Making the Switch

This my Veg family!  Love them so much!

This post is aimed at helping you and your family make the switch from the Standard American Diet (SAD) to a Vegan diet.  This is in no way a one-size fits all plan, but it is what has worked for me and my family.  Remember, in order to make a change, you must be open-minded and willing to learn new things.  You also have to be motivated to change or it is easy to lose focus on why you wanted to change in the first place.  This post was prompted by all of the interest I have had from friends and family saying they would like to change their lifestyle but have no idea where to start. 

It is difficult to know where to start when trying to eat a veg diet. There is so much information and misinformation to sift through. I will let you know what has worked for us.

First of all, start following my blog http:onewyomingvegan.blogspot.com where I post recipes and other information, and I will be there with you on every step of your journey to a new lifestyle.

Also, if you have Netflix or any other way of watching the Food Inc video, I would highly recommend it.  Watch this video with your family. This was the first video relating to where food comes from that my girls ever watched. They were 9 and 11. Ever since seeing that video 2 years ago, they have both been vegetarian by choice. The Meat Video that is posted on my blog is a very graphic look at the meat industry and very difficult to watch. However, for some reason we have learned to separate ourselves from our food and live in denial about where it comes from. So, even though it is taboo to discuss and look at these things, it is an integral part of the process to changing your lifestyle. A majority of people would not eat meat by choice if they had to kill it, or understood how it ends up on their plates. It is so important to educate yourself and your children when it comes to understanding food sources. 

Other good movies to watch to help educate yourselves about the benefits of a plant based diet are Food Matters, Forks Over Knives, and The Beautiful Truth.

After you and your children have been educated about the importance of a veg diet, you will most likely be motivated to make a change. Some people make the switch full speed ahead without ever looking back, and for others it is a gradual change. Some people may start out with Meatless Mondays and gradually work themselves into a veg diet. The speed of the change is not what's important, it is the fact that you are willing to make a positive change that matters.

After watching Food Inc. my girls and my husband were very motivated to eat vegetarian and I decided I was going to go all the way Vegan. So I took advantage of this momentum and checked out every book I could from the library on these topics (they were mainly cookbooks). One book that still stands out in my mind was Being Vegan by Joanne Stepinak

A really fun cookbook for kids, and one of the first I got, was Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Chandra Moskowitz. Kids always seem to be excited about cookies and this book helps them realize that eating Vegan tastes great.

Another fun thing for kids to know is who all the celebrity Vegans/vegetarians are. Let them do a search for famous Vegans; they may be surprised how many celebrities are vegetarian/Vegan!

www.vegweb.com is the main website I use for recipes. They have all the recipes broke down into different categories and there is a "kid friendly" category.

www.chooseveg.com has a ton of information on making the switch to a veg diet. They also have recipes. Definitely check this site out! It will probably help you and your family in every way possible.

http://www.mercyforanimals.org/vegan-starter-kit.aspx from this link you can order a free vegetarian starter kit (not sure what's in it, but I would assume lots of brochures, etc)

www.peta.org and www.petakids.com also have lots of information

www.vegansociety.com has a wealth of information, too

Here are some pointers to make it fun to eat veggie for your kids:

Let them help choose a recipe and help prepare it (I know this seems like a lot of work, but they are more likely to eat what they make)

Don't try any really exotic recipes with strange ingredients right away

At first stick with pastas, pizzas, and other things they may already like (you can Veganize anything!)

There are also great meat alternatives to make the transition easier such as, Morningstar sausages, chik n nuggets, black bean burgers, prime burgers, etc. Tofuky makes lunch meat slices that have an uncanny resemblance to real turkey.

Remember that there are many good reasons to eat veg: saving the planet, saving the animals, and living a longer, healthier life, to name a few!

There is so much information out there, and once you start looking around you will have many questions answered and you will have more questions to ask! You are doing a great favor for yourself and your family by taking this first step and asking for information. I firmly believe this lifestyle change is one of the most valuable gifts you will ever give yourself and your children! 

Remember, I am here to support you along the way.  Please contact me with any comments, questions, suggestions, etc (contact info can be found under my contact tab).  Also, check out my resource and reference page.  There are many wonderful books and documentaries about Veganism; most can be found on amazon or in your local library.

Please let me know if you have any other questions. I will be here to help you in this journey any way I can.