“You’re the worst vegetarian I’ve ever met,” and “all you eat is bread and cheese” are the two most common phrases I get thrown at me when I tell people I’m vegetarian. I’m not all about the tofu, beans, or even peanuts really, so when I told my friends I was going vegan for a whole week, all I got back was a loud laugh to the face.
I’ve been vegetarian for eight years and I’ve had no problems — other than when I was younger, my mom constantly hid chicken in my mashed potatoes, apple sauce and even my yogurt (ew). But when I decided to go vegan for a week, I ran into more problems than I thought I would (but hey, it’s not impossible).
So here are some tips that I wish I had known before embarking on this dairy-less diet. This guide will make it easy to stay away from those eggs, milk — and the one that hurts the most to give up — cheese.
1. Don’t Stay Home Just Because You Can’t Always Eat Out (You Can)
This is your chance to get creative! On my first day of being a vegan, my friends thought it would be fun to go out for omelets (a personal favorite of mine) and at first I was stoked, only to remember eggs had just become my worst enemy.
I thought I’d have to stay home. I mean, what’s the point in watching? Then I decided I’d try something new — something vegan. There are so many different options out there, so I opted with avocado and hot sauce on a bagel. I think that when I go back to eating dairy — I still might order this!
2. Make Almond Milk Your New Best Friend
Almond milk is high in protein and perfect for both vegetarians and vegans. Now you won’t have to give up cereal, smoothies or even pancakes — just swap out recipes that call for milk with almond milk and you’re good to go.
3. Learn to Love Cooking
Cooking is about to take up much of your time, so why not make a hobby out of it? It’s even said that baking and cooking can be good for you! As a vegan, you’re going to have to make a lot of your own meals. So put on some music, find cool recipes and make the food that satisfies you and you’ll find yourself looking forward to dinner time.
4. Eat Lots of Bread and Drink Lots of Water
It’s a common misconception that vegans can not eat bread… but they can (thank God). So in order to stay full, indulge in some bread and drink lots of water. It’s important to stay hydrated and full, and you can easily add some lemon to your water and get all the other health benefits.
5. Peanut Butter Doesn’t Actually Contain Butter
All week of being a vegan I had avoided one of my all-time favorite foods… peanut butter! As a vegetarian, peanut butter is my go-to source of protein and it wasn’t until the last day that I was told I could in fact eat peanut butter. In fact, you can get even more protein out of it by adding chickpeas. Just check this hummus recipe out.
I am in no means saying that it is easy becoming vegan; however, if you’re looking for something new to try out or just want to become a bit more healthy, these tips are a good place to start. Good luck — you’ll need it.