How to go vegan
If you're thinking of going vegan, read our guide on how to tempt your tastebuds into a new way of eating with tips to make it easier
More and more people in the UK are trialling a vegan lifestyle, with reportedly around 2-3% of the population identifying as vegan right now. Motivations vary, from health concerns, to animal welfare and environmental reasons. If you're contemplating adopting a plant-based diet, we've got some helpful tips and guidance on becoming vegan.
The best way to go vegan is to not jump straight in – it's much easier to gradually phase out meat, dairy and eggs from your diet than dive in the deep end with no idea what to replace them with. Why not try going vegan for two or three days a week or only eating vegan lunches? That way, you'll get a sense of how difficult or easy it would be for you and what to expect.
Our guide to a balanced diet for vegans also explains the everyday nutritional needs to keep you happy and healthy.
Why is a vegan diet good for the planet?
Many believe that by producing more plant foods, we use less land and fewer resources while producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions. This all suggests that the carbon footprint of a vegan diet is likely to be smaller than that of a meat-eater or vegetarian.
Is a vegan diet healthy?
A vegan diet is often accepted to be a healthy one, and is thought to help reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type-2 diabetes. It may also help you maintain a healthy weight for your height.
While plant foods are rich in fibre, starchy carbs and vitamins and minerals, there are some important nutrients that animal foods provide in much greater quantity. For instance, plants are likely to contain less easily digestible protein, and may lack one or more of the essential amino acids that make up a ‘complete’ protein. This means you need to eat a variety of plant foods, and eat enough of them, to meet your energy, growth and repair needs.
Plant foods also tend to lack the minerals iodine and iron, as well as vitamins B12 and D. Food producers are increasingly fortifying plant-based products in order to avoid deficiencies, so look out for these.
Although vegan burgers and sausages may tick a box, they are ultra-processed foods, so may not be the best option for your health. How nutritious they are will depend on the ingredients and level of processing involved, so keep these convenient alternatives to a minimum. Instead, aim to cook from scratch using plant-based ingredients like lentils, beans, tofu and tempeh.
Read more about vegan meat alternatives.
How to get started
Think about what you have on an average day for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, then think about what you could substitute. Try replacing one of your meals with a vegan alternative as an easy introduction to veganism. Read up on everything you'll need to make sure your diet is complete in the absence of meat, dairy and eggs. It may be the case that you need more B12, iron or zinc, potentially in the form of supplements.
Be sure to read labels for any sneaky non-vegan ingredients. You'll also need to budget carefully, as even though you're not buying meat, veganism can be expensive, particularly if you're buying ready-made products.
Practise your cooking skills
There are plenty of tasty recipes out there – just make sure you're packing in veg, pulses and protein. Rather than thinking of this as a restrictive diet, think of it as an opportunity to try new recipes and cooking methods. A good place to start is your main meal of the day: check out our vegan dinners for inspiration for hearty, filling meals that happen to be vegan, like our vegan shepherd's pie that is sure to be family favourite.
Impress family and friends by whipping up one of our delicious vegan desserts. Our vegan cherry & almond brownies are so squidgy, dense and delicious, you'd never guess they're totally dairy-free.
Get snack happy
Take your own treats and snacks to work to stave off hunger and give you an energy boost. Browse all our vegan snack recipes, like our salted caramel biscuit bars that will give everyone in the office serious snack envy.
Get to know vegan substitutes
It's worth investigating the vegan substitutes you can use in place of cheese, milk or chicken – look out for tofu, vegan Quorn products, vegan cheeses, soy and nut milks, and vegan mayo, then use them to convert some of your favourite dishes. To find out more, read our nutritionist's guide on whether or not vegan ‘meat’ is good for you.
Our guide to the five vegan ingredients that you've likely never heard of will also inspire you. Some of these handy ingredients, such as aquafaba and nutritional yeast, can transform recipes and make all the difference to achieving deliciously vegan recipes. Try your hand at making vegan cashew soft cheese – it's simpler than you might think, with no cooking involved.
Experiment and enjoy
Get to know the world of vegan cooking and baking, and experiment with a whole host of new recipes.
Find out how to have a balanced diet as a vegan.
Find more delicious vegan recipes:
Vegan recipe collection
Vegan family breakfast menu
Vegan salad recipes
Healthy vegan recipes
Vegan dessert recipes
Our top 10 best ever vegan bakes
Vegan spinach omelette
What are your tips for becoming vegan? Let us know in the comments below.
This page was reviewed on 18th November 2024 by Kerry Torrens
Kerry Torrens BSc. (Hons) PgCert MBANT is a BANT Registered Nutritionist® with a post graduate diploma in Personalised Nutrition & Nutritional Therapy. She is a member of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and a member of the Guild of Food Writers. Over the last 15 years she has been a contributing author to a number of nutritional and cookery publications including Good Food.
All health content on goodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.
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