HERE ARE MY TEN STEPS TO GOING AND STAYING VEGAN



Have a WHY 
Why do you want to eat this way and what is it you want to change? This WHY will become your north star and compass. Create a list, have something you can go back to. 

Educate yourself on the meat or dairy industry 
There are so many videos and books on the meat and dairy industry. Check out my Amazon list for books I love. Check out Netflix for inspirational and eye-opening films like, The Game Changers, What the Health, and Forks Over Knives. 

Baby Steps
What is one thing you can change today? Is it order almond milk at your local coffee shop, eliminating some non-vegan items from your fridge? Start small and do a little more every day and week. Take it one step at a time! 

Overeat! 
You are transitioning into a healthier lifestyle full of more fruits and veggies than ever before. If you are not full after a meal, you can have some more. 
Your body is adjusting, give it some grace. 

Concentrate on nutrient-based whole foods 
There are many “accidentally vegan” items, like Oreos. While it is fun to treat yourself every once in a while, you should try to get as many nutrient-dense foods into your system. Eat the rainbow! When in doubt, add veggies like kale to your smoothies. 
 
Replace it! 
Don’t give up everything you love! There are so many vegan replacements for the foods you enjoy. There are vegan mayos, faux meats, crackers, and mac and cheese. Figure out which ones you like and stock up! 

Learn and Search for vegan restaurants. 
Check my eating out guide! 

Water yourself 
Water is one of the cleansing ingredients we have on the planet. Now that
you are eating a more fibrous, nutrient-dense diet, you will need to make sure you are getting enough water. Your body will thank you!

Eat organic
Support your local farmers. Go to the farmer markets near you and stock up on all the beautiful organic fruits and veggies. Your body, the farmers, and the planet will thank you! 

Be easy on yourself 
Everyone makes mistakes. Don’t be too hard on yourself, and pick-
yourself up when you fall. Go back to your WHY (step 1). You got this!

Eating out

I have been vegan for 12 years, so when eating out I seek out vegan restaurants,
Normally I just google where I am and vegan restaurants. Yelp helps a lot as well. It will show you vegan places and places with vegan options. 
There are websites like Happycow.com that list vegan or vegetarians’ cafes and options.
I travel a lot and places like LA, San Francisco, and New York are vegan heaven. There are all sorts of options like vegan mexican, sushi, thai, fancy and more.

Take a peek and see what is near you. If you have Whole Foods near you or a health food store, they usually have hot food items, sandwiches and a salad bar. 


When I eat out at a non-vegan restaurants, I will give you some examples of what I may order.

At a café, I would order a salad without cheese possibly add avocado. I would look at what sides I could order and if any look good. I would check the soups and see if any are vegan (many are).

For a sandwich I would order.
Whatever vegan bread you like (most are) 
I love sourdough or French rolls
If you are at  Whole Foods they have vegan mayo, I get that.
If not, mustard is vegan.
I get Avocado, Tomato, Onions, Pickles, and Lettuces, All vegan.
This is my fave. 
Most delis can make something like this.


Mexican

I check if their beans are vegan.
I check if their rice is vegan and then I order accordingly. 
I normally get a burrito with beans, rice, avo or guac, lettuce and onions.
Chipotle has sofritos which are a delicious soy-based meat replacement.


Pizza
Most crust is vegan. Many places have a gluten-free crust as well.
I am lucky that there are a few places here on island that offer vegan cheese.
So I order pizza how I normally like it.
I also sometimes get it with no cheese and order a side of marinara.
My favorites are…
Pineapple, Spinach, Black Olives and Onions
Or
Artichokes, Sun–Dried Tomato, Black Olive, Garlic

Pasta

For the most part pasta is vegan, otherwise its called Egg Pasta.
Marinara is vegan as well, just tell them to hold the parm.
Sometimes I order noodles, with olive oil, garlic and salt. It is simple and filling. I normally get a side salad with vinaigrette


Burgers

A lot of burger places have a vegan burger. It amazes me. Look for a burger joint that has a vegan option. They are amazing.


Breakfast 

Breakfast is tricky and why I look for vegan places.
There is always fresh fruit. Oatmeal if they have non-dairy milk.
hashbrowns .Maybe a veggie scramble. See if they have bagels and hummus. Add a tomato!

I hope you enjoyed these tips! For a complimentary gift of recipes I built just for you go here:

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