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Six easy steps to becoming vegan!

Added on 26/11/2007

Narayani Menon explodes some myths and offers some humble advice...

So, I'm not going to try to convince you to become a vegan – that’s your own choice, and it’s easy enough to find arguments for and against. If, though, you’re perhaps wavering on the edge, thinking it might be an interesting thing to try, but are worried that you’ll turn into broccolli or go pink with too much soya in your diet… this is just to offer a little advice on how to make the transition a little easier and – dare I say it – fun...

1. Learn to cook.
Seriously, it’s a lot easier if you can actually cook, and aren’t reduced to eating beans on toast for the rest of your life. Because you’re not eating ready-meals and whatnot, it means you can decide what you put in your food. Check here for some good recipes and ideas for sandwich fillers etc (all of which are a bit more Pret-à-Manger rather than Tesco!).
Benefit #1: You can cook, and it is scientifically proven that people look for cooking skills in a prospective partner (probably). Result! You are scientifically sexier.

2. Learn to shop.
You don’t have to shop in Holland & Barrett all the time (although they do have an excellent selection of stuff). Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury’s have a decent selection of everyday products that you’ll need – vegan margarine (‘Pure’, made from soya or sunflower – sunflower is creamier and you can cook well with it) which is about £1 a tub, and soya milk (they’ve got loads of brands, but the cheapest is ‘Soya Soleil’ which is 79p a litre, which is about the same as normal milk). For proteinaceous alternatives to meat, Holland & Barrett have a wide range of vegan sausages, burgers, fake ‘chicken’ and ‘ham’, vegan cheese, and even sausage rolls! Go at the end of the day and you can get these cheaply. Waitrose also stocks the complete Linda McCartney range, which is mainly vegan (as opposed to Quorn, which contains egg). If you’re heading to Newcastle, check out the industrial Chinese supermarket in Chinatown where you can get huge blocks of tofu for just over £1 (and massive bags of rice noodles for 60p!).
Benefit #2: You have an excuse to go to Chinatown in Newcastle – it’s awesome!

3. Feel good about your health.
The amount of people I’ve had to convince that I’m not going to die from protein deficiencies is astounding. Of course, there is adequate protein in things other than meat and cheese (which isn’t a particularly efficient way to get protein anyway). There are truckloads of protein in couscous, in leafy greens, beans, lentils, nuts, and any soya-based food – and these products have the added advantage of being massively beneficial in other ways (vitamins! minerals! fibre!). So when people ask you if you have a protein deficiency, ask them if they’ve got scurvy. Bear in mind also that no particular demographic (vegans, vegetarians, pescetarians, meat-eaters) is essentially ‘healthier’ – there are healthy meat-eaters, obviously, and there are vegetarians who live solely off pizza and chips – but if you’ve followed step 1 you’re probably more likely to be aware of what you’re putting in your body.
Benefit #3: You are super-fit. And therefore more attractive! Score!

4. Get used to pasta arrabiatta.
Yes, Durham is full of schmitalian restaurants, and yes, there is so much cheese (of both types! – imagine if vegans gave up Chesney Hawkes too…). The only main course you can have at Spag is, admittedly, pasta in tomato sauce. Dining out can seem difficult, but see the Animal Rights Society’s amazing review of pretty much every Durham restaurant.
Benefit #4: Result! You save acres of money on last-minute M&S sandwich rushes and drunken Patrick’s pizzas. And if you really want to go out for a meal…

5. Go to the Sky Apple in Byker, Newcastle.
Get on the metro to Byker and walk for 10 minutes and you’re at the most heavenly restaurant this side of paradise. The place books up in advance, and for good reason – this is absolute gourmet cooking, especially for vegetarian and vegan customers, and the food is so good that no meat eater can complain. It’s BYOB and extremely good value considering the quality of the food.
Benefit #5: You get to see Byker, and live out your childhood TV dreams!

6. Get clued up.
Durham’s Animal Rights Society has an amazingly comprehensive guide to becoming vegan, with suggestions for recipes, details on dietary requirements, and a brilliantly sourced, up-to-date review of Durham’s vegan-friendly restaurants and cafés (with a map!), as well as a list of vegan beers and wines. As long as you’re not jumping in at the deep end, becoming a vegan isn’t a difficult or unrewarding task. You’ll most likely feel better due to your increased intake of fruit and veg (five a day seems like a cinch!), and you know exactly what’s going into your body. Cutting out so much processed food (tinned macaroni cheese was my personal battle) means you’ll cut out a huge amount of E-numbers, colourings, and superfluous chemicals.
Benefit #6: If you’re doing this for reasons that are important to you, then becoming vegan is extremely rewarding. Sure, the first few weeks will be difficult, even if you were vegetarian beforehand – but if you’re committed to veganism, it’s worth it. And remember: vegans make better lovers.

If you’re interested in trying out veganism, check out this Facebook event of people being vegan for a month in aid of Children in Need. It might just be the push you need to get you going!

Narayani Menon

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