Vegan Guide to Branching Out Into a Plant-based Diet

The holidays are known as the season of giving…the season of giving in, that is! Giving in to heavy, meaty meals. Giving in to cheese-packed party snacks. And giving in to cream-covered cakes, plus a big scoop of ice cream on top of your pie. Come January, your body could use a break! So how about breaking away from your meat-filled, dairy-doused diet by going meatless for a month? January is called Veganuary because thousands of people try a plant-based diet for the month. Today, vegan eating has evolved from the diet du jour into a mainstream, meal-time mainstay as more and more people discover the benefits of going vegan. Want to make a New Year’s resolution that’s as good for your health as it is for the planet? Get a taste of how to go plant-based with our vegan guide to what to expect, what to eat, and what you’ll love about going plant-based, from A to V. 

Root Out the Truth About a Vegan Diet 

A vegan diet is a way of eating that’s focused on only consuming plant-based foods and beverages. Vegans avoid all animal products, which takes meat, fish, dairy, eggs, and honey off the menu. People choose to follow a vegan diet for a variety of different reasons, from ethical to environmental and from health to humane. While going vegan may seem to be the trend of the times, vegan diets have actually been a tradition in many cultures and countries for centuries. And now, January brings Veganuary and other vegan challenges that give you a taste of a plant-based diet. After learning how being vegan is more about satisfaction than sacrifice, a vegan diet may become an annual—or everyday!—tradition for you. 

Help Yourself to the Benefits of Going Plant Based 

Going vegan has a lot going for it. Some do it for animals because they’re concerned about animal welfare. Others do it for the planet because it reduces their carbon footprint. But most people go plant-based for their health because of the benefits it can bring. When you follow a vegan diet that consists of healthy, real foods instead of overprocessed products, a vegan diet can give you an alphabet of vitamins and nutrients, which can benefit your body and mind in the following ways: 

• Can keep your heart healthy 
• May lower blood pressure 
• May reduce your risk of several kinds of cancer 
• Could prevent type 2 diabetes 
• Helps lower your risk of stroke 
• Keeps your brain sharp and strong 
• Helps you lose weight  

Chew Over Everything Vegans Eat 

When you take dairy, eggs, honey, fish, and meat off the table, this leaves room for an endless array of foods that come from plants that goes far beyond green salads for every meal! How about waking up to fruity smoothies and a tofu scramble for breakfast? Then sit down to a bowl of minestrone or grab a PB&J for lunch. Tame those mid-day munchies by dunking veggies in a zesty dip or snacking on a nutty trail mix. Come evening, enjoy a relaxing dinner of veggie-loaded grain bowls or chickpea tacos with a dollop of guacamole. As you will see, following a plant-based diet can be easy and enjoyable with this vegan guide to all you can eat: 

• Veggies, from spinach and potatoes to broccoli, mushrooms, cauliflower, and carrots.  
• Fruits, such as bananas, apples, pears, melons, avocados, and kiwi. 
• Whole grains, from the typical bread, pasta, cereal, and rice to the more adventurous quinoa, barley, and farro.  
• Legumes, which means lentils, chickpeas, edamame, peas, and beans. 
• Nuts like walnuts, cashews, almonds, peanuts, and all of the butters that come from them. 
• Soy-based foods like tofu, tempeh, and soy sauce. 
• Seeds, such as sunflower, flaxseeds, chia, and hemp. 
• Dairy alternatives from oats, almonds, coconut, soy, cashews, peas, and hemp. 
• Herbs, spices, seasonings, sweeteners, oils, and vinegars to make every meal different and delicious. 

Get to the Meat(less) of the Matter on Supplements 

When you take meat, fish, dairy, and eggs out of your diet, you need to find ways to get their nutrients back in. That’s why supplements are highly recommended in a meatless diet. Begin with a multivitamin packed with vitamins and minerals. Then make a beeline for vitamin B-12 because it’s one of the important vitamins that mainly comes from animal-based food. (You may also want to seek out vegan versions of foods fortified with B-12.) Calcium is also a concern for vegans since most people get their fill from dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt. Luckily, there are several vegan-friendly foods that are full or fortified with calcium to help you fulfill your needs. Just as essential to your health are essential fatty acids like Omega-3s that are mostly found in fish. But when you take the fish out of a dish, you can still find vegan sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, but you need to eat more because your body absorbs less. 

Whether you’re an animal lover, an environmental advocate, or a health enthusiast, this vegan guide on how to go plant-based can help you go meatless for a month—and maybe even more!