Top 10 Tips For a First-Time Vegan!

When I started to go vegan the first few times were really hard, I didn't really know what I was doing or what I could eat and was obsessed with 'Youtuber' lifestyle vlogs!

I didn't really take into account how my own lifestyle was and this lead me to have more attempts at changing my diet.

I googled most things but really I just wanted to know the best way to do everything with ouch too much effort as I was a busy student who worked and didn't have too much spare time.

So I am creating this fun blog post of my Top 10 Tips For A First-Time Vegan!

(1) Start with looking into why you're going vegan - is it for the animals or the environment? Maybe its for your health? There are lots of reasons why people decided to go vegan and it isn't always animal lovers.

This is a key thing to have a think about because the most annoying thing about being vegan is small minded people who seem to have an opinion about things they don't really know much about - so its always good to have a an answer!

(2) Invest in a cookbook or a vegan diet book - I know to some people this may seem not too high on their list to do but I find it so much easier to learn to season and make dishes that you know you'll like if you start off learning with a cookbook.

Learn to love cooking, experiment and you'll really enjoy what your eating which makes a whole difference when changing your lifestyle!

(3) Take a look at what you already have in your cupboards - why you may ask??

A lot of products you will already be eating in your diet will in fact be vegan such as most pastas are vegan and most sauces. When have a look at what you have already split the contents of the cupboards into three categories (1) Vegan food (2) Non-Vegan unopened items (3) Non-Vegan opened items - these categories will give you a really good visual.

This year when I took the final plunge into a 100% plant based diet this really helped me.

I then decided to keep all the non-vegan products which were opened and let myself and partner finish them to reduce waste (which is something I am working on at the moment) and then all the non-vegan unopened items I donated to local homeless charities and friends and families so not to waste food which could help someone.

By doing these categories it helped me to not only learn which of my foods were already vegan but also I found out that a lot of my pesto sauces were not to my surprise!

(4) Buy some new food staples for your cupboards! - the above was step one to this two step process!

After cleaning out your cupboards now you can finally buy some staples such as condiments which are vegan, chickpeas, nuts and seeds, beans, oats and so much more to replace some of the things you may have had to give up!

This can be a really fun exercise as you get to go shopping and learn what new goodies you can eat!

(5) Avoid fast food and junk food - YES I KNOW IT'S YUMMY!

When I first attempted to go vegan I had a few fail attempts in which I filled my fridge and freezer with meat alternatives and junk food as it was quick and easy!

I think we are all guilty at some point in our vegan journey of doing this but trust me by eating more fruits and vegetables your bank account will thank you and so will your body!

(6) Shop locally!

By shopping locally you can find some fresh fruits and vegetables really cheap - it is a misconception that organic and local produce is more expensive then Tesco's and this simply isn't the case.

I live in one of the most expensive student cities and I found by not shopping for all my groceries in Tesco's I went from spending 32-40£ a week (for 2 people) to 15-19£ a week by buying my fruits and vegetables from my local weekly market!

Also google is fantastic for finding local and independent vegan supermarkets and health stores but I still tend to visit my local Holland & Barrett's quite a fair bit!

(7) Try new things!

This is really important when I first went vegan there was lots of fruits and vegetables and dishes that I wouldn't eat, didn't like or really didn't want to try!

I try and try things at least twice just in case it just the way it was served but after a few months of being vegan lots of food that didn't appeal to me now did- such as tomatoes!

(8) Invest in some good seasonings!

This is really important and will make your dishes so much more tasty!

When I first went vegan I wasn't really into to spicy food and used maybe two or three herbs in ever dish - so they all kind of tasted the same!

Since getting really into cooking I now have a full spice rack which I have been building up whilst learning to cook gradually.

Seasoning can really change a dish!

(9) If you mess up DON'T WORRY!

This one is REALLY important - lots of people mess up and eat something they shouldn't have and it contains some sort of animal product - don't panic this happens there has been at least three times this has happened to me on my journey not always knowingly!

So give yourself a break it happens just remember to check the labels and don't be so hard on yourself.

(10) Enjoy yourself!

Your new lifestyle should be enjoyable! Try lots of new foods and have fun with it - try not to restrict yourself too much as you'll always end up eating the same foods.

These are just some tips that I think are helpful :) Let me know what tips have helped you on your journey!

Stay Harmonious

Al x