Veganism
- Nikita Rao
- Mar 26, 2020
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 17, 2021
How to Change Your Diet
“It takes nothing away from a human to be kind to an animal.” -Joaquin Phoenix WHY SHOULD YOU GO VEGAN?
Vegetarianism is something I take very seriously in my life, and I make the conscious decision everyday to pursue this diet. I hope to become vegan throughout this journey with you!
There are so many benefits by changing into this diet:
You can make a positive impact to the environment by not supporting the harmful meat and animal by-product production. Many studies have found "that vegans have the smallest carbon footprint, generating a 41.7 percent smaller volume of greenhouse gases than meat-eaters do." This is unbelievable difference! The meat and animal by-product industries produce so much pollution: "Livestock as a whole is estimated to be responsible for around 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions."
You can go vegan to fight for animal rights and to follow your moral beliefs. Animals endure the worst abuse and mistreatment. I believe that all beings are precious and should be your friend rather than your meal.
Veganism also has amazing benefits when it comes to your health. Meat and dairy can be very harmful to your body. By changing your diet you can have a lower risk to some harmful heart diseases and diabetes, decrease your cholesterol levels, and more!
HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE DIET
I would like to first say that this might be a very difficult task for some of you. I have found it very hard to completely go vegan. Sometimes my temptations overcome me and I feel guilty afterwards. However, you shouldn't! It will take some time to give up meat and animal by-products, but I assure you it is possible even with a few failures. So, this also means while I am providing tips on how to live this lifestyle, I will be following it as well. Let's do this!
I have found that the easiest way to change your diet is by a detailed agenda that overlooks a week that you can implement for the rest of your life. Just because I say this plan might work for me, it might not work for you. So, by all means change the agenda so that you can succeed! If you are a meat eater or a heavy dairy and egg in-taker, it is crucial that you eat larger portions that are filled with protein and healthy ingredients. There is a notion that just because you stop eating meat, you don't have enough protein intake. There are still plenty of ways to get in your protein. Like tofu (my personal favorite), beans, soy chunks, nuts, and more!
VEGAN TRANSITION:
WEEK ONE:
This week will cover the initial transition by simply giving up a few food items! If you mess up, that's totally fine, but don't forget to pick yourself back up again.
Day 1 and 2 | Try to focus today's and tomorrow's diet on greens! I would also suggest that you watch a couple of videos to see how the meat industry works. Many meat eaters don't know how this industry operates or choose to turn a blind side. However, knowledge is key!
For breakfast | A smoothie with loads of greens. Something I have been wanting to try is a smoothie with frozen mango, frozen banana, orange juice, kale and spinach leaves! You can always customize your smoothie! Another breakfast meal is vegan pancakes loaded with fruits, oats, and grains!
For Lunch | A mediterranean sandwich! This consists of any bread you want, vegan cheese, hummus, onions, tomatoes, arugula, and spinach. Another meal can just be a salad, with your choice of greens, vegetables, and a yummy dressing. However, don't forget to have protein like tofu, beans or chickpeas.
For Dinner | I personally love homemade pesto pasta with pine nuts and a side of a salad. Another meal are tacos with a lot of greens and vegetables. Grilled broccoli, zucchini, arugula, black beans, corn, and a yummy sauce :)
Day 3 and 4 | These two days, you should focus on getting in that protein! Also it would be awesome if you could do some research and see the benefits of veganism.
For Breakfast | Try vegan English breakfast or a quinoa porridge with fruits like blueberries, bananas, and strawberries
For Lunch | Make a tofu burrito packed with vegetables, guacamole, and beans! Or you can try a black bean burger (which are the best!)
For Dinner | Try to make tofu stir fry or fried rice with rich vegetables. Another meal is falafel with pita bread or in a wrap!
Day 5, 6, and 7 | For the last three days focus on putting together the greens/veggies, protein, and also some yummy guilty pleasures! Remember, becoming a vegan shouldn't be a chore for you. Have fun!
For Breakfast | Eat a bagel with fruits on the side. Or you can try a breakfast burrito with tofu, beans, and corn. And lastly oatmeal with granola and fruits
For Lunch | Try a salad packed with avocado, grilled veggies, and a yummy dressing! Yummy cashew Alfredo pasta is also a great meal. Finally, try a tortilla, black bean soup topped off with guacamole, vegan sour cream and a side of chips!
For Dinner | Try some Indian food, in fact a lot of Indian food is vegan. This includes: Rajma, Masala Dosa, Chana Masala, Vegetarian Biryani, and so many more!
After the first week, it might be best to go vegan every other day. Do this until you are ready to go completely vegan! If you mess up, just get back up again and you will succeed!
Throughout this journey figure out what best works for you:
What vegan milk do you like?
What are the best places to buy food for the best prices?
How to make sure you are eating enough and staying healthy?
What are some great restaurants to go to?
Here are some vegan recipes my family and I have made:
Stir Fry With Tofu
Tacos With Grilled Vegetables and Guacamole
Tomato Soup
MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:
Veganism has been one of the hardest thing for me to accomplish. It has been hard for me to stay vegan for longer than 2 weeks. For instance, I would be doing so well and then suddenly I find myself eating ice cream. Some people are easily able to implement this diet, but this wasn't easy for me.
One method that really helped me was avoiding the chance to eat dairy or egg, by simply not making or buying food that isn't vegan. Another technique, was to plan my meals for a week. Planning my meals and thinking of fun recipes, made me excited to eat vegan food and encouraged me to stay vegan. I really felt accomplished after cooking a fun and complex meal, so I would really recommend you to do so as well! It is also important to find healthy vegan snacks that don't take long to put together when we are too lazy to make a whole meal.
I also think that by slowly transitioning into veganism was the best thing for me. I would be vegan for a week and then take a break for a couple days. Then I would be vegan for 2 weeks and take a break; I would do this until I was completely vegan and comfortable with this diet!
I hope you found this informative and helpful! Please let me know if you have any questions or comments by emailing me :)
Lets get green!
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