So You’ve Just Turned Vegan? Congratulations and welcome! ?
This site is here to help you on your journey, as I know it can initially be a daunting one! Is my favourite food hiding some surprise milk in it making it out of bounds? Does my favourite go to skin care brand offer vegan products? Will I be able to still buy clothes and accessories that I’ll love? I feel you – all of a sudden there’s a whole load of information you want to know.
The key? Take it one step at a time.
The fact that you’ve already decided to go vegan is fantastic and really is the most important thing, but there’s no need to heap all of this pressure on to know about everything immediately because it can become overwhelming. See turning vegan as a journey with many trips within it and try and enjoy it along the way by learning bit by bit.
Even having been vegetarian for 13 years, I found turning vegan quite hard to begin with, but managed to keep going by learning about different areas over time. Everyone has their own pace, but every small change you make can have a big impact and it’s better to stick with your decision and ease into it, rather than trying to perfect veganism in every area in your life within a week. That is unrealistic! I’ve also created a Quick Guide: New Vegan Starter Kit, that might be useful for you.
So without wasting anymore of your precious, cruelty-free time, let’s get stuck in with some initial questions you may have.
New Vegan FAQs
1.? What’s the definition of veganism?
Might as well start from the top! The Vegan Society defines Veganism as “”A philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.”
Bit of a mouthful, yes. However it’s thorough and seeks to lay out clear examples of things that are included in that definition. e.g. food and clothing.
2. ? What do all of the different logos mean on my products?
Each logo provides different guarantees. The key thing to know is that something labelled as vegan, is not necessarily cruelty-free and those things labelled cruelty-free are not necessarily vegan. Anything with the The Vegan Society logo however is completely vegan and cruelty free, so that’s a great one to look out for. You can learn more in the Quick Guide: Cruelty Free and Vegan Logos guide.
3. ? I’m seeing abbreviations in forums and groups, what do they all mean?
Ok, so here are some of the most frequently used abbreviations that you may come across:
- SFV – Suitable for Vegans
- VE/VG – Vegan (for food items on menus)
- CF – Cruelty Free
- PB – Plant Based
- SF – Soy Free
4. ? Do I need to take supplements?
This can be a topic of debate within the vegan community. I believe it’s best to take a supplement to ensure you are receiving the key vitamins and nutrients you need, especially whilst you are getting to grips and learning about vegan food. The Vegan Society (who are top of their vegan game) have developed a vitamin that contains B12, vitamin D, iodine and selenium, so this is a good place to start. I take one daily and you can purchase their affordable chewable tablets from Amazon here.
5. ? Is it just food that I need to check is vegan?
I’m afraid not. Animal by-products are ingredients in beauty products, clothing, shoes, cleaning products and lot’s of other places. This can be overwhelming but just take things in manageable steps. You aren’t going to be replacing everything you have overnight! I’ve pulled together articles to help you in the key areas, so when you feel ready to explore a new area of veganism, or you need to replace a particular item, you can head over to this website and we can give you a helping hand!
6. ? Are vegan products more expensive?
Yes and no. If you want to buy a convenient vegan pizza and vegan Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream from your local supermarket, you are going to be paying more than the non-vegan version and it can get very expensive.
BUT, if you are going to eat a fresh, balanced diet most of the time which supports your body, you are going to be eating a lot of beans, lentils, oats, chickpeas, fruit and vegetables. You might be surprised at how cheap being vegan can be. If you are on a tight budget, check out facebook for some brilliant groups which focus on vegan eats on a budget.
Beauty and fashion wise, there are often products that are affordable, such as co-op own brand haircare and Superdrug B. make-up range. Check out the article on Top 10 Vegan Supermarket Shampoo and Conditioners shampoo and conditioners to get you started. This site is here to help you with all this!
7. ? I’ve started looking at food that should be vegan-friendly, but has ‘may contain milk’ on the packet. Is this still vegan?
Yes! This is listed on packets for those who have allergies. It is listed in this way as there is a chance of cross-contamination during production, which can obviously be serious for those with allergies. Vegans without allergies don’t have to worry about ‘may contain’ when reviewing an item to see if it is vegan. If anything – it helps rule out that particular animal by-product!
8. ? Can I receive updates from you?
I’d love you to subscribe and join the All Things Vegan Club! You’ll receive a weekly newsletter with 1 or 2 new articles, so you won’t be overwhelmed with new information. Alternatively, you can like the facebook page.
9. ? I’d like to know about other things that aren’t listed here. Can you help?
Yes, please get in touch as I’d love to know what else you’d like to know about. This site continues to grow with new articles every week, and I’ll happily take suggestions. Just drop a comment at the end of this article, or send me a message here. I look forward to hearing from you!
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