commodities every year. Check out videos by Earthling Ed or documentaries such as Cowspiracy on Netflix to better understand the devastating impact that animal agriculture has.
