In early January, I decided to go vegan. It has been a bit of a process, but as of right now I still don’t eat an entirely vegan diet, which is why I term my diet “vegan-ish.”

Everything I make for myself is vegan, but if anyone cooks for me (Thanks, Mom!) I will eat vegetarian stuff too. It keeps life simpler.

Anyhow, after three months, plus a few days, I am a veritable fount (or at the very least a small trickle) of knowledge, so I thought I would share a few tips, tricks and suggestions for anyone interested in trying out a vegan diet.

Experiment with Milk Alternatives

I originally shifted to soy milk, which resulted in what can only be described as a gastric disaster. Luckily there are plenty of other options.

You could try almond, rice, coconut, flax, or oat milks, just to name a few. You could take a shot at soy milk too — hopefully your system will deal with it better than mine.

Cheese? 

When I say “vegan cheese,” I know what you’re thinking: “that’s not cheese!” and you’re right, it isn’t. But I have two counterpoints. One: the processed cheese that comes in individual slices wrapped in cellophane is hardly cheese either. Two: spray cheese in a can. Need I say more?

I haven’t had a ton of experience with straight up plain vegan cheese, except on a vegan pizza. And it was actually hard to tell the difference between the soy cheese and standard mozzarella.

Nutritional yeast can also be a great option you can use it to make cheesy sauces, or you can put it on your pasta in place of Parmesan (bonus points: nutritional yeast is a source of b-complex vitamins, one of the few vitamins that can be difficult to get on a vegan diet if it isn’t balanced).

Hot for Food Blog

Hot for Food is a blog run by Lauren Toyota and John Diemer. They create all sorts of amazing (I’ll say it again: amazing) vegan recipes, including vegan versions of tons of traditional comfort food. You have been officially introduced. You’re welcome.

Natural Grocers

You can find Natural Grocers on 13th, just east of Walmart. They carry all sorts of healthy vegan options (and some unhealthy ones, if you feel like indulging). You can find all sorts of meatless meats here, as well.

Protein

There are plenty of ways to get protein, but for those of you who might be athletes and need an extra boost, there are plenty of vegan protein powders out there. Also, seitan (made from wheat) supplies an exorbitant amount of protein.

Fruits/Veggies

I shouldn’t have to say this, but eat your fruits and veggies. They’re good for you. A great way to do this is to blend frozen fruit (and even greens like spinach and kale) into smoothies. On a related note, coming from someone with a bad blender, you should totally invest in a decent blender. The time you won’t spend cussing out your blender that’s on the fritz again will be well worth the extra dollars.

Veganism can be a polarizing topic — some folks sing its praises, while others scoff at its stupidity.

But to the doubters out there, here are my thoughts. I haven’t dried up and blown away. In fact, I haven’t even lost weight. My energy levels have stayed high and I feel good. Also, I’ve found that eating vegan doesn’t have to be a painful experience. So why not give it a shot?