A close look at different menus in most Nigerian restaurants, one can easily conclude that veganism or vegan foods is still at the lowest level of acceptability in the country. After all, no average Nigerian want to be told he/she cannot take his/her Fufu and Eba in a day. At the end of the day, one thing is certain; Nigerians aren't healthy.
I think this explains why the life expectancy has never gone above 54 years in so many parts of the country.
Personally, on the other hand, I do not think veganism should be enforced but instead, it should be seriously advised because of its countless health benefits. You may need to note that veganism (Good as it may be), is not easy as it is sometimes explained by vegans because, it is really not an easy task to abandon an age-long eating habit/tradition.
In this post, I cover some of the marvelous benefits of Veganism as well as How to become a Vegan Step by Step in Nigeria. In fact, these were the exact same steps my friend took towards becoming a vegan and today, she's happy.
From my vast experience of dealing with Nigerians who love the vegan lifestyle, I can say that Veganism in the Nigerian term is simply the practice of steering clear from using any animal by-products, especially in what goes into the body in the form of diet. additionally, any one who practice this diet habit is known as a vegan.
So if a vegan abstains from consuming any animal by-products, what does he consume? Vegans consume more of Vegetables and are usually very committed to it.
To become a vegan in Nigeria, below are some of the steps you will need to take.
Be Determined to do vegan. Candidly, everything we do in life needs some iota of strict determination. Veganism is no exception. It requires some levels of determination. Vegan is just like the normal morning exercise; easy to begin and difficult to continue or complete.
Go Slowly. People tend to deceive themselves into thinking they can suddenly become Vegans in Nigeria. No where in the world is lifestyle change easy. Every lifestyle change takes time and that includes switching from the normal into veganism.
Focus On What You Can Eat. There are foods that you ordinarily will not eat if you were not planning on becoming a vegan. Do not force yourself to eat those foods simply because you are trying out a new lifestyle.
Be Ready To Try New Foods. You probably would not make up your mind to be a vegan if you were never prepared to try out new foods. As a vegan, apart from the fact that you will never touch any animal-by product, you will also need to begin to try out other alternatives before settling for what works for you.
Don't Just Eat Junk. Fine, you are trying to live healthy by ditching other diets and embracing Veganism. You've got to be careful to not just consume junk vegan foods because they are fast. As a vegan, you've got to eat a balanced diet in order to maintain your health always. You can find loads of food plant-based recipes on our store.
Get Yourself Organized. Yes, changing your diet or eating lifestyle can sometimes look like hard work, but it really does not have to be! Learning how to go vegan and how to stick with it for good and for the long term is not difficult if you just get a little organized. Planning your meal everyday will actually go a long way to helping you.
Learn To Make Some Recipes. You obviously do not want to continue to buy everything you need, this will eventually make your diet change look unnecessarily expensive. You can learn to make some of the things you need in your daily meal from your home.
Take Supplements. While I am not a nutritionist and can not recommend you any supplements, I think it is worth reading up on supplements you should take when adopting a vegan diet and eating lifestyle.
Seek Help or Support When Necessary. Adopting a vegan diet is never an easy lifestyle. There are different groups or persons out there who love and practice the vegan diets too. You may need to reach out to them at every point when it is really needed. You may also reach us on whatsapp if you need help with Vegan tips.
Hang On To It (Be consistent).There will be moments in your journey as a staunch vegan when it may appear you are being too harsh on yourself. You have got to hang on to it.
Some Common Foods To Help You As A Vegan Beginner
