I often get emails and social media comments from people who say, "I want to go vegan but... (insert one of a million reasons)"

I can understand any hesitation you may have about starting a vegan lifestyle! I had a lot of my own concerns when I started back in 2010.

Let's take a few moments and address some of the most common concerns people tell me and why you shouldn't let these reasons stop you from getting started.

What in the world will I eat? 

I hear ya! This was a big deal for me...especially since I wanted to make sure Eric and the kids would eat the food, too. *sigh*
The good news is, there's a vegan replacement for any ingredient you can think of these days. This lifestyle isn't boring or bland and you can still eat your favorite dishes (by replacing the animal products) and enjoy so much variety.

Check out some vegan breakfast tips and recipes here

Being vegan is too time-consuming

 One thing I know for sure (in my Oprah voice lol) is that vegan life is what you make it. In the beginning it may seem time-consuming (if you don't cook at all now), but I promise you won't spend a million hours in the kitchen once you get the hang of it. Establishing some go-to meals and always being open to experimenting with different methods and recipes will make your journey that much easier. 
 

"I love cheese, meat and eggs too much!" 

Many people struggle with moving away from animal and animal byproducts (seafood has always been my weakness), but I promise shifting to vegan life is healthier and definitely more compassionate. If there was more mainstream information about the devastation to our environment and torture to animals, I know more people would embrace this lifestyle.

I highly recommend you check out the documentary Earthlings and the book Diet for A New America to learn more about why a vegan lifestyle is so important for animals, your health and the planet.
 

Fear that you have to be perfect to get started

This is a huge misconception. It doesn't have to be "all or nothing" to start and it's okay to slowly crowd out your meat, eggs and dairy with vegan options.

As you run out of items like milk, mayo and cheese, start to replace them with vegan options:

Cow's milk ---> almond (you can make your own using this recipe), soy, cashew, coconut are just a few choices

Mayo (made from eggs and oil) ---> vegan options like Just Mayo & Veganaise taste very similar to conventional mayo 

Cheese ---> brands like Field Roast, Follow Your Heart and homemade queso and Alfredo sauce make the shift easier. 

You just have to decide that you will move forward with a vegan journey and go from there.