How I did it: I just did. Was vegetarian for a while, but I knew that all my reasons for being vegetarian were just as much reasons to be vegan. I was still living with my parents and sometimes drank their milk for a bit, but soon just swapped to soya, and slowly found out what there is to eat and began to cook more.

Lessons & tips: Speak to others in your area to get tips about where to get vegan treats. Online you can find lots of ideas for replacing the non-vegan aspects of your diet.

Buy a cook book and try out different recipes. Think about what you're especially interested in. There are books with international recipes, low-fat recipes, quick and simple stuff .....

Try out different foods - fruit and veg and grains you've never eaten before. I eat a far wider variety of things now than before I became vegan.  This makes the process of becoming vegan more of an enrichment rather than a denial.

Be clear about how important this is to you and why. Be clear about who else it's important to. Like those you're not eating.

Make sure you're getting all your nutrients, but don't stress about it. If you eat a good variety of things and eat fresh, you'll be OK. Make sure you have a source of vitamin B12.

---

Mar 01, 2009, 03:47PM PST | 1 comment | 4 cheers