Before you read anything that I have to say, remember this is your journey. it is okay to do things at your own pace.

A couple of the most common questions people ask me are “How do I get started?” or “What is the best and easiest way to transition to eating vegetarian or vegan.” Well first things first, DO YOUR RESEARCH. What is your “why” ? Are you wanting to be more health conscious, are you doing it for the animals, mental health or all of the above? Research everything you want to know from what you will eat in a day to health benefits and the care of animals before they make it to your dinner plate. A lot of people do not pay attention to how our food is handled prior to buying it at the grocery store. Once you’ve done a little research, start planning your meals out. The best way for me to start my transition was to try “Meatless Monday’s”. Every Monday I would plan my meals around not eating any meat. I tried a few meat substitutes but I mostly ate plant based, which is all fruits and vegetables and very minimum to no processed food. I also stopped buying things I no longer wanted to eat so I wasn’t tempted by them. Making an all vegan food board on Pinterest helped me save a lot of recipes I wanted to try and it came in handy when would sit down and plan my meals.. Although these things were helpful for me in my transition they may not work for everyone. Here are 5 helpful hints to help you begin your transition to a healthier you. 1. EDUCATE YOURSELF. Anytime you are starting something new it is important to learn as much as you can. The best way for me to learn was to watch YouTube videos. I watched videos about how to cook vegan, documentaries about how meat affects your body, and behind the scenes of how our food is processed. 2. PLAN. Take time to sit and plan your meals for the week. Remember to plan for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Planning will also help you stay on track with your budget. 3. TAKE IT SLOW. Everyone moves at their own pace. Don’t feel like you have to make this transition over night or in a week. Take small steps daily and keep pushing forward. 4. STICK TO YOUR BUDGET. Most of the time when people are considering eating healthier it is assumed that healthy means expensive. I personally have saved a lot of money going plant based than if I were to still buy meat. There are a lot of meals you can make under $5 with simple ingredients such as beans, lentils, quinoa, rice, plant milk, fruit and veggies. 5. Find a few vegan/vegetarian chefs on Facebook and YouTube to follow. Also, As I stated earlier Pinterest is great for finding and storing recipes. Remember, DO NOT BEAT YOURSELF UP! Anytime you start something new, especially a new lifestyle things are not going to go right on the first try. It is okay to make mistakes and start over if you need too. Now that you’ve decided to live healthier, welcome to your journey.

“The Scariest Moment Is Always Just Before You Start.” -Stephen King

One of the hardest parts about switching to a vegan or plant based diet is figuring out what to eat for lunch and dinner but most importantly, breakfast! Aside from cereal, oatmeal and fruit breakfast options can seem pretty scarce. One breakfast item I enjoy from time to time is a tofu breakfast scramble. Not only does it have to be a scramble, but you can also pair it with other items and make a breakfast burrito or quesadilla.

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 package of firm or extra firm tofu
2. 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
3. 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
4. 1 medium onion, diced
5. 1 Tbs salt
6. 1 Tbs Pepper
7. 1 Tbsp garlic powder
8. 1 Tbsp onion powder
9. 2 Tbsp turmeric
10. 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Directions

1. Open your tofu and drain all access water. To do this you’ll need to cut your tofu horizontal into 3 pieces. Lay your tofu out on 3-4 paper towels, cover the top with 3-4 paper towels as well. One the top & bottom of your tofu is covered in paper towel lay a cast iron skillet on top f the tofu to press out all access water. Let sit for 5 mins. Repeat 3 times or until tofu is dry.
2. While your tofu is drying heat your skillet to medium heat and add olive oil.
3. Once your oil is warm add your onion and bell peppers and cook for 2 minutes or until your onions are translucent.
4. Now that your veggies are cooked use your fingers to crumble your tofu and add it to the skillet.
5. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and turmeric to your skillet and mix.
6. Let cook for about 4 minutes or until tofu is completely warm.
7. Serve hot