5 Tips For Transitioning to Plant-Based Lifestyle
As some of my readers may know, I stopped eating poultry overnight, but after 8 years of living the lifestyle, I’ve realized how beneficial it has been to transition. In 2011 I stopped eating red meat, in 2013 I stopped eating poultry, and have been dabbled in various types of vegan diets until late 2019, when I made the decision to reintroduced eggs and seafood back into my diet.
Here are 5 tips I wish I would’ve known to make my transition to a plant-based lifestyle a bit smoother:
1. CUT OUT RED MEAT.
So this tip is something I can actually say I know was beneficial. Cutting out a major food group all at once can be a bit much so I recommend cutting out red meat and pork from your diet altogether. Not only will it make the transition easier it also gives you an opportunity to let your body adjust.
2. MEATLESS MONDAY'S
Meatless Monday’s is a great way to help you find out what vegetarian dishes you enjoy and it also allows you to see how you personally feel about becoming a vegetarian. If your social groups and family constantly eat meat this is a good way to build up the tolerance to see meat and not feel the need to indulge.
The first month of being a vegetarian is always the hardest just due to the temptation and convenience of meat meals.
3. FIND YOUR "CHIPOTLE" EARLY ON.
When I say find your “chipotle” early on I basically mean to find your convenient comfort meal that allows you to stick to your diet but also allows you to feel like you’re not missing much by completely cutting meat out of your diet. In the beginning, it’s super important to find alternatives to your favorite dishes that have meat without consuming fake meat alternatives that are commonly high in sodium and fat.
4. CUT OUT FAST FOOD.
This may be geared more towards my readers who, like myself, are in college. If you plan on making the transition to a vegetarian diet while you’re living on a college campus it’s going to be extremely hard, in the beginning, to not eat french fries, mozzarella sticks, pizza and other fried vegetarian foods as a meal. So before you make the full commitment to becoming a vegetarian it’s important to meal plan, even for the days where you party too hard.
5.LEARN YOUR STAPLE GROCERY LIST.
This by far is the most important tip. In the beginning, it may be difficult to have variety in your diet if you’re not already familiar with cooking vegetarian and plant-based dishes. Before you fully commit to the lifestyle, I strongly suggest cooking and preparing vegetarian meals multiple times a week. Having general knowledge of vegetarian staple foods or grocery lists will make your transition a lot smoother.
If you’re considering transiting to a plant-based lifestyle I hope these tips help! If you have any other questions or are in need of some encouragement don’t hesitate to leave a comment below or send me an email.
It’s been 5 years since I’ve made the decision to eat plant-based and of course, I’ve had some difficulties in the beginning, but I’ve really enjoyed the journey.
with love,
Breanna
