by Aparna Ganesh Ram
Dec 07, 2022

How to gradually move towards Veganism?

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Introduction

A vegan diet is a type of diet that primarily comprises fruits, vegetables, whole-grain foods, legumes, lentils, nuts, herbs, and spices. You do not resort to an animal-based secretion of any kind. Vegans are compassionate beings who say no to meat, eggs, dairy, wool, honey, and silk. Veganism is a way of life rather than a dietary replacement alone. However, to get into the groove, you must make simple lifestyle changes, to unlearn what you had been doing so far.

You must unlearn yourself to re-engineer your mind, as a matter of fact. When you re-engineer your mindset, then you are in a better frame of mind, to accept something that is entirely new. Or, if you have not tried that particular thing at all in your life. Let me outline 6 exciting ways on how you can go plant-based in a gradual manner:

Start slow

For most of you, saying no to milk, butter, cheese, meat, or even eggs, may sound a little intimidating or extreme to adapt to. Taking it slow and gradual is therefore the ideal way, you can go about the whole thing. See what are the animal secretion products you use on a daily basis.

You may use milk, butter, or cottage cheeses to make your cornflakes bowls, breads, or for stir-fries. Here, you have easy-to-use plant-based milks, vegan butter or tofu slices to make easy swaps. And these are on-the shelf products as a matter of fact. Here, you can use easy swap options to make your daily living an easier transition. You can hit your departmental stores, or you can order for plant-based dairy products through online establishments too.

Gradually cut down on your meat proportions

Being a meat eater, it is not easy to make an overnight swap with respect to meat products. Hence taking it gradually and slow-paced is the only way you can do it. Your sushi or seafood delicacy is also something that cannot be ruled out. With respect to meat products, look for recipes that aim at veganizing the product. Maybe, you can get mushroom wedges or jackfruit slices, which you can use to make meat-based delicacies.

Proper seasoning with herbs and condiments can help you replicate the taste of a meat dish with a plant-based version after all. You have plenty of mock meat options brought to you by leading pioneers like ‘Beyond Meat’ or Imagine Meats’. You get on-the-shelf meat-like replicas to add to the dish. This way, you can slowly make plant-based swaps with your meat proportions. The important part here is you must stay loyal to ethics. You can join community-building groups so that you are not the only one taking this particular journey.

Add a lot of fruits and veggies while having your breakfast

Again, the exclusion is something that can emotionally daunt you. You may feel emotionally and psychologically stressed when you have to give up on omelets, sausages, or even rich or creamy pancakes. On the other hand, adding something to it relates to inclusion. In order to make your breakfast options even more tempting or colorful, you can include more and more. Add a rich bowl of cut fruits. These can be oranges, kiwis, melons, apples, grapes, blackberries or blueberries, strawberries, and so on and so forth.

You can also add vegan mayonnaise to vegetable salads. Here, you can include beets, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, diced onions, and lettuce. You can then make plant-based muffins, pancakes, bread toasts, and so on without much of a hassle.

Adding creamy layers through mayo sauces can give you a sumptuous feel of having a king-like breakfast. ‘Have breakfast like a king, have your afternoon supper like a prince, and dine like a pauper’ is quite a popular saying we all are aware of.

Lunch options

If you are a continental eater, then you must watch out on your protein content, especially while you plan your lunch meal boxes. You can add rice, dal, and rotis for Indian lunch options. You can make gravies using lentils like chickpeas, Channa dal, sprouted moong dal, etc. Prepare the tomato purees beforehand so that you can dole out gravies when you head out to your offices or places of work. Adding a lot of grams and lentils can keep your protein quotient in check. You can consult a nutritionist or a dietician to ensure you get a balanced plant-based meal comprising of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in the correct proportions, your body exactly needs.

Strictly avoid processed and deep-fried foods

Just because you have gone vegan, there is no hard and fast rule that you throw your health out of the window. Say for instance, as a vegan, you keep munching on French fries or Oreo biscuits all the time, you are not going to solve the purpose after all. Hence, you must know what goes into your stomach throughout the day.

You can have fresh fruit juices or a box of dry fruits to keep hunger pangs at bay especially in between your 3-course meals. Rather than consuming 3 square meals a day, you can have shorter meal options every 2-3 hours so that your metabolism remains active and robust throughout the day. You can snack on dry peanuts instead of deep-fried burgers or sweet donuts. You can make pizzas using lettuce, jalapenos, tomatoes, and capsicum. You can add plant-based cheddar cheeses after all. This way, you can make delightful snacks and keep processed store-bought foods at bay.

Stack up your draw with healthy snacks

You may want go-to options in case you plan to pick up your kids from their daycare centers. Or you may want something like comfort food just as you come back from the office. Hence, stacking up on healthy snacks is a better option. You can go in for kale chips, dry fruits assorted, dairy-free almond bars, plant-based granolas, etc. You can also bake vegan biscuits during the weekends to store them in air-tight containers. This way, you will have something too much on with your lemon teas or vegan latte.

Make recipes fun and exciting

Vegans do not eat grass. We can curate so many varieties of exciting recipes and easy-to-make-dishes too. You can try plant-based versions of cakes or pastries. You can try banana sourdough breads. Or you can make fritters using veggies. You can try recipes to make your vegan journey fun and exciting. Plant-based sweets or desserts like a jaggery fruit roll or a Vegan Mac and Cheese can add too much fun. Involve the whole family while you plan these fun-to-do recipes. This way, you can stay motivated and energized as a vegan for a lifetime.

Conclusion

Here we have seen 6 exciting ways how you can hit a Vegan lifestyle in a stress-free manner. Tips and techniques on how you can go about the whole thing, have also been discussed at length.

About Vvegano:

We are an online vegan store based out of India. We have personalized lifestyle products catering to people belonging to the present millennium. You get nut butters, mock meats, plant-based sweets, dairy-free alternatives, groceries and wellness care products from our store. Do check out some of our outstanding collections right here: