Since staying vegan isn’t always easy, I thought I’d provide you with a few tips which work for me.
TIPS TO HELP YOU STAY VEGAN:
1. Periodically remind yourself why you became vegan in the first place, and confirm that the initial reasons for your decision are as important to you now as they were when you first made your choice.
2. Mentally pat yourself on the back for having the confidence to stick by your decision despite criticisms and comments you may get from others.
3. Make the effort to connect with like-minded people. You can attend vegan meet-ups, connect through social media or take a vegan cruise. It’s always good to know that you’re not alone.
4. Make sure to keep your refrigerator and cupboards stocked with vegan foods you like, which you can grab at a moment’s notice. My kitchen is always stocked with fat-free hummus, Wasa Crackers, raw veggies, Ezekiel bread, all-natural fruit jam, canned beans, and kernels for air-popped popcorn.
5. Be prepared for traveling. Make sure to keep vegan snacks in your bag, and do some research on the Internet before you leave your home to determine if there are any vegan or vegetarian restaurants at or on the way towards your destination. I like Happy Cow for this purpose.
6. Keep your lifestyle as simple as possible. Don’t make it harder than it has to be. Learn to prepare a few simple healthy meals that you love, and stick to them. However, if you love to fuss in the kitchen like I do, then go for it! Remember that there is no shame in using canned soups, pre-chopped vegetables, boxed muffin, pancake or cake mixes, or using beans and lentils from cans or vacuum-sealed packages. For lunch or dinner, I often roll some pre-chopped vegetables and hummus in a whole wheat wrap and call it a day.
7. If you have plans to go to a non-vegan restaurant, go onto the restaurant’s website in advance to see what the menu looks like. See if you can find a way to put together a vegan meal with a salad, and some sides of vegetables. Don’t shy away from calling the restaurant to see if they will be able to prepare a vegan meal for you. I have always been able to find something suitable to eat at any restaurant, even at a steakhouse, since I became vegan.
8. Don’t be embarrassed to ask questions to your waiter or waitress at restaurants. It’s part of their job to serve you, and you can be rest assured that there are people who are much greater “pains in the neck” than you think you are.
9. Don’t feel uncomfortable while dining at restaurants with your non-vegan friends and family because you are vegan. I used to feel that I wasn’t “fun enough” because I wasn’t joining in their idea of a feast. It didn’t take long for me to realize that my friends were not uncomfortable eating animals in front of me, so why should I feel uncomfortable with my choice?
10. If you are invited to someone’s home for a holiday, barbecue or other event involving food, always call the host or hostess in advance and offer to bring a vegan dish that will fit into their menu plan. I often bring a simple vegan chili which doesn’t take too long to make, and which others really love.
11. Arm yourself with some good answers to the inevitable questions, such as “where do you get your protein?,” “how do you get your calcium?” and “would you eat an animal if you were starving and stranded on a desert island?” Feel free to leave a comment below if you have some good answers to any of these questions or if want some suggestions from me.
12. If you’ve had a health issue that was reversed or made better by your dietary change, that alone should be more than enough to help you stay vegan!
13. Watch as many videos and documentaries as you can depicting the horrors of factory farming, and incidents of cruelty to animals. I know this is hard, but envisioning the brutal torture of an innocent animal every time you want a steak will certainly crush your momentary craving.
14. Think of how much you love your dog, cat or other pet. Every time you see someone about to eat a chicken leg or thigh, think of how cute your pet’s thigh or leg is, and how sad it would be if someone chopped it off to eat it. Ok, I’m getting a bit gross. Sue me!
15. Reaffirm your choice to live your life as an individual who cares about others and the world we live in, instead of making choices which only suit yourself. I believe that living a meaningful life makes for a happier life.
16. Hold your head up high and know that you are truly making a difference in the world, because you are!
*Did you know that every vegan saves about 198 animals’ lives per year? That’s right! PETA member and mathematician Noam Mohr calculated the figures and, because vegans don’t eat animals, each vegan saves nearly 200 animals per year!
That is my favorite vegan fact which makes me feel proud and happy every single day of my vegan life and, if you are vegan, it should make you feel proud and happy too!
Click here to read my post Staying Vegan On The Road.
Click here to read my post Staying Vegan In College.
Peace and love,
Debby
xoxoxo
Great blog post Debby! After having several meals with Andrew, and spending several days with Ellen, I am convinced that a vegan can always make a meal for themselves at any restaurant! As far as your statistics, it is pretty amazing to see how many animals you actually save in a year, and that is a good reminder to everyone—–when you eat a vegan meal, you have actually saved a life! Though I cannot brag about saving as many animals as your figures above, I do feel good each time I eat a plant based meal and I know I have done it too!
Thanks Helen! It’s true that with every plant-based meal that you eat, you are saving an animal’s life! Hope Andrew is feeling well on his vegan diet.
Love this post! I’m so glad someone finally acknowledged that being vegan can sometimes be tricky, especially if you have switched from a traditional american diet.
Thanks so much, Jody! It is still tricky for me after 4 years! Thanks for reading!