6 tips on How to get started with a plant based diet

Like many of you know, I don't eat meat or eggs and I avoid dairy products. I'm not a vegan, since I love honey and use leather and if my grand mom has made a pie that includes some cream, I eat it.  My cosmetic products are vegan friendly and I sometimes I call myself vegan just to make people understand that I don't want the sandwich with cheese.
I believe that moving to a (mostly) plant based diet is one of the best things you can do for your health, for the animals and for the environment. If you are a meat lover, It shouldn't happen in one night without the help of somebody and reading how to do it.
I don't try to make all the people in the world vegan, since I believe that there is no one size fits all diet. I do think that everybody should try a mostly plant based diet, see how it feels and then add some animal products if you feel that you need it. If you do, try to choose organic products.


Here are my 6 tips for how to get started with a plant based diet! 


1. Read a book about plant based diet: Go to a bookstore and find a book about a plant based diet. I recommend Kimberly Snyder's The Beauty Detox, Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals or for more deeper and wider information T. Colin Campbell's The China Study.


2. Read vegan blogs: There are hundreds of vegan food blogs where you can get super delicious vegan recipes. Try to google your favorite food or a pastry as a vegan version, and you're gonna be surprised how easy it is to make a vegan version. (ok, If your favorite food is not a steak..lol)


3. Go to a vegan restaurant: Vegan or vegetarian restaurants and their menus can give you great examples of vegan meals. 


4. Start cooking more: To me cooking is one of my favorite things to do but I know it is not like that for everybody. Even if you feel like you don't like it or that you are too busy for doing it, start cooking more! You can do with your friends and family and start with quick and simple salads and smoothies. You can make a big salad for dinner and take the rest of with you to work the next day. carrying a lunch box with you


5. Add super foods to your diet: Superfoods are nutrient dense foods found in nature. They are packed with healthy nutrients and can be found from organic and natural stores. There are a lot of different super foods and you don't need to start consuming all of them. Find your favorites and start adding them daily to your salads, smoothies, snacks...etc.


6. Start carrying a lunch box with you: I do it everyday all day. I have fruits, veggies, nuts and a lunch box with me all the time and I believe that everybody should do the same thing. It is not as hard as you might think. Try it for one week and you will notice that you don't want to stop!


I challenge you all to try a mostly plant based diet for two weeks! If you do, feel free to send me an email and ask me more tips on essi.liljama@gmail.com.


Hope you all are having a great day! 

-E-