New Year, New Habits: A Balanced Way to Explore Plant-Based Eating

Many see January 1st as the perfect time to begin something new. It’s a great concept, however you feel about New Year’s resolutions or starting a new diet; we all have goals, and sometimes the spark of a new year can be just the thing we need to finally start out. Veganuary takes advantage of January as the month for starting new diets and challenges people to try out a plant-based diet for the entire month. Maybe you’re considering it, or perhaps you’re just ready to finally try out a plant-based or plant-forward diet for yourself. 

Whatever your reasons, there are a few things to know before you start out a new way of eating. 

Check in with a Dietitian

Starting new diets is great and all, but only if it’s something that will truly benefit you. Although plant-based eating is safe for the majority of people, some will need to proceed with more caution. For anyone with IBS for example, increasing the amount of fiber-rich ingredients can sometimes worsen symptoms. For those low in amylase, high-starch or plant-based diets can negatively affect blood sugar levels. For the elderly or others needing more iron and B12, extra care should be taken with supplements.

All of this is to say, vegan eating isn’t one size fits all. Consult your doctor or a dietitian about what’s best before proceeding.

Know your ‘Why’

When beginning any new goal in life, be it starting a new diet or writing a novel, it’s important to have an important ‘why’. Without one, you’ll quickly lose steam. So before you even start, meditate on why it is you want to start eating plant-based at all. Is it simply because others are doing it and you want to see what it’s all about? Is there a deeper reason that’s calling you to this way of eating?

The decision to eat plant-based is often deeply personal, and it’s something you should remember when things inevitably get tough. If it helps, write it down on a piece of paper or sticky note and put it somewhere you’ll see it often to remind yourself of why you’re doing this.

Forget about ‘perfection’

Oftentimes, starting a new diet can make us hell-bent on perfection. Starting January 1st, not one drop of alcohol, no more chocolate, no meat or dairy whatsoever.

This is an impractical way of thinking, and it will do you no favors. For plant-based eaters especially, striving for perfection right from the get-go would be a severe jolt. So much of what our supermarkets offer has animal products in it and not everything plant-based may be suitable to your tastes at first.

Take it one day at a time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and there’s no sense rushing into something without taking the time to learn and adapt first. When I decided to try out the plant-based lifestyle, it took at least a year to get used to new ingredients, ways of cooking, and adapting to new ways of seeing food. Give yourself the same grace. Even if you only start with one or two vegan meals a week, that’s still progress toward your goal.

Not all vegan foods are healthy

While the vegan diet is generally associated with better health, not everything labeled vegan or plant-based is considered healthy. Many products, like movie theater popcorn butter, dried fruits, or ultra-processed cracker snacks are technically ‘vegan’, but void of any nutritional value.

The same applies to foods labeled as ‘plant-based’ in the supermarket. While certain fake meats or butters are fine to consume, not all are made with the health of their consumers in mind. Many fake meats are pumped with ingredients that haven’t been proven to be completely harmless. Several ‘plant-based’ butters are simply vegetable and palm oil mixed together. Proceed with caution, and eat only what feels right.

Have fun in the kitchen

On the surface, vegan eating can look boring and restrictive. But it doesn’t have to be. While at first it might feel as though you’re ridding yourself of all the good things in life, you’ll soon become impressed with what plants and plant-sourced foods can do. By exploring new ingredients and ways of cooking, you’ll open a whole new world of creative cooking.

Better yet, there’s a wealth of cookbooks and food blogs to help you on your plant-based cooking journey. Start searching for resources that offer something you’re excited to cook and go from there.

Keep a Journal

While the idea of writing down what you ate and your thoughts about it might seem corny, you’ll quickly see why it’s necessary. The idea isn’t so much to prove to yourself that you’re sticking to your diet, so much as it is to notice emotional patterns. Don’t just keep track of what you ate. Track your energy levels, your mood, how you’re feeling generally. Are you consistently tired? Do you have cravings for meat and dairy almost every day?

Keeping and reviewing a journal is an important tool toward understanding how food works for you, and what needs to be adjusted in the process. Only when we understand our innermost thoughts and feelings will we be able to determine whether your new diet is working.

Do it in your own time

While Veganuary is a great opportunity to take on a challenge with others, January isn’t always the easiest month to tackle new projects, especially those that center around eating. The good news is plant-based eating will always be here for you, whenever and wherever you feel ready for it. Don’t feel obligated to start something new just because the calendar says it’s time. Go by your own timetable and do it when you’re truly ready.