NATURALLY STEFANIE’S 5 TOP TIPS IF YOU’RE THINKING OF GOING VEGAN THIS JANUARY

If you are thinking of going vegan in January then I want to share my top 5 tips with you to make it that much easier. I know people can sometimes be put off by the idea of a plant based diet because they don’t know where to start and think they have to completely flip their life upside down. See my top tips below to see just how easy it is to go vegan in 2019.

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1. EDUCATE YOURSELF:

Watch documentaries, read books and articles and view YouTube videos to really get clued up on what veganism is all about. Most people already eat about 70 per cent plant-based and just need to make small swaps on their plate. For example, a common household meal might be chicken with veg and potatoes, so swap out the chicken for a vegan alternative and your meal is 100 per cent plant-based.

2. CHECK THE LABELS AND KNOW YOUR STUFF:

Plant-based means you avoid any products that derive from animal sources such as meat, fish, dairy, eggs and honey. You would be surprised at how many everyday foods have at least eggs or dairy in them, but equally, many daily products are what we call “accidentally vegan”. Some of your favourite biscuits and sweets might already be vegan-friendly and you just do not know it.

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3. FOLLOW SOCIAL MEDIA INSPIRATIONS:

Just about everyone has a smartphone so get on Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube and see what vegan pages are cooking up for some inspiration. There are pages on Instagram such as @accidentallyveganuk which show every day foods that are not labelled as vegan but just so happen to be suitable for your new lifestyle. This is especially good for those starting out and need some convenience foods and snacks to grab on the go or to have with your night-time cuppa.

4. KEEP IT SIMPLE:

There is nothing worse than trying a new lifestyle and thinking you have to flip your whole diet upside down with complex recipes. Pages like my own @naturallystefanie have plenty of ideas for simple meals you can make in under 30 minutes, with cost-effective ingredients. You don’t need to be spending lots of money on super foods and powders — simple everyday food such as beans, lentils, pasta, potatoes, rice, fruit and veg are cheap.

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5. VEGANISM IS A LIFESTYLE:

Veganism is not a diet or a fad that you try for a few weeks to shed some pounds, it is a lifestyle change that can make you feel and look your best by eating a healthy balanced diet. A diet is short-lived, as most of you probably know. If you treat it like a diet you will fall off the wagon and claim that veganism “doesn’t work” when it is a perfectly healthy way of life. So many restaurants nowadays such as All Bar One now have vegan menus available so have plenty of options for you to try. It makes it a lot more realistic when you can go out with family and friends to restaurants they love and there are both vegan and non vegan menus versus trying to convince everyone to try a 100% vegan restaurant with you. It completely normalises your new lifestyle to those around you and helps everyone see just how easy and convenient being vegan can be!