Transitioning to a new diet can seem like a challenge, especially when it means cutting out products that you’ve been eating on a daily basis, whether that’s dairy foods, animal foods, eggs, or all of the above!
One of the best places to turn to when you’re in need of advice on where to begin, what the best transition tips are, or how to stay successful with you’re new diet, is the people already practicing your new eating habits.
So we’ve compiled some of the best advice and top tips from fellow vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians so you can receive some pearls of wisdom from the experts.
Rifka, who has been vegan for 5 years, Tom who has been veggie for 2 years, and Georgia who has been experimenting with flexitarianism for a year, have answered some big questions to do with their diets, and boy are the answers good ones!
How should I get started?
Vegan diet
“My biggest piece of advice for people just beginning a vegan diet is that slow and steady wins the race.
When I decided to become vegan it was a decision I literally made overnight and I fooled myself into thinking that I would be able to adapt to the diet instantly.
I was already a vegetarian so I just thought that It would be an easy jump but I was definitely wrong.
So instead of doing what I did, you need to be kind to yourself and maybe decide to cut out one animal product at a time.
You could start with eggs, then once that’s easy for you, move onto cheese, and then milk and so on.
The vegan lifestyle is exactly that, a lifestyle, so it is so much better to take your time making changes that stick, rather than diving in too deep and calling off the diet altogether.”
Vegetarian diet
“I would say do your research and find places where you can get recipe ideas that you like.
It is much easier to change to a new diet if you’re excited about the food you’ll be eating.
I find Instagram is a great place for finding new vegetarian meal ideas.”
Flexitarian diet
“Well, the best thing about flexitarianism is that it is so flexible. That’s why I chose it.
So I would say just go with the flow, especially at the start. And just build-up to eating more and more plant foods and vegan meals.
You can slowly figure out what you’re favourite plant based foods are and become more comfortable with cooking them.
And you don’t have to feel pressured to be cutting out animal products completely, if it happens it happens but it doesn’t have to be a stressful goal.”
Gosh’s! Top Tip
No matter the diet you’re transitioning to, having fun with it would be our biggest piece of advice!
There seems to be a stigma surrounding vegan food in particular that it isn’t as exciting, but we think our products are concrete proof that eating on a plant based diet, or just getting more fruit and vegetables into your meals, can be a sensational experience both when you’re cooking and when you’re eating!
The great thing about all of our Gosh! goodies are that they are incredibly versatile, so on Monday night you can make a tasty veggie curry using our Spinach & Pine Nut Bites, and then for lunch on Tuesday can finish off the rest of the pack by making a spinach and courgette alfredo.
This makes it incredibly fun, and incredibly easy to play around with our veggie packed products.
So get experimenting in the kitchen and make sure to tag us at @gosh_food on Instagram so we can see all of your creative culinary conquests!
What did you find to be the hardest change, and what’re your tips for overcoming it?
Vegan diet
“The nutrition side of vegan diets is what I found hardest to begin with.
Yet again I thought that it would be easy because I was already used to finding a lot of plant based sources of protein.
But obviously that’s just one element of having a healthy vegan diet.
I didn’t realise how much I relied on animal products like dairy and eggs to fulfill all the nutrients you need.
But honestly after researching things like how to get enough vitamins like vitamin b12, vitamin d etc, it became really easy to recognise which vegan foods would give me all the essential nutrients needed.
So my tip would be to do your research, we’re so lucky to have so much information available because of the internet, so definitely make use of all the amazing online resources to get clued up on vegan nutrition.”
Vegetarian diet
“Going to eat at people’s houses was probably the toughest thing at the start.
My friends and family all knew me as a meat eater and only some of them were vegetarian themselves so a lot of them weren’t used to cooking vegetarian meals.
My tip would be to get everyone involved in the cooking.
It was actually really fun to learn along with friends and family and experiment with making new foods.
Now loads more of my friends and family are vegetarian or even vegan which I’m definitely going to take credit for”
Flexitarian diet
“I mean honestly there wasn’t really anything super hard about the change because it didn’t really feel like I was making one.
I guess maybe making sure you’re still aiming to eat plant based as much as possible.
It could be quite easy to still be eating a fair amount of meat because that’s still allowed on the diet.
So to avoid that meal planning will be your best friend.
That way you can keep track of how many plant based meals you’re eating each week, and how many animal products you’re eating.”
Gosh’s Top Tip
It can definitely be difficult to navigate a new world of nutrition when it comes to starting a different diet.
It can be especially hard if you have other dietary requirements to filter into the mix.
So our words of wisdom would be to get nourishment from things that are all natural.
Making the most out of what nature has given us is a great way to build a healthy, balanced diet whether you’re going vegan, cutting out meat, or just reducing your animal product intake.
All of our products are completely natural and free from the top 14 allergens.
We use deliciously nutritious ingredients that cut out the bad, but remain high in fibre, high in protein and low in saturated fat.
So you’re getting the nutrients your body needs whilst making sure to keep your taste buds tingling.
What is your ultimate piece of advice for a successful journey on your diet?
Vegan diet
“I would say that the thing that made and continues to make my vegan journey so successful is finding my favourite alternatives.
Just like you would have your favourite meal or favorite snack before you started the diet, whether that’s a pizza or a bar of chocolate, find the vegan versions of those things and start learning your staple ingredients, dishes and products.
There are vegan-friendly substitutes everywhere so I promise It really isn’t hard to replace or adapt your old food favourites.
When it comes to cooking in my kitchen my favourite staple ingredients that I’ve found are coconut oil, nutritional yeast and tofu, and my favourite meals are vegan mac and cheese, tofu stir fry and make your own vegan pizzas.”
Vegetarian diet
“I think just to experiment and have fun with it.
Keep trying new recipes, get friends and family involved with the cooking, have meat free dinner parties where everyone brings their own dish, things like that.
Basically just always find the fun and excitement in cooking.”
Flexitarian diet
“I know that this may sound overly simple but I would just say to be relaxed and enjoy it.
I think as soon as you start putting pressure on yourself, or feeling stressed and confined by a diet, that’s when it’s going to start to fall apart.
So just take it easy, explore and experiment, and don’t be too harsh or restrictive.”
Gosh’s Top Tip
Our final tip is to follow and consume content from like-minded people.
So whatever your favourite social media platform is, find influencers and content creators who spark inspiration in you so that when you’re low on motivation and ideas, they can give you the boost that you need.
We’re always posting and promoting innovative ways of using our products so that you can see just how exciting your cooking can be every single day!
So make sure you follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated and to see fresh ways of cooking up our glorious Gosh! products.
You can also download your free #GoshGoodnessBowls recipe eBook here so that you never run out of delicious meal ideas to try out in your kitchen!
