Essential Tips for Vegans and Plant-based Eaters In A Carnivore World

You’ve thought about it but can’t seem to figure out how to go through with it. In a meat-eating world, it’s safe to say that going vegan or eating a more plant-based diet is a hard thing to do. BUT it is not impossible.

Here are some essential tips for vegans, vegetarians, or mainly plant-based eaters aka flexitarians.

ALSO READ: Semi-Vegetarian: What is Flexitarian or Semi-vegetarianism?

5 Essential Tips for Vegans

#1 Do Some Research

If you’re serious about shifting to a vegan diet, you need to know everything that that needs to be known. There are different kinds of vegans. We have the raw food vegans, the junk food vegans, whole food vegans, low-fat raw vegans, starch solution vegans, raw till 4 vegans, and the beauty detox vegans.

Going vegan is not as simple as taking meat out of your diet. You also have to think about other animal products and by-products like milk, cheese, yogurt, and honey. Veganism is also not just about the food and drinks. It is a lifestyle.

You cannot wear clothes made from animals such as leather, wool, and fur. You should also avoid makeup, soaps, and other products that use animals in different manners. And zoos, animal races, and aquariums are not the kind of place you want to hang out.

#2 Pacing Is Key

It is never easy to change. If you’re used to doing something all your life, it certainly won’t be easy if you change that something. When it comes to being a vegan (or changing your lifestyle), going slow is the key for most people.

If you can completely erase meat and dairy from your diet, then you’re off to a good start. But most people find it hard to change diets overnight. Start by crossing out one food item at a time. The best way to start is to cut off beef or pork or both. Try it for one week or more before erasing poultry from your diet. Let another week go by before avoiding seafood. The secret is to take things slowly.

I’m still in a transitional phase of being a flexitarian, but these days I eat meat or other animal products very rarely. For my hubby, it is more difficult as he was a huge carnivore in the past. But big thumbs up for him, though. He manages to go without meat/fish most days of the week.

And yes it is entirely possible to make combo meals (vegan/non-vegan).

Progression, not perfection, has always been our motto. Better take it slow and make lifetime changes than rushing into it. We’ll get there one day; I’m sure of that. No need to stress.

#3 Stock Up

The best place to eat is at home, especially for vegans/vegetarians. To help you with the transition, you can stock up on vegan foods in your home so it will be easier for you to prepare your meals.

The best way to help your transition is to have lots of fruits and vegetables in your pantry. Get yourself some beans, grains, whole-wheat flour, ground flaxseeds, nuts, dried fruits and vegetables, nutritional yeast, vegetable stock, coconut oil, and such.

ALSO READ: 10 Essentials To Keep In Your Fridge If You’re Trying To Go On A Plant-Based Diet

#4 Eating Out

Eating out is one of the most common problems of vegetarians and vegans. We have noticed that here in Cambodia, SE-Asia. Apart from rice, they eat chicken or fish as their primary sources of calorie intake.

So ordering vegetarian/vegan dishes that meet all the nutrient needs and don’t contain cooked animal parts (from not keeping pots separate or messy kitchens) or fish sauce, is quite a challenge… so we prefer to cook most of our dishes at home.

However, in the Western world and more developed countries, more and more restaurants are promoting and supporting the vegan lifestyle, so it’s getting easier today to dine out.

But if you want to make sure and you want to avoid the hassle (and hassling the restaurant staff), call ahead. Ask the person on the other line if they serve vegan dishes. If not, ask them if they can customize a meal according to your preference.

#5 Plan Ahead

It is always rewarding to be prepared. If you’re off for a long drive or you know you can’t come home for a home-cooked meal, prepare your meals early.

Getting caught in a place where all the restaurants serve mainly carnivores is one of the worst nightmares of vegans. If you’ve packed your own vegan meal, you shouldn’t have a problem. Just whip it out when you’re hungry.