About 50% of people living in Atlanta, Georgia, are vegan. This southern city is one of the top places in the country for vegans or vegetarians to live.
Vegans are people that choose not to use any products that come from animals, whether it’s food, clothing, or other products.
One of the big things that people think about when they decide to go vegan is how their diet will drastically change. What will they eat to stay healthy and happy?
If you’ve recently become a vegan or are thinking about going vegan, here are some of the things that you can anticipate after making the change.
Keep reading and discover what to expect when vegan and what this eating approach can do for you.
Expect to Read More Nutrition Labels
As a person transitioning into veganism, you have anticipated that you will definitely need to pay more attention to the foods you buy and eat. You will need to be selective.
Remember, food labels can be so much more helpful than you may think when avoiding animal products. You may find that some products you love contain things that you are no longer allowing into your diet or in your home.
Fortunately, many vegan foods are now labeled as such, as you won’t need to do as much sleuthing. For the most part, ingredients are clearly labeled on the packaging and the menu at your favorite restaurants.
It is clear on packaging and labels if products used eggs or dairy products in food production, making it much easier to be a vegan in 2021 than a decade ago.
You will need to decide if you’re comfortable eating food made in facilities that still use animal byproducts. Different types of vegans will have different personal guidelines they like to, and that’s perfectly acceptable because it is your personal decision.
Expect to Need Supplemental Vitamins
Many of the foods that most people eat, including meat or dairy, provide the necessary vitamins humans need to survive. Luckily, you will find many whole foods that will replenish these nutrients in your new vegan diet.
To ensure that you’re absorbing these vitamins, you could always use a multivitamin or specific supplement added to your routine. This is a popular choice between vegan and vegetarians alike.
It’s a good idea for a vegan diet to know about the vitamins that you may need to keep an eye on. Talk with your doctor if you feel like your energy levels or anything else seems out of whack.
Be sure to eat as many whole foods as you can, including fruits and vegetables. You’ll also want to consider the benefits of other foods like nuts, legumes, and seeds.
Expect to Find an Amazing Community
Changing your whole diet, especially if you’re a food lover, can be really tough. Doing it by yourself is even more difficult.
If you’re not used to dieting restrictions and asking about specific styles of cooking or ingredients are restaurants, it can be a hard transition to make. You may be uncomfortable expressing your new dietary needs in front of family or friends for fear of embarrassment.
Making a big choice like this and not having support from others may make it impossible to maintain. However, it is important to remember that you made this choice for a reason and consider your personal values before making any further changes to your diet needs.
Because of these worries, it is a good idea to join a friendly community. You can find people online or even locally in Atlanta that can relate to what you’re going through.
Having people to talk to about the issues you’re having, share stories amongst, or exchange recipes with can be beneficial. Although it might be awkward at first, doing this will help you feel more confident in your decision to go vegan.
Don’t Expect It to Be Easy Right Away
Although you no longer want to eat meat, it’s still a hard habit to break. You likely grew up eating meat and associate the textures, smells, or flavors with yummy food.
Fortunately, one of the vegan tips you will want to try is recreating these meat-filled meals with vegan substitute recipes. You can recreate the flavors or textures that you desire with things that you can eat!
For instance, jackfruit is a great substitute for pulled pork. Seitan can be a friendly alternative to fried chicken.
Vegans “back in the day” didn’t have as many options. Luckily for you, however, the advancements in food options and availability are much more accessible for vegans today.
Don’t Expect Veganism to Be a Regular Diet.
One of the vegan benefits that you may experience is weight loss. However, deciding to eat vegan foods doesn’t automatically make you lose weight.
Like with any eating routine, you have to plan out what you eat to ensure that you’re eating healthy. You need to maintain a certain number of calories and nutrients every day to survive and maintain a good weight.
Vegans are not constantly dieting in the traditional sense of the word. There is still plenty of vegan junk food that you can find, so don’t fool yourself into thinking you can eat whatever you want!
Maintain a healthy vegan diet by paying attention to calorie intake. Still find food options that you enjoy, but don’t overdo them with sweet or salty snacks.
Are You Going Vegan?
When you’re planning on going vegan, it will be easier to stick to your diet if you find great restaurant options in your area to make sure that you can still go out and have a good time. Make sure you can find substitutes for your favorite foods.
Life Bistro, located in Atlanta, is a great option for lunch or dinner. We’ve also got some great desserts that you won’t want to skip.
If you’re interested in checking us out, take a peek at our menu to see what stands out to you, and give us a visit today!