As veganism becomes more mainstream, more people are looking to adopt some basics of veganism into their everyday lives.This may not mean a desire to become a ‘fully fledged vegan’. It may simply mean beginning to remove animal products from your lifestyle and becoming more aware of the choices you have every day. The benefits of veganism are becoming more obvious. The more people who adopt vegan practices, the more our world and its population stand to benefit!
Among many considerations, nutrition is a big one in a vegan diet. A vegan diet not only promotes increased consumption of more fruit and vegies. There’s also increasing availability of alternatives to animal products. It’s a great time to consider veganism!
For videos from The Animal Edit about veganism, check out the YouTube playlist.
An action plan
If you’re ready to adopt a few (or many!) vegan practices, the following might be helpful!
Write down your reason/s
During the course of adopting some vegan choices, you’ll face some challenges. Before you start, get really clear on why you want to change these habits – whether it’s health, the environment, animals or a combination. Visualise how your life and behaviour will be different and be clear about what you want. Write it down – you can refer back to this if and when you’re faced with challenges!
Identify one place to start
Unless you’re comfortable jumping into the deep end, it’s a good idea to take baby steps when you’re changing behaviour. Consider these options and commit to one of them:
- Commit to one meal per day being vegan
- Identify one day per week where you won’t consume animal products
- Commit to 7 days of animal-free diet if you really want to test it out! (or you could do a whole month)
If you need some inspiration for how to change a habit, Zen Habits is one of my favourites. Here’s a place to start.
Replace animal products in one meal per week
Think about your existing meal habits, the kinds of food you eat every day and identify where you could substitute meat alternatives. It could be tofu instead of chicken, beans instead of beef mince, vegan cheese instead of regular cheese, or soy milk instead of dairy. There are lots of options – pick one to start with and you can grow it from there.
Identify and bookmark some favourite resources
Once you start searching for vegan recipes and vegan inspiration, you’ll find it hard to stop! There are so many amazing websites, blogs and resources out there. Here are a few of my favourites – but I’m sure you’ll find your own:
- Minimalist Baker
- Hello Glow
- Veganuary
- Oh She Glows
- How Sweet Eats (not a specifically vegan website but I used to reference it for vegetarian meals, and she now has a “vegan” tag! Yay!)
Enjoy the process!
This whole process is about uncovering and clarifying your deeper values as they relate to animals/ the environment/ your health, and aligning your everyday actions. The more you deliberately align your actions with your values, the more fulfillment you’ll uncover. Enjoy the process of growth and fulfillment!
Take it easy
Adjusting your everyday actions for the long term will probably not be a quick process. Take is slow, enjoy the process, and be easy on yourself if you make a mistake or find something challenging. This isn’t a race – it’s an adjustment to thought patterns and actions that can last a lifetime.
The bottom line
As well as the health benefits, if you love animals, the planet and the environment, veganism is a is a beautiful avenue through which to activate your compassion. Try dipping your toe in the water and see how you feel. You may find it easier than expected to make the change. Make gradual and permanent changes. Don’t try to be a perfectionist. You will make mistakes, but as long as you have a solid foundation in your reasoning and good resources to back you up, you’ll be more than fine.
Want more?
If you’d like to get started and would love a helping hand, join my free 4-week program to help you ease into veganism. You’ll receive one email each week with an action tip and guidance on how to get started with veganism, on your own terms. It includes more resources, recipes, meal plans and inspiration to keep going.
