Going vegan might seem unpleasant initially, but it’s worth trying if it’s something on your mind. Plant-based or vegan foods and lifestyles have become more popular in the past couple of years, with about 6% of US consumers adopting the vegan lifestyle. 

You may be considering a plant-based diet for various reasons. Whether it’s for health reasons or you’re concerned about the environment, here are some tips to help you adjust.

1. Make easy food swaps

When transitioning into a plant-based diet, especially after consuming animal-based products over a long period, it’s always an excellent idea to start with some basic food swaps. This plan aims to help you adjust to your new diet and lifestyle, so it doesn’t overwhelm you and cause you to ditch it long-term. 

Before starting, you must create a list of meals you frequently eat and explore what changes you can make. For example, you might want to swap your chicken or beef stir fry with tofu or buy vegan sausages for those Saturday morning breakfasts. You can even change your milk, opting for soy, almond, or coconut. 

For your dinners, you can choose to swap your chicken, port, or any other raw meat with Seitan. Is Seitan healthy? Absolutely! You’ll still receive the right number of proteins that your body needs. So, start making these little changes before fully graduating into a completely plant-based diet. That way, you can prepare for your new lifestyle and see tangible results.

2. Take supplements

While going on a plant-based diet is good, it’s also important that your body always has the right levels of nutrients to keep it functioning at its optimum. Like any other diet, there might be some nutrients that might not be present in the new foods that you eat. For example, you might miss out on the calcium in animal dairy products, and there aren’t many foods rich in vitamins like D and B12. 

That’s why you must take supplements to provide you with those nutrients not present in your diet. Failing to do so can lead to severe health effects, like bone disease and iron deficiency. Ensure that you speak to your doctor before taking any supplements.

3. Join a community

Change can be a daunting experience, especially when you have to do it completely by yourself. However, it’s much better when you have the right company. If your close friends and family members are not embarking on this lifestyle change with you, there are still tons of amazing communities that you can join, whether in-person or online. 

Most of these communities have meetups or potluck dinners, where you can interact with other plant-based dieters, share recipes and make new friends. You can even join online forums and follow other vegan blogs. 

Transitioning into a plant-based lifestyle and diet shouldn’t be difficult, especially now that you have these tips to help. Regardless of your reason for transitioning, you should start to see the benefits of going vegan. Remember that it takes time and consistency, and you should be patient with yourself.