5 Tips for Living Vegan in an Meat-Eating World

TIPS for Living Vegan in a5 Meat-Eating World

by Diana Goldman

Think it’s too hard to go vegan? Drawing from research I conducted, interviewing or surveying almost 1,000 vegans, ex-vegans, and aspiring vegans, these research-proven tips, for going and staying vegan, are sure to help you. • Boost your knowledge and know your why. Learn about the connections between a vegan diet, disease risk mitigation, world hunger, animal suffering, and climate change. Documentaries, books, magazines, and blogs can be great sources of information. The more you learn, the more conviction you’ll have to fuel your willpower.

• Know that extraordinary life changes are possi-

ble. In addition to experiencing health improvements (92% of research respondents), the majority (87%) reported feeling a greater sense of peace, purpose, and/or personal fulfillment as a result of changing their diet.

• Embrace support from a friend, a coach, a mentor,

or an online group. This will help increase your sense of community, belonging, and self-confidence.

• Focus on progress, not perfection. While some do find success as “instavegans”, the majority of us do well transitioning over time. Be patient with yourself as you make changes in your diet. There is no need to give up due to slip-ups along the way. • Sail Through Social Situations. Of all the challenges vegans face, social pressures top the list.

They are most responsible for creating ex-vegans and dashing the hopes of aspiring vegans. In fact, 85% of the ex-vegan research respondents identified social challenges as the cause of derailment.

While social challenges are real, over time you will learn to anticipate tough situations, and be prepared with solutions like these:

Going out to eat? Check menus online, call restaurants ahead, or simply ask staff members, when you arrive, for suggestions that are vegan or can be made vegan. Invited to others’ homes? While thanking the host for the invitation, inform him/her about your diet. Offer to bring a dish you love to share with others. If vegan food is prepared for you, be grateful for the thoughtful kindness that has come your way. Invited to a formal celebration? When RSVPing, politely ask the host to inform the caterer that you eat a vegan diet. With advance notice, caterers are quite accustomed to accommodating different dietary requests. Bring along a snack, just in case the message is not conveyed. While the culinary experience may not be ideal, rather than feeling sad or resentful, find the joy in the moment- being with friends and family, celebrating love and life. Cooking for family or friends? Serve crowd-pleasing vegan dishes. Build-your-own-bowls, from a variety of ingredients that everyone can choose from, tend to work very well. A dish like this is tasty and fun to create. Traveling? Pack a variety of satisfying snacks, so that you don’t find yourself hungry on the road with no vegan options. Some favorites are energy bars, veggie wraps, dried and fresh fruit, and hummus with crudité or crackers. Interacting with non-vegans? Accept, and see the good in, those around you. Interactions will be more pleasant if others don’t feel pressured to eat as you do or criticized for not doing so. If asked, it helps to speak from your own personal experience and establish common ground: “I used to love dairy cheese, too, and couldn’t imagine living without it.” As you enjoy your vegan life, remember you are planting seeds that may catalyze change somewhere down the road. Feel good knowing that, each day, your diet is contributing to the healing of the planet, compassionate treatment of animals, and the positive wellbeing of your body and soul.