So I've been vegan for more than 11 years now.
And with my background in dietetics, I've learned a lot along the way.
I've had so many moments where I felt confused.
I worried about my nutrients.
I had a lot of questionable meals and essentially I don't want that same fate for you.
So today I'm sharing seven things I wish I knew before going vegan.
Let's dive in.
One, the restriction mistake.
I know veganism can sound incredibly restrictive, like no meat, no fish, no eggs, no dairy.
When I first learned about it, I remember thinking, okay, so what's even left for me to eat?
But if you approach it only as a list of things you're not allowed to have, your brain tends to push back.
There's even a name for this, it's called psychological reactance.
It's that moment when something feels forbidden or taken away and we naturally want it more.
And you can push through with willpower for a little bit, but eventually willpower runs low, you slip, and that can come with feelings of guilt or shame.
And so what I wish I knew before is that a restriction mindset doesn't set you up for success, but an abundance mindset does.
So instead of asking, oh, what do I have to cut out this time?
You can ask, what do I get to add in?
Because plant foods are so diverse.
Fruits, veg, grains, beans, lentils, soy products, nuts and seeds.
As you start adding more of these foods, the old ones get gently crowded out.
So focus on exploration not restriction.
Two, the protein mistake.
I feel like I might get a little bit of pushback for this one, but most people don't need sky high protein targets.
Protein is massively overhyped online right now, along with the fear that you can't get enough of it from plants.
And I remember definitely being influenced by this, seeing these really huge numbers and thinking I had to reach it as well.
But what I wish I understood sooner is that protein isn't something most people need to obsess over, especially if you're not a high performance athlete or actively trying to build a lot of muscle.
Now, if you do want a simple baseline target, you can take your weight in kilograms and aim for at least that many grams of protein per day.
If you're trying to go from pounds to kilograms, just divide by 2.2.
If you do want an even more personalized number, our app can give you an estimate based on things like your weight age, height and activity level.
But that said, you don't need to go and count your grams of protein every single day.
The simplest approach is usually just to include a protein source at each meal and with most, or at least some snacks, if you can.
Things like tofu, tempeh, edamame, lentils and beans, even soy milk and soy yogurt.
Essentially at each meal, just ask yourself, is there a protein here?
And if not, just add one in.
Three, the soy mistake.
Soy has this oddly dramatic reputation.
Even when I first went plant-based, I avoided it because I heard it could mess with your hormones, and I know a lot of men worry about it too, thinking it's gonna affect their testosterone or manliness in some way.
And what I wish I knew sooner is that a lot of the soy fear is built on dated, disputed or overblown research, often also from rodent studies that use isolated compounds in these super high amounts that you would never get from eating whole soy foods.
Instead, when you look at human studies, eating whole soy foods, even a couple servings a day, is considered safe for most people.
If anything.
According to the American Cancer Society, there's growing evidence that eating soy foods may even lower the risk of breast cancer.
And the research also doesn't support the idea that soy throws your hormones out of balance, whether you're a man or a woman.
In reality, soy is one of the most practical staples in a plant-based kitchen.
It's convenient, it's affordable and, as a bonus, it's a complete protein, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids in one.
Four, the bland food mistake.
If we're being honest, if you're cooking with animal-based ingredients, it doesn't take a whole lot of effort to make food taste good because things like butter, cheese and cream they come with a lot of flavor in and of themselves.
They're quite fatty, they're quite salty, but when you're working with plant-based foods, it can sometimes ask for just a little bit more intention.
And so what I wish I knew sooner is just how to work with flavors to make any food taste amazing.
So here's the simple framework I now use any time I'm constructing a meal.
I ask myself, is it missing any of these four components?
Fat, acid, salt, and a hint of something sweet.
If it is missing any of these components, just add it in.
For fat, add tahini, olive oil, nut butters, avocado.
For acid, lemon, vinegar, anything pickled really.
For salt, you wanna season properly, and then you can add things like soy sauce, miso, or olives.
And sweetness can come from fruit, a touch of maple syrup, or some chopped dates.
And look, you don't need to always add something sweet, but if you're noticing that your food is a little bit bitter or maybe a little bit acidic, sweetness can really help to cut through that.
And so if you balance these four components well, every meal is gonna taste amazing.
I never thought that being vegan was gonna make me a better cook, but here we are.
Five, the fiber mistake.
If there's any nutrient that, as a society, we need to focus on more, it's fiber.
In the US and UK, for example, nearly 95% of people don't meet their fiber goals.
That's honestly scary.
I feel like fiber needs the marketing team that protein has.
Because fiber does so much.
It keeps you regular.
It feeds your gut bacteria.
It supports a healthy gut lining.
It can help reduce inflammation, steady blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol.
I could keep going.
The good news is that eating more plant-based usually boosts your fiber intake without even trying.
The catch is that if you're coming from that 95 low fiber camp I know I sure was that jump can feel a bit uncomfortable at first.
You might load up on chili or lentil curry, feel gassy and bloated and think see, my body can't do this.
But what I wish I knew sooner is that, especially in the beginning, gut discomfort isn't a sign that plant-based eating doesn't work for you.
It's just your microbiome adapting.
And people usually notice this quite specifically with beans and lentils, because they're so high in fiber and easily fermentable.
But the takeaway here isn't to avoid beans or fiber, but instead to just ramp into it gradually and to stay consistent.
That consistency is really important for your gut microbiome.
And one thing that also really helped me.
I don't know if you knew this, but smaller legumes, things like lentils they can be easier for our bodies to digest than larger legumes like beans.
So it's a great place to start if you're new to plant-based eating.
Six, the tracking mistake.
So when I transitioned, I wanted to make sure I was getting all of the really important nutrients.
So I very meticulously tracked everything I ate and that quickly turned into a bit of an obsession and it really started to harm my relationship with food.
And so what I wish I knew sooner is that you don't need to track calories or nutrients to feel confident you're getting enough.
You just need to follow the plate method.
So the plate method is just a very simple visual tool that you can use anytime you're building a meal to make sure it's nutritionally balanced.
Essentially, you just want to make sure that half of your plate is fruit or veg.
Ideally, the more colorful, the better.
A quarter of it you want to be grains or starches for energy and a quarter of it plant proteins.
Things like beans lentils tofu, tempeh or edamame, then add a small amount of healthy fats to round it out and that's pretty much it.
If you build most of your meals this way, you're gonna be covering almost all of your bases without needing to measure a thing.
And, if you think it could help, we do have a free printable PDF of the plate method so you can download it, put it on your fridge and use it as a reference anytime you're building your meals.
Seven, the self-doubt mistake.
When I first started my vegan journey, I was not prepared for the questions, the doubts, the little challenges that I'd get from the people in my life for my decision to eat more plants.
And the problem was, I was just starting out, so I didn't have the answers.
In fact, I had a lot of those same questions myself.
And so what I wish I knew sooner is that learning just a few basics about plant-based nutrition makes everything easier.
And so obviously you don't need to be a nutrition expert on day one, but I do think it really helps to build the fundamentals so that you do feel more confident in your choices and you know things like how do you get enough protein.
Why does B12 matter?
What does the research actually say about the health benefits of plant-based eating?
Now we do cover a lot of this already here on this channel and in the free articles that are on our website, so be sure to check those out.
But if you want help building that foundation without going down an internet rabbit hole, I just want to share that we've just launched our Beginner Guide to Veganism eBook.
It's written by myself and two other dietitians and it's essentially everything you need to know in one place, evidence-based and beginner-friendly, with one small lesson every single day for 30 days, so that by the end of those 30 days, you are mastering vegan nutrition.
Plus there are three very balanced meal plans in there to help you kickstart your journey.
Great for Veganuary.
So if you want to learn more, I'm gonna leave a link for you in the description box below.
And I think that's it for today, friends.
I do want to say that if you're new to veganism, if you're willing to try it out, just know that you're unlearning years, sometimes decades, of habits and cultural norms around food, all while you're building new ones.
So give yourself some grace, celebrate the progress.
Every plant-based meal is a win in my books.
And I'm curious to know too, if you've already been on this journey, if there's anything that you wish that you had learned sooner.
I always think we can learn from each other.
So I'll see you in the comments.
Thanks so much for hanging with me today.
I really appreciate it.
Pickup Limes signing off and I'll see you in the new year.
