55 Essential Tips for New Vegans – from Experienced Vegans

Are you looking for tips for new vegans? Are you thinking of going vegan and you’d like to do it properly. These amazing tips have been collected from my fellow vegans across social media and I know they will be so helpful for your transition.

If you’re looking for more information specifically to do with veganism, I’ve made a list with vegan lifestyle books everyone should read.

Tips For New Vegans

I wanted to write this post and I decided I wanted it to include what vegans should know when they’re first starting out.

I figured what better way of doing that, then asking some of my lovely followers on social media. Everyone is so different and therefore you’ll get a complete picture of some of the main tips for new vegans, to help you on your journey..

Enjoy!

“Be kind to yourself. It’s impossible to become completely vegan overnight. You will make mistakes but it’s important to forgive yourself. Your Intentions are pure.”

“It’s about intention. If your intention is to do least harm, you are vegan. Even if you accidentally buy something non vegan. Or you have to take non vegan medication. You are doing your best.”

“I’ve seen so many people beat themselves up over hidden ingredients or being given something non vegan by someone else. It breaks my heart – they are doing their absolute best but sometimes mistakes are made.”

“Be aware of labels, some won’t say vegan because they have an allergy notice on the back. Eg. May contain dairy, wheat. This is because they’re made in the same factory so there is a cross-contamination issue. This will only apply to you, if you have an existing allergy.”

“I would say that sometimes the obvious vegan stuff isn’t labelled and that’s how people end up spending a lot of money. Making breakfast, lunch and tea out of ‘vegan’ labelled cereals and breads and fake meats could cost £20 but making cornflakes, a sandwich and some beany vegetable pasta for tea could cost £3 for the whole day.”

If you’re interested in other food items that contribute to a healthy lifestyle, I recently wrote a Overherd Milk Powder Product Review. It’s a great way of reducing your household waste by choosing a concentrated milk powder instead.

“I would also mention that there’s a detox period where you could feel a bit crap as all that rubbish leaves your body but to stick with it to the other side.”

“Just do it, you will thank yourself later.”

“If you’re willing to try new recipes and do a little simple cooking, making vegan recipes from scratch will save you a lot of money and be an exciting and fun journey. A great new vegan cookbook opens up a whole new world.💚 “

“One of the easiest ways to go vegan is by replacing the things you already have when they run out with vegan alternatives. For example when your shampoo runs out, replace it with a vegan/cruelty-free one. Or when you’ve used up the last of your milk, don’t buy more dairy, buy plant milk instead. Trying to change everything at once is overwhelming and it’s wasteful to throw away what you already have. Doing it bit by bit is much easier. 💚”

“Veg 1. List the stuff that they already eat that’s vegan. 80% of stuff is vegan if you don’t slather if in meat and dairy. Most bread, cereals, rice, pasta, beans, bbq sauce, ketchup, veg, stir fry sauces, curry pastes (Except some with fish) etc.”

“I’d say make a habit of reading ingredients. Sneaky milk additions catch a lot of folk out. I still do it with food I’ve bought before and read the ingredients for a hundred times before. 😅”

“Regards to eating. Don’t think of it that you’re on a diet, if you feel like you’re just restricting yourself you will crave the foods you are used to. If you approach it thinking of how awful it is to be eating animals then you will never want to ‘cheat’.”

“Learn as much as you can, because people around you will turn on you.”

“Don’t stress, if you mess up it’s not the end of the world or your veganism. If you’re sticking to wholefoods then eat more than you expect/use to. Many people come to the vegan lifestyle and then leave it again complaining that they felt drained all the time and were lacking protein. When really all they ate was salad for 2 weeks. You need to make sure you’re still getting in enough calories because the majority of the good food is calorifically less dense.

Try and relearn the concept of what a meal looks like or how and what you should eat as different times of the day. You don’t need to be an instagrammer, food doesn’t need to be pretty.

Cosmetics, clothes, household items, drinks, all will catch you out at some time so take it easy and see it as a learning process.”

“Make sure you get enough iron in your diet so you don’t become anaemic!”

“Don’t be embarrassed to say “thanks but I can’t eat it” when somebody offers you something that isn’t vegan. The shame lies with those that are harming animals and the planet, not with those that are making better choices.”

“I mentor people trying vegan and the most often asked is… What are the best vegan cheeses and egg replacements. How to avoid gluten and be vegan, so meat substitutes etc that don’t contain gluten. And also vegan cheeses without coconut often comes up. Then it is how to deal with family and friends in social situations.”

“With so many products with animal products in you will make a mistake or find you’ve just eaten something. Don’t be hard on yourself and move on. I bought and had bitten into and swallowed a sausage roll that was sold to me as vegan! I’ve eaten crisps from the wrong bowl. It happens it’s not great but what can you do.”

“That sounds good to me. I would also emphasize products that are plant-based but not vegan because they involve animal cruelty and environmental destruction like palm oil. Palm oil became an even bigger pest than dairy, you can hardly escape it in food products. And, as I said, it’s not vegan because wildlife is destroyed for it, and it is the cause of deforestation. I know that some vegans won’t agree with me, but the facts speak for themselves. Plant-based is not always vegan, there is a difference. Thanks!”

“I’d say that it’s okay to make mistakes sometimes and it doesn’t mean you’re a bad vegan. If you accidentally eat something with meat/dairy/eggs in it and don’t realise, you’re still a valid vegan.”

“Be prepared for stupid comments and don’t think anyone will see things your way when you explain the horrors.”

“The main advice I would give someone starting out is look for ways to veganize meals you already love. Some of the ingredients are probably already vegan so with a few tweaks, you don’t have to give up things you already love to eat. Secondary to that, to save time at restaurants, check the menu online or contact the restaurant in advance to find out what foods are available for you.”

“I believe balancing each meal with complete protein helps with satiation and stops cravings – I have a great info graph that I can send you…” – Veet’s Vegan Cooking School

“I stopped eating animals at age five, then went fully vegan four years later without the support of my family. For me, that meant ONLY eating what was safe and constant battles to defend my right to be vegan. So my advice would be to find networks through social media, meetups, etc. Whether friends and family are questioning, not participating in, not supporting, or vehemently opposed to their decision, what new vegans do NOT need is to feel isolated for making the choice not to support murder. They truly can trust that the vegan world out there is happy to support them, give advice, share recipes, share restaurant discoveries, or just be there for encouragement. 💚”

“Don’t be overwhelmed, it can seem daunting not using ingredients you once did without a thought. Don’t be hard on yourself if you get it wrong, I’d say most of us have made mistakes.. they happen. Ignore negative comments and jibes from others, don’t ever take those personally, that’s their own issues and it can be pointless and exhausting. Have a wonderful time, live well and we are forever learning. Oh and get enough vits and B12, research alternative sources of nutrients – and ask a fellow vegan for help, most of us are lovely. 😆😊”

“Plants have protein. 😍”

“Get connected with other vegans -online, local groups, social media etc especially if you feel like you don’t have much support/knowledge from friends and family. The night before I went vegan trying Veganuary, I asked on Facebook for suggestions of milk alternatives as I don’t like soya milk and we’re a nut free home due to my daughter’s allergies. A friend put me in touch with her vegan friend who suggested oat milk (I know there’s millions of choices but not as well known then) I loved it immediately and knew there would be no going back for me as milk was the only thing I thought I would miss. I was so grateful for this stranger who listened to me and took the time to pass on her advice and knowledge. I get loads of tips and updates on new products from social media and I get lots of inspiration from strangers on Instagram and Facebook.”

“Watch Dominion if they haven’t already. I say this because that’s what made me go vegan immediately and it’s so easy to be vegan when you think of the animals and what they go through. 😢 We still get to eat what we want just minus paying for animal abuse and there are tons of vegan options available. 😊💚”

“I would recommend to look for a nice vegan cookbook! (eg. Deliciously Ella) 👨‍🍳🥬”

“You don’t have to eat grass all day long 🐄😂 Vegan food can be so delicious and high in protein.”

“Plants have protein.”

“Read a lot about vegan life, get useful information about food, nutrition and eco benefits.”

“Find a community to help keep you motivated! Or maybe a podcast to keep enhancing your knowledge about your new path 💚”

“If you get overwhelmed or confused, remember to back to basics: fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, grains, beans and legumes.”

“Oh wow do you have a moment. 😂 In a nutshell; stop giving a shit about what people around you think of it, try a lot of recipes (there are millions out there on the internet), get information on what your body needs and from which foods you’ll get enough, look for alternatives for the things you ‘miss’ to make it easier, B12 supplements, nobody is perfect.. every little step helps!💚”

“I saw your post on Facebook about this and you received some amazing answers! I guess my advice would be keep it simple, it’s not complicated, don’t over complicate. Just work on new habits. 🙌💚”

“I would say to focus on things you can eat + discover new foods vs think about that you can’t eat. 💚”

“Don’t engage with anyone that does not want to have a serious conversation or supports you. You don’t owe anyone an explanation about your life choices.”

“Oh my goodness, this is a brilliant idea! If finances allow one thing that really helped me was plantbased recipe boxes. I wasn’t a confident cook and having clear instructions and everything measured out was really handy. Plus it meant I didn’t worry about buying a large amount of an ingredient only to find out I didn’t like it! The other thing that made a difference (though more in the transition stage) was exchanging ingredients in a recipe gradually. So for example if I was making a cheese sauce I might start by replacing 75% of the cheese with a vegan alternative, the next time I’d substitute 50%, the next time 25% etc. Love that you’re doing this – such a great idea. 💚”

“Ignore the noise/trolls/haters/’medical experts’!”

“Invest in a good cookbook.”

“One step at a time. 😍”

“Check the labels!”

Another helpful resource is Those Vegan Guys E-book entitled Down-To-Earth Vegan, this is super helpful for when you’re just starting out as it includes: easy product switches, tips and tricks, vegan junk food and wholefood plant based recipes.

“Don’t beat yourself up if you make mistakes at first, it’s a learning process. You will soon be able to just look at a packet and tell if it’s vegan.”

“Be ready for falafels and chips.”

“Take 1 meal at a time. Think about your favourite meals, then search for recipes. After a few weeks, everything becomes easier.”

“Start making a list of dishes you can make from your pantry/cupboards. Being vegan doesn’t have to be expensive.”

“Tweak the meals you enjoy, to enjoy the change more. (UK) look for bold writing on packages that include milk, if you’re not sure. A lot of sweets have gelatine in so that’s something to be mindful of. 💚”

“Don’t forget to supplement B12. We can get it in our diets with nooch (nutritional yeast) and other fortified foods but it’s better to be safe than sorry and take supplements for it too. Don’t forget about non-food products too!”

“Look out for the bold type items in the ingredients list – these will include hidden dairy products..”

“Forget cheese exists for a few months because you cannot go straight from dairy to vegan cheese. Let your taste buds reset.”

“Don’t be afraid to try new cuisines. Many cultures are inherently good at using little to no animal products.”

“Getting enough protein and what some good sources are.”

“Eat delicious vegan food, stay strong and spread the love.”

“I’d say exactly the opposite of the ‘one meal at a time’ or ‘one day at a time’ advice! Ha, maybe I’m a planner. I think that planning a good weeks worth of meals, gathering recipes and getting a good vegan shop in is a great way to start. Then you have a few staples that you figured in week 1, each week seek out one or two new things and build your repertoire. So fortify yourself with easy things like vegan burgers with cheeze, vegan pie and mash, vegan pasta dish.. plus a couple of new recipes and build from there.”

“Everyone is desperate to get enough protein when becoming vegans, but most important is to just love being vegan, choosing a healthier life-style, enjoying every meal and every minute of our lives, and to be thankful that we’re not eating animal bodies anymore :)”

“It’s a journey. Don’t push yourself to perfection immediately!”

“I would tell them not to forget the protein and don’t give up because of what others might say, they have absolutely NO IDEA.”

I hope you enjoyed this collection of essential tips for new vegans. In the UK it has become easier and easier to go vegan. In the 6+ years that I’ve been vegan, things have changed so much. There’s even so many vegan cheeses in the supermarkets now and some of them like Cathedral City plant based, are soo good!

Another post you might be interested in, Is the vegan lifestyle expensive? I compare some of the main vegan food products in the supermarket with the meat/dairy version. I also collect some data from some vegans on how much their weekly shop is, to get a full idea of whether or not the vegan lifestyle is expensive.

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