Eating a vegan diet has the power to positively impact animals, our planet, and even our health. But switching to a plant-based diet — even just once a week — can feel intimidating.
How will I get all of my protein? Does cutting out meat really make that much of a difference for my carbon footprint? Will I ever eat cheese again?
Learning more about vegan diets, food science, and your own personal nutrition is paramount to an easy transition to more plant-based eating.
Of course, every person — and every body — is different, so going into a dietary change equipped with knowledge is key to finding what works best for you.
Whether you’re just testing the waters on going vegan, or you’re a beans and nutritional yeast fanatic trying to expand your recipe repertoire, we’ve got some resources for you.
By the way, some of the links in this article (like books!) are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!
Cookbooks for entry-level vegans
“The Weekday Vegetarians” by Jenny Rosenstrach
“The Weekday Vegetarians” shows readers how to adopt a weekday plant-based mentality, laying out a plan for home cooks to create delicious meat-free meals.
Discover over 100 recipes for comforting, family-friendly, plant-based bites!
“How To Be Vegan & Keep Your Friends” by Annie Nichols
“How To Be Vegan & Keep Your Friends” is a guide for how to “cook, eat, and socialize” as a vegan in a world of meat-eaters.
The book contains more than 50 recipes to help impress friends and loved ones and help the reader feel like a more easy-going herbivore.
Shop: Amazon
“Seed To Plate, Soil To Sky” by Lois Ellen Frank & Walter Whitewater
“Seed To Plate, Soil To Sky” is a cookbook full of plant-based recipes using Native American ingredients.
With 100+ nutritious recipes organized by foundational ingredients in Native American cuisine, readers will walk away with a full belly and a deep reverence for Indigenous history.
Influencers who make the plant-based switch easier
@queerbrownvegan
Isaias Hernandez of @queerbrownvegan uses his Instagram platform to improve environmental literacy, teaching over 120,000 followers about food sovereignty, intersectional environmentalism, urban ecology, and more.
@iamtabithabrown
Tabitha Brown of @iamtabithabrown on Instagram and TikTok has taken over the feeds of over 13 million followers with her soothing voice and wholesome approach to veganism.
She was the host of the Food Network’s first-ever vegan cooking competition show and also has her own cookbook!
@bodegacatx
Bringing her audience along on her NYC vegan eating adventures, Rebecca Doudak, known as @bodegacatx on both Instagram and TikTok, combines her love of food and mutual aid to share community resources, vegan recipes, and local restaurants to connect others.
Newsletters & media for a vegan lifestyle
Vox’s “Meat/Less”
Vox’s “Meat/Less” newsletter course is a great companion for going vegan.
Subscribers will get five emails — once per week for five weeks — filled with tips for incorporating more plant-based foods into your diet, learn how to make new habits last, and get some “food for thought” about how your choices make a difference.
Nourish Magazine
Though based in Australia, Nourish has become a global companion for those who want to adopt a plant-based lifestyle.
Its regular newsletter includes vegan recipes, tips for health and wellbeing, mindfulness, and cruelty-free fashion, beauty, and more.
The Washington Post’s “Voraciously: Plant Powered”
Another great tool for new vegans is Washington Post’s “Voraciously: Plant Powered” newsletter.
For 12 weeks, subscribers will receive a weekly email full of recipes, techniques, and tips to put more vegetables on their plates.
You may also like: Researchers ranked the carbon footprint of six types of diets. Here’s how vegans and vegetarians ranked
A version of this article was originally published in The 2024 Plants Edition of the Goodnewspaper.
Header image by Alesia Kozik via Pexels
