What are typical vegan beginner mistakes? If you're looking for the answer to this question, you've come to the right place! There are a variety of good Reasons for the vegan lifestyle - be they of an ethical, ecological or health nature.
However, very few people make the switch completely smoothly. Of course, this is not a bad thing. But beginners can of course learn from the experiences and insights of other vegans and skilfully skip the potential stumbling blocks.
In this article, I would therefore like to introduce you to typical mistakes made by vegan beginners. Simply use them to make the transition much easier for you. Let's go!
1. to believe that you are now a health guru
Anyone who is serious about vegan nutrition, learns quite a lot about Nutrients and a balanced one, healthy lifestyle. But you don't have to push that on everyone else.
Vegan does not automatically mean healthy! After all, chips and cola are also vegan - but far from being healthy.
However, you don't have to give up sugar and processed products completely and you can of course also Continue to consume favorite foods such as pizza pasta, burgers, or foods such as milk and cheese - just the plant-based, sustainable and healthier version.
You can now find vegan substitute products in every supermarket or online at Velivery.com*. And you can cook almost everything yourself. Just have fun and learn step by step 🙂
2. simply omit meat, eggs and dairy products.
Living vegan is actually not a renunciation. But if you simply cut out animal products without looking for alternatives or discovering new foods and meals, it can quickly come across that way. All the more faster one is then also frustrated, gives up and suffers perhaps even a lack condition.
So make sure you are prepared for the Variety of vegan cuisine then making the switch will definitely enrich your life. You can get off to a perfect start with the cookbook "Vegan & Easy" by Bianca Zapatka*.
3. forgetting the diversity of international vegan cuisine.
The first two to three weeks of the changeover are usually the biggest hurdle. As long as it takes time to break an old habit and establish a new one.
During this period, many vegan beginners have problems coming up with new dishes. Often the Temptation then it's easy to fall back into old habits.
But vegan dishes are a dime a dozen. Simply use the following vegan-vegetarian country cuisines by natureto help your creativity take off:
- Chinese
- Thai
- Japanese
- Italian
- Israeli
- Indian
- Arabic
Tip: In another article, you will also learn how you can find a vegan meal in really every restaurant.
4. consider Meal-Preps to be far too complicated
A typical rookie mistake vegans make is not even starting with meal preps. But in all honesty, ever since I made my lunch for the week easily and relaxed in about an hour precook on Sunday and it in such stainless steel lunch boxes* store, my Life so much easier have become.
I don't have to ask myself what I'm eating every day - and at lunchtime I have the Time for myself and can relax. The time saved through planning and preparation is really worth its weight in gold.
5. approaching the changeover without a plan
Just to start spontaneously... that rarely works! Whether you stop smoking or want to eat a vegan diet. Unfortunately, this jerky, impulsive approach is usually only successful in the short term and is therefore, in my opinion, a typical vegan beginner's mistake.
It is much easier to stay on the ballif you have a (precise or at least rough) plan. When do I go shopping, what do I buy, which vegan Meal-Preps do I prepare, what dishes do I cook and what snacks etc. do I have ready for when my cravings kick in again?
Answer the questions and be prepared and also like to use the Book "Meal Prep with Me" (is available here*) and the seasonal plant-based recipes it contains. Then the change is totally easy and quickly becomes routine.
6. eating too few calories
Many former beginners say that they are always far too hungry and therefore at some point no longer vegan were. The mistake lies in simply leaving out animal products and not giving your own body a substitute with the to provide the same amount of calories.
Lentils, for example, have fewer calories than cheese or meat. You should increase the quantities accordingly. Plus, healthy fats keep you fuller longer. When you get a little hungry, you can also treat yourself (especially in the transition phase) to apple with peanut butter or carrots with hummus, for example.
7. to consider veganism as a common form of nutrition.
There is a Difference between veganism and plant-based diet. The latter is a form of nutrition. Veganism, on the other hand, is a way of life.
You do without for the welfare of the animals on the consumption of animal products (food, entertainment, clothing, Animal testing etc.) and thus primarily pursues Ethical motives against the exploitation of animals. There are also ecological and health reasons.
Make veganism a part of your personality! If you have a strong, personal reason for being vegan, the initial change in your diet will quickly become a permanent lifestyle.
Tip: At "Why go vegan?" I present my most important motifs for an animal-friendly, environmentally friendly and healthy lifestyle.
8. giving in to the craving for meat and dairy products
A typical rookie mistake made by many vegans is to succumb to old habits and give in to cravings. The Cravings are of course still there at the beginning of the changeoverYou should keep this in mind. It takes some time for them to disappear completely.
Maybe you were wondering, Why vegans often consume meat substitutes? I hardly eat them any more, but They have definitely helped me a lot in my transition to veganismbecause they look and taste like meat. Have a look at Velivery.com* or in your local organic food and supermarket.
9. being too lazy and disinterested
When the "Pain" not big enough you quickly give up. It is incredibly important that you are always aware of why you want to eat vegan or why you want to live vegan.
No cruelty to animals, no Deforestation of the rainforests, no antibiotics in the food... there are hundreds of motives!
But by "lazy and uninterested" I also mean that you quickly lose the desire to think about and cook a vegan meal due to a lack of information and enjoyment. In such cases, simply go to a restaurant more often and let yourself be inspired and cooked for.
You will quickly learn new dishes and the variety and excitement in the climate-friendly, plant-based cuisine know
Important: Be sure to use my tips on vegan egg substitute and vegetable milk substituteto make the transition even easier for you!
10. consuming too many vegan convenience products
As I said, the vegan substitutes for meat, cheese etc. are extremely helpful when making the switch - but not necessarily healthy and in the long run they really go to the money.
Accordingly, the Create impressionthat Veganism expensive is. The result? Many new vegans make the mistake of giving up.
In fact, the cheapest foods in the supermarket are vegan: Rice, lentils, peas, noodles... you just need to increase the desire to get active and cook yourself!
11. buying too few regional and seasonal foods
People who consume a lot of convenience products (as a rule) consume few regional and seasonal products. Accordingly, the ecological consequences of our own diet for the planet.
This is also a mistake made by new vegans, as food from the region that is in season tastes much better. They are usually more nutritious, fresh and sustainable and make your vegan dishes a real taste experience.
Related articles:
12. to start without any knowledge of nutrients
It is possible to change your Cover nutrient requirements in all phases of life with a plant-based diet. The renunciation of animal products But can quickly develop into a one-sided dietif you do not plan the changeover and inform yourself accordingly.
As I said: Vegan food is not automatically healthier and also not automatically healthy! The following nutrients apply According to DGE as critical nutrients in a vegan diet to which special attention should be paid:
Avoid the stumbling block of many vegans of underestimating the importance of nutrients for their own health. With a regular blood test with your family doctor, you can play it safe and manage the transition in a targeted manner.
13. believing you have to do everything perfectly
Veganism is not about doing everything perfectly. It's about, To gradually minimize animal suffering through one's own way of life. The fact that you don't do something perfectly is no reason not to develop steadily.
And You can learn from your mistakes! I've made dozens of them myself when converting to vegan - and I'll introduce you to some of them here too 😉.
14. mastering the transition without support
Many people feel uncomfortable just from the presence of vegans. attacked and disturbed. For example, because they believe that you can as a vegan:in considers something better.
Even if this is not the case, of course, the obstacles that others put in your way are correspondingly large. The one or other new vegan:in might then find it difficult to stay on the ball. The path of least resistance and so...
Therefore it is advisable to Mastering transition together with a friend or family member. Facebook groups with like-minded people can also be a helpful companion!
15. proselytizing other people
It feels incredibly good to no longer have to cruelty to animals to pay. One thinks: "Hey, why doesn't everyone do it that way?" - and wants to inspire as many people as possible - especially as a vegan beginner.
But that doesn't always go down well and is therefore, in my opinion, one of the typical rookie mistakes made by vegans. Meat eaters then often distance themselves even further from Veganismbecause they feel they are being proselytized.
So always bear in mind that you also needed some timeuntil you have recognized the true motives and have finally decided on a vegan lifestyle.
-
Cookbook Vegan cliché goodbye!20 € -
Eat animals13 € -
Vegan is nonsense!24 €
Learn from the beginner mistakes of vegans and do better right away
Making mistakes and learning from themis great and part of the personal development. But I really hope you can avoid them and learn from my mistakes with the vegan lifestyle to make your transition even easier 🙂
"The world is not an inferior product, and animals are not a fabrication for our use."
Arthur Schopenhauer (more at Animal welfare quotes)
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Or can you think of any other typical mistakes made by vegans? Then feel free to write me a comment as always!
Be always kind to animals,
PS.: Did you know that you can be a Vegan also promotes human rights? In the linked post I explain to you now why that is so!
References:
₁ American Dietetic Association; W. J. Craig; A. R. Mangels: Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets (as of July 2009), https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19562864. [27.01.2025].
