10 tips for a vegan diet

The last few years have shown it: The vegan diet trend is not ending. And rightly so. Because not just from health aspects one should think about a plant-based diet, too for the environment the vegan diet means significantly less stress.

If you are considering changing your diet and eating plant-based food in the future, then our ten tips will definitely get you started.

1. Know your “why”

The very first thing you should worry about why you want to switch your diet to vegan. Because this is elementary in order not to become weak even in tempting situations with non-vegan food.

It’s best to answer the following two questions:

Maybe you care Do something good for your body and get fitter and healthier or about To end animal suffering. Your The driving force can also be the environmental aspect or possible food intolerances. Whatever it is, as long as you are aware of your WHY, it will be easier to persevere. Because we can promise you that there will always be situations and moments in which you think of good reasons to make an exception when eating and fall back into old patterns.

The stronger your reason, the higher the probability that you will remember it in “difficult” moments and also say to grandma and grandpa the tenth time: “No thanks, I don’t want to make an exception today either. I don’t want a cream cake meal”.

2. Everything step by step

The following applies to every change: Approach slowly and don’t change everything at once. Because whoever wants too much too quickly is more likely to fail. Switching your own diet to purely herbal products is easier for some and more difficult for others. That’s why you shouldn’t stress yourself under any circumstances. You don’t have to eliminate all animal products from your menu overnight. It’s better to start cutting out or replacing food piece by piece.

Many find it easier, for example, to replace cow’s milk with a vegetable alternative first and to avoid meat. Feel at your own pace and be proud of your progress.

3. Muck out food

For the start of the vegan diet change, it can help Free all cupboards, drawers and shelves, as well as the refrigerator and freezer, of food of animal origin. So that you don’t have to throw anything away, you can invite friends inside or give the products away directly. What you don’t have at home any more won’t end up on your plate anytime soon.

4. Try new things

A vegan diet means trying a lot. If you’ve eaten meat before, your cooking habits will change and you will have to find new recipes and try them out. Just like the variety of vegan products. If you want to resort to substitute products every now and then, it is worth trying out a few and finding your favorite ones.

But be prepared that you cannot replace everything one to one. For this you will get to know new foods and try out new recipes. How about, for example, a vegan quiche with spinach, green jackfruit curry or have you ever tried marinating tofu?

5. Educate yourself thoroughly about nutrients

The be-all and end-all of a vegan diet is this adequate supply of nutrients. Because in contrast to an omnivorous diet (omnivores), most people are less familiar with vegan protein and nutrient sources, which in the worst case can lead to a nutrient deficiency. Therefore: inform yourself thoroughly about vegan nutrients and important supplements.

Critical nutrients can be:

These nutrients are not only critical for vegans: inside. Many mixed foodists also suffer from one or more nutritional deficiencies.

For an optimal supply of nutrients, many legumes, fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grain products should be on the menu with a vegan diet. Soy products are suitable for adequate protein intake, but lentils and other legumes are also real protein bombs.

Particularly important for vegans: inside is the vitamin B12. Since vitamin B12 occurs primarily in animal products, your own should Vitamin B12 needs are mainly balanced with dietary supplements. There are supplements as tablets, capsules, drops or as a syringe from the doctor.

If you want to be on the safe side, you can do a complete blood count after a year of vegan diet and check the nutrients and trace elements iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, vitamin B12 and vitamin D.

You can find more information about the vegan nutrient supply here.

6. Eat vegan proteins

Protein intake in particular is often an issue when switching to a vegan lifestyle. The assumption that only meat, fish, milk and eggs contain protein is wrong, however, many new vegans are often not sure which vegetable protein sources are available.

We have listed vegan protein sources for you here:

If you include some of these foods in your daily diet, you can be sure of adequate protein intake.

7. Eat a balanced diet

Eating vegan does not automatically mean that you are eating healthily. Because many make the mistake of eating a lot of fast food and ready-made products due to a lack of inspiration or a lack of knowledge about healthy vegan products. However, this can lead to nutrient deficiencies faster than with an omnivorous diet.

The 80/20 rule is better: 80 percent unprocessed and freshly prepared meals, 20 percent industrially processed products. So the fun doesn’t fall by the wayside, but you are still well supplied with all the nutrients and eat healthily.

8. Stay flexible

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and try to be flexible. If you’ve gotten too stuck in a line or become too rigid in your new approaches or eating habits, it will become harder and harder for you to enjoy the vegan diet and stick to it with fun.

Over time, a few routines and habits will establish themselves on their own, however try to stay open to change anyway and don’t be too strict with yourself if you have to forego some of your principles in certain situations. You can adjust that according to your own feelings and needs.

9. Look for like-minded people

Every beginning is easier if you don’t do it alone. Switching to a vegan lifestyle in particular can be tedious and lead to unwanted discussions and explanations in everyday life. It is all the more important to exchange ideas with like-minded people and to give each other support.

In the vegan community there are many ways to network with one another. Facebook groups, vegan forums, your own circle of friends, but also events, cooking courses or trade fairs can bring you together with other vegan people. They can also offer you great added value because they are at your side with advice and action and you feel all the more motivated in a group.

10. Be well prepared

Especially in the beginning you can get into a mess when you’re out and about, if you’re looking for a quick snack or going out to eat in a restaurant. For vegans: the range of vegan snacks, fast food and restaurants has become significantly better, but you will still find that you will not find anything suitable.

In order not to be tempted to make an exception in eating, it is important to prepare well. Make sure you have enough of your own snacks when you’re out and about and check out the menu of a restaurant you want to go to online.

But good preparation can not only help when you are on the go. The vegan diet will also mean rethinking at home. So that you don’t have to be creative every day, it can be worthwhile to create a weekly plan with suitable dishes for vegan breakfast, lunch and dinner. By searching, you can quickly find out which delicious vegan recipes there are, which ingredients are used a lot in the vegan kitchen and right at the beginning you quickly have a portfolio of dishes that you can refer to again and again.

Hopefully you are now perfectly prepared for your start into the vegan diet. If you want to know more, you can find out here which egg substitutes are available, which is the best vegan milk substitute for you or how you can make oat milk yourself.

Brigitte