11 Things I Wish I Knew Before Going Vegan
When I went vegetarian, I had to go through a process. It was faster than I had expected, because after watching a video about slaughterhouses and drenching myself with more information, the reasons I had to stop eating meat were so clear to me that the rest followed effortlessly. In about a month, I was entirely vegetarian. The longer process came after I had already ditched meat: becoming proficient in eating more varied and learning more and more each day. For instance, I found out some months later that some things I would never have thought of weren’t vegetarian, like a few popular cookie brands that are made with bovine fat in Argentina.
It didn’t come as a surprise then that becoming vegan would also be an interesting journey. As soon as I arrived in the U.S. and discovered a new vegan world around me, mainly vegan restaurants and vegan foods at the supermarket, my mind went straight into reflection mode. After I did some research, I found myself in a similar place than years before, learning new things and uncovering a new world that had so far been reserved for my mistaken prejudices. As you will find out in my list, vegans don’t just eat lettuce and sunflower seeds!
Find out below what are the things I wish I had known before I became a vegan, in the hopes that maybe you can start a vegan lifestyle, or even a plant-based diet, with a bit more knowledge than I had, as if I was helping you skip ahead of time.
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW WHEN GOING VEGAN OR PLANT-BASED
1) You will eat more varied than ever
No, vegans don’t starve themselves, even though we have somehow ended up fighting that fallacious belief. On the contrary, I’ve never eaten as varied and as healthy as when I became vegan. Of course, as with any diet, there can be some exceptions. Vegan junk food exists and is there to save our cravings, laziness, or lack of time sometimes. At first, as I went vegan for the animals, I wouldn’t mind much about how healthy my meals were, as long as they were vegan, and I wasn’t contributing to the myriad of ethical and environmental problems I had learned about. Those stories you have probably heard about someone going vegan for two days and having health issues is one of the most ridiculous generalizations on veganism. Think about this: if you start a lettuce diet, it is going to be vegan, but super unhealthy, because lettuce can’t give you all your nutrients. And that, my friends, is how veganism gets a bad reputation every couple of months. In my experience, each month that passed, I started learning and caring more about moving towards a whole-foods plant-based diet and taking better care of myself–although I sometimes buy processed vegan food. It’s all about the 80/20 rule.
2) Being vegan is not just about food
I knew veganism wasn’t only about food, but I wasn’t sure about the specifics. There are other things I already avoided as a vegetarian, besides meat, because I believed it would be contradictory to not eat animals but wear them as fashion accessories, or to eat gummy bears when they are made with gelatin. In that respect, I stopped buying leather products when I started my vegetarian life, and I started giving away the few leather objects I had at home. Some vegans could be okay with using leather products they already had, but not buying new ones. Personally, I didn’t want to because I was disgusted by it. However, I did use wool because I assumed that sheep didn’t have to be killed to get it. I later found out it’s mostly a cruel industry, and unnecessary for the animal, and it is all about animals not being commodities or ours to exploit. The same thing happened with the refined cane sugar process, which I found late in my vegan journey.
Basically, part of the learning process is becoming aware of these matters gradually. There are a lot of things that you most likely didn’t know aren’t vegan, but perhaps with this post I can save you a bit of trouble and show you that you must look for animal-by-products even where you least expect it.
This shouldn’t be a problem if you are starting a plant-based diet, as you only must look out for ingredients in your products and avoid any animal-product or by-products. Plain and simple. There are some nuances here as well, however. As an example, I once saw a plant-based Omega-3, but when I looked at the ingredients list, it had gelatin. I wouldn’t consider this plant-based because gelatin is made with animal parts. Labels are occasionally deceiving, so always read the ingredients list!
3) Plant-based isn’t the same as vegan
At the beginning of my vegan journey, I thought these two were used interchangeably, but they are different concepts. I have explained it a little bit in this post. Basically, everything that is vegan is plant-based, but not everything that is plant-based is vegan. Veganism is a lifestyle and seeks to eradicate cruelty and animal products in every part of a process and product, while plant-based diets dismiss this fact. For example, refined cane sugars could be considered plant-based because it isn’t an animal product. However, because refined cane sugars require bone char in their processes, meaning a part of an animal was used to produce it, most are not suitable for vegans. Also, as I just mentioned, vegan relates more to a lifestyle, while plant-based refers to a diet. This diet is based on plants, and some people take that literally and sporadically include an animal product in their meals (99% plants, 1% animal products, just to mention an example), although others eat only plants, but may not consider the process, or may use leather products, for instance. Either way, just avoiding the consumption of animal products is such an impactful action!
4) You shouldn’t apologize for being vegan or call yourself weird
I have always been so sure about my choices as a vegetarian and as a vegan that it’s surprising to think that there was a time when I used to diminish myself in front of others, so they would leave the matter alone. For example, I would go out with a group of new friends, and naturally everyone found out about my diet and lifestyle. The fact that I’m both a celiac and a vegan (and back then a vegetarian) did make me feel a bit different, and I emphasized it. “You eat both gluten-free and vegan?!” they asked me, and I would reply “I know, I’m a weird breed”, or something of the sort.
It was only later that I thought about this and started considering it stupid. On the one hand, there is nothing weird about having an autoimmune disease. On the other, there is nothing weird about choosing carefully what I eat because I care about animals. It was as though I was apologizing for trying to do something good and being myself, as if I owed anyone that, or as if it affected them personally. And so, I stopped. Easy as that. Words are more powerful than we realize, hence it is important to choose them carefully. If I hear someone asking me about my diet in a judgmental way, I simply reply with the confidence that I owe myself. You don’t have to be sorry for eating different than the rest. You should be proud for trying to make a change!
5) There are a lot of alternatives for the things you thought you had to give up
What I see is that a lot of people fear going vegan or plant-based because they will miss some of their favorite foods. About this statement, I have two things to say that could help you. The first one is an invitation for you to think about if it is worth it to kill or torture an animal for a few seconds of ‘pleasure’, and at what costs you wish to experience such an ephemeral pleasure. The other thing is that there might be alternatives to those foods you love. Most animal-based products taste the way they taste because they add things to it (mostly herbs and other plants, coincidentally), and there are many restaurants or companies that are experiencing with these flavors. This way, you can get the same taste experience, without the cruelty.
Some alternatives are plant-based meats (plant-based beef, pork, chicken, fish, turkey, sausages, and others), vegan cheese (I swear there are so many vegan cheeses that will make it very easy for you to give up regular cheese), vegan pizza, even vegan egg. These are great for you to start eating less and less meat, dairy, and eggs, or at least start replacing a few meals per week. A healthier option is to be creative in the kitchen and emulate these flavors with whole foods. For instance, some vegan restaurants offer a sushi that uses watermelon as a replacement for salmon. Start adding more plants to your diet, and eventually you probably won’t even crave the meals you’re leaving behind, as the body and mind get used to a new diet after some time.
There are also alternatives to things that aren’t food, like vegan leather for shoes, or vegan toothpaste, to name some.
6) There are more vegetables and fruits than just tomato and spinach
Just so you can picture how much a person’s view can change, some years ago, when I was younger and ignorant and was already on a vegetarian diet, I thought vegans were crazy because they could only eat seeds, fruits, and vegetables, which to me translated into a diet based purely on chia, banana, and lettuce. Now I can laugh about it, because there is a bit of comedy in looking back and seeing yourself being so mistaken in the past. Again, these views are based on lack of information, which means the solution lies in getting educated. My parents, as another example, thought I would die from starvation and iron deficiency when I first went vegetarian, a fathomable concern because they had never known another vegetarian, but now we go to vegan restaurants together and they understand my reasons. Their concern most probably originated in this false idea that vegans only ate lettuce.
Throughout all these years I have discovered a lot of fruits, vegetables, and other plants I didn’t eat before, and that constitute a varied diet that keeps me super healthy. The many ways that exist to cook these plants helps keep it varied. Did you know you can make pizza crust with broccoli, or mac and cheese with cashews, to mention a few?
Make sure to eat as many colors and shapes of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and legumes, as you can so you can get a wide range of nutrients and you don’t miss on anything. Most vegans supplement on B12, although if you consume fortified plant milks, you are probably already covered. Curiously, despite the myths that surround veganism, B12 supplements should also be taken by most meat-eaters. Vitamin B12 is made by microorganisms in soil and water. Soil lacks these bacteria due to intense farming, and fruit and vegetables–where we used to get B12 from–doesn’t offer B12 anymore because of sanitation. Farmed animals are therefore given vitamins with their feed, and therefore also consume B12 supplements, through these animals, and are usually under-supplemented. Vegans consume the supplement directly.
7) Be prepared for judgement but also for curiosity and open-mindedness from people you least expected
Vegans will continue to be judged for far more years than we deserve, although little by little people are starting to be more used to the idea, and even agree with our reasons. Even people who have always loved meat are starting to eat a lot less of it. Nevertheless, I still hear (or feel) a lot of judgement from people. Some come in the form of questions with a judgmental tone (“but are your kids going to be vegan too?”), most of which I consider unintentional, or that probably originate from some form of worry or lack of information on the subject. The worst is the direct form of judgement: “she’s vegan, she’s crazy”, or something of the sort. The first is more common than the second, in my personal experience.
However, I also encounter a lot of people that ask me questions without the judgmental tone, simply because they want to know more about veganism. When they begin asking and it turns into a deeper conversation, people start reflecting on things they haven’t thought about before. A person may ask how vegans raise their children, which sounds way better than ‘but are your kids going to be vegan?’, as the intention behind that question is to know more, and not to give an unsolicited opinion masked as a question. They could also ask what the best sources of protein are, or why vegans refuse to eat eggs, and other questions of the sort. So, as well as judgmental people you will run into a lot of curious people, which I think it is great.
8) Vegan restaurants are your best friend
Eating out can be challenging as a vegan or if you are on a plant-based diet. When I go out for dinner to a non-vegan restaurant, I get a bit suspicious about certain meals, like vegan burgers, because I fear cross-contamination or lack of knowledge from the staff. My partner once ate the Impossible burger at Burger King, and they gave him a regular burger, but this happens in restaurants too. I prefer to avoid those bad experiences and go for the safer choice, in these cases, like a salad.
The best solution is to simply go to a vegan restaurant. It is easier and you will have so many options. Besides, your non-vegan friends and family will most likely be interested and opened to visit a new place, in the same way you can get excited about trying Vietnamese or Colombian food for the first time. I have also noticed that almost every vegan restaurant has several gluten free options; they go hand in hand at some point. In a vegan restaurant you will feel part of a community of like-minded people, and there is no better feeling!
9) You will have to plan ahead
Just a heads up: if you are going to travel, plan beforehand. While on a road trip, check vegan restaurants on the way in your map, and plan your stops accordingly. That way you don’t end up being hungry in a small town with few or zero vegan options. If you are visiting a new town, check the vegan spots before you go, save the pin in your map, and plan your meal regarding the attractions you are visiting. This way, you don’t have to travel across town to have lunch at a vegan restaurant you passed by earlier when you left a museum.
When you go out with friends, even in your own city, check beforehand if the restaurant you are going to has vegan options. There are still some restaurants that don’t even offer one. This way, you can tell your friends, and you can visit a more inclusive restaurant instead.
This thinking/planning process is a positive thing, because it makes you not take food for granted and choose more consciously and better!
10) You will become an expert
Being vegan or embracing a plant-based diet means you will become more conscious of your decisions. To make the best choices you will need information, which means learning will be a major part of your journey. You will learn about nutrition, cooking, the environment, ethics, and many other things. An ‘expert’ is a way to put it (of course you are not getting a degree in nutrition), but you will start reading studies, learning new recipes, understanding the impact of diets on the environment, uncovering the truth about slaughterhouses, dairy farms, and many other industries, thus becoming a sort of encyclopedist.
11) Your impact is even bigger than you think
A plant-based diet is more sustainable, and by embracing one you are therefore reducing your environmental impact, by saving water, land, and avoiding air pollution. In addition to this, you will stop supporting an industry that kills more than 70 billion animals for food each year, as well as the cruelty that reigns in the dairy, egg, and honey industries, among others. Another perk is that a plant-based diet is going to do great things for your health.
You might need a bit of perspective to understand the big scale of your impact, as you will probably think ‘you are just one person’, but each person going plant-based or vegan adds up quickly, just read this article to comprehend the immensity of what we can do. It is a win-win however you look at it!
If you’d like to know more about plant-based and vegan diets, and read my future posts, please don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter!
Hi, I’m Melina,
I’m the creator of Sustainable Rookie, and my goal is to share what I learn throughout my sustainability journey, so that I can help other people live a more conscious life.
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