1. Find your "why" 2. Educate yourself 3. Transition Graduatily 4. Find a community 5. Eat enough 6. You don't have to be 100% healthy 100% of the time 7. Start with dishes who you know and love 8 . Supplements 9. Happy cow 10. You will make mistakes
I'm 35 and have been vegan for 24 years. My tip is not to eliminate foods, replace them with vegan alternatives. There are alternatives to just about everything now. Don't let veganism become restrictive, there's a whole world of delicious, amazing food to discover.
Yahh or when I go over to my friends houses the parents will sometime bring up asking why i’m vegan and then test me on if products are really vegan or not, it’s like they develop i grudge for me 😂 i feel yaa
gracie EXACTLY especially when it’s someone that eats unhealthy in the first place... like obviously you don’t care about being healthy so why are you so concerned about me eating a whole foods plant based diet ???
Ashley’s 75 blank series is also SUPER helpful! I’ve been vegan for almost a year and those videos have helped me so much so I definitely recommend checking them out!
11th tip: Expand the variety of what you cook and how you cook. In the beginning of being vegan, I made vegan pasta a lot because it was a food that was easy for me to make, tasty, and it had the nutrients I felt I needed. I’d often make the pasta with different types of pasta like Barilla Protein Plus pasta or mung bean pasta, marinara sauce or pesto, and beyond meat or another protein-packed food like seitan or tempeh. Cooking pasta a lot wasn’t doing me complete justice though because I was missing out on other foods that I could have eaten instead to more easily get essential nutrients. I was also missing out on giving my tastebuds the needed relief of the taste of spaghetti and meatballs. Thus, I did my research and I started making foods I never made before like stir-fries and tofu scrambles. When I got out of my comfort zone in the kitchen, I was able to add variation to my cooking more easily and faster. As I cooked more foods, taste-tested, and did more research, pinpointing the vegan foods that were rich in specific nutrients and would fit in my meals became second nature. Cooking, like most arts, gets easier the more practice is put into it. Although it takes work to master cooking on a vegan diet, it has been a fun time for me.
Decided to go vegan for a month cold turkey as kind of a spontaneous decision and it has been surprisingly very easy!! I made the decision from watching Ashley and doing my research and I am proud to say that I will continue to eat Vegan!!❤️
OMG literally same for all of this! I found that the animal products I was initially consuming weren’t staples in my diet and were actually just occasional things I had that easily could be replaced with vegan (and most often even better) alternatives 🌸
can i say ur my idol and u r the reason im vegan. ur vids kept me sain during quaritine and we are like made no be friends. i am 13 and live in the uk. but u never reply or acknwledge any of my comments. ur just amazing. :)
i've been vegetarian for two years now and i am slowly but steadily transitioning to veganism :) my goal is being fully vegan by the time i move out but rn with my parents it's a little hard.. but like half of my meals are already vegan so yay
When people ask me why I don't eat meat or drink milk: Well you know, I don't wanna drink puss, I don't wanna eat a carcass, and I don't wanna get cancer. You know, the same reason you wouldn't want any of those things 🤷🏼♀️
I don’t drink because of my medication and people always tell me I’m missing out because I can’t do drugs and drink and they say they wish they could see me drunk like that’s such a weird thing to say to someone lol
I hate it too. I've been vegan for 3 years and vegetarian for 12 years before that and have spent more than half my life being questioned. It's truly exhausting to be subjected to an interrogation almost every time I eat with others. That's why I think of the 'why' I became vegan, like Ashley does. I also try to keep in mind they are still brainwashed by the marketing they've been subjected to their whole lives, but we can be that one person who shows them it's possible to avoid animal products and have a healthy, happy life:)
sameee i have only been a vegetarian for like half a year and i get questioned almost every time i eat with people that aren’t already used to it (like my family and friends i eat with at school, but they questioned it too when i started the transition) like people just let us liveeeee
@@gracefrnch19 I know! I feel like they do that because they think we're silently judging them (which I may be lol), and they feel like they already have to defend themselves before you accuse them of anything. But it's exhausting having this happen all the time! 😔
Andrea L they know the truth yet refuse to admit!!! animals are killed each second!! by the time you finish reading this, probably about 50,000 animals have passed away:(
Congrats Ashley, I wish there were more vegan youtubers like you, calm, reassuring, knowledgeable and most importantly without superiority complexes and non judgmental. Vegans like you are the best ambassadors for the movement and you make it proud! 😎 Your vid was thoughtful and reasoned and will help those who need guidance in their first vegan steps. However regarding finding a vegan community that you mentioned, new vegans (and vegans in general) should be careful to avoid toxic vegan communities, especially online, there are sadly many of them and will turn them off with their absolutist mentality and judgemental behavior.
Earthling Ed, James Aspey, Mic the Vegan, Simnett nutrition, nutritionfacts.org, avantegardevegan, Benny the vegan, etc.. all great vegan youtubers that possess all the qualities you mentioned. I highly suggest you subscribe! 😊❤️
Mala's Vegancornerandmore I’ve been in several FB vegan groups, many pages etc, most of them, especially the groups are full of hate, at some point I was fed up and ended up leaving from all of them. They don’t only judge non vegans, they sadly also judge vegans that ain’t as vegan as they would like according to their own definition and expectations. These are worthless people with no personality of their own who went vegan and suddenly they felt they belonged somewhere and that gave their empty lives purpose plus it fueled their inferiority complex which transformed to superiority. For me such people shouldn’t even be vegans, they’re usually mean, misanthropes and hoarders of pets, cats usually, who have replaced their need for human interaction, basically they’re mentally screwed people. Such trash have no place in our community.
Mala's Vegancornerandmore Yeah the more someone stays away from all this shitty ‘communities” the better. Actually these communities resemble more religious cults which vegan opponents accuse veganism for, they are such idiots that don’t understand they’re doing the movement a huge disservice, they’re giving the vegan haters all the ammunition they need! They are the same persons that do extreme protests like paint themselves in blood, stamping themselves with numbers and locking themselves up in cages on public squares or going to restaurants disrupting people’s meals and shouting at them that they’re eating dead animals that they’re murderers etc. Such thuggish actions just terrorize people and plays in the hands of veganism’s opponents and they reinforce the belief of many people, that vegans are a bunch of crazy extremists thugs.
Mala's Vegancornerandmore Sadly the bigger and more popular veganism gets, these morons become worse because they gain more confidence and they get bolder but it’s I believe up to us, proper, rational vegans to marginalize those haters and shut them out.
I really appreciate how you mentioned that it's okay to make mistakes! A lot of vegans don't like to admit when they've accidentally bought/consumed meat and/ or animal products. But occasionally making mistakes as a vegan is still much better for the animals, the planet, and your health than not being a vegan at all!
@@rocioreynoso Cereal is so deceiving! I had no idea that vitamin d in cereals is animal-derived. I found that out the hard way when I bought a box of fruity pebbles. Thankfully my bf was more than happy to take it off my hands lol.
Ashley: I love shutting people who are against veganism and do know anything about it up. Me too! When I went vegetarian my friends were all like 'were do you get your protein' 'that's really bad for your health' lol.
You’ve got this! It is so normal to struggle in the beginning but know that it gets easier everyday! It’ll be eleven months of me being vegan on the seventh and I have grown and learned so much since I first started even thought I’m not even a year in😁 Keep going, soon enough you’ll be the one giving other people advice on going vegan💕🌱
Ever since I began to track my macros and learn the exact content in foods I love to clap back at people when they ask me where I get specific sources 👏🏼
yes! to all these things. I also really appreciate that you talk about going vegan gradually. It doesn't HAVE to be so extreme and I think thats what scares people off of veganism in the first place. There really doesn't need to be this huge label and stigma. Any small changes a person makes towards eating less animal products will ultimately help!
I have been vegan for almost six months and I totally agree specially on tip 7. Yesterday I made the Tasty vegan cinnamon rolls and they were AMAZING 💛✨.
Good job for being a responsible vegan and discussing about supplementation. I can't believe there are still vegan influencers out there who are against supplementing in a vegan diet *forehead slap*
I really needed this! I'm doing my best to eat more vegan, being vegan for breakfast and lunch, and then eating non-vegan dinner because my parents don't want me to be vegan, but I'm doing my best. Thank you for this! Luv you 💗
If anyone is currently thinking about going vegan but is still in the stage of making excuses and waiting for the right time (like I did): here is your sign!! I wasted yeaaaars (from the ages of 13-19) being vegetarian and as soon as I decided to stop being a hypocrite about animal cruelty, kicked myself up the arse and went vegan (2 years ago) I wished I had done it years sooner. As soon as you being living vegan you WISH you had done it sooner so educate yourself and do it now!!! This is such a good video!!
Great video Ashley. I don't take b12 "supplements". Instead I take Silk Organic Unsweeten Soy Milk that is B12 fortified and gets 100% of daily value of B12. That's basically B12 fortified food, there are a lot of options available for that.
“You will make mistakes” THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!!! Before going vegan I was pesciterian, and I had eaten a couple lettuce wrap tacos with chicken that I mistook for soy protein, and I started BAWLING in this P.F. Chang’s in front of everyone and it completely ruined my day. It’s honestly really toxic to have a mindset that you can NEVER slip up. Slip ups WILL happen, and you need to remember that you are doing so much more than most people!! Forgive yourself for your mistakes like you would anyone else!!!! 💚💚💚
i’ve been vegan for nearly 3 years now. when i was watching your videos constantly when i got to the us (as i’m from the uk) just so i could find out the best vegan options over there! honestly i love your channel and i completely relate to the last tip. i’ve only messed up once (that i know of - i’m very careful!!) and when i did mess up i got so upset like you and was literally trying to throw it up. i had an ice lolly when i was in france and the top of it contained milk and i HATE milk more than anything because of dairy farmers. anyway - thank you so much for always using your platform to create such positive energy towards going vegan and continuing to inspire so many people!
Thank you for validating us long-term vegans for liking transition foods. I feel like there is some judgment amongst vegans toward those who eat plant-based meat and dairy, but we just like it! Why would we give that up if we like it? Doesn't make us any less experienced of a vegan! Definitely not giving up Beyond Burgers anytime soon. Thanks for the validation! :)
11th tip when going vegan is to have patience when being questioned because maybe they are genuinely curious and remember not all of us were born vegan either, who knows like what you say could end up in their subconscious mind and make them realize someday to take action. it's like planting the seed in their brain and once they start learning more it grows and blooms into doing it vegan!!
remember there are food like nutritional yeast and tons of seeds out there that are great for you as well as bulk or zero waste stores that really help you find new ingredients and information about veganism
i feel like my journey on becoming a vegan is so similar to yours, i’m 13 and don’t really know any vegans. i see youtubers as my ‘vegan community’ lol. love u ashley!! 💕
I watched this video when it uploaded and I was inspired to turn “more” vegan. Before I used to not eat meat,(except chicken) dairy or buy leather. This video made me cut out on most types of fish (I only eat salmon and tuna now instead of all fish), eggs and chicken
P.s. I’m sorry if I forgot to mention some things that I don’t eat, but the only animal products I still eat are salmon and tuna. Other than that I am completely vegan
It's weird, my entire life as a meat eater, people very rarely questioned why I don't eat fish at all, since I don't like it. But giving up meat and dairy, people act like I'm losing my mind
When I told my grandma I was going vegan, she asked if there was a minimum age to do something like that. I told her it's not like drinking, it's a lifestyle. 😂
I've been taking an omega 3 supplement until recently. Adding just a tablespoon of ground flax is over 100% of your RDA. If you can't afford a supplement. You can add it to your cereal, oatmeal, pancakes whatever.
hi Ashley! hopefully you see this! i saw some videos hating on you and your diet and got a little mad. just remember that you are amazing and if someone tells you negative things don't listen to them listen to your amazing fans that support you no matter what! i love you!!
“I’m not gonna have a living creature be my middle man.” WOW!!! Hahaha this made me gasp with laughter but also hit my heart so hard with the amount of genius in it! Thank you SO much for being YOU and being so well versed!!
Thank you so much for your support Ashley. I’m transitioning vegan(I need to cut off eggs and fish) but I will do it, also I convinced my family to go vegan and we’re all transitioning together.Thank you for your support, and for saying that is ok to go vegan gradually, we’re trying our best and soon we’ll be vegan ,thank you for taking time for doing this and being our community!
I really love this video !! I turned vegetarian about 10 months ago and it’s the best I could have done. I would say I already eat 70% vegan, I know it is not enough but I am on my way. I struggled a lot with that, but I think I need to find my own way and if it is slowlier but it’s concious. I know I will be vegan sooner or later and I have to give myself time for that and I have to accept it 🙈💞
I've been a vegetarian since I was 8 years old and last year two of my friends quit meat and we wanted to be vegan when we turned 18 but I decided I want to be a vegan now and I've been for two months. This channel helped me a lot. 💖
during quarantine i decided to try getting more plant based. if someone asks, i say i’m pescatarian because it’s easier to respond with. after not eating beef for just a week i grew to not like the taste of it anymore, so that’s made it easier to stick with this lol. kuddos to anyone who goes fully vegan. i don’t want to but i’m proud of the small changes i’ve been making so far. I’ve been eating a lot of vegetable stir fries when I don’t know what to cook lol. that’s always a staple 🤷🏻♀️
hey there! I'm going vegan and I was wondering if you could you talk a little bit more about vitamins? I've heard a lot of opinions and now I'm very confused. Once I read an article that said vitamin b-12 was toxic... Thank you in advance! ✨
Thank you I’ve been a lacto ovo vegetarian. But now I have to be a vegan and watch everything I eat now. Your videos are helpful to me. I never realized all the crap I was eating as a vegetarian now I’m more in tune with everything.
Yeah one of the things that shocked me was not just getting questioned but literally getting attacked for being vegan, people get so defensive, its very interesting whenever you zig when others zag tbh. But I never expected the degree of how personal people take eating animals!
I love what you said about being questioned. I have been vegan for about 9 months now and my parents will say "I won't tell" when there is a non vegan food that I used to like. I hate it.
Hi Ashley! don't know if you will see this, but I am a new teen vegan :) I am just wondering what other supplements besides D3 and B12 you take and from what brands and how often you take them! Thank you
My vegan 1 year anniversary is coming up on the 30th of July this year!!! i'm so proud of myself. I went vegan at 12 (6 days before my birthday. i turn 14 this year) with my sister who is no longer vegan but veggie. i was previously veggie though. hope anyone that reads this gets inspired. bye!!!! 😘😋😀 keira, xxx
This video is GREAT I can’t wait to show this video to my sister who’s starting her vegan journey. Can you make a video about your experiences being a vegan at family gatherings. ❤️
I just recently went vegan and I look to you for inspiration! It was definitely the best decision I have ever made, thank you for inspiring me to go for it! 💜
I’ve been vegan for 6 months and you played a role when I first started so thank you! This video would have been helpful when I first started so I’m sure it will help people just going vegan now
When I was vegetarian, i kept a list of what I ate every day for about a month, then I realized how easy it was to swap out the eggs and dairy I would eat (mostly just coffee creamer and sweets, both better to cut out anyway) and I feel so much better without them!! :D
Also it’s important to supplement omega 3s EPA and DHA or you can get them from seaweed! People say eating enough ALA will convert to EPA and DHA but the conversion rate is very low. I eat wakame almost everyday and kombu once a week for my omega 3s and iodine and feel the difference. Future Kind has a vegan multi with B12, D3, and EPA/DHA omega 3s for $20 and it is a 2 month supply i believe
I’ve been an on and off vegetarian for about a year and a half and I’ve always struggled with my meat cravings. I can do so good for a couple weeks but then there’ll be a time where I’m craving a burger and I cave. Being vegan has always interested me and being vegetarian is a good first step but I want to do more. Thank you for this video, I hope one day to be completely vegan without those cravings 💕
It’s easier to eat our natural human diet. As an ex vegan of 2 years (so glad I left the cult) I can honestly say that it’s so much easier and healthier to eat just as nature intended without supplements and lab made synthetic “vitamins”. Do yourselves a favor and skip this phase of your life. Eat meat and be healthy ✌🏼🌻
I just had my 1 year vegan anniversary 2 weeks ago and it’s literally been the best decision of my life❤️❤️ Love you and your channel, you literally have helped me out so much, especially when I first went vegan!!
Also when you eat foods that are high in iron eat something that has vitamin c in it at the same time because that helps your body absorb the iron better. My fav things with vitamin c are oranges and strawberries so when I make a green smoothie I put a few strawberries in and it’s so goooood! (I’ve been vegan for about a year and I’ve had low iron my whole life)
If you eat smoothies (which you should) you can add a handful of spinach to it and you don’t even taste the spinach. I also top my smoothies with pumpkin seeds which are high in iron! And walnuts. You could always take a supplement too since you are susceptible to anemia! Good luck 😊
you're the reason i actually became vegan. you made vegan food look SO SO GOOD!! actually better then non vegan food. i convinced my mom to let me :) and now i'm vegan ❤️ (ps that's not the reason i went vegan, i went vegan because plant based food made me feel good and i found it made me feel better!)
I dont typically comment but I had to on this one. I have wanted to go vegan for literally ten years, having tried it a few times and getting sick. I have a tendency to deplete my electrolytes really quickly, just a health issue that runs in my family, but I would get scared thinking “being vegan just isn’t working for me!” Not realizing it wasn't really that at all.... but it was so ingrained in me by the questioners that being vegan HAD to be the problem! This was basically because I didn't supplement and didn't eat enough....thank you so much for being such a bright and steady role model out there! I love how inclusive and kind you are toward those people who really are trying but may not be “there” yet. I am impressed every time you post and it makes me hopeful that I can get “there” if I keep trying. Also just found out recently that beans and rice together are a complete protein with all our needed amino acids....Going to give it a try once again and supplement correctly!
Hi.. I have been vegan for the past 31 days I have been eating smoothie bowls almost every evening now 😋 I do get tempted sometimes but nah I have not eaten any kind of meat or dairy products past 31 DAYS... And you make it very easy 😉😊♥️ thanks and ilysm. ♥️😊
I live in a small town and it’s so hard to find vegan products, BUT I still try my best! It took me 4 months, but I’m vegetarian now and I’m working towards being vegan!! This was a very helpful video❤️
I LOVED tip ten. I’m vegetarian 100% of the time, but I will eat dairy if I’m in a social setting. People shouldn’t let the idea of being a “perfect vegan” deter them from ever trying it or doing it sometimes!! Love your videos Ashley!
Kiralee Derriman yes I do know! I am vegan for the environment not for the animals. Like Ashley says, I also believe even just doing what you can makes a huge difference! Bite me 🥰 or don’t since it’s not vegan. Spread support man ❤️
@@oliviaschad3422 That's good to hear :) I'm not downplaying people going vegan for the environment, as it all reduces suffering, but think about it from the victims perspective what do you think would help you to not go back to eating animal products connecting with the victim or because it affects the environment? If you take other injustices would you say to someone that it's only racist a few days of the week good, because they're doing something, or that they're still just at bad because they're contributing to an injustice?
Kiralee Derriman I don’t personally (!) think animals are equal to or deserve the same rights as humans. They don’t have a consciousness. Not that humans are gold stars either- they killed the earth. Your racism argument is a little aggressive and far fetched. I’m not sure I understand you point before that, are you using the term victim to refer to animals that are killed?
@@oliviaschad3422 So what's the trait that denies them the same rights as us? Surely you know that at the end of the day they suffer just as we do? By your logic humans that don't have consciousness aren't awarded the same rights then? Not really because at the end of the day they are victims and they are oppressed just like women were and just like minorities were. Imagine raising the generation to believe that ants and bees have the same moral worth as human and think what a positive impact that would have on the way we then view other humans
An eleventh tip I have is don't worry about being judged if you end up taking a break or have to stop because of personal reasons. Honestly people that aren't even vegan judge you if you stop being vegan which is so stupid. At the end of the day whether you're vegan or not is no one's business or problem it's your life man.
Her tip about being prepared for people questioning you is VERY IMPORTANT. It will happen. You can give them helpful and useful information, but if the conversation is not productive, drop it. Some people are not interested in learning more about veganism. They just want to provoke you. One time, before I went vegan but was already thinking about it, I was watching Dominion (great documentary btw, highly recommend if you've got the stomach for it), and my dad saw my phone screen and immediately started grilling me about why I was watching something like that. I tried to explain to him that I don't think it's okay how animals are treated. We ended up having a very frustrating and unproductive argument where he basically brought up all the arguments against veganism. I wasn't able to properly defend my stance because I was still learning myself and he wasn't listening. He couldn't even agree on the fact that animals shouldn't die for human food if humans have other options. So if you feel like you're having a conversation like that, end it. It'll just make you frustrated and angry and sad. It's not worth it.
There are also a lot of reasons to be vegan, u can be all of those reasons, one, or a few. But maybe look them up during ur transition. Veganism for: your health (to improve it, prevent it), the animals, the environment (global warming, factory farming, natural resource conservation), to relearn how you interpret the world (them vs us, the human hierarchy). Documentaries can be your best friend!
