1.Read ingredient labels – You will find that you buy foods time after time. You will obviously know what’s what in these foods. When you buy new foods however, ALWAYS check! You often get an allergy warning too. That won’t always tell you, if it contains meat, but will usually tell you about dairy and eggs. Once you have checked for the obvious things – like meat, fish, dairy and eggs don’t forget – honey and gelatin I usually stay away from “Natural Colourings / Flavourings Natural can mean anything including cochineal which is crushed bugs (YUK). But the “Natural Flavorings” could be meat of fish. Don’t risk it!
2.If in doubt ask! – I recently asked at my local supermarket about an in-store baked loaf of bread which had what looked like butter and garlic on the top. I asked if it had egg or dairy in it. They checked all the ingredients and I found out that not only could I eat this loaf but the entire in store baked breads were dairy and egg free! Bonus! When you go to a restaurant, ask if the “fries” are fried in the same oil as fish or chicken are fried. However, if you are not bothered about this then don’t worry!
3.Show compassion! – I believe we shouldn’t preach to people about their food. Unfortunately Vegans are given a bad rap because we can be quite militant in our beliefs. I believe there is a time and a place for this and out for a nice relaxed meal with your friends, family or colleagues is probably not it. People may find it difficult to respect your diet but make sure you rise above it and show compassion for them! Kill them with compassion!
4.Eating Out – When I’m planning to eat out, I usually research the restaurant well so that I know what I can and can’t eat. It’s also a good idea to call the restaurant and let them know before you go that you are Vegan and confirm what that means. A few days before is great and that way the chef will have chance to order any extra ingredients in. However, I’ve called an hour earlier to pre-warn the restaurant and they were still able to accommodate. If you are off to a movie or show you may find yourself hungry afterwards so it means popping into the local restaurant. This can be a total worry for us wonderful vegans. I’ve taken a great tip from the great Kris Carr of Crazy Sexy Cancer. Order a huge salad and then take either the rice, cous cous or lentils from this dish or the sweet potato fries, pasta or broccoli from that dish, burger without the meat even!? There is always something you will be able to find – just think outside the box
5.Bring your own! – If you’ve been invited to a BBQ or a party, make a dish to bring. Prepare yourself if it’s incredibly vegan, your friends might not eat it but hey more for you!
6.Answer questions – This is a fine line of being informative without preaching. People are often interested in how you can take on a Vegan diet. The cries of “I could never do that!” forever ring in my ears. From my experience I have found it is easier to avoid confrontation by just saying I am doing this for health reasons. People can understand a diet change for health (Many have done more difficult diets than a vegan one!) My advice is start people slowly you can then move on to other parts of being vegan. My favourite question is “Where do you get your protein!?” Ever heard the expression – STRONG LIKE BULL! Bulls are Vegan you know!
7.Substitute, substitute, substitute –
Butter – Olive Oil or Dairy free Margarine
Eggs in baking – banana or applesauce, baking powder or you can get egg re-placer
Chicken or Beef Flavor – Onion, Garlic or vegetable stock cubes
Milk – Soya milk, Almond milk, Oat milk, Rice milk, hemp milk and even Hazelnut milk – There are loads just try and pick a favourite
Cheese – There are many different types of non dairy cheeses. Nut cheeses and even soya. Some of the Soya ones melt too – great for vegan pizzas.
Meat and Fish – You can buy so many different fake meats and fish.
8.Snacks – Take snacks everywhere you go!
A Bottle of filtered water (essential)
A Herbal teabag
A piece of fruit
Some nuts
Chopped veggies (carrots, celery) with hummus.
9.Vitamin B12 – I usually have fortified rice milk with B12 in or marmite but, you can also have supplements.
10.Eat your greens! – Leafy greens are natures intended food they have loads of protein, iron, vitamins, minerals and chlorophyll. All essential for a healthy diet!
11.Soya – It can cause health problems. Its great in moderation just don’t rely on it as your main food. I have it 2 or 3 times a week but you should decide how much you want it. Err on the side of caution.
12.Ignore negative criticism – Always do that, which you know to be right. You will get negative criticism here and there but, you will become a great judge of what you can and cannot say in the right situation. Quietly lead by example.
13.Find like minded vegans – You can Twitter other Vegans; join forums or even a local Vegan society. You can find out about it on the Internet.
14.Don’t make it more difficult than it is! – Take it 1 meal at a time! This is an evolving process. However, don’t kid yourself that it’s the most difficult thing that you will ever do because it’s not. The more you tell yourself how difficult it is, the more difficult it will be! This is what stops people from giving up smoking and giving up meat for just 1 meal!
15.Plan, Plan, Plan! – Again another obvious one but so worthwhile! In the beginning its really essential. Fail to plan – Plan to fail! – Winston Churchill
16.Try Everything! – As long as its Vegan! If you don’t you may miss out on a delicious morsel! If you hate it, don’t eat it again.
17.Whoops! – If you have an accidental mistake, don’t beat yourself up! Just pay attention, learn from it and move on! Its unlikely you’ll be caught out by meat but you may have the odd occasion of dairy or egg.
18.Research – Research everything! The Internet is an amazing tool and if you are equipped with lots of knowledge you will find your journey a lot easier!
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