What are some effective ways to go vegan gradually?

[Rory17]

Hello,
I am an ex-vegan veggie. I am 26 years old and Autistic. I was vegan for about five years, before going back to veggie. I now go to and fro from veggie to vegan depending on how anxious/otherwise mentally unwell I am feeling. I have undiagnosed BED (binge eating disorder). I was on medication that caused this. I am still on a medication that probably doesn’t help my cravings and BED.
I have a good mindset and a bad mindset. On a good mindset, I’ll be vegan and want to take care of myself better and do more good for other sentient beings. On a bad mindset, I’ll just want to binge eat, not exercise, not take care of myself well enough, not do as much good and eat dairy.
Speaking of which, I am a dairy addict. I am possibly vegan for more time than not. I really, really want to go vegan for the animals and can be very hard on myself about this.
Dairy is physically addictive, due to the casein in it, which is in there to keep the baby calves coming back to feed from their mothers. When humans drink/eat dairy, it can have the same effect on us.
I’m thinking going vegan gradually might mean that I actually stay vegan. What are your tips on how to effectively go vegan gradually and stay vegan for life?
Thank you .

 

[silva]

For a long time I limited dairy to cheese pizza, and only when it was a surprise. Where I worked they would sometimes surprise us with a pizza lunch.
Think making a rule like that would help? Either a certain food, or a certain time or place?

I know you really struggle with this, and wonder if you'd be better off not stressing about it- maybe that's making it harder to give things up? Like the more you think about how you 'shouldn't' the more that focus makes it harder to quit?

 

[Lou]

I’m thinking going vegan gradually might mean that I actually stay vegan. What are your tips on how to effectively go vegan gradually and stay vegan for life?

There are at least a couple of schools of thought on that.

A couple of things to keep in mind about the gradual approach.
It might actually be harder. As you mentioned dairy has some addictive elements. so going gradual is just stretching out the cravings over a longer period of time.
I've read that the combination of salt and fat are also addicting. They inject chickens with salt water. If you are eating chicken nuggets or chicken with the skin on you get a good dose of salt and fat.
I'm sure there are other examples of non-vegan food that has addicting properties.

That being said, one school of thought recommends eliminating foods in groups. They mostly recommend you start with dairy because there are so many good alternatives to cow's milk. If I did it that way I would leave baked goods till the end because the baked goods in the store all contain butter (and not huge amounts). but now there are all kind of vegan cookies and chocolates etc. so maybe that isn't even necessary.

If you are doing it in groups than you might do eliminate red meat first. then the next week (or month) eliminate pork. Then chicken then fish.

The other technique that is recommended is to do it with a meal plan. Collen Patrick Goudreaus recommends you write down all the meals you had for a week. Then circle which ever meals were vegan and include those in the next week. Then look at your meals and find the ones that are almost vegan or can be easily changed to being vegan. Like subbing plant milk for cow's milk in your morning oatmeal. Or a PB&J sandwich instead of a Ham and Cheese. Then include those in your next meal plan. Then you want to go one step further and take out all your meat centric meals. You might even do those in steps. Some will be easy like simply buying or making a meat-free pasta sauce. Some will be harder cause you might have to learn a whole new recipe.

Colleen recommends you have a time line - like 30 days to get this done. but when you are done you still might have to go back to the recipe book for new ideas.

 

[PTree15]

Maybe you could make a list of dairy foods (and things made with dairy) that you typically eat and try eliminating them one at a time. Once you get used to one food being out of your diet, cross it off your list and eliminate another one.

 

[Danielle]

I did the same thing, switch back and forth until it finally stuck. The alternatives are much better than what they used to be.

 

[Lou]

The alternatives are much better than what they used to be.

Sort of a mixed blessing.
So instead of learning how to cook tasty vegan meals you end up eating a lot of Impossible Burgers, frozen vegan pizzas, cookies, ice cream, Chick'n nuggets, etc.

But... Yeah the alternatives can make transitioning easier. but then you have to transition from vegan processed foods to healthy foods.

I'm sure there is some good middle ground ,tho.

 

[silva]

Sort of a mixed blessing.
So instead of learning how to cook tasty vegan meals you end up eating a lot of Impossible Burgers, frozen vegan pizzas, cookies, ice cream, Chick'n nuggets, etc.

But... Yeah the alternatives can make transitioning easier. but then you have to transition from vegan processed foods to healthy foods.

I'm sure there is some good middle ground ,tho.

Rory is vegetarian, just has a problem keeping off dairy,like cheese.
I completely agree with Danielle-I was the same, on/off, trying more cheese subs. It helped me to not stress about it, and learn new habits.
I allowed 'surprise' pizza, and stayed far from Mexican foods! Only things I liked about Mexican dishes was the cheese, that took a long time to change

 

[Danielle]

Sort of a mixed blessing.
So instead of learning how to cook tasty vegan meals you end up eating a lot of Impossible Burgers, frozen vegan pizzas, cookies, ice cream, Chick'n nuggets, etc.

But... Yeah the alternatives can make transitioning easier. but then you have to transition from vegan processed foods to healthy foods.

I'm sure there is some good middle ground ,tho.

I was never really much of a cook before going vegetarian at 18

 

[Lou]

I was never really much of a cook before going vegetarian at 18

How bout now?

I just realized who Rory is.
I believe he has been struggling with cheese for a long time.
Maybe the best advice is to just not worry about it.

 

[Danielle]

How bout now?

I just realized who Rory is.
I believe he has been struggling with cheese for a long time.
Maybe the best advice is to just not worry about it.

I still really enjoy the alternatives. They're easy and yummy.

 

[500channelsurfer]

I focused not on what I was eliminating but what I was adding or switching to.

Instead of making lists of what you're eliminating, make lists of the vegan foods you are replacing them with (tofu, vegan yogurt, beans, etc.) and then by trying and buying the different vegan types and vegan brands especially for example for vegan cheese, you'll find the vegan food items you like and are happy with eating and always having around.

 

[Emma JC]

Candice the Edgy Veg did a YouTube video on this a day or so ago...

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

 

[Tom L.]

Hi, Rory-

When I first started dropping eggs and milk, my first step was to not have it in the house any more. If I ate those foods, it would be when I was out (alone, or with family/friends). You can make sure to have healthy, tasty vegan foods at home, making sure to eat them before they spoil. It is easier to find vegan food these days than it used to be, but it's not so easy to find vegan foods when you're out and about.

 

[VeganRachel]

Hey there thanks for asking. First, deal with your emotional needs and get some help. I understand what it is like to eat emotionally.
Dairy and meat are a drug. Dairy is for babies, you are an adult. Learn how to make your own plant mylk and cheezes.
Think of the animals on your plate or in your glass. Watch the below videos and visit a farm animal sanctuary.
Cheers, rachel

dairy is scary.

earthlings

 

[FlandersOD]

My advice is to not think about going gradually but most of vegan junk food you can is right at home with a carnist diet.
No reason to switch from Cocain to Heroin, if methodone is a better alternative.

 

[Grinning Hippos]

Hello,
I am an ex-vegan veggie. I am 26 years old and Autistic. I was vegan for about five years, before going back to veggie. I now go to and fro from veggie to vegan depending on how anxious/otherwise mentally unwell I am feeling. I have undiagnosed BED (binge eating disorder). I was on medication that caused this. I am still on a medication that probably doesn’t help my cravings and BED.
I have a good mindset and a bad mindset. On a good mindset, I’ll be vegan and want to take care of myself better and do more good for other sentient beings. On a bad mindset, I’ll just want to binge eat, not exercise, not take care of myself well enough, not do as much good and eat dairy.
Speaking of which, I am a dairy addict. I am possibly vegan for more time than not. I really, really want to go vegan for the animals and can be very hard on myself about this.
Dairy is physically addictive, due to the casein in it, which is in there to keep the baby calves coming back to feed from their mothers. When humans drink/eat dairy, it can have the same effect on us.
I’m thinking going vegan gradually might mean that I actually stay vegan. What are your tips on how to effectively go vegan gradually and stay vegan for life?
Thank you .

Hi,

How are you doing? It's been some time from your post. For me, satisfying the cravings with the plant substitute worked well, but honestly I had to do a loot of research, especially that I live in a county where veganism is not very popular.
That is why I started creating content as well, to help others.
For exemple for pizza, I accidentally created a recipe for cheese from cashews (half a cup), 100 ml water, juice of a lemon, salt and one tsp of nutrtional yeast, blended. The result in the oven is amazing, although not gooey.

 

[Brian W]

What worked for me was not "trying to go vegan" but just enjoying the adventure of trying to make tasty plant based meals. After nearly a month I realized I had been very nearly vegan throughout the month. That's when I decided to go the whole way.

 

[vegan89]

Hello,
I am an ex-vegan veggie. I am 26 years old and Autistic. I was vegan for about five years, before going back to veggie. I now go to and fro from veggie to vegan depending on how anxious/otherwise mentally unwell I am feeling. I have undiagnosed BED (binge eating disorder). I was on medication that caused this. I am still on a medication that probably doesn’t help my cravings and BED.
I have a good mindset and a bad mindset. On a good mindset, I’ll be vegan and want to take care of myself better and do more good for other sentient beings. On a bad mindset, I’ll just want to binge eat, not exercise, not take care of myself well enough, not do as much good and eat dairy.
Speaking of which, I am a dairy addict. I am possibly vegan for more time than not. I really, really want to go vegan for the animals and can be very hard on myself about this.
Dairy is physically addictive, due to the casein in it, which is in there to keep the baby calves coming back to feed from their mothers. When humans drink/eat dairy, it can have the same effect on us.

You say you like dairy... I'm guessing cheese is what you're having a hard time giving up, right?

Try Miyokos vegan cheese. It's the best tasting vegan cheese substitute I've ever had in over 10 years of being vegan.

Miyoko's Vegan Cheese Wheels | Miyoko's Creamery

Miyoko's has the perfect style of vegan cheese for everything from sandwiches to a fancy cheese board. We’ve literally reinvented the cheese wheel.

miyokos.com

I suggest taking a bite of the Miyokos cheese with a couple grapes.

If ice cream is the issue, I'd recommend trying So Delicious brand cashewmilk ice cream. I like the "Bananas Foster" or "Salted Caramel Cluster" flavors:

Cashewmilk Frozen Desserts | So Delicious Dairy Free

Oh-so-creamy cashewmilk frozen dessert blended with oh-so-delicious flavors. From Peachy Maple Pecan to Snickerdoodle, every smooth spoonful is dairy-free, Non-GMO Project Verified and Certified Vegan.

sodeliciousdairyfree.com

I’m thinking going vegan gradually might mean that I actually stay vegan. What are your tips on how to effectively go vegan gradually and stay vegan for life?
Thank you .

I suggest finding vegan foods that you enjoy that aren't too difficult to make, and then make a habit out of cooking and eating those foods. What foods do you enjoy? What kinds of vegan foods do you enjoy a lot?

I would also suggest that your taste preferences can change if you create a habit of eating different things and stick to it for a while... as Penn Jillette will tell you:

 

[silva]

What worked for me was not "trying to go vegan" but just enjoying the adventure of trying to make tasty plant based meals. After nearly a month I realized I had been very nearly vegan throughout the month. That's when I decided to go the whole way.

This ^ 100%.
Most people base their eating on familiarity, availability, ease of prep, and cost.
Plant based was much harder for me when I focused on what was a vegan option, and instead, focused on what were foods I enjoyed the happened to be vegan.
Most people have no intentions of being vegan, but when plant based foods become more familiar, available, and less costly they will by default begin to add them to they menu rotations barely noting the change
Just look at how much plant milks, tofu, hummus and Beyond have edged into peoples lives. You really can't assume anyone is veg just because all you see them eat at lunch is veggie, because it's most likely they're not, they just eat far more veg than ever before

I think the advice of "Don't make it the elephant in the room" is very wise here. The more you focus on how to change is harder than just seeing what's already there

 

[silva]

Hi,

How are you doing? It's been some time from your post. For me, satisfying the cravings with the plant substitute worked well, but honestly I had to do a loot of research, especially that I live in a county where veganism is not very popular.
That is why I started creating content as well, to help others.
For exemple for pizza, I accidentally created a recipe for cheese from cashews (half a cup), 100 ml water, juice of a lemon, salt and one tsp of nutrtional yeast, blended. The result in the oven is amazing, although not gooey.

You need to add either tapioca starch/flour, or carrageenan to get that texture, and cook it. There are many recipes available, namely from Miyoko or the Gentle Chef (my preference)