How to make a successful transition to veganism

If you pay attention to the impact of nutrition on your health, you have surely heard about the harms of eating too much meat.

Furthermore, the latest World Health Organization recommendations recommend eating meat only once or twice a week. Furthermore, you don't have to be an environmentalist at heart to realize the devastation that intensive meat production causes to the environment and animal welfare. Did you know that the meat industry pollutes our planet the most, even before the transportation industry?

But if you are reading this article, you should already know all this.

Whether you want to become flexible (occasional meat consumption), pescetarian (Fish consumption only) or vegetarian (Not consuming meat and fish), here are the best tips for a smooth transition.

Make your transition gradual

Some people prefer to stop eating meat and fish overnight. If that works for them, that's great, but you don't have to go through the same strictness.

In fact, stopping eating meat, especially if you've consumed a lot of it for most of your life, is not easy. This requires changing your eating habits and stopping seeing vegetables, starchy foods and legumes as simple “accompaniments.”

So feel free to start gradually: first remove red meat from your plate, then white meat, then poultry, then fish, then seafood…

You can also simply create “vegan days.” For example, you decide that you will not eat meat or fish two days a week. If all goes well, move to three days the next week, then four…

You can also look for meat substitutes: tofu, soy proteins, seitan, etc.

This transformation is not only intended to save you psychologically. It is also important for your body to get used to its new diet that contains more fiber. Your digestive system will thank you!

Talk to those around you

It can be difficult to communicate your decision to become vegan to those close to you.

In fact, we can fear the judgment of our family (“But you'll lack protein!”) or our friends (“No more barbecues… you're ruining the atmosphere”).

Don't panic: they'll all get used to it! Avoid presenting them with a fait accompli and talk to them regularly about your environmental convictions.

You don't have to justify yourself, but if they need to ask you questions, answer them kindly and calmly. It doesn't matter if those around you don't agree with your decision, that's your business and your business only.

Adopt the basics of a balanced dish

Be careful, a common mistake is to think that vegetarians necessarily eat healthy food. However, no matter how much meat you give up, if you snack on potato chips and eat camembert with every meal, you won't be at your best and in shape. In fact, becoming a vegetarian is a very good opportunity to review your complete nutritional balance.

Here are the basics of a balanced dish:

• 50% vegetables
• 25% whole grains (pasta, rice, semolina, quinoa, bread, etc.)
• 25% legumes/plant proteins (beans, fava beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.)

Add 2 pieces of fruit, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and at least 1.5 liters of water per day, and your menu will be perfect!

However, even those who eat meat and fish should also adopt this standard dish, and diversify their foods as much as possible. It is a guarantee of good health and getting all the necessary minerals and vitamins.

Don't be afraid of shortcomings

Shortcomings: This is perhaps one of the biggest concerns of those who are hesitant to indulge in a vegan diet.

Rest assured, if you follow a balanced diet as described above, you will be no more calcium or iron deficient than your carnivorous relatives.

The only necessary supplement is vitamin B12. In fact, this micronutrient plays an essential role in cell regeneration and red blood cell production, among other things.

It is provided by ruminants that store vitamin B12 through grazing.

In fact, people who do not consume meat have a great interest in supplementing with vitamin B12 through capsule treatments.

But even people who eat meat have to supplement from time to time, because unfortunately the soil is becoming increasingly depleted and the cows are becoming less green.

We wish you a satisfying and successful transition to veganism!