The Stinger

Recently, an increasing number of Americans have decided to adopt a vegan lifestyle- omitting meat, eggs, and dairy from their diets. Many of these newfound vegans are students in high school and college, and a large number of them don’t know where to start when it comes to a cruelty-free lifestyle. Because of this confusion, here compiled is a six-step list on how to take the plunge into a vegan lifestyle, whether you only dip in a toe or jump straight into the organic soy milk.

Step 1: Inform yourself! Check out information on the health benefits of a plant-based diet, as well as literature and films about animals and the natural lives of “food” animals. Get informed about how to stay healthy through this first step as well. For further research, “Earthlings” is a great documentary about the lives and rights of animals.

Step 2: Seek out all the foods you already love that don’t contain animal products. Peanut butter, French fries (other than McDonald’s, which contain beef extract), and breakfast cereals. Additionally, many Mediterranean and Indian foods are free of any animal products.

Step 3: Learn to cook! Reconnecting with the kitchen is a great way to enjoy the new foods involved in a vegan lifestyle. Spend quality time with your family and friends in the kitchen as you both learn to tread the new waters of vegan cooking.

Step 4: Use a theme! Explore different food cultures on a weekly or monthly basis; Indian, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Turkish, and so on. As your palate becomes more sensitive to the many flavors of international foods, you’ll learn to integrate those spices into your general cooking.

Step 5: Get vegan friends! Having friends that can fully appreciate your decision can help eradicate any feelings of alienation or frustration you may feel as a new vegan. Having a strong base of friends to which you can express your concerns and frustrations without prejudice is an important part of any lifestyle, and having vegan friends keeps the pressure off when you want to talk about the irony of factory-style “food” production.

Step 6: Check out vegan-friendly restaurants and establishments in Ventura County. Ventura has an all vegan restaurant, and most Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean eateries stock plenty of vegan cuisine. The farmer’s market has a huge variety of fruits and veggies to keep you fortified with vitamins and cancer-fighters, and it often has foods you may never even have heard of.

One obstacle to going vegan that is often hard to overcome is parental resistance. While many parents are proud of their teenager’s decision to go against the current, many are stuck in the misconception that it’s not healthy. This is not true, however, and the American Dietetic Association supports a vegan lifestyle. The ADA claims that vegetarian diets “are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.” The ADA also takes the position that “well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.”* With backing like that, it’s hard for a parent to say no. Cooking for your parents may also help win them over, because the food’s too delicious to resist!