How do I go vegan? It’s so intimidating, isn’t it? I thought it was really going to be difficult to change the way I plan to eat. It actually hasn’t been that hard to find
How do I go vegan? It’s so intimidating, isn’t it? I thought it was really going to be difficult to change the way I plan to eat. It actually hasn’t been that hard to find resources in South Africa to aid people in their journey to veganism.
I was thrilled to discover at the recent Fry’s Family event, that it’s harder to change our minds than our diets. Not eating meat, or any animal products for that matter, is frowned upon in society. Lets be honest, how many vegans are invited to traditional South African braais and not questioned about their choice of going plant based, at least once?
But I digress.
Woolworths has a great article which gives you tips to get started.
Use these simple tips to help get you started:
1. Understand why are you doing this. Not understanding the real reason behind your decision will hinder your progress.
2. Build up a database of recipes that are easy to make. I personally use Evernote to keep all my recipes at the ready and easy to find.
3. Plan your meals a head of time. This takes the stress out of dinner time. Woolworths comes to the rescue again with some lovely plant based recipes and don’t forget the downloadable, and completely free, recipe books by Fry’s Family Food Co.
4. Stock up on the ingredients you need for your meal planning. Also buying certain ingredients in bulk, like lentils and beans, will help a lot.
5. Prepare for emergencies. I plan on making a few meals ahead of time and freezing them for busy days.
6. Plant based eating only requires the most basic of equipment.
7. Join a community. There are so many Vegan community groups on Facebook. Here people share their favourite recipes and offer sound advice to newbies, like me. I have learned a lot just reading past posts.
Are you a vegan or vegetarian? Was it hard for you to change your diet? I’d love to hear your story.