How to become vegan

Our guide to a balanced diet for vegans also explains the everyday nutritional needs to keep you happy and healthy.

Planning is key

Think about what you have on an average day for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Then, think about what you could substitute. Try replacing one of your meals e.g. lunch or dinner with a vegan alternative as an easy intro to veganism. Read up and research everything you'll need to make sure your diet complete in the absence of meat, dairy and eggs. It may be the case that you need more B12, iron or zinc in the form of supplements.

More like this

In terms of cooking, a good place to start is your main meal of the day. Our vegan dinner collection has 48 tasty recipes that range in difficulty and prep time. Peruse and pick what's right for you. These meals are hearty, filling and just happen to be vegan. For example, our vegan 'cheesy' leek crumble and vegan shepherd's pie are sure to be family favourites. Check out our vegan pasta collection for more filling main meal options.

Give these hearty vegan one-pots a try...

Spinach, sweet potato & lentil dhal
Sweet potato & coconut curry
Spicy spaghetti with garlic mushrooms

On your shop, get used to reading the labels for any sneaky non-vegan products. You'll also need to budget carefully as even though you're not buying meat, being vegan can be equally expensive, particularly if you're buying ready-made products.

Find delicious vegan recipes

Time to practice your cooking skills! There are plenty of tasty veggie packed recipes out there, so why not plan your weekly dinners and test out your cooking expertise? Make sure you're packing in the veggies, pulses and protein. Rather than thinking of this as a restrictive diet, think of it as an opportunity to try new recipes and cooking methods.

You can also impress your family and friends by whipping up a delicious vegan dessert from our sweet collection. These vegan cherry & almond brownies are so squidgy, dense and delicious you'd never guess they're vegan-friendly.

As a treat, why not branch out and find a restaurant with stunning vegan options? Most mainstream restaurants will have at least one or two vegan items on their menus.

Get snack happy

Bring in your own treats and snacks to stave off hunger and keep yourself topped up with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Bring in a stash of fruit and nuts for when you get peckish, read up in our guide about the health benefits of different nuts. These salted caramel biscuit bars will give everyone in the office serious food envy.

Try these vegan snacks...

'Cheesy' vegan scones
Pecan-stuffed dates
Spicy roast chickpeas
Sweet potato crisps
Cinnamon cashew spread with apple slices

Get to know your vegan substitutes

It's worth investigating different vegan substitutes such as tofu, vegan quorn products, vegan cheeses, soy and nut milks and mayos to see if you can convert some of your favourite dishes. Try your hand at making vegan cashew cream cheese, it's simpler than you might think with no cooking involved.

Our guide to five vegan ingredients you've never heard of will give you inspiration. Some of these handy storecupboard ingredients such as aquafaba and nutritional yeast could be worth stocking up on.