Becoming Vegan is one of the best changes I've ever made in my life. It made me aware of what I was putting in my body, the impact on my food consumption and how plant-based eaters positively contribute to keeping the planet healthy. I also get the chance to answer the famous 'where Vegans get protein' question. Yay me!
But what is Veganism? Do Vegans eat honey? Where do Vegans get their protein? I'll answer these common questions and more in this blog.
What's a Vegan?
A Vegan is a person who does not consume (eat, wear or other) animals (meat) or food produced by said animals. What does this mean? Vegans don't eat bees and wouldn't eat honey either (the liquid bees produce).
A Vegan cares about the wellbeing and treatment of all animals, health, the planet and more. It all starts with compassion, education and peace.
What do Vegans eat?
Now that we've talked about what Vegans don't eat, let's talk about what a Vegan plate looks like.
Of course, what a Vegan plate looks like varies across the world and is heavily influenced by ingredient availability and culture. However, Vegan food exists in nearly every single culture.
Vegan ingredients include fruits (like strawberries and apples), vegetables (i.e.: mushrooms and zucchini), grains (rice, oats and quinoa), beans (chickpeas and black beans), nuts and seeds (almonds and chia seeds), protein (tempeh and tofu), alternatives (from brands like Daiya, Nona Vegan and Sol Cuisine), seasoning (like cayenne pepper and garlic powder), oils, snacks and more.
Common Western Vegan meals at breakfast include: avocado toast, fruit, smoothie bowls, pancakes, tofu scramble, cereal and overnight oats.
Here's an Instagram reel of what a week of breakfasts looks like for me:
For lunch, you can try soups, salads, Buddha bowls, sushi, wraps and pizza.
At dinner, you can try pasta, roasted vegetables, burgers, burritos and stir-frys.
As for meals around the world, I love the West African meals showcased on The Canadian African and Shine with Plants. You can find inspiration on Caribbean meals from Rachel Ama and Tiffany Shirley. Of course, there's more incredible content by Black creators like Turnip Vegan, Blkandvegan, Sweetgreensvegan, Jeffrey Boadi, Sweetpotatosoul and Tabitha Brown. You may also discover people who follow specific diets like the Alkaline diet such as Alkavegan.
Okay, but where do Vegans get their protein from?
Like cows, elephants and other cool mammals, Vegans get their protein from plants. That's right, protein exists in legumes like lentils and peas, tofu, tempeh, nuts, seeds and protein-fortified foods like plant-based milk. You can also supplement with protein powder or gummies.
Luckily, I've got a coupon code for your first purchase at Herbaland, a nutritional gummy maker. Check out the tweet below for details:
Check out my post about @herbaland on IG! You can get 15% off your vitamins/supplements by using my code aissatou15 ✨https://t.co/xNjlmdhrPD #vegan #glutenfree #sugarfree #readysetgummy pic.twitter.com/5n6Zf5DOCe
— Aissatou Bah (@aissatoutb) November 15, 2020
I want to go Vegan. Where do I start?
Step 1: Research
Search for more information on transitioning to a Vegan diet, use a search engine and social media to get inspiration for meals and follow Vegan influencers for info and inspo.
Step 2: Shop
Find stores that carry Vegan items or visit Vegan shops like Good Rebel Vegan and Nature Santé. Ask questions and seek recommendations while you're in store.
Step 3: Enjoy and keep learning as you go
Eat your food slowly. Savour every bite. Share your meals with your friends and family. Don't be afraid to try new meals and discover new restaurants.
Either way, let me know if you have any questions on anything I shared in this blog. What topic should I tackle in my next blog post? Does anyone want to see more recipes? Don't forget to share your thoughts with me.
Follow me on Instagram to see what I eat during the day & save recipes!
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Blessings,
Aissatou