Making the transition to plant-based is both an exciting and difficult time.
We encourage you to do it however you feel most comfortable. What works for someone may not work for you. Some people make the change overnight while others take their time. There is no one right way to go about it.
What ever your reasons for going plant-based may be, remember that you are doing this for yourself. The journey may be easy and short or difficult and long but at the end, it will be rewarding for your body, mind and soul.
My partner and I grew up eating meat. When we decided to become plant-based, we didn’t make the change overnight. For sure we wanted to but it was hard. We tried many times and failed many times.
So we understand.
Some Tips and Tricks
A recommended way would be to gradually introduce and implement the diet over time. For example, you could incrementally reduce the number of days where you consume animal products every week, fortnight or month. Another way is to remove certain animal products from your meals over time. For example, remove chicken for a time period then move onto fish. Eventually you’ll move onto milk, eggs and red meats until all animal products are removed.
The transition period is also a great time to trial a range of alternative options and see what tickles your fancy. Do you like soy milk or almond milk? What other vegan foods go well with tempeh? What is your staple, go-to meal when you cannot be bothered cooking? This is good because as you are nearing becoming fully plant-based, you will have the majority of your diet sorted out. Moving forward, this will help you from reverting back to animal products.
Use this time for self progression too. What are your strengths and weaknesses? How do you get back up on your feet? You will develop qualities such as self awareness, self reflection and compassion by the end of the transition.
Remember to be kind to yourself. If you make a mistake or fall back on your cravings – it’s okay. There are no rules or expectations. It’s only you for you. Simply take a deep breath, revisit why you are making these lifestyle changes and start again.
We have a dedicated section for strategies and tips on how to make the transition easier – check it out here!