Going vegan for the first time? This guide might help you

A personal choice to embrace veganism is a slow and steady process, yet one that will reap rewards for your health

According to Bloomberg Intelligence, the plant-based food market is predicted to grow by 451% by 2030, with a valuation of US$30 billion in 2020. Confirming this is vegan chef Pooja Masurkar, sharing, “I have been a vegan pastry chef since 2016, and yes, there’s been a massive increase in the demand for vegan foods in the past three years. For me, 2023 has been a year where many Indians are accepting the vegan lifestyle.” This lifestyle has been steadily gaining momentum within pop culture too, with trends such as #veganurary and the popularity of books like the Skinny Bitch series by Kim Barnouin, as well as Robert Kenner's documentary Food, Inc. (2008) that revealed corporate farming's impact on animals, the environment, and health. 

Global brands are also responding to this growing consumer conscience, with Cadbury announcing a vegan chocolate alternative in 2021, known as the Cadbury Plant Bar. Meanwhile, high-street chains like Marks & Spencer, Pret a Manger, Wagamama, and Pizza Hut have introduced vegan options. Then there is Guinness that stopped using isinglass—a gelatin-like substance obtained from the bladders of fish—in its brewing process after two-and-a-half centuries. With more and more individuals embracing this lifestyle, we bring you the Ultimate Vegan Checklist—compiled with expert insights and real-life experiences from seasoned vegans.

Travelling as a vegan

While travelling, those who have embarked on a vegan lifestyle often face initial hurdles in their quest for plant-based options. For some, however, travelling as a vegan is an adventure, like Anthony Bourdain who had said, "Just as giving up meat incited me to learn how to cook, it has also pushed me while traveling to find smaller restaurants or less-publicized aspects of national cuisines." Waylon Lewis, the author and founder of Elephant Journal, revels in the joy of discovering culinary treasures across the globe, "Honestly, travelling is one of the fun things about being vegan. I've found delicious, healthy, eco-vegan options in Paris, in Firenze, in Mexico, just about everywhere. Sure, sometimes it's inconvenient, but it makes it like a treasure hunt."

Malavika Malaviya, the vegan lifestyle blogger known as @malagoesgreen on Instagram, suggests using apps such as Happy Cow to locate vegan dining options anywhere in the world. Contrastingly, Vinita Contractor, a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, shares her experience, "As a vegan traveling in India, it’s been easy. Traveling to the West has been a challenge, especially when it comes to finding inexpensive, healthy vegan options." She emphasises the importance of visiting local farmers’ markets and supermarkets for fresh produce and recommends researching vegetarian restaurants that can accommodate vegan preferences. Ketaki Kumar, a breathwork facilitator and Yin yoga teacher, acknowledges the challenges of vegan travel, highlighting a  scarcity of plant-based options at chai shops during road trips. Sharing  practical advice, she says, "Carry your own plant-based milk and snacks including granola, fox nuts, or anything else that will satiate your hunger."

Pantry Essentials as Building Blocks

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world's largest nutritional organisation, asserts that a plant-based diet is both adequate and healthy for people at all stages of life, including pregnancy. Heather Russell, a registered dietitian at the Vegan Society, dispels the myth that obtaining protein from plant sources is challenging, highlighting foods such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, soya products, peanut butter, cashew nuts, and pumpkin seeds as excellent protein sources. One can emphasise this further by citing examples of top athletes like race-car driver Lewis Hamilton and tennis player Novak Djokovic, as well as Blue Zone inhabitants—those living in regions with exceptionally high life expectancy—who thrive on predominantly plant-based diets.

However, it's important to acknowledge that not all plant-based foods are inherently healthier; replacing fish, meat, eggs, and cheese with highly processed vegan alternatives isn’t always better for both individuals and the environment.Contractor says, “Don’t get enamoured by processed vegan foods that you may find during the course of research, including mock meat and synthesised vegan butters.” 

Creating a vegan pantry is the starting point for your journey, and it's simpler than you might think. We put together a list of essentials to stock up on. 

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: Kumar wishes someone had told her this earlier: “You have to be friends with fruits and vegetables. I was a hardcore meat eater with little or no affiliation towards vegetables till I turned vegan. If you don’t enjoy them, you end up eating unhealthy, junk food that’s vegan but leaves you with deficiencies and a lowered immunity.” For Kumar, vegetables were not her most favourite part of her meals but as a vegan adult, she says, “Getting an oven really changed my approach to vegetables. I love layering them in a tray, roasting them with some olive oil.”

Grains: Make quinoa, brown rice, oats, and whole wheat pasta your staples. Contractor says, “I encourage you to explore the large variety of Indian beans, millets, and flours like buckwheat and rajgira that are part of our culinary heritage.”

Legumes: Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are protein powerhouses that form the foundation of many vegan recipes. Contractor’s pantry, for instance, always has, “Indian beans, millets, and flours for variety, and lentil-based pastas and homemade, nut-based cheese and butter alternatives for non-Indian food.”

Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds provide both healthy fats and protein. 

Good Quality Fats: Masurkar's staple fats in her pantry include extra virgin olive oil, toasted sesame oil, virgin coconut oil, and cold-pressed mustard oil.

Plant-Based Milk: Almond, soy, oat, and coconut milk can substitute for dairy in most recipes. Masurkar recommends homemade nut mylks in tea and coffee for better taste, plus they are easy to make at home.

Spices and Herbs: Enhance your dishes with a variety of spices and herbs, from turmeric to basil, essential in vegan cooking.

Nutritional Yeast: This adds a cheesy flavour to dishes and is highly recommended by Masurkar for Italian food. Kumar loves nutritional yeast for “its umami flavour; it’s been a game changer for me, especially because it’s a natural source of vitamin B12. I sprinkle some on popcorn or fox nuts for a cheesy finish.”

Tofu and Tempeh: Malaviya attests that versatile plant-based protein sources can be used in a variety of recipes, offering protein content similar to chicken. 

Is it expensive to be vegan?

Most supermarket shelves offering niche products might suggest so, but Waylon Lewis, author of It’s Never Too Late to Fall in Love with Your Life, challenges this notion. He contends, "Meat and milk are both expensive, short-term and long-term, in terms of health. Without corrupt subsidies, they would be far more expensive." He suggests a perspective shift, advocating for buying produce in bulk and making cost-effective choices, like making oat milk at home.

Masurkar emphasises the affordability of a plant-based diet with homemade alternatives like cream cheese and nut mylks. Shifting focus from expensive meat substitutes to beans, pulses, and legumes dramatically reduces costs. She highlights the vegan-friendly nature of most vegetarian Indian food, particularly in the south and west. “Being a Maharashtrian, almost every vegetarian dish my mom makes is vegan, except the ghee.”

Meanwhile, Contractor offers practical advice, suggesting a cost-effective approach by embracing more vegetarian Indian dishes, eliminating paneer and ghee. She notes, “Costs become a concern when replicating foods like cheese-laden pizzas. For such dishes, you can tackle the cost factor by making them at home once you have eased yourself into the journey.”

Kumar, too, challenges the notion, sharing, “Most vegetarian Indian home food is vegan. I am a South Indian and grew up eating dosas and idlis which are vegan.” Her cost-saving tip is to prioritise homemade Indian food over pricier cafe options. In her view, being vegan, excluding nuts, is economical when embracing home-cooked Indian cuisine.

Navigating the Vegan Lifestyle

More people are choosing veganism for ethical and environmental reasons; research from the University of Oxford shows that it is the "single-most effective method" to reduce one's ecological footprint. Masurkar says, “I was a meat-eater all my life, and following a deep dive into how commercial dairy products are manufactured, any sane person would want to give it up. I am vegan because I care about what I put inside my body and I care about the ecological impact my food choices have.” Making the shift to veganism can be transformative, and here are some tips to make the transition smoother:

Making the shift to veganism can be transformative, and here are some tips to make the transition smoother:

A Gradual Shift: Contractor advises newcomers to take it slow. “The body takes some time to process plant protein after being used to animal protein for years. Many find a shift in the quality of their skin and hair when the shift is too quick; the gut takes time to process large amounts of fibre found in plant protein.” For some, a foray into vegetarianism is a good first step. Malaviya, for instance, embraced veganism after becoming a vegetarian.

Seek Support: Connecting with local vegan communities or online forums provides a platform to share experiences, gain advice, and discover new recipes. Malaviya says, “Following Instagram pages that educate you about veganism is beneficial as they can point you in certain directions you might not have considered yet.”

Supplement Wisely: Depending on individual needs, consider taking supplements for nutrients like B12 and vitamin D. Kumar,  who believes in taking B12 supplements and plant protein says, “in my case I had a B12 deficiency. So get a blood test, look at your own functioning and decide.” 

Celebrate Small Wins: Acknowledge progress and the positive impact on your health as well as the planet. Masurkar supports a pragmatic approach: “If you decide to replace four of your meat- or dairy-based meals in a week with plant-based food, that is still going to create a positive impact versus none at all.”

Mindful, Holistic Living: Malaviya advises, “For those looking to explore or transition to a vegan lifestyle beyond just dietary choices. you don't need to be perfect right from the beginning. Do your research, be conscientious, and read labels when purchasing any products.” For Malaviya, attempting to embrace veganism “ may appear daunting initially, but becomes easier in no time. Don't give up on it.”

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