If you’re new to veganism, considering it or looking for resources, the world can be a little bit of a Wild West. I definitely don’t have all the answers here on my site, nor do any of the resources that I will list. However, I wanted to take some time to compile a few resources to help new vegans as well as those looking for help and education and support, because I know what it feels like to be the only vegan you know and just starting out. It can be lonely, disorienting and discouraging. So hopefully some of these things can help you! And if there are more resources that you know of or are looking for, let me know (by comment or email) so I can add them to the page.
Vegan RDs
It’s important to get your health advice and education from qualified sources, and vegans should do no different. However, one may be worried or hard-pressed to find a medical professional that is familiar with or agreeable to the idea of a vegan diet. Veganism can be done in a healthy way, and there are many licensed medical professionals who are in support of it. Here are a few links to sources of vegan diet-related info, run by registered dietitians.
Vegan Restaurant Finder
When you want to go out to eat, some vegans encounter a certain anxiety around not knowing where to go or if there will be options for you there. This is why I love HappyCow. They will give you a list of possible options around you and tell you if the restaurant is vegan, vegetarian, or has veg-friendly options. They even have a reviews section where you can see if the reviewer is vegan, vegetarian, etc. And it’s helpful to be able to see, “Okay, this person who is also a vegan had a good experience.” This is an invaluable resource, made better every day by user contributions. And they also have an app! So, go check out https://www.happycow.net
Vegan Alcohol Database
If you’re newly vegan you may or may not have realized this, but not all alcohol is vegan, for various reasons. And unlike buying food, alcohol doesn’t list its ingredients on the label. So what’s a vegan to do? Visit Barnivore, that’s what. Barnivore is a large database where they’ve done the work for you, all you have to do is type in the alcohol you want to buy and see what it says. It’ll tell you if there are animal based ingredients or fining agents, and it can give you information about different products by the same brand. Now, it’s not all-knowing. There are still times where you type in something and you’ll get no search results. But it’s a great starting point for a possible quick answer, and just like HappyCow, it’s getting better all the time.
Vegan Society
As the mother of modern veganism and the charity that first coined the term vegan, it would be remiss not to offer a link to the Vegan Society’s website.
There you can find lifestyle tips, information on how to go vegan, as well as ways you can get involved in vegan activities and activism. It’s interesting to note that neither veganism nor the name vegan is all that new. Even though it may seem like the new trendy thing to some, modern veganism dates back to the 1940’s with the Vegan Society– longer than many of us discussing veganism today have been alive.
Animal Rights
Many people choose to go vegan for the animals. If you’re someone who is considering it (or wondering why people might choose such a thing), then I would suggest you look into animal rights issues. It’s true that we’re not often given this education by our parents, guardians, teachers or peers, but it is out there if we know where to look for it.
A great starting point is the National Humane Education Society website. They have introductory information about each of the common factory-farmed animals that we consume, as well as information on companion animals and some ideas for how to volunteer your time towards the plight of the animal. And they’re also distributors of humane education materials such as brochures and posters, all of which you can get on their website by downloading for free.
So whether you’re someone looking to get educated or someone looking for materials to share with others, you should definitely check out https://www.nhes.org to dig in and truly understand what it is that the animals we eat and breed go through.
Environmental Impact
Another common reason that people go vegan is due to the devastating environmental impact of animal agriculture. The fact is, when we’re using the animals for our food, we use more land and more water than we would otherwise, and we end up polluting a whole lot more as well.
If you care about your carbon footprint (etc), then it’s important to get acquainted with the stats, whether or not you plan on going vegan. There’s no substitute for real research obviously, but for fast facts and a bit of an eye opener, check out this infographic explaining the environmental impact of the vegan diet here. (https://www.culinaryschools.org/yum/vegetables/)
Know Your Numbers!
If you’ve been vegan for a while, you might wonder how much of a difference you’ve made by sustaining this habit. This may seem like an unanswerable question, but based on statistics, the Vegan Calculator can give you an estimate.
It’s nice to be able to see how small decisions can add up over time, and this is a great way of reflecting on the decision you continue to make. Be sure to check out the Vegan Calculator!
Making a habit
Some people find it easy to go vegans overnight, dropping everything and figuring the rest out on the way. This is a valid experience, but so is the inverse. Some people are successful by easing into it or need assistance in figuring out what to do and how. If this is you, I’d advise you to try a 30 day challenge.
You can choose something informal and unstructured like this link (https://www.eatingwell.com/article/291118/30-day-vegan-challenge/). But personally, I’d recommend going to veganeasy.org. They’ve got a great 30-day vegan challenge for free. It’s got a meal plan, vegan nutrition info and a bunch of tips for vegan food planning.
https://www.veganeasy.org/30-day-challenge/30-day-challenge-signup/
Vegan YouTube
Back in the day when I first went vegan, YouTube was an instrumental tool for me to get ideas, education and feel more normal as a vegan. Since then, Vegan YouTube has evolved a lot, and I’m so pleased to see it. We have a lot of new faces and perspectives to choose from now, and that’s great because there are so many different ways to be vegan.
I chose a few different vegan YouTube channels to get you started, so you can see a little bit of a range of perspectives and habits within the vegan community. But also, these are channels that I watch and enjoy from time to time. There are lots more out there, and perhaps ones that would fit you better, so don’t be afraid to branch out and see what works for you! At any rate, here are my initial suggestions.
Cheap Lazy Vegan:
Rose is a Canadian vegan restaurant owner who likes to make cheap and lazy vegan recipes. She also has a lot of good pointers for veganizing Korean recipes. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEjkioV3LO_OIUaSWRxFZ3A
Caitlin Shoemaker:
Caitlin makes delicious, healthy vegan recipes with lots of attention to allergen-free cooking. I most enjoy her budget videos where she tries to explore one type of cuisine for a week. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0cxMY7jZ_kiE2bvykJffZA
avantgardevegan:
Gaz is a vegan chef and his food shows it! This channel is where you’ll find recipes that are decadent and fancy and will knock your socks off. Perfect for special occasions with family and friends. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF-ACPYNN0oXD4ihS5mbbmw
Rainbow Plant Life:
Nisha makes healthy, whole food plant based recipes with a strong emphasis on fruit and vegetable consumption. On this channel you’ll find lots of recipes that make eating healthy and vegan a lot less intimidating. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDbZvuDA_tZ6XP5wKKFuemQ
Merle O’Neal:
Merle is such a fun personality, I could watch her videos all day. However, most useful on her channel are her vegan recipe test videos where she tries to replicate a recipe that mimics an animal based food and she tells you how it goes. This cuts out a lot of guess work for you. https://www.youtube.com/user/merlenemily21
The Vegan View:
This channel is a little different from the others because there are multiple hosts, but I think that’s what gives it its charm. The four ladies personalities play off each other well and lend to richer on-screen vegan conversation. Also you can find some really helpful taste-test videos that are great for deciding what special vegan processed foods you may want to try. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA6KD0ZPpOvrJgKKvECsQ7g
Vegan online communities
With the addition of online communities, it’s a lot easier to feel less socially isolated being vegan. You don’t have to know anyone vegan in real life to be able to get social support for your new lifestyle, and that’s important, because some of us may not be able to find it otherwise. (For example, I’ve only met 2 other vegans in my daily life of being vegan for 8 years. But joining groups like this reminds me that I’m not alone in this.)
Discord
As of now, I can only find 2 public vegan discord servers. The first, Ask Yourself is a publicly available server specializing in veganism and philosophical discourse.
The second is Animal Rights Advocates, and is a place for sharing information about animal rights. More than anything it is a place of educational discourse.
(Invite code here https://discord.gg/animalrights)
There are tons of vegan Facebook groups, I can’t even begin to look at them all, let alone link to them. But here are some different groups to look at if you’re looking for support.
Vegan for beginners:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/728854750860469?group_view_referrer=search
Vegan Humour and Vegan Memes:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/142414889790906?group_view_referrer=search
Vegan on the Go:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/534994323207370?group_view_referrer=search
what broke vegans eat:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/274368620583026?group_view_referrer=search
Black and Vegan:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/1082559781781595?group_view_referrer=search
Vegan For Foodies:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/370362440469432?group_view_referrer=search
Vegan:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/196755003767178?group_view_referrer=search
Vegan & Gluten Free:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/185779268292306?group_view_referrer=search
Documentaries
If you talk to a lot of long term vegans, you’ll find that a lot of them either went vegan because of documentaries they saw, or that documentaries were a part of their journey in some way. For this reason, I wanted to include links to some documentaries for those who are curious about veganism and why vegans choose this lifestyle.
Earthlings
This 2005 documentary is narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, and it shows and talks about the plight of the animals when it comes to how we treat them and what we use them for. It is quite graphic and upsetting, but is an eye-opening watch and will make you truly understand why veganism is an ethical choice. https://watchdocumentaries.com/earthlings/
Dominion
Dominion is what I like to call Earthlings 2.0, also narrated by Joaquin Phoenix and co-produced by the creator of Earthlings. This is another documentary that is quite graphic and shows you without holding back the atrocities that animals endure for our pleasure. Visit their website for ways to view this documentary. https://www.dominionmovement.com/watch
The Game Changers
This documentary answers the question that vegans get asked a lot: where do you get your protein from? Along with a host of other athletic related concerns that people have with considering veganism. The Game changers talks about the vegan diet in terms of athletics. You can be a strong, healthy, and active vegan. And, believe it or not, in some cases, it even enhances your performance. Visit their website to find where to watch this documentary. https://gamechangersmovie.com/the-film/where-to-watch/
Cowspiracy
Cowspiracy tackles the question of the sustainability of animal agriculture. Many experts are gathered for this documentary, making it an extremely educational experience. Visit their website to find out how to view Cowspiracy. https://www.cowspiracy.com