Happy Monday! I’m sharing another of my Tofu U posts today, and if you enjoy it I hope you’ll head over to Nasoya’s awesome website and give it some love! I’m having a ton of fun coming up with recipes and other content for their Dean’s List… and I hope you guys are finding it helpful and interesting!
So here you are. You’ve decided to make changes to the way you eat. It could be for your health, or your love of animals. Maybe it’s at the behest of your physician, or perhaps it’s just the next step in your personal journey. No matter the reason, you’re facing quite a few changes. You’re trying all sorts of new foods, and probably missing some of your old favorites. Change can be scary, but while you can’t control everything, you absolutely can control your outlook!
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Don’t focus on what you can’t eat. Instead, enjoy all the amazing, delicious and healthful foods you can have!
You aren’t eating dairy anymore? You can still enjoy creamy sauces like Spicy Pumpkin Cream Sauce and Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo. Cutting back on the amount of meat in your diet? Why not treat yourself to someGreen Chile Beer Battered Tofuor a few slices of Sriracha-Agave Baked Tofu? There are endless numbers of healthy vegetarian and plant-based recipes out there, so keep trying until you find something you love.
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Don’t think about vegetables or tofu (or anything else!) as substitutes for the foods you’re no longer eating. They are delicious, enjoyable foods, not just replacements!
If you’re using tofu in a meal that you used to make with chicken, you shouldn’t expect it to taste the same, because it won’t. It can still be tasty and satisfying (and it’ll certainly be healthier!), but it will be different. And that’s okay! It’s not a substitute, remember? It’s an entirely different food.
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Be kind to yourself!
No one is perfect. No matter what your dietary goals are, give yourself time to adjust. I tried to go vegetarian no fewer than 4 times before it finally stuck, and I credit the success of my final attempt to going slowly and in stages. It’s okay to start with Meatless Mondays, and then continue to add plant-based meals into your rotation. It’s perfectly fine to set a series of smaller, more attainable goals. Meaningful change takes time.
No matter what your goals are or how you plan to accomplish them, you’ll need a positive attitude if you’re going to succeed. Focus on what you’re gaining by eating healthier, have fun trying new foods, and most importantly, go easy on yourself! Make changes at your own pace, and you’ll get to where you’re going before long!
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I love this list, Barb! I’ve been vegan for almost two months, after being a vegetarian for over 15 years. I eliminated three things (eggs, milk, and cheese) from my diet and added so much more! Before being vegan, I had never cooked with bok choy, kale, nutritional yeast, sweet potato, brown rice, walnuts—the list goes on and on! I agree that it’s important to not see these new ingredients as replacements. They deserve to stand on their own. 🙂
First of all, congratulations on making the switch! I hope it’s going really well for you… and I agree, the list could go on and on! 🙂 Thanks!
People (certain family members) are always saying to me “Oh, you can’t eat that”. I always respond with “No I DON’T eat that anymore” or “No I will not eat that”. The language we use is powerful. By saying do not or will not, as opposed to cannot, we take control of our choices. VeganMos had a great post on this topic recently: http://veganmos.com/watch-your-verbs/
So true!!
Good post! We are linking to this particularly great article on our site.
Keep up the good writing.