I have been vegan for almost 2 years and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I originally became vegetarian because I didn’t want animals to suffer for my food, but once I realized everything that went into the egg and dairy industry I cut out all animal products and have never looked back.

Eating a healthy plant-based diet has also helped with eczema that I had and inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis.

Here are some things that made it easy for me to transition into veganism.

I tracked my calories and nutrients.

When I was first starting out I wanted to make sure I was getting enough calories, protein, fats, and vitamins. Using an app like Chronometer, MyFitnessPal, or LoseIt helps to make sure you’re eating enough. I used MyFitnessPal (and still use it on occasion) and it’s super easy to scan or lookup what you’re eating to see if it’ll fit in your daily macros.

I kept buying what I was buying, but getting the vegan version instead.

I still eat cheese, sour cream, ice cream, cream cheese, and burgers, but I buy the vegan version or I make my own version at home. This made it easy to transition since I was still eating the same foods and buying the same groceries, just a different version of them.

I created an Instagram account. 

This helped hold me accountable, plus I have connected with so many people throughout the years. It was (and still is) fun to post my vegan creations when I was first starting out and get inspiration from other people too.

I watched YouTube videos and browsed Pinterest for recipes and inspiration. 

There are so many creative and delicious vegan recipes out there. There is a veganized version of almost everything, and there are so many vegans on the platform to get inspiration from.

I veganized a lot of recipes.

I still do this today, especially when cooking for others. I’ll take classic recipes I love and recipes my mom made when I was growing up and I’ll veganize them.

Those are some of the top things I did to help me become vegan and stay vegan for almost 2 years. What helped you guys? Let me know in the comments!