There are many reasons why someone might want to switch to a plant-based diet – for ethical reasons due to the way animals are treated, for health reasons, or perhaps because you feel it’s better for the environment. Whatever it is, it’s something that more and more people feel is a good idea, but just because they want to do it, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to do, especially if you’ve been used to eating meat and dairy for many years (probably your whole life).
It is possible, though, and once you start, you might find that it’s the best thing you’ve done. With that in mind, here are some of the ways to slowly add plant-based food to your diet.
Start With Your Snacks
One great way to start transitioning to a vegan diet is to consider what you eat right now, opt for the smallest element, and change that first. For a lot of people, that’s going to be their snacks, and if that’s the case for you, it’s a great place to start – it’s not going to affect you that much, but it will show you what’s available and help you experiment with alternatives to animal-based food as well as different flavors.
If you like to have a mid-morning snack or mid-afternoon treat, this is what you’ll need to focus on – the first thing you could do is switch to fruit and veg, as they’re easy to get hold of and healthy, plus you’ll already have a good idea of what you like and dislike. After that, if you want a bit more variety, you can explore vegan options made specifically for those who want to enjoy plant-based food. Check out your local store, and you’ll find a wide range.
One Meal At A Time
Maybe you don’t tend to snack all that much, or your snacks are already plant-based because you focus on fruit and vegetables. If that’s the case, your snacks aren’t going to make any difference, and you won’t realize you’re trying vegan food. So why not pick one meal a day and make that vegan instead?
It’s often wise to start with breakfast, as you can mix and match a lot of ingredients to slowly ensure you end up with a plant-based meal every day. You can make small changes like switching to oat milk from myom.shop rather than using cow’s milk in your coffee, for example, or trying other vegan alternatives to your standard breakfast food. Once you’re settled with a good vegan breakfast every day, you can move on to lunch and finally dinner, working slowly towards an entirely plant-based diet.
Swap Your Protein
One of the biggest issues people tend to have when moving towards a plant-based diet is their protein. After all, that’s the element of most meals that takes up the most space, and finding something to swap to can feel like a struggle.
That’s why this is a good place to start if you’re not sure how to make your diet more plant-based – once you’ve cracked the problem of your protein, everything else will be easier, and by working out how to enjoy less meat and more plant-based items, you’ll grow in confidence that you’re making the right choices. Some of the changes you can make include using vegetarian or vegan substitutes instead of meat, for example, or eating lentils or tofu as the main part of any meal. Although it might be a big change, it’s also one that can make a big difference, so it’s worth trying.