You are already more than half way through this course.
Well done!
Step #3 is all about researching where you are going to buy your food from and how you are going to make your meals.
Planning ahead + getting organised makes life easier for you in the long run.
Additionally, it’s about understanding your nutritional needs. You may have some personal concerns or doubts about this – or be facing questions from concerned friends or family.
Nutrition
Many vegans and non-vegans don’t use any supplements, and you should be able to get all your nutritional needs from a varied plant-based diet except for Vitamin B12. However, Omega 3 is also recommended for brain health.
I really like to take care of my physical health so I supplement. I would do this whether or not I was vegetarian/vegan.
I buy a Vitamin B12 complex from Cytoplan (UK) and Pea Protein Powder from Nature’s Sunshine (US). I also take vegan Omega 3, Magnesium and Acidophilus for my gut.
Both of these suppliers produce and sell the highest quality products, and ship worldwide (at extra cost).
Always consult a qualified nutritionist, naturopath or doctor for individual dietary and health advice. My UK favourites are Deborah Walker’s Passport to Change and Kerry Madgewick’s Vitality Lifestyle Formula.
Chronometer is a web app for tracking your nutrition and health metrics.
In April 2019, I recorded this exclusive Masterclass: How to go vegan the healthy, sensible way with Naturopathic Nutritionist Deborah Walker. It’s an enlightening discussion, covering the myths and misconceptions about plant-based food.
Please excuse the sound ‘pops’: we had some problems with the sound unfortunately and this was our second attempt to record it.
Watch Masterclass: How to go vegan the healthy, sensible way
Ingredients + Alternatives
Because you are swimming against a tide of non-vegan foods, thinking about ingredients and where you will buy your meat/fish/dairy/egg/cheese substitutes?
Does you local supermarket have a good selection or will you have to shop in a health food store or consider buying online? What are the selections like?
(For example, in the UK – Sainsburys, Tescos, Waitrose, Wholefoods Market, Aldi or Lidl; or in the USA – CostCo or ThriveMarket).
I recommend moving towards organic fruit and vegetables if possible, especially for making juices/smoothies.
I appreciate buying organic is extra cost, and may not always be possible due to supply problems.
Free recipes online
I made this vegan cheesecake from a recipe by TheTastyK.
Cheap Lazy Vegan – ‘What I eat in a day’ and other clever recipe videos on her channel.
The Full Helping – Recipes, ethics, body image, eating disorders, emotional eating and self love.
Cooking with Plants – Anja’s easy ways to vegan-ise your favourite dishes so you won’t miss ‘em.
Deliciously Ella – Ella shares the plant-based, allergen-friendly diet that helped her get healthy.
Keepin’ It Kind – Chris and Kristy’s excellent blog and recipe book.
Mouthwatering Vegan – Award winning recipe blog by Miriam Sorrell.
OhSheGlows – Beautiful recipe blog and book.
Pickles ‘n’ Honey – SEO expert and dog lover Amanda’s seasonal recipes.
The Flexitarian – Recipe blog for those who want to eat less meat.
Vegan Corner – Raul and Miriam make very good vegan recipe videos.
Vegan Richa – Award-winning chef makes ingenious ethnic concoctions.
Vegan Starter Kit – Simple steps and recipes to help you adopt a vegan lifetstyle.
See also The Academy of Culinery Nutrition’s Top 50 Best Vegan Blogs.
Step #3 Actions:
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with research information at this stage.
This week:
- Check out these B12 links (from pages 13 + 14 of the eBook )
Vitamin B12 Deficiency – the Meat-eaters’ Last Stand’ (2007).
Nutrition facts on Vitamin B12 and Vegan B12 deficiency.
Vegan Health Vitamin B12 Recommendations
Vitamins, Minerals and Other Nutrients (from ADAPPT).
2. For general nutrition advice, check out these links at your leisure (from pages 15 + 16 of the eBook).
Dr. Michael Greger’s Nutrition Facts channel has the latest research on ‘How Not To Die’.
VegSource is a YouTube channel for learning about plant-based lifestyles from leading scientists in the medical and nutrition eld, such as Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. T. Collin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.
Mary and John McDougall’s free course gives all the information needed to successfully change diet and lifestyle, regain control of your health and appearance, and recover from chronic disease.
3. Browse the free recipe links above. I recommend Oh She Glows’ burger and Vegan Richa’s falafels.
4. Choose a couple of dishes to try and plan where you are going to shop for ingredients and supplies locally.
For focused learning and planning, use this printable / fillable PDF:
>> Download / print / fill worksheet PDF<<
Go to Step 4: Get Support!
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