r/vegan • u/Majestic_Distance_33 • 1d ago
Question I wanted to turn vegan!
Hello guys! Recently i thought about converting and being vegan. The only problem is I dont know how and where to start. How should i compose my diet, how do i choose and find the recipes? Every time I have to go shopping do I have to check the list of ingredients of each product? I'm afraid of causing nutritional deficiencies in my body due to a poorly composed diet, that's why I've never started... How do i organize myself with this new lifestyle? Thanks!
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u/Capital_Stuff_348 vegan 1d ago
I can help you with the dietary aspect. If you want to send me a message.
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u/ForgottenSaturday vegan 10+ years 1d ago
You don't really have to worry about health more as a vegan than as a meat eater.
Pick some of your favorite dishes, and next time you cook them, google their name followed by "vegan". There's a vegan version for everything!
There are apps that can help you read labels when buying food. It takes some getting used to to learn how to read tables honestly. As a 10+ years vegan, it's just reflex, I can read one in two seconds now.
Good luck and welcome to the community!
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u/madeaux10 1d ago
YouTube is a great resource. I really love Mic the Vegan’s videos, and Jennae Claiborne from Sweet Potato Soul has some really good videos on going vegan and getting your nutrition. If you’re going to eat a variety of fruits, veggies, beans, etc, you’ll probably get most of what you need. I’d add a B12 supplement. There’s also an app called Chronometer that lets you track your micronutrients and macros. It might be a good idea to eat like you’d want to eat on a vegan diet and log for a few days just as you’re getting started. If you have nutrient goals you’re consistently not meeting, consider supplementing with the rest of what you’re missing or increasing those food sources in your diet. But have fun with recipes. I love Nora Cooks, Rainbow Plant Life, Pickup Limes, Cookie and Kate (the vegan recipes ofc), Sweet Potato Soul, and Oh She Glows. Just to start :). Otherwise I’ll google “best vegan ___” to find a top rated recipe for what I’m feeling like cooking. And yes you definitely need to read ingredients lists!
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u/DragonflyMundane9781 1d ago
I can help you. I'll send you a message and get you started with some basics
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u/question-from-earth vegan 1d ago
Imo, wanting to be healthy and wanting to be vegan are two separate things. They can go together, but they are two different lifestyle changes. Trying to do two lifestyle changes at once is more difficult than doing just one at a time.
When I went vegan, I didn’t focus on being healthy. I just went for veganism and found what I enjoyed and I adjusted pretty okay. Reason is that before I went vegan, I didn’t eat healthy. I ate a ton of cheese, a ton of carbs, and ate fast food, lots of sugar and salt. Until recently, I did the same thing when I went vegan. Tons of vegan cheese, lots of carbs, and ate vegan fast food, lots of sugar and salt. Before veganism I didn’t care about calories and vitamins and minerals, so when I went vegan I didn’t care about calories and vitamins and minerals. I am not dead and I’m fairing fine. I’m only now starting my healthy journey
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u/SorryResponse33334 1d ago
I'm afraid of causing nutritional deficiencies in my body due to a poorly composed diet, that's why I've never started...
Have you felt that way about your current lifestyle? If not, why
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u/picass0isdead vegan 1d ago
THIS
honestly if you eat a variety of foods and have a well balanced diet already, it shouldn’t be that difficult. only thing u need to watch out for is b12 and iron
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u/PM_ME_UR_ROUND_ASS 1d ago
This is such a good point - most people never track nutrients on their current diet but suddenly worry about every micronutrient when considering veganism, which is actually what kept me from starting for months too!
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u/MassiveRoad7828 1d ago
Just stop killing animals
If you’re really concerned about nutrition, read How Not To Die by Dr Greger, but the malnutrition fears are completely overblown
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u/New_Conversation7425 1d ago
Go to Challenge22. They can help you. Recipes are so easy to find on YouTube
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u/leafy_me 1d ago
Health and vegan diet are not necessarilt intertwined.
If you want to aim for both, youre aiming for a plant-based whole food diet. A simplistic way of ensuring youre eating healthy meals: 1/3 of veggies, 1/3 of legumes, 1/3 of grains. And make sure that you eat as much variety of each ingredient group as possible —get adventurous when you go grocery shopping and explore all sorts of whole foods you’re not familiar with.
And remind yourself that what matters most is that you end up adopting a long term lifestyle change, so if in the beginning you’re not on top of it, make exceptions and decide to get there gradually, its find. Dont be harsh with yourself so that you stay committed with the long-term goal of having a healthy vegan diet.
Mic the vegan is a great resource, and also dr greger. I agree with other peoples recommendations on them.
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u/_Cognitio_ 1d ago
If you're worried about protein intake just download an app to track your calories and make sure you're not eating all carbs. Other than that... what are you worried about, exactly? There's nothing special about meat, you can source nutrients elsewhere. B12 is probably the hardest thing to find in plants, but pretty much all plant milk is fortified, so you won't miss it. You can also eat nutritional yeast or marmite for B12.
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u/korinna81 1d ago
It might depend on where you live but just watch out for the green V on yellow background- vegan products are labeled like that and it might make shopping grocery more easy and less time consuming. Oreo, red pringles, blue doritos, fruitella chews are vegan even if not labeled. All plain vegetable and fruit in cans, frozen or fresh are vegan. Go for oat or soy milk. Tofu might be strange first but google like “best tofu recipes” Search vegan cooking on YouTube. It doesn’t taste like chicken is a great website for any kind of dish 💚 welcome on board 🥰
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u/ChartIntelligent6320 1d ago
My body needed to adjust for months and it was rough. Low energy, nausea etc. (I must have been eating real bad before lol) but after that I’ve never felt healthier. Not just more enter also a better mood. I suspect that’s why the vegan diet gets a lot of hate because it’s a lot of detox and body adjusting before you get there. Just make sure you’re getting all the vitamins, minerals, nutrients etc. that you need.
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u/VelvetObsidian 1d ago edited 1d ago
I’ve heard the PETA starter kit is pretty useful:
https://www.peta.org/living/food/free-vegan-starter-kit/
Edit: Be sure to start a B complex vitamin and a vitamin D pill daily. You can get both vegan as well.
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u/Charming_Cookie_1152 vegan 3+ years 1d ago
I’m not gonna lie, I spent a lot of time reading ingredients on stuff before I memorised what I can and can’t eat. I’m from the UK and follow some instagram accounts that show vegan foods in local supermarkets, it’s also good to get inspiration from reddit! The r/eatcheapandvegan one is one of my favourites, they give recipes with their posts and none of it will break the bank either! It’s surprising how many meals can be slightly adjusted to be made vegan! It doesn’t have to be overly complicated, it just feels that way initially because it’s kind of daunting! Make sure you supplement B12, it’s hard to substitute in a vegan diet and it’s significantly easier to just supplement rather than trying to fit it into your diet which can be difficult at first
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u/FuzzyAd9604 1d ago
Check out the book "vegan for Life" also a website that might be helpful is called vegannutrition.org
Supplement b12 2000mg every week.
You might also want to consider vegan d3, Vegan dha.
Eat a well rounded diet with beans, veggies and whole grains. If you're struggling to get enough protein for your size consider having a pea protein shake with soy milk and fruit and or protein powder mixed into your oatmeal or vegan yogurt (kite hill is the best) .
Best of luck
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u/NeighborhoodNo60 1d ago
There are literally dozens of books, probably a dozen magazines, not to mention a million YouTube videos to help you with this. You can do this!
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u/LovePeriel 1d ago
Go to Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, In Defense of Animals and PETA for help going vegan.
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u/FairyOri 1d ago
Like someone said already, check out https://challenge22.com/, it's a 22 days vegan challenge organized by a non-profit.
The whole thing happens on Facebook groups, there's a preparation phase and you get a small task each day for 22 days. There's vegan mentors to help people during the challenge and even registered dietitians! I think you can even get a personal mentor at some point if you ask for it.
I am starting volunteering there as a mentor and I'm currently in training. So far it looks really well organized and like a lot of thought went into it.
If you feel lost, this might be a good way to start!
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u/Nice-Revolution1286 1d ago
Please check on YouTube. There are wonderful advices by activists. A program 'challenge22 ' will assist you all the way through..go to Earthling Ed.
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u/barleykiv 1d ago
Use cronometer.com to measure if you nutrients intake is fine, at least in the beginning, also look on the youtube for vegan channels a bunch teach you how to plan your meals
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u/iloveyou-dot-exe 1d ago
You have to be bitten by a vegan. They are mainly out at night. They do like garlic, chili and most like koriander. Just hang around the produce aisle at a supermarket or locate the tofu and just place yourself strategically in the vicinity of it.
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u/IntrepidRelative8708 vegan 17h ago
I recommend spending a little money in the wonderful book I read when I decided going vegan, "Vegan for life", by G. Messina. Or borrowing it from your local library. It contains everything you need to know.
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u/Ok-Area-9739 1h ago
I think it’s funny that you use the word converting because that’s normally tied to religious transfers.
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u/James_Fortis 1d ago
When your why is strong enough, your resolve solidifies. Below are three free documentaries that had a major impact on my veganism:
Dominion (ethics)
Eating Our Way to Extinction (environment)
The Game Changers (health/performance)
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u/Curtisg899 1d ago
just ask chatgpt.
but yea generally it's not that deep. just supplement b12 and omega3 and make sure u get enough calcium, iron, and protein.
but yea ask chatgpt frfr
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u/m4ttebroz 1d ago
ChatGPT helped me so much to make meal plans and to easily adjust my intake. Be sure that the AI makes correct calculations and adjustments. Stay safe
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u/extropiantranshuman friends not food 1d ago
well I have a top 5 foods of each nutrient in r/veganknowledge if that helps. I already organized you for you - all you'd do is just memorize if not analyze everything you need to know there to be on track to picking the best options.
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u/nunyabizz62 1d ago edited 1d ago
You tube. Good place to start is Derek Sarno.
Mill your own flour to make fresh bread, rolls, buns, tortillas, pitas and pasta.
SOY CURLS are your friend.
TVP
Tofu scramble for eggs.
Will need to supplement with B-12, Iodine and Omega 3s which should be doing those anyway regardless what diet you're on.
Also, if you're old like I am, over 65 then its a good idea to have a couple protein shakes everyday. I use Naked Pea Double Chocolate protein powder plus a scoop of Ancient Nutrition Multi Collagen, gives you 35grams protein per shake. I try to get at least 120 grams of protein per day.
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u/high_colors4443 1d ago
In short: Poor people's diet.
Hi, biochemist researcher (PhD) here, going cruelty free for 30 years by now.
Meat and other animal products were only at the reach of the wealthy for most of the time humanity existed. The majority, aka "the poor", had to find substitutes that will include the proteins and other nutrients needed to maintain a healthy diet.
So, the combination of grains+legumes gives you the right combination of amino acids that your body cannot synthesise but needs from other sources. So "poor people's diet" are rice+tofu, Pita+Humus, rice+lentils, rice+beans, cereals+soy milk, beans on toast, corn and frijoles... in any culture around the world, you'll find vegan dishes, so it's affordable, varied, and easy to achieve. (and recipes improved to perfection).
*Importantly, pasta alone, if not accompanied by a legume/nut friend, is insufficient as a protein source. However, you don't need to eat protein in every meal, so if you occasionally go for just pasta with tomato sauce, you'll be fine.
I try to prepare my own meals rather than those processed "beyond meat" substitutes, but if it helps you, go for it.
Recepies? Google and AI's are your friends, with tons of delicious recipes and various degrees of difficulty.
Combine that with lots of seeds, nuts, etc. For example, I add ground almonds to many of my dishes to add extra nutrients. I also add nuts and seeds to my salad. Plus, of course, make sure you eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. However, it's important to remember, those don't contain protein, so a vegetable is not a substitute to meat.
I also take B12 tablets and some daily vitamins to stay on the safe side, and having a blood test once a year to check my iron and B12 levels are good. They are.
As for the little ingredients, that's for you to chose. People make their own choices regarding how sustainable a certain lifestyle is for them. it's also ok to change, like checking in the beginning every product, and then deciding you prefer to be more chill. My personal uptake, is that I'd prefer to invest my time in finding vegan leather shoes than to google every "E-xxx" ingredient on some product. But you do you :)