Are you a struggling vegan?

From timesofindia.indiatimes.com

With increased awareness of the benefits of a plant-based diet, more people are choosing to eat vegan for their health, the planet and the animals. A study published in December 2021 reported that 65% of Indians are interested in trying a vegan diet. 

However, years of mental and physical conditioning make it difficult to transition to vegan without support, encouragement, knowledge about nutrition and skills like meal planning. The study also reported that inability to stick to the habit (21%), unavailability of meal plans and recipes (20%), and not able to find more vegan food while eating outside (18%) were top reasons for not transitioning to vegan.

So let’s break down these barriers that may be holding you from staying vegan.

You went vegan purely for health reasons – A whole foods plant-based diet has well-documented health benefits right from helping to reduce heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and aid weight loss. 

Choosing to go vegan purely for health reasons is a great way to get started. You will see some immediate positive results. Some of the most common reports from participants is that after 31 days vegan they experience an improvement in their digestion, skin, hair, sinuses and sleep. Participants also reported improvements in arthritis, chronic fatigue and energy levels. Some people report better mental clarity, others that their depression symptoms were relieved. Many find that sporting performance improves. 

These short-term changes can feel miraculous, but the real power of a whole food plant-based diet is over a longer period as that’s where the life-changing benefits really lie. To stick to veganism for a lifetime it’s worth exploring veganism beyond the nutritional benefits. 

When you become aware of the atrocities of mass-scale animal exploitation, and what it does to our planet, it makes it that much easier to say no to animal consumption over time. There is no need to overexpose ourselves to negative news, just enough to reinforce our commitment to eating vegan.

You lack support from family and friends– This is one of the main reasons people abandon a vegan diet. It can be exhausting, both physically and mentally to be the ‘odd one’ always having to cook separate meals, requesting an ‘offbeat’ dinner for yourself.    

It’s tempting to give up, maintain peace and eat the same as everyone on the table. It is hard to be vegan when you lack support from family, friends and colleagues. Go through the tips below to help you stay strong in such situations.  

Cook batch meals for yourself and refrigerate them to eat throughout the week. 

Alternatively, make meals that can be vegan, and let others add dairy/meat after separating yours first.

Introduce vegan days for your family to let them know how tasty the food can be and start seeing the benefits of veganism.  

Sign up to a support system and be a part of a global community of new vegans who are going through the same journey as you

Eating out struggles –Sometimes laziness gets the better of us. Before you know it, one poor choice leads to eating chicken two nights in a row and having a pizza for lunch.

The best way to combat this is to plan. List out all the places that offer vegan options for lunch during your lunch break, or pack in advance. These days, most food delivery platforms have a vegan filter, so just type ‘vegan’ in the search button!

If you’re a little particular, ask the cafe or restaurant to make something off the menu. Most places are happy to do it if they get notice or you request ingredients to be put together that they already have in other dishes.

Once you get more experience and educate yourself on the abundance of vegan-friendly foods available, it’ll be easier to make the right choices. 

You lack knowledge of a vegan lifestyle- Knowledge is critical to staying vegan. Watch, read, listen, talk to others, connect with like-minded people. Learn about the best plant-based sources of essential nutrients. Learn the art of meal planning. Recognise that many of the foods you eat- like roti, sabzi, dal, chawal- are already vegan! 

Putting plants at the centre of our meals does not mean we have to sacrifice pleasure or flavour. You get to choose from wholefoods, legumes, nuts, fruits, spices, herbs, and some of the 20,000 edible plants that exist in the world. We can experience an incredible improvement in our health while enjoying some wonderful new flavours.  

Don’t know what to cook –For those who don’t like spending time in the kitchen or tend to burn things to a crisp without meaning to, I can completely understand that transitioning your lifestyle to avoid meat, dairy, eggs, and honey would be tough. I went through that period, and I ate bread and peanut butter for lunch for two weeks straight. 

Now with so many cookbooks, recipe blogs and new products in mainstream stores, it’s hard to get stuck for ideas. Start slow, introduce new meals when you feel like you have some basics covered. Try new vegetables or cook those you’re familiar with in different ways. Try different grains.

There’s always so much to experiment with and test out. If someone else is cooking for you, spend a little time training them on what you eat and don’t. You will soon settle into a routine which suits your lifestyle. 

You started off trying to be a perfect vegan – This is a direct ticket to failure and disappointment. Prepare well and start small. You will have a good start if you have basic groceries, planned what you will eat for a week and have at least one friend supporting you. Even so, you will sometimes end up giving in to temptation or accidentally eating some dairy. When this happens, don’t consider it a failed attempt at eating vegan. You don’t need to start from scratch. We all have our slip-offs from time to time. We just need to chalk it down to experience and continue on our journey.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/are-you-a-struggling-vegan/