My Transition to a Plant Based/Vegan Lifestyle: Top 10 Tips Beginners Guide

The best way to get started is to, well, get started.

But to make things a little easier I want to share with you how I got started. Here are my top tips to begin your way into a plant-based life. This may be for health reasons and choices (like myself) or you simply want to add more plant based, vegan into your diet.

1. Start with a few great cook books. I started with Deliciously Ella (all links will be below) She also started this way of eating for health related issues, however the books give a great insight into how to up your 5-a-day in a way that it won’t even be a chore. Start of with the ideas and concepts of eating this way you will learn a lot about the foods used, this is a great place to start.
2. Ingredients. The easiest thing to say is ‘I don’t have the ingredients so I can’t’ With a little planning to start you can get all of the basics. Most recipe books like the ones linked below will have an ingredient list, which is fantastic as it takes some of the thinking process away from you.
3. Once you have planned all of the basic ingredients you will need get ordering online to save some time, and also to save wandering up and down the supermarket aisles looking for them. I have linked some of my favourite staple ingredients below.  I use Amazon or Holland and Barrett.
4. YouTube. This is a great place for ideas, and if you aren’t confident in the ‘kitchen’ it’s a great way to be guided through. Also you can easily watch the videos on your phone so recipes are always on hand. Again I will link below my favourite channels.
5. Get creative. Get your own blank recipe book. This way you can fill it full of your fave recipes and store them in one place, also if you wish to add more ingredients or change it up you can adapt it to exactly your taste buds. (Link for journal below)
6. Make your food in batches so you can freeze some meals, makes it easier for nights when you haven’t got much time. I like to make larger dinners and then have what ever is left over for my lunch the next day.
7. Don’t over complicate. When you get your head around the ingredients you will find cooking this way easy, Plus you will find yourself eating far more nutrients than before.
8. When you go out for dinner ask for the vegan menu. Most places offer this, if they don’t ask if there is anything on the menu vegan friendly. If you are struggling on lunching out mix it up with ordering more sides and starters, create your own meal.
9. Find recipes that work for you. For example I love Carbonara as a treat and guess what you can easily make this vegan/plant-based and it tastes AMAZE.
10. It’s easier than you think. We all get stuck in routines, but that’s all they are ‘routines.’ For me I have had more ‘time’ to get stuck into it and my life has kind of thrown me into this, but I have found it easier cooking this way. I get way more nutrients than before and love cooking up so many different things. Once you have the ingredients there will be no stopping you. Enjoy

 

 

Some of my fave meals I’ve cooked……

 

Staple Ingredients (Oh and you will need a blender, this will become your best friend)

Nutritional yeast flakes

Buckwheat Flour

Buckwheat Groats

Date Syrup

Almond Butter 

Medjool Dates

Nutri Ninja Blender

Cacao Powder

Cacao Nibs

My fave books.

Deliciously Ella Awesome ingredients

Deliciously Ella Every Day

Deliciously Ella with Friends

Gaz Oakley: Vegan 100

Blank Recipe Journal

Recipe Journal 

Fave Youtube Channels:

avantgardevegan

Rachel Ama

Madeleine Olivia

 

I hope this is enough to get you started, I will share some of my favourite recipes. Also I will go into my reasons for this lifestyle deeper. For now these are my tips for starting. No stress required, enjoy it and don’t make this a chore.

Love Sarah

xxx