Simply vegan

We have been very fortunate in meeting wonderful people all over the world through this blog, and we frequently receive news from people who are just embarking into the vegan life.

They are usually overwhelmed.

There is a lot out there. A lot of food choices, a lot of definitions around veganism and vegetarianism, a lot of judgment on being abolitionist or animal welfare, and a brand new world filled with love and compassion towards all living beings.

I always try to focus on two things when talking with people who are making the jump into veganism: being vegan is so easy AND we are all on our own path. These two simple ideas can make the whole transition to this amazing way of living a little easier.

In 2012 there are literally hundreds of vegan food blogs. Take your pick. Some of our favorites are listed on our blog site. There are also new vegan cookbooks being published all the time. When Mike and I met my mainstay for dinner was veggie burgers or vegan burritos with tater tots. We lovingly refer to this type of meal as "Dan's meal" and every once in a while Mike will say "Let's have a Dan's meal tonight" to my delight!

It's also very easy to not use processed foods and simply cook up some quinoa and then stir-fry kale, swiss chard, red peppers, and garlic in olive oil and top the quinoa off with that. Delish, and easy, and cheap.

Regarding the "we are all on our own path" part, I find myself a lot happier when I am living in Live and Let Live mode. That doesn't mean I cease being a voice for the voiceless, it means the contrary. That I do all I can to be a voice for the voiceless and then let folks make their own decision. This can be hugely important when someone is newly vegan. I have listened to people who are filled with shame by accidentally thinking a product was vegan when it wasn't. The bigger picture is that they have made a decision to be vegan, usually for animal rights and animal cruelty issues, and they are well on their way to not only living a compassionate life, but one that includes compassion on their dinner plate.

I have been vegan for 16 years and Mike has been vegan for 8 years. For both us it is a wonderful way to live. We will tell people why we are vegan and how wonderful it is for us, the animals, and the environment, and then they can make decisions on how they want to move forward in becoming vegan. Supporting them with delicious food choices and giving them a break as they ease into veganism becomes a huge deal for them!

Thanks for reading!