So How Hard Is It To Be Vegan?

As someone who has been plant based for almost 10 months now, people love to tell me how they could never be vegan. I don't even ask them, they just volunteer the information, automatically thinking I'm going to judge them. And the excuses I get range from "I could never give up meat" to "I could never give up cheese or ice cream".

This article isn't going to focus on why someone should go vegan... there's plenty of articles out there covering the subject. Instead, I wanted to focus on how easy it is to eat this way. So many people think it's complicated and because of this, they don't even want to try.

The easiest way to transition is to do vegan challenges, maybe a week at a time. This is what worked for me. Plus, you have to plan your meals for the week, so that you have more than enough food for when you have cravings.

The foods are fairly easy to buy and it doesn't have to cost a lot. Of course, organic is often better, but if it proves too costly, just go with the conventional fruits and veggies and wash them thoroughly.

Buy lots of produce and focus on variety. This way you won't get bored. Stock up on beans and peas too. They sell beans dried but this will require some preparation. You can stock up on cans or small boxes of prepared beans. These foods are essential for vegan bodybuilders for their excellent source of protein. Get a variety of beans too. There are so many different kinds of beans that you can mix it up.

Also quinoa, couscous and other grains are an important part of many plant based diets. These protein rich foods are packed with nutrients that will keep you satisfied and not starved.

Nuts and seeds are important too. These foods will give you the healthy fats that you need. Walnuts, for example, are an excellent source of omega 3. The problem with nuts and seeds though is that they can be higher calories. If you want to lose weight, you may want to be careful about the portion sizes.

Another problem I hear is that people don't have time to prepare the foods. You can prepare many of the foods over the weekend and portion them for the week. You can soak oatmeal overnight so you don't have to worry about preparing it in the morning. If planned right, it can work into your routine and not take any longer than when you prepared meat.

I've been plant based for nearly 10 months now. Maybe it's because I'm so used it it now, but I don't see it as difficult to eat this way. Of course it's easy to stop at a drive thru to get some burgers and fries, which so many people do, but the reality is, good food takes some preparation. In my opinion, it's so much better to be healthy than to get in the habit of having a quick bite at a fast food restaurant, just for the sake of saving some time.