Vegan Diet For Beginners! (Simple & Easy)

When first beginning your vegan journey figuring out the best way to go about finding different foods and non-vegan replacements can be incredibly difficult, when I began my vegan transition I didn’t feel as though there was enough information on a good vegan diet for beginners so I want to compile some of the best methods for you to smoothly begin this wonderfully rewarding journey!

DON’T be afraid to take baby steps!

Before we delve into different diet variations and interesting food ideas that fulfil our vegan desires, I want you to understand that when first transitioning into the vegan lifestyle it can be difficult and we do make mistakes.

Some people may find it easy to switch with no need to ease themselves in, but if this isn’t the case for you there’s no need to worry. You can just as easily cut out meats, to begin with, and slowly phase out poultry products like eggs, and then begin to remove dairy products such as cheese, milk, yoghurts, etc, (All of which can be replaced with tasty vegan substitutes!)

The most important factor for staying consistent

I assume that you want to go vegan for moral reasons or a plant-based lifestyle for health reasons, either way, I strongly believe the reason behind your change is an important driving factor in staying consistent with this new lifestyle you have begun to adopt!

For example, my change to veganism is constantly reinforced by the fact that I am doing this for the welfare of animals. This fact alone keeps me going and deters me from wanting to give up this rewarding lifestyle, similarly if you have gone plant-based for health reasons, the fact that your body will be much healthier should be the reinforcing factor that keeps you going as a plant-based diet can lower your risk for certain diseases!

The Do’s &Don’ts For A Vegan Diet

Enjoy:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Nuts
• Seeds
• legumes (beans, lentils, peas etc)
• Soy (e.g tofu & tempeh)
• Dairy Alternatives (Soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk etc)

Skip:

• ANY meats such as Pork, Lamb, Chicken, Beef, Fish, crustaceans (crabs, lobsters), etc
• Eggs (Some mayonnaises)
• Cheese,
• Milk (Ice creams yoghurts)
• Honey

Although it may seem like there is a lot you will no longer be able to indulge in, the beautiful thing about being vegan in the 21st century is that there is a vegan substitute for almost any non-vegan food you can think of, some of which can be easily made at home! And we will be delving into some of those delicious substitutes that you won’t want to miss out on!

Finding The Best Vegan Substitute Foods

One of the most joyous things about becoming a vegan is that you can still enjoy some of the foods you used to love, however For these examples, I’m going to try to minimize it to things you can do at home yourself and are also healthy because I wouldn’t sell you garbage! I’ve got your back like that ;)

1) Let’s start with my personal favourite, Tofu:

Tofu is made from soymilk which has curdled and been pressed into hardened blocks. Tofu comes in many variations from soft and silky to hard and pre-seasoned. The reason Tofu is my favourite meat substitute is because it is incredibly versatile and can be cooked in a multitude of very quick ways. For example, Scrambled Tofu is a commonly used variation to mimic scrambled eggs.

Personally, I like to cut my tofu into pieces, season it and then pan fry it with some sauces like jerk BBQ. After I will add some mixed vegetables and I’ll have a lovely Fried tofu mix.

To take things a bit further, I’ve also been enjoying some deep-fried tofu occasionally which really takes like fried chicken pieces. After lightly seasoning some tofu i’ll leave it to marinate and then slather the pieces in flour, next you throw the tofu pieces into an egg substitute mixture whether it be ‘Just Egg’ product or a vegan milk substitute, and then back into some flour to make it incredibly crispy, next of course you deep fry it in a large bowl of oil until its ready. (Let me know if you’d like to see a recipe on this)

2) Another great substitute is Seitan

Seitan is the name given to wheat gluten that has been cooked to have meat-like qualities. There are tons of seitan products you can buy, but here ill give you a brief overview of how you can make your own! Mix some wheat gluten flour with any seasonings of your choice then mix this with a wet mixture of an alternative milk (such as almond or oak milk) then knead the mixture together well.

Next, you can tear this dough into pieces and fry it in a batter for a nice chicken replacement, or for a more healthy option you can oven bake it as a substitute for duck, for the tastiest seitan i’d advise you to let it marinate in your spices anywhere from a few hours to two days.

For a more structured method on how to make seitan click the picture above. or this link

3. One of the more exciting and surprising substitutes is Jack fruit:

One of the cheapest replacements you’ll find is the glorious jack fruit which is one of the most versatile substitutes you’ll find, whether it be for pepperoni, chicken, pulled pork, tuna, crab, etc. This is because it resembles the texture of meat so well. The only thing is, jackfruit preparation is often made to seem easier than it really is…

Jackfruit in water is baron of taste and infusing it with flavour is not as simple as throwing on some seasoning as this will only grace the outer edge of your jackfruit. If you really want the most impactful,  jackfruit you need to make sure the flavours reach all levels the Jacky. This means, leaving it to marinate in spices overnight and simmer, then baking it, locking in all those flavours. I will be making a recipe guide on this for you, but Karissa from karissasvegankitchen.com has provided everyone with a fantastic jackfruit breakdown and recipe!

4) Lastly, Tempeh

Tempeh is just like tofu, but even more flavourful, and less processed. (Win Win!) made from cooked and slightly fermented soybeans. I’d say tempeh is just as good as tofu however, it’s harder to find and slightly less versatile than tofu but you can still cook it in a multitude of ways, steamed, baked, fried, simmered etc.

Just like tofu, tempeh will soak up the flavours of whatever you throw it together with so the possibilities and combos are endless. You guys should definitely check out this teriyaki tempeh recipe, so far it’s holding the crown for the best tempeh recipes I’ve tried.

Conclusion

To finalize, Hopefully, this article has helped with setting you off on your journey to Plant-based life. All in all, rest assured that it is okay to take baby steps into veganism, as the benefits are well worth it.

If you have any questions or comments please leave them below! I will be regularly updating the website and creating more and more in-depth posts! So feel free to drop me a hi.

For even more help I highly recommend you check out this amazing YouTube channel that goes into depth about starting your vegan journey