Do you want to try a plant-based diet but you’re not quite sure where to start? We have you covered with our top five tips to start your vegan journey this January.
A well-planned and balanced plant-based diet is just delicious and nutritious. However, if you’re unsure about getting all those essential vitamins and minerals in, we suggest getting in touch with your GP and have your blood work done. This will give you a great starting point to see what foods you might need to add or remove from your current diet to balance out the important nutrients for your optimum wellbeing. Whereas we are firmly certain that you can get all your necessary nourishments from the food you eat, there’s a wealth of vegan-friendly supplements out there to get you started while you learn what food contains which nutrients. Speak to us for suggestions!
🌱 Start with a vegan day, and move at your own pace
Most people don’t become vegan overnight but start with one or two days per week; they cut out meat, dairy, egg, and fish gradually. Meat-free Mondays have proven vastly popular amongst households who decided to work towards a plant-based diet, and this way you’ll soon find yourself more and more on familiar grounds with vegan foods for everyday living.
🌱 Give oat milk a try
Research suggests that most people prefer oat milk as a substitute to dairy. Oat milk is made from blending oats with water, and then strained, resulting in the creamy, white liquid we all keep seeing in supermarkets and coffee shops these days. Unlike its dairy counterpart, it’s low in fat, lactose-free, and high in vitamins and fibre, making it easier to digest; and it promotes a healthy digestive system! Most store-bought oat milks are also fortified with vitamin D and B12, two of the vitamins that are essential but can be a little harder to obtain with a vegan diet.
🌱 Chose a vegan option when you eat out or order in
With Veganuary in full swing, many restaurants and eateries have special plant-based options as alternatives to their regular meat dishes. Why not give the vegan option a try while you’re out and about? To see a full list of vegan-friendly restaurants across the UK click here.
· Wagamama has taken a plant-pledge and recently made over 50% of their menu vegan.
· Zizzi, Bella Italia, Ask Italian, Prezzo and Pizza Express all have delicious vegan options – ask for their vegan menus!
· Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Papa John’s now offer not only vegan cheese on their pizzas, but also plant-based meat substitutes as well as sides.
· Yo! Sushi, Itsu, Pho, Wasabi, Leon, and Las Iguanas offer delicious additions to their standard menu in January, while catering for hungry vegans all year round.
· Frankie & Benny’s, Slug & Lettuce, Harvester, Weatherspoon’s, and Toby Carvery also offer plant-based options, including Sunday lunch and full English vegan breakfasts.
🌱 Switch to vegan ‘meat’
You might find that some foods or dishes are a bit harder to give up. But fear not! There’s a huge market with mind-blowingly realistic vegan meat substitutes out there. Think: juicy burgers, chicken goujons, ham joints, bacon rashers, kebab strips, and even steak! All 100% plant-based, with 100% of the flavour. They’re often a good source of protein, fibre, folate, iron, and B-vitamins, while containing less saturated fat and cholesterol than for example ground beef. Peta has recently brought out a handy guide to the different manufacturers and their goodies on offer here.
🌱 Get support
Remember that you’re not alone in this journey, even if your friends and family might decide to not join you in becoming vegan at this stage. Having people to share tips, tricks, and concerns with can be a big part in keeping on track. No matter if you’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Reddit, most social media platforms have helpful and friendly groups and posts for new and senior vegans alike. Why not search for hashtags such as #NewVegan #AccidentallyVegan #VeganUK #VeganFood #VeganRecipes and check if your town or city have a vegan group you can join!
Lastly, if you're looking for ongoing help, or worry about nutritional aspects of a plant-based diet, I'm here to help you get your vegan journey kick-started! I can help you with meal plans, a comprehensive introduction to vegan foods and their nutritional values (including taste testers!) and help you veganise your favourite recipes!
Email me at vtritionist@gmail.com to enquire a tailored package for your Veganuary 2022 journey!