Trying to be Vegan; My Experience
4:19 PMTo start off I just want to say being vegan is a life style, not a mere diet. Initially going vegetarian was a breeze considering I didn't eat meat often. Transitioning from vegetarian to vegan was a lot more difficult; more conscious eating. The exclusion of cheese, chocolate, and other sweets have been my biggest challenge. Also convenience foods are usually not an option. Working as a server, it is really hard not to snag a bite of the extra mac and cheese or chocolate cake that would otherwise be tossed. But fear not, I have devised a list of a few tips to making the transition a little more smooth!
- Make it a feasible transition- Slowly start cutting animal products from your diet. This doesn't need to be a drastic change!!! Maybe stop buying cow milk one week, then butter then next, and ice cream the week after that.
- Substitute!- There are so many animal free substitutes that make life so much easier. Even Walmart sells vegan butter! There are many different assortments of milk alternatives like almond, soy, hemp, coconut, chia and more.
- Prepare ahead of time- The problem that I came across the most was being hungry at work and school and caving in. I would justify it to myself by saying that I shouldn't let my self go hungry. The smart solution is to prepare things ahead of time. I'll cut up some carrots to snack on at work, and make beans and rice to bring with me to school.
- Treat yourself!- Going vegan is not a easy feat, one must reward them self from time to time. But not like I use to; binging on ice cream and cheez-its till I was sick. Instead I pick up my favorite flavor of Kombucha or a soy dream ice cream cookie...num
- Patience- Just keep in mind that this does take a change in mentality. It will take time. Try to think about why you are doing this to begin with, and if your priorities are in the right place you can do it! :)
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