How To Eat Plant-Based For A Month - Tips For Beginners

Going vegan is so much more common than it used to be. I don’t think I even knew what a vegan was ten years ago! Now, I’ve been vegan for years, and many people around me are also considering it or are already living the plant-based life.  Whether you are challenging yourself to be meatless for March or changing the way you eat forever, you should keep the following advice in mind to help you with the transition.

Cooking without animal products can be somewhat like learning how to cook all over again. Give yourself extra time in the kitchen to get used to all the new ingredients and methods. Cooking tofu, for example, can be tricky at first because there are so many ways to prepare it, but you have to find the way that you enjoy it. 

Convenience foods are a modern-day blessing, but they are best when consumed in moderation as they are processed and contain unhealthy amounts of sodium, sugar and fat. Finding balance is key. For example, you should enjoy and indulge in occasional convenience food, yet consume more whole foods overall. 

It can be tricky to work out how many calories you need, which is why first-time vegans often feel hungry even after they’ve had three meals a day. Going from a meat-eater to completely plant-based, you will have to eat more than usual as most vegan food is less calorie-dense than animal products. While figuring out your portions, make sure to have some nourishing snacks on hand like avocados, nuts and nut butter, bananas, apples, and dried fruit to keep you satisfied. 

Reading food labels can be time-consuming, but it can be necessary if a product doesn’t explicitly say whether it’s vegan or not. Unfortunately, there are many confusing phrases hiding in the ingredients lists. It might not be clear whether something is animal-derived or not; for example, vitamin D can be sourced from lanolin, which is sheep’s wool. 

Even if you don’t consider yourself a stickler for organisation, I would 100% recommend making a weekly meal plan for the first month you decide to eat plant-based! It will save lots of extra journeys to the supermarket, it will help to make sure that you’re eating enough and not going hungry, and you will likely save some money too. 

Fill your social media feeds with vegan inspiration, watch videos, read cookbooks and conjure up your own recipes in your head. I sometimes get into a cooking rut where I feel bored of the same old rotation of recipes over and over again–so when this happens, I dive into all of the inspiration-inducing forms of media! 

You absolutely must take advantage of the vegan offerings in high street chains and beyond! If you’re lucky enough to live in a place that has fully vegan restaurants and takeaways, please do visit them. Not only will their menus remind you how delicious vegan food is, but they’ll inspire you to make your own creations. 

You can save money on plant-based foods like pulses and legumes if you buy them in bulk and directly from organic wholesalers. You’ll also reduce packaging waste. 

If you make a mistake, don’t dwell on it. Instead, expect to accidentally eat something that has a small percentage of milk powder in it at least one or two times–we’ve all done it!