With all of the latest news about food recalls and troubles with food poisoning, it seems like eating is now a dangerous activity. And you probably have also noticed that many of the problems have to deal with salmonella and other meat-based issues. So perhaps now is as good a time as any to give up meat for good. Becoming a vegan isn't just a good way to avoid many of the problems of food safety, but it's also a good way to improve your health – when you know how to make the switch.

Are you Veggie Yet?

What you might not realise is the being a vegetarian and being a vegan are two separate eating ideas. Being a vegetarian means you're simply giving up meats – chicken, beef, fish, and pork – but being a vegan means you will not be eating any animal products at all – i.e. milk, cheese, honey. If you're not at the stage where you've given up meat, that's where you need to begin. Giving up all animal products at once might seem like the best way to rip off the proverbial meat bandage, but it can be too shocking to your life and to your body.


Start by slowly switching out meat in your diet to help your body and your kitchen become used to less and less meat dishes. You might want to begin focusing your meals on beans and on veggies at first, moving later into adding tempeh and tofu as you begin to expand your cooking repertoire. Slowly, change out more and more meals for veggie options until you feel completely comfortable without eating any meat in your diet. Once you've reached that point, you can begin to head into veganism.

Substitute, Substitute, Substitute

The good thing about being a vegan today is that you don't just have to eat vegetables and fruits and not much else. Technology has now created wonderful meat substitutes which can take the place of the meat you crave and adore. For example, TVP – textured vegetable protein – can be cooked up just as you might have cooked ground beef, and it can be used in recipes in the same way. Or there are also vegan hot dogs and burgers that you can eat so that you don't feel left out at the next cookout. Vegan cheeses are also available, but without the real milk ingredients, realise they will taste different and they will also melt differently than you might be accustomed to seeing.

Soy milks and rice milks are tasty ways to still get the creamy texture in recipes – plus they are delicious with your cereal in the morning.

The Real Deal?

But just because there are a number of vegan foods out there doesn't mean they are all legitimate vegan choices. You will want to learn how to read labels to make sure you're not eating anything animal-based accidentally. Some things you want to look for on labels include:

• Gelatin – made from animal products
• Whey – can be milk-based
• Lactose – milk-based

The best way to avoid eating meat entirely is to make all of your own meals, but that's not always realistic. Many food manufacturers are good about placing 'Vegan' labels on their packaging, so that can help as well.

Be a Healthy Vegan

When you live life as a vegan, you will find you have more energy and that you aren't getting sick as often. You are naturally eating more vitamins and minerals. But just as with any diet, you need to make sure you are balancing the food groups you are taking in, getting enough calcium and iron from dark green leafy vegetables and supplementing with a multivitamin daily. Veganism is a healthier way to eat, but only if you still get all of the nutrition your body needs to maintain its health.

Here are some other things to make sure you're adding to your diet when you start living the vegan lifestyle.

• B vitamins – supplements are the only considerable vegan source
• Iron – add more broccoli and spinach to your diet
• Calcium – make sure to have multiple servings of soy/rice/almond milk a day
• Fat – add avocadoes, nuts, and vegetable oils to your diet

Making the decision to become a vegan is not an easy one, but the benefits will be well worth the effort you put into this life change.