Is It Possible To Achieve Vegan Living Without Turning Your Life Upside ...

 

If you are like most Americans, your diet typically consists of meat, carbohydrates (i.e. bread, pasta, grains), dairy, eggs, vegetables, and fruits.

Depending on the week or day, your amount of each food group consumed varies.

Since this is what most people have grown up with, it may seem daunting to make a switch to something different. More specifically, some people today are interested in adopting the vegan diet. What exactly does this entail? When you go completely vegan, all animal products (i.e. bacon, eggs, milk, etc.) are off the table – no exceptions. This may give you some pause, especially if you are just learning this fact.  How could you eat anything with such intense and limiting restrictions?  Don’t worry; there is some good news. Not only is it completely possible to live a vegan lifestyle, it’s also achievable in a manageable, delicious, and healthy way!

Before we dive into the specifics around managing the vegan diet successfully, you need to do your homework first. When you realize that vegans tend to eat fewer calories, weigh less, and have a lower body mass index than people that have a meat-based diet, it can seem tempting to jump right into this new lifestyle. However, in order to make this the most successful transition, it’s important to know how to ease into it, what to eat, and how to ensure you are getting the proper nutritional intake, even when you are eliminating whole groups of food. Many people choose to work directly with their doctor and/or nutritionist before making the leap, but there are plenty of online resources if you are flying solo. ChooseVeg.com, one of these websites, offers five tips on making the switch to a vegetarian lifestyle (that can be applied to the vegan diet), generally summarized below, but accessed in full at the source:

Enjoy vegan/vegetarian versions of your favorite foods

Think globally and eat locally. There are plenty of great vegan options in culturally diverse food groups like Mexican and Chinese. Enjoy it!

Visit vegan/vegetarian-friendly establishments (i.e. VegDining.com, HappyCow.net, VegetarianUSA.com, VegGuide.org)

Grab a vegan/vegetarian cookbook (you can master these meals!)

Adopt a great attitude. While it may be tricky to navigate your new diet in the start, embrace these changes, and discover the opportunities in eating in a healthier and delicious way.

DISCOVERING THE DELICIOUS VERSATILITY OF VEGAN CHEESE ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS

Of that tips list, are you most interested in learning about vegan substitutions for the animal-based meals you feel like you can’t live without? Let’s say your go-to comfort food is a loaded meat pizza with extra cheese. By definition, under the vegan diet, you can’t have meat or cheese since these products both come from animals. However, you can still have your favorite meal with vegan meat alternatives and vegan cheese alternatives. Produced by leading companies like GO Veggie! vegan cheese alternative products give you that same great cheese taste and texture, without any animal components. Vegan cheeses also are free from the cholesterol and trans fat that is present in traditional dairy cheese, giving you the best of both worlds.

Beyond vegan cheese alternative products, leading food brands continue to produce great tasting products that are perfect for the vegan diet. From coconut milk, to vegetarian burgers, to ice cream, to hot dog alternatives, you don’t have to give anything up. However, in order to be successful at transitioning into to the vegan diet, get to know the products beforehand, understand how to eat healthy throughout the week (while maintaining proper nutrition levels), and find great restaurants that cater to the vegan diet. The vegan diet (or any diet) can’t turn your life upside down if you stay in control. The only thing that truly changes is the foods you eat. If anything, the healthier vegan diet may actually improve your overall life simply because you feel better!