CHICO — With the kickstart of a new year, this is the time when many of us still recovering from a month of indulgences turn to new resolutions about eating.
New interest in the possible health — not to mention environmental and ethical — benefits of going vegan drove the trend Veganuary to grow in popularity. If that’s you considering going vegan this month, this column is for you.
With other fads like the Whole30 in mind, it seems worth asking — is a month-long test drive of the lifestyle a better choice for some of us? It’s tough for many people to transition into, and maintain, a vegan diet because at first glance it is a very restrictive way of eating. Many Americans have a diet so heavily reliant upon animal products that it can feel like you’re giving up so much to begin to be a true vegan.
As I’ve mentioned in a few previous columns, however, what makes it possible to not only try but thrive while vegan is letting your diet change. Letting meals slowly revolve more and more around plants is one way to stop missing cheese and meats, in my humble opinion. Or, you can try foods from other global influences, where cultures have been less animal-centered and many countries have been experimenting with animal-free meals for centuries. It’s hard to get bored when you widen your meal selection over time to include more diverse ways of cooking and using ingredients.
There are also immense health benefits from this diet that you’re bound to notice — if you don’t just eat vegan junk food like corn chips, Gardein meat substitutes and pasta. When I first realized that going vegan was best for my health, experimentation was what made it possible to make the transition from mostly not eating meat to foregoing all animal products. I wasn’t very good at it at first, but then as I slowly reduced the amount of dairy in my body, I began to see immediate effects when I did cheat and have ice cream or some small amount of cheese.
I’m not the only one in my family who has experienced this digestive change, either. It was clear how quickly the body can unlearn how to process these types of foods — and why going cold turkey can really do damage to some people. Now that, this year, I have medical confirmation that being vegan has indeed been the best choice I could make for my heath, I want to help others understand: 1. How easy it can be to be vegan and 2. How doable it is to be a healthy vegan.
Being vegan changes how you eat, cook, shop and think about what’s in your body in general. It also doesn’t have much to do with being healthy, but in my opinion it absolutely should go hand-in-hand with good nutritional habits.
And if you focus on going vegan with this in mind, you’re much more likely to stick with it, and make it part of your everyday life. Eating Gardein and soy ice cream all day will only exacerbate the health problems you may be trying to avoid. So how do you get started?
- Head to Netflix or find other documentaries on Amazon for inspiration and stories from others who went vegan for good, for different reasons. I don’t recommend “What the Health” — start with “Forks over Knives” and “The Game Changers.”
- Invest in a couple of cookbooks. My current favorites “Thug Kitchen” and “Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook” make it much more accessible and enjoyable to start veganizing your kitchen routine even for just one month.
- Pinterest is also super helpful for finding plant-based recipes and making substitutes much easier to improvise. If you have a Crock Pot or Instant Pot, it is absolutely life-changing for novice vegans.
- Try a meal plan. It’s extremely helpful — and fun! — to start planning out your days with a week-long food plan. It will also help prevent days where you’re caught empty-handed and need to run to grab lunch.
Ideas for eating out
To make your month of experimenting easier, some simple outdoor alternatives for your favorite foods when you have to grab a quick lunch or don’t feel like cooking dinner can save your life.
There are a couple options for pizza in town that can help ease the pain of a cold Veganuary. Woodstock’s and MOD Pizza both offer dairy-free cheese to use on their veggie topping pizzas. At places like Celestino’s, you can ask for no-cheese versions of your favorite veggie pizzas like the margherita. Sprinkling Daiya or Violife on it is pretty good.
I’ve mentioned before how many places offer vegan burgers around town so you don’t have to give them up for the traditional portobello mushroom sandwich. Enough places now offer the Beyond Burger or Impossible Burger that you might as well try them all!
If you’re craving takeout, several places in town like Ginger’s, Thai Basil, Thai Express, Izakiya Ichiban and Japanese Blossom offer some tofu options with their dishes — or just get the veggie version of the rice and chow mein dishes and check that it isn’t cooked with any animal fat.
My best suggestion for eating out if you must during this month is trying something new instead of an alternative to something that normally is made with meat or cheese products which might make you miss animal products. Try restaurants with naturally vegan dishes like the taco salads/Slawchos at OM Foods, at Live Life Juice Co. or clearly marked vegan options at Cafe Coda or Sunday brunches at Tender Loving Coffee. The more new things you try, the less you’ll miss your favorites.
To make it easiest on yourself, use this month to experiment with some simple dishes at home. It really is a smoother transition to get through 30 days vegan if you can stick with the grocery store and meal plans. Don’t be afraid to experiment, and remember that there are far more resources available to vegans today with the Internet than ever before! Best of luck to all readers who take the plunge this month.
Natalie Hanson was inspired to write this biweekly column after meeting more vegans in Chico and seeing the need for representation in the north valley. Send vegan-friendly restaurant or business recommendations her way to nhanson@chicoer.com.