Posted below are some tips that have helped me to stay on track with my vegetarian and aspiring vegan diet. Hopefully this helps you all!
- Do it for yourself
As I previously mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I wanted to make a change in my diet after watching the documentary “What the Health,” which highlighted the link between processed foods and disease. After completing some additional research about a vegetarian and vegan diet, I learned about some additional benefits such as increased energy levels, clearer skin and more. This has helped me to stay motivated to continue in this diet. If you are making a life change, then you have to focus on your motivations because every time that you eat you will have to
recall them. - Find tasty recipes
I have easily managed to stick with my diet because there are so many recipes available that are delicious even without meat. In fact, I often forget that there is no meat in each of these dishes. On other occasions, I have taken meat-centered recipes and substituted them with a plant. For example, I took a classic pulled pork sandwich and I used jack fruit to replace the meat. You could also substitute the meat with mushrooms. - Get a good support group
I am fortunate to have a good group of friends who have been supportive in this endeavor. One of my best friends even decided to make me a Vegan Lasagna for dinner one evening. It is a great step to share your journey with family and friends, not only to spark their interests in making the same lifestyle change, but also to have that support system. Now, I have experienced some negative comments doubting the research about the nutritional benefits, but I have simply chosen not to discuss my diet with those individuals. Simple fix! - Make a public declaration
Aside, from simply eating right for myself, I have found that publicly
announcing my dietary change has also helped. My network is generally aware of this change, and as a result, I have had family and friends share their own experiences and inquire about my own journey. Making a public declaration is just an additional reinforcement to holding yourself accountable, however, if this is the only motivation for changing your diet, then you should probably reevaluate why you may be making this change. - Learn about Nutrition
This leads me to my next point, learning about the nutritional benefits of a vegetarian and/or a vegan diet is a constant process as new studies are constantly emerging. As I have become more educated about the benefits of a primarily plant-based diet, it has acted as an additional motivation.
