I have been a vegetarian since 2009 and fully transitioned to a vegan diet in 2023, about a year and a half into starting Veg Out. These are some of the things I’ve learned.

Vegetarian vs. Vegan: Veganism means no animal products whatsoever, skipping the meat, fish, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy, gelatin and honey. Vegetarians still eat products that don’t require an animal to die to be consumed, including eggs, dairy and honey.

Vegan vs. Plant-Based: Essentially, these are the same. However, vegan folks tend to be more of the people who choose the diet for animal welfare or climate-based reasons, while plant-based folks tend to turn to this more for the dietary improvements.

WTF Is WFPB: An offshoot of veganism, the whole foods plant-based (WFPB) diet emphasizes foods like beans, vegetables and whole grains, leaving things like oil, any added sugar and highly processed foods behind. This is not what we do at Veg Out.

Not So Sweet: Some sugar can be processed with bone char, making it not vegan nor vegetarian. Some vegans are very strict about this, others are not. For Veg Out, I always try to use cane sugar that doesn’t use this process or products that don’t use it.

Read the Label: Many products that may appear to be vegan or are even labeled as “plant-based” may contain sneaky ingredients like milk, eggs, gelatin or honey. Specific products to monitor closely include vitamins, supplements, bread, some “fake” meat products and other baked goods. While things like dairy and eggs are required to be called out as common allergens, ingredients like gelatin and honey do not and can be buried in the middle of a long ingredient list.

Comfort & Culture: While a lot of people in the WFPB category might be strict about the diet part of being vegan or plant-based, I personally find it is definitely possible to still have your favorite comfort or cultural foods with some ingredient swaps. Innovations in food products are starting to make this easier than ever.

For the Trolls: Both non-vegans and vegans alike have trolled me for making or eating food that mimics meat or dairy, for a variety of reasons. Like many vegans, I did not give up meat, dairy and the rest because I hated the way it tastes. I gave it up because I didn’t want an animal to get harmed for me to eat. Gimme all the vegan sausage, chicken and cheese!

Other folks might point out how processed these products are. That might be true, but it’s not like I have them at every meal. Like most things health-related, moderation is key. I will frequently eat oats for breakfast, a vegan ham sandwich for lunch and then tofu or tempeh stir-fry (with rice or rice noodles) for dinner. I share my meal plans on the Veg Out Instagram every week to mark Meatless Monday!

Beyond Food: A lot of vegans take their lifestyle beyond food to avoid makeup or toiletries that contain animal products and also stay away from brands that do animal testing. Many avoid clothing that is made from leather, wool or other animal-based products.

Bottom Line: Do what feels right and is affordable to you. I recently read that some toilet paper and some electronics like TVs contain animal products, so it is really difficult to be 100% vegan if you want to take it that far.

Personally, I am a big proponent of not being wasteful in my lifestyle. We compost, get a lot of use out of our reusable grocery & produce bags and value using things up before completely switching to something that is more vegan-friendly or better for the environment. My transition to veganism was slow as we ate up all the foods in our kitchen that had any traces of dairy or eggs.

Veg Out: Get started by trying one of my vegan recipes for your next meal, snack or dessert! I recommend starting with veganizing one of your favorite comfort foods instead of diving head-first into the world of tofu, tempeh and other vegan staples.