If you’re reading this I’m guessing you’ve decided you want to go vegan…or at the least you’re seriously considering it. Welcome! We’re so glad to have you on the team!

Hopefully you’re excited, but I know you might actually just be confused as shit and doubting yourself instead.

I am here to help. I’m not going to focus much on the reasons WHY you should go vegan here – that’s a topic for a completely different blog post! I will just concentrate on giving you some tips on HOW to get there, based on my own experience and the experiences of other vegans I know.

So…here we go! How to go Vegan in 7 Simple Steps 

1. Be FIRM about your WHY

Okay, obviously you know why you want to do this. We’ve all seen the grim videos revealing that dairy cows don’t smile as they are milked by hand, and that the term “free range” doesn’t mean shit. We’ve all read the shocking statistics about how much water it requires to make a beef burger that is probably going to give you fucking cancer.

But…do EVEN MORE research. Become as knowledgeable as possible about veganism and the issues surrounding it. This will help you remain strong and motivated during any moments of weakness, plus if anybody starts getting funny with you and questioning your choice you can just slap them in the face with the FACTS!

2. Get EXCITED about it 

People tend to assume that the early days of veganism will be dull and difficult, featuring never-ending supplies of salad. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY! There are meals and ingredients that you don’t even realise exist yet.

Search high and low for inspiration!

The internet is the quickest, easiest place to start. When I was going vegan I watched countless “What I Eat in a Day” style videos on Youtube. This may seem like a bizarre concept and you’d expect such videos to be incredibly boring, but I honestly found them so inspiring. They introduced me to new recipes and showed me how I could live a healthier, more ethical lifestyle – and how I could enjoy it! Pinterest is amazing as well, so make a few vegan related boards!

Go into your local book shop and see what they’ve got – these days the cookery shelves are full of vegan cook books (or at the very least, you will find vegetarian cook books featuring a few vegan options). You can also pick up books focusing on on the various reasons for going vegan. If you are interested in the plant-based diet for health reasons, I highly recommend “How Not to Die” by Dr Michael Greger and Gene stone.

Try to go to vegan restaurants and cafes. You will be AMAZED at the options available. I’m aware that many of you will live nowhere near one of these, so look for the next best thing. This could be a vegetarian restaurant or a restaurant that serves all animal products but also has some yummy vegan options. Use Happy Cow to explore your options. It is a fantastic tool for eating out as a vegan!

Look for vegan events such as fairs and festivals. Also check out Meetup.com to see if there is a vegan group in your area.

Lastly, think about your friends – would any of them be interested in doing this with you? My best friend and I went vegan at the same time and it was so much fun to have somebody to share the experience with.

People do not realise that veganism is a fun and interesting lifestyle, and that you can meet some really lovely, like-minded people through it. You do not have to die alone, eating brown rice out of a bamboo bowl. Get excited about the lifestyle and do not expect it to be limiting or punishing – because it isn’t! Find a way to enjoy it, otherwise you might not last!

3. Decide how quickly you will become vegan. Be realistic, but also be firm with yourself.

If you can go vegan overnight, that’s fantastic. Fucking slay kween.

However, it’s not always quite that easy.

This topic causes quite a lot of divide within the vegan community. There are vegans who will insist that people should just swallow the red pill and instantly become vegan. They believe that anybody who wants to go through a transition process is selfish and pathetic, and that the animals and the environment can’t wait around for them to take their time.

These vegans annoy the shit out of me. Their behaviour is judgemental, and they are failing to see the big picture and focus on the long-term.

The reality is, most people who try to go vegan fail. Why? In my experience, it’s usually because they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing. They try to become vegan instantly and  haven’t done the things I discuss in my last point. They hate what they’re eating, they feel like they’re going to starve, they think that veganism is going to destroy their social life.

Remember the story from when you were little…the one about the tortoise and the hare that enter a race…and the tortoise wins? Of course you do! If you want to go vegan, sometimes it’s better to be a tortoise! Once you cross that finish line you will be able to STAY there, which is going to be much more useful for the animals and the Earth than being a hare who has to scurry off back to the other side of the finish line after a week!

Having said all of this, PLEASE DO NOT PISS ABOUT! Seriously, don’t. If you wake up one day and realise you have been trying to transition to veganism for months on end, you need to give yourself a kick up the arse. It’s really not that hard.

I know a girl who has been transitioning for what seems like forever. She eats a completely vegan diet Monday to Friday and has given up leather, non-vegan cosmetics and so on. But she eats dairy products and eggs on weekends. She wants to become vegan but she has got stuck. This is very common, and in my opinion this happens to people because they take too long to take the final plunge. The longer they wait, the more they convince themselves that going 100% vegan is more difficult than it actually is. They are creating a drama in their own mind. They are making it harder for themselves.

So, even though a transition process will make veganism a more sustainable lifestyle for some, others might be better off throwing themselves in the deep end. Be honest with yourself and consider your personality, your strengths and your weaknesses. Be realistic and be proud of yourself for getting on the vegan path, but never make excuses for yourself!

4. Cut out what you find easiest first 

Okay, you’ve had a think about how quickly you want to become a fully fledged vegan, and hopefully you’ve set a target date.

Sit down and have a think about the foods/products you can say goodbye to first. THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE MEAT. Many people will be surprised (and perhaps angry) that I say this, as meat seems like the most logical starting point. This is probably because vegetarianism is so common these days. We are familiar with the concept of people living without meat and we tend to assume that meat production is the cruellest part of animal agriculture.

But eating eggs is cruel. Wearing leather is cruel. Testing cosmetics on animals is cruel. In my opinion, dairy production is far more cruel than meat production.

So – just give up the things you will find easiest to give up first. This could be milk and honey. Or fish and eggs. Or suede and yoghurt. Start simple and take it from there, gaining confidence as you move forward. Leave the things you are most nervous to cut out until last, but remember to avoid leaving it so long that you become even more attached to them!

5. Stop being lazy and learn how to fucking cook!

Being vegan is easier than ever. You can get loads of vegan alternatives to your favourite animal products and many convenient, ready-made vegan meals. However, that whole “I’ll buy my dinner in a microwavable box” attitude doesn’t take you as far when you’re vegan as it does when you’re an omni.

This is a problem for some, especially where I live (in the UK). People here seem to have lost the basic life skill of throwing some ingredients together to create something with which to nourish themselves. I have come across Facebook groups with people sharing all these vegan convenience meals that they have found. Some of them are available at your local Tesco, some of them not so easily. These people spend so much bloody time searching the fucking universe for “convenience” foods, when it would really be more convenient if they would just learn to fucking cook.

Search the internet for easy vegan recipes. Pinterest is great and Youtube is brilliant as well. I am a huge  fan of The Happy Pear Youtube channel.  They also have a website and blog. Their recipes are SO EASY, SO TASTY, and SO CHEAP to make. They always use ingredients which are easy to get hold of as well, none of that fancy nonsense.

6. Track your progress 

After a few weeks, have a little think about how you are doing. Are you a full blown vegan yet?

If yes, congratulations!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or you’re tempted to give up, take another look at steps 1-5.

You may need to watch some more documentaries to help keep that passion alive, or make some more vegan friends (this is easy online!). You may need to be more realistic about how quickly you can make this transition, pausing where you are for a little longer than originally planned. Or you may need to do the opposite, and take that final plunge! Or perhaps all you need is simply a few more yummy recipes to add to your repertoire and keep your taste buds happy!

7. Enjoy!

If you haven’t already, cut out those last few things (trust me you do not fucking need them!) and become a fully qualified member of Vegan Club.

Congratulations! You’ve joined an amazing community and you are now doing far more for our planet and her beautiful animals than most humans would ever consider doing.

Enjoy feeling healthier and more energetic (unless you’ve gone down the junk food vegan route!). Show off your new vegan cooking skills to your friends and family. Host a vegan pot luck with other vegans in your area. Book yourself a holiday to an exotic, vegan-friendly location. Start volunteering with animals. Begin your search for your dream vegan partner to have gorgeous vegan babies with!

Most vegans agree that cutting animal products out of their life has been much easier than they expected, and that going vegan has been one of the best decisions they have ever made. You will be no different. You are going to have so much fun!

Please go ahead and leave any questions you have and/or your own tips in the comments!

Lots of love xxx