Earlier this week a woman asked me how to she can start a vegan diet. I immediately thought to myself there is no easy answer to that, but is that actually true? Isn't every big transformation in life about changing a few things and sticking with it? I thought long and hard to find an easy answer for answering that question. Here is what I came up with. Five easy steps to a vegan diet.
5 Easy Steps to A Vegan Diet
1. Stop eating meat and dairy. If the food comes from something with eyes or a mother, don't eat it. Similar to other habits you want to break, it works best to stop everything at once.
2. Shop for vegan alternatives for condiments, milk, cheese etc. Make a list of what you eat on a daily basis and research a vegan alternative. Check out the Ordinary Vegan shopping list here.
3. Commit to a vegan diet for one month. The changes your body and mind will experience in that little time will probably convince you to stick with it. Go to your doctor for blood tests before you become vegan and one month later.
4. Eat what you love just find vegan alternatives. If you miss chicken, try Gardein vegan chicken breasts. Beyond Meat makes delicious burgers and ground vegetable crumbles. There are numerous vegan cheese options although I recommend making your own with nuts. I personally don't eat a lot of processed vegan foods, but if it helps get your over the hump then go for it. If you want to keep it clean, use this vegan power plate for every meal.
5. Don't let eating on the run become an excuse not to embrace a vegan diet. It's a lot easier then you think to order up vegan meals at non-vegan restaurants. Don't bother telling your waiter you are vegan, just say you are allergic to dairy and that should get their attention. Then don't order anything with eyes. Sides work well. Always carry some almonds or seeds to add a little protein to your meals. Hemp seeds, chia seeds and ground flax seeds are loaded with protein and fiber.
Last but not least, having a constant reminder of the reason you are going vegan will help you stick with it. So if there is a particular article, picture, quote or even a negative doctor's report that reinforces your desire to become vegan, put it on your refrigerator door so you are constantly reminded.
Remember, if you don't change something, nothing will ever change. Good luck and if I can be of any help, don't hesitate to reach out to me. When in doubt about what to eat, follow the vegan power plate for complete nutrition.
Now on to food. Today I made this delicious vegetable paella this week. I wanted a little protein so I dusted some tofu chunks in corn starch and sautéed them in a tiny bit of olive oil. The corn starch gave it a lovely crunch and golden brown color. I don't recommend eating too much soy but once in awhile is fine.
Hope you enjoy this plant-based recipe as much as I did. Don't miss any of Ordinary Vegan's delicious plant-based recipes by signing up here.
If improving your overall health and wellness is among your goals, don't miss Ordinary Vegan's Podcasts on plant-based nutrition. You can listen to them on iTunes or right here on my website.
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (or ¼ cup of seasoned vegetable broth for sautéing)
- ½ spanish onion, finely chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
- ½ fennel bulb, cut into strips
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 14/tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground tumeric
- ¼ tsp cayenne papper
- 1 cup short-grain paella rice
- 6½ tbsp good quality sherry
- 1 tsp saffron threads
- salt & Pepper
- 2 cups boiling vegetable stock
- ¾ cup frozen edamame
- 12 plum tomatoes, halved
- 5 small grilled artichokes or from a jar, drained & quarted
- 15 pitted black olives halved
- 2-3 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
- 4 lemon wedges
- Heat the oil in a large shallow skillet and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes.
- Add the bell peppers and fennel and continue to saute on medium heat for about 6 minutes or until soft and golden.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the bay leaves, paprika, turmeric and cayenne to the vegetables and stir well.
- Then add the rice and stir thoroughly for 2 minutes before adding the sherry and saffron.
- Boil down for a minute, then add the stock and ½ tsp salt.
- Reduce the heat to the minimum and simmer very gently for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Do not cover the pan and don't stir the rice during the cooking.
- Meanwhile steam frozen edamame.
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed but without stirring the rice and vegetables much. Scatter the tomatoes, artichokes and edamame over the rice and cover the pan tightly with foil.
- Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
- Take off the foil.
- Scatter the olives on top of the paella and sprinkle with parsley.
- Serve with wedges of lemon.
Sounds fab. Soy chunks? Define please.
soy chunks bad description – just cut into squares – Think you will like this Jacque!
You’re cool
Hi, I am not sure I am ready to go vegan at this point, although I am very attracted to the idea, do you think that starting by eliminating red meats will provide health benefits?
Hi Stella – it will absolutely provide major health benefits and taking it one day at a time helps too. Always remember, you don’t have to be perfect. I recommend that you listen to the Ordinary Vegan podcast #1 on iTunes or here on this website. I think it will help clear a lot of things up. Good luck and keep us posted. Here is a link.
https://ordinaryvegan.net/1-2/