Straight to vegan?

[VeganCurious]

Just wondered whether others were vegetarian before becoming vegan, or if you started as vegan? I'm not sure which makes more sense- I'm currently an omnivore but starting to feel I can't justify it ethically and my worries about that relate as much to dairy as they do to meat. But it also feels like a big change to make all at once and I don't want to fail (I had sort of hoped that my ethical objection might make meat and dairy seem less appealing taste-wise but sadly not).

I would love to know how others approached it. Would also welcome any recommendations of things to read. Thank you.

We were veggies first so the step wasn't as big but it's still a big change.

There aren't any rules, only pressures you put on yourself. Don't let perfection be the enemy of good.

Start with aiming for veggie anything else is a bonus. Watch things like Cowspiracy and join vegan or veggie fb groups and follow people on Instagram to guide you initially

we just started replacing things and finding out which replacements were worth having and which not. And if they were vegan it's a bonus, if not it's a first step.

It has taken me a long time to decide that i can't abide any of the vegan milk substitutes on cereal or in a cappuccino. In other things, no problems. So we're not vegan. But if i ever find a good milk, i may take the plunge.

I have not yet found a good vegetarian/vegan sausage.

I'm not vegan just veggie, but I personally don't like any of the meat/dairy substitutes (vegan milk, quorn etc). So going veggie for me meant cooking in a different way rather than cooking the same meals but with e.g. fake meat. I do use tofu though - great for stir fries.

i went straight to vegan from being an omnivore. I did a little prep work first to ensure having enough food and recipe knowledge

Hi OP, I was pondering exactly the same thing a year ago. I’d been vegetarian in the past and a really lousy vegan at one point in my early 20s (in the nutritional sense, I just lived off bread and crisps!). Over the years I’d returned to being an omnivore, justifying that I tried to eat organic/free range meat, eggs and dairy as much as possible hoping this meant a better standard of animal welfare. It never sat well with my conscience though being well aware of the reality I was trying to sugar coat for myself.

So last year I decided I had to become vegan in 2022. Like you, I wasn’t convinced I could make an overnight switch so I made a plan for a 6 month transition period with a goal to stop an animal product or two each month so in January my goal was to replace dairy milk and yogurt with plant alternatives and in February similar with butter and cheese. I also aimed to try one out one new vegan recipe a week to build up a new cooking repertoire. I had a few weeks of Mindful Chef vegan recipe boxes which really helped in introducing me to ingredients I’d never cooked before like bean and pulse based dishes and tempeh/tofu.

As it turned out I raced through the transition period. I’d eliminated all meat, dairy and eggs by mid-February. Fish was the last and hardest thing to give up just as I found it an easy, go-to protein source but I don’t miss it now. I’m so glad I made the change and couldn’t go back, really wish I’d gone vegan years before. Good luck with it all x

I was pescetarian, went vegetarian for a week or two, then went vegan when I realised how pointless vegetarianism is.

I watched The Game Changers and Cowspiracy 6 years ago and went straight to vegan; my only regret is that I didn't do it many years ago.

The milk, dairy and egg industries are as bad if not worse than the meat industry.

I was vegetarian so it was a very easy transition for me. I did veganuary with no intentions of actually continuing and just...didn't stop. I do understand that it's a wrench for many people and there is a process of giving up that can be hard.

i would just start swapping now. Research nice recipes, learn how to use tofu and make it nice!! 😆 get a meal kit subscription for a while - try simply eat, they just provide flavours and a recipe card, 4 for £10, it's good for inspiration to try new things and not expensive. What kind of meals do you like? What's your weakness? Some people can't get on board with oat milk in tea, some can't face vegan cheese etc - personally I don't bother with vegan cheese very often apart from vegan feta for salads as that one is quite good, but there are loads now and some that are really pretty tasty.

the Richmond sausages are pretty nice and even my carnivorous step kids will eat them and they refuse all veggie sausages on principle. They have a meaty look to them and apparently do taste quite authentic.

smply.in/R57W67
https://www.simplycook.com/my-account
simply cook referral code for a free box :)