My Top 5 Vegan Food Items – Transitioning Vegan

I had been thinking about becoming vegan for a while before my best friend convinced me to make the move. I had been a vegetarian before, but I was still eating cheese and drinking milk. To be honest,  I was on the fence because I thought that leaving dairy would be a very hard thing to do, I love my cheese, but in reality it was not as tough as I thought.

Of course I still consider myself a transitioning vegan but I have taken great effort into consuming less animal products.

I have compiled a list of items that have made my transition easy and effective.

1. Avocados – This is the fruit of the Gods. If I ever won an award for being a vegan (which will never happen) avocados would be at the top of my acceptance speech. You can throw this on any dish and it adds so much flavor and nutrients. According to www.avocadocentral.com half of an avocado is 2.5 servings. This serving contains 130 cal 12 g of Fat (good fat) and 1 g of protein. This serving size also contains 8 different types of Vitamins and 7 different minerals, including 10 g of Calcium.
2. Cucumbers – Cucumbers are another super food that not only tastes amazing but also contributes to a healthy lifestyle. Cucumbers can be eaten by themselves or they could be thrown into sandwiches. My favorite thing to do is slice them up with the skin sprinkle on some lime and Tajin and presto, a delicious snack! Cucumbers help with weight loss, and also help with hangovers (good to know).
3. Beans – If there is something that I absolutely love is beans. Any kind of beans, garbanzo, pinto, black, kidney, you name,  it I love it. Beans are an awesome source of protein which vegans need in lieu of meat. One of the questions that I get asked the most is “Where do you get your protein from?” to which I shout “BEANS!”
4. Tofu – Some people are not fond of Tofu and I completely understand. The thing with Tofu you need to really know how to cook it. I remember 8 years ago when I first became a vegetarian my mom and I decided to buy a pack of Tofu to try it out. She sliced it up like cheese and put it on bread and we both looked disgusted when we realized that it tasted really really gross.  The good this about Tofu is the fact that whatever you season it with or flavor it with, it picks up the flavor really quick.  There are many ways in which you can cook it just search it up on Pintrest https://www.pinterest.com/explore/tofu-recipes/
5. Almond Milk- The last item on the list is also an essential for me, almond milk is great to drink on its own or to add to recipies. My favorite flavor is vanilla and Almond Breeze has some great options that include reduced sugar, unsweetened and different flavors like chocolate and coconut milk blends. almond milk is a great source of calcium and it contains let fat and calories than regular milk.