If you read my previous post about weight control, you know that eating a healthy vegan diet is an effective way to lose weight and keep it off. You probably also know that going vegan is a great way to lessen animal suffering and combat climate change. Of course, knowing that something is a good thing to do and actually doing it are two different things. So, if you’re one of the many people who have expressed interest in going vegan—but haven’t quite gotten around to it yet—these suggestions may help get you started:

“Veganize” Your Favorite Foods

Think about the foods you eat on a regular basis. You may be surprised to find that many of them “just happen to be vegetarian or vegan,” or can be made that way with minimal effort. You don’t have to eat entirely “new” foods; just substitute beans for beef in burritos and chili; use faux chicken instead of chicken flesh in fajitas, stir fries, and sandwiches; have soy sausage and scrambled, seasoned tofu for breakfast instead of pork sausage and scrambled eggs; and make pasta with marinara sauce rather than meat sauce—or make meatless “meat” sauce using ground crumbles from Morningstar Farms, Boca, Yves, or other vegetarian companies.

Than, expand your horizons a little. Before I went vegan, I ate meat and potatoes most every night. Now, I eat falafel, hummus wraps, soy cheese and spinach lasagna, lentil and kale soup, pasta and vegetable salad with Vegenaise vegan mayonnaise, potato croquettes, ratatouille, pad Thai tofu, vegetable curries, and other ethnic dishes.

If you eat a variety of veggies, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and soy foods, you’ll easily get all the nutrients your body needs. (I’ll write more on this in a future post, but be sure to check out the resource section below for nutritional information, recipes, and more.)

Ditch Dairy and Eggs

If you choose to eat cheese, make it cholesterol — and cruelty-free — soy cheese! Depending on where you live, you can likely find a few brands of soy cheese (such as Tofutti, Follow Your Heart, or Sheese) in your local supermarket or health food store. Or, order some from Pangea, listed in the resource section below. (The Leahey Macaroni & Cheese is perfect for people who don’t eat cheese!)

Instead of cow’s milk, pour soy milk in your coffee or on your cereal. Use almond milk in oatmeal for a thick, creamy consistency. Or, if you prefer a thinner consistency, opt for rice milk. If you crave ice cream, choose non-dairy frozen desserts, such as Tofutti, So Delicious, and Soy Dream. If you don’t like the first brand you try, taste another!

If you’re a chocoholic like me, you can savor goodies made with antioxidant-rich vegan dark chocolate, and you can easily bake cakes and cookies with egg alternatives, as well as non-dairy milks and margarine. I recommend Ener-G Egg Replacer cholesterol-free powdered mix, but you can also use half of a mashed banana or 3 Tbsp. of silken tofu for each egg in a recipe.

Vegan Resources to the Rescue

Frankly, there are just too many tips, products, and recipes to list here. Fortunately, there are also tons of helpful resources for vegans and “pre-vegans.” Here are just a few of them:

General Information:

VegCooking.com and GoVeg.com.

These PETA sites offer recipes, product suggestions, nutritional information, vegetarian-friendly restaurant guides, book reviews, animal welfare news, and much more.

VegSource.com

Features recipes, articles, health tips, forum boards, videos, and more

PCRM.org
Nutritional news and health commentaries from The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

“Killer” Cruelty-Free Cookbooks:

The Vegetarian Meat & Potatoes Cookbook
Meatless meals that both ardent meat-eaters and longtime vegans will love

Skinny Bitch in the Kitch
A follow-up cookbook to the popular sassy and irreverent Skinny Bitch “diet” book

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World
Decadent desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth

The Compassionate Cook
Easy, everyday recipes that will please your palate and soothe your soul

Shopping Sites:

Pangea
The vegan superstore—chock full of various vegan foods, plus cruelty-free products, non-leather shoes, gifts, and more

PETAMall
Tons of fabulous vegan- and animal-friendly companies all in one “mall.”

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