Going vegan was one of the easiest and best changes I have ever made in my life. It’s brought my eating habits in alignment with my values and with my conscience. Now I more carefully plan each meal so that I can be sure to get the right balance of nutrients every day. It’s made me learn about my macro- & micronutrient sources and amino acid chains. But what takes the cake is that I feel great.

I feel no less strong than I used to, and I derive extra joy from cooking plant-based meals from scratch. My partner – who was the driving force behind our switch entirely away from animal products – loves to cook and eat creatively alongside me. My blood work reports healthy levels of B12, iron and other essential nutrients. We love our greens, our beans, and our dark chocolate, and our digestive systems love us for it.

What’s funny about all of this is that prior to going vegan full-on, I had built it up in thee ol’ brain like it was going to be some dramatic and difficult change. I thought it was going to be crazy tough. I pictured myself longing nostalgically for cheese, or having to explain and defend myself against friends’ and relatives’ chiding and criticism. But the only crazy thing, really the beautiful thing, is that none of that happened. None of it.

It Wasn’t As Hard As I Imagined It Would Be

I do not crave dairy cheese. Am I a freak? No! I have just fallen in love with nut-based cheeses and have discovered other ways to give my meals a savory kick, like sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, and olives. In fact, I do not miss any animal product. Not chicken, not eggs, not milk, not ice cream (thank you, Ben & Jerry’s for your heaven-sent non-dairy line). Not only do I not miss these things, but the thought of putting them on my tongue kind of grosses me out.

My relatives do not fight with me and never did. Most of my extended family is totally supportive and understanding (if they weren’t I suppose I wouldn’t give a hoot anyway). Those rare relatives who are immediately turned off by the word “vegan” don’t seem to mind a chocolate chip cookie or an enchilada at all if we simply forget to mention that it doesn’t contain eggs or cow milk. And even cooler, we’ve forged special bonds and fun cooking parties with our friends and fam who have taken the leap themselves or who regularly weave animal-friendly meals into their weekly routine.

So the change was ultimately easy for me. Still, there were a few things I was glad I did, and I’d like to share those with you.

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Weaning Process

My partner Joe, who was 40 when we began dating, had been a vegetarian since he was 17. When he announced he was going vegan, I totally respected him for it and knew that it was only a matter of time before I made the switch myself. But I didn’t jump in immediately.

I decided to take about 6 months to wean myself off of some of the animal products I was ingesting. I was already vegetarian, but I expected that it would take a while to find suitable substitutes for my morning eggs and for the baked items I loved preparing. A plan of action was going to be necessary. And there were so many questions! What should I begin storing in the fridge in case of emergencies? What would I do when I was out at a restaurant? Which of my favorite items had dairy lurking? Would I still be able to eat chocolate? I knew it would take time to study up and retrain my tastebuds, and I wanted to do it guilt free.

In the end, I was able to make the change in much less time that I expected – three months or so – but I am glad for the research and slow, intentional habit changes I was able to make during that time.

The Value of Planning

Skip this section if you’re done hearing about me!

When I was 17 I jumped into vegetarianism with good intentions but without a solid plan. I was a pretty terrible vegetarian in those early days, eating mostly pasta for dinner, snacking on Doritos and Snickers, and drinking awful beer more than I care to remember. Carbs had become my go-to, so it was no wonder that after five or six years, I had put on 30 extra pounds and suffered from low energy and depression.

I was a college kid without a dedicated food budget, and I gave almost no thought to my protein or fiber intake, not to mention B12 or iron. In grad school, I was a little smarter about it – but not much. So in my late twenties when I began dating a cook who loved to prepare things like chicken marsala, pork medallions, and salmon tartar, it’s hardly a surprise that I ended up breaking my vegetarianism and experiencing what I can only describe as relief. Being fed all of my macronutrients in balanced proportion made me feel more satisfied at mealtimes than I had felt in years. Excess weight melted off without my trying. It’s not that I was a meat-eating convert (I felt guilty every day), it’s just that I was finally getting the nourishment, especially the protein and fiber, that my body so craved.

The Whole Protein Thing is For Real — But Totally Doable

This time when I decided I no longer wanted to eat animal products, I wanted to do my macronutrients right. I knew that I would have to make sure I was getting enough protein at each meal. Leafy greens and other sources of iron and fiber would become a priority. I would make sure to stock food in the fridge so that I wouldn’t turn to bread and snacks instead of complete meals. When it came to micronutrients and recipe ideas, I knew I would have to do some reading. Vegan for Life has been an invaluable source, and it’s led me to take a few supplements I might not have before reading. <<I do not get paid to mention this book, for the record.

Supplements

I take the following supplements:

• B12 – This is really a must for vegans since we have no other way to ingest it and since the body does not produce it. B12 deficiencies can lead to neurological disorders – not something I don’t want to mess with.
• Omega 3 with DHA & EPA – You’ve heard of the fact that it’s tough for vegetarians and vegans to get a “complete” protein (probably ad nauseum)? Well, this supplement helps to complete the chain of amino acids that may be missing in a vegetarian or vegan diet and is therefore essential for muscle growth, health, and repair.
• Iron – Talk to your doc before taking any supplement. It’s always best to get your nutrients from food when possible. I have a family history and personal history of iron deficiency; still, I don’t want to overdo it. And honestly, iron is known to cause constipation — yah, no thank you. I take this supplement only when I feel the tell-tale energy sap of low levels.

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Stay Inspired

Nothing is more motivating than finding a drool-worthy new recipe to try. But where to draw inspiration? A few of my favorite recipe blogs:

• Oh She Glows
• Minimalist Baker
• Cookie & Kate
• Connoisseurus Veg
• Detoxinista
• Vegan Richa

Going Vegan? Stock Your Fridge and Pantry

If I were to have found Oh She Glows seven years ago, I would have had to go out shopping for each and every ingredient prior to making any dish on her site. These days, though, I have many of the right ingredients on hand and feel ready to come up with a plant-based concoction nearly every night without running out to shop. I consider the following staples and must-have items:

Always Have on Hand

• Coconut Oil
• Dates
• Extra Firm Tofu (and at least one on deck)
• Cashews
• Black beans
• Chick peas
• Lentils
• Quinoa
• Couscous
• Grape nuts, the cereal
• Raisins or dried cranberries
• Bananas
• Mixed greens
• Nutritional Yeast
• Spinach or kale
• Roma tomatoes
• Onion
• Apples
• Almonds
• Almond, soy, or coconut milk – we love almond in our house but we’re always experimenting.
• Flours: white, whole wheat, gluten free, arrowroot, almond

On our smoothest days, my partner or I will make well-balanced meals from scratch – nothing overly processed, just the right ratio of protein to carbohydrate, etc. Of course, not every day can be smooth. To be ready for those times when I need to grab and go, I am very glad I keep the following items handy:

“Emergency” – I-Need-a-Quick-Meal Ingredients You’ll Be Glad You Have

• Frozen Chick Patties
• Fake chicken strips
• Hearty bread & accompanying spreads
  • Endangered Species hazelnut spread
  • Almond butter
  • Vegan butter
  • Vegenaise
  • Tofutti – “better than cream cheese” — only you can decide, lol. *Update* The Miyoko brand is quite tasty.
  • Sliced vegan cheeses — Daiya is carried by many stores, but we like Chao when we can find it
• Carrots
• Hummus
• Tofu Pups *Update* I’ve been moving away from these and other overly processed ickiness. Still, they’re an easy go-to for the kids if we’re really hard up.
• Breakfast “Sausage”, onions, peppers

I’ll continue to update this post as new ingredients become available.

That’s about it for getting started eating compassionately. Have you taken the leap? How’s it going? Or, what’s stopping you?

xo,

Leigha