New to eating vegan: where to begin so that you keep it up

Why beginners give up halfway

Most people who stop eating vegan do not stop because they dislike the food. They stop because they set the target too high on day one: no meat or fish ever again, starting tomorrow. Two weeks later they are hungry at midnight and the whole thing collapses. Eating vegan is like any other new habit — the body and the head both need time to settle into it.

Where to start so that it sticks

Pick a few days first, not the whole diet

If this is new to you, do not announce that you are going vegan for good. Choose a few fixed days a week or a month, get through those, and decide afterwards. Once you notice that you feel lighter, sleep more easily and stop missing meat so much, adding days is no harder then than it would have been at the start.

Which days of the month to choose

The most common choice is the first and the fifteenth of the lunar month. Anyone who wants to do more can add days from the ten-day vegan period in the lunar calendar. There is no need to follow any of it to the letter at the beginning; what matters is picking days you will actually remember and keeping to them.

Eating vegan at work

Mornings are rushed, and plenty of people skip breakfast on the assumption that vegan food takes too long to find. In practice one vegan banh mi, eaten on the spot or carried into the office, will hold you until lunch. At midday, build the plate around vegetables, tofu and mushrooms; a plate of plain rice with soy sauce will leave you hungry again by mid-afternoon.

If the afternoon drags, a Nut Milk Coffee or a Nut Milk Bubble Tea will wake you up without the flat sweetness of ordinary milk tea.

Eating out and days away

When you are out with friends or family and everyone else is eating meat, say at the start that you are keeping a vegan day. Almost every restaurant now has vegan dishes, or dishes that can be made without the meat. If you are travelling and a vegan place is hard to find, carrying a vegan banh mi to fall back on is what a lot of beginners do.

What about parties and work dinners

You do not have to eat everything on the table. Take the vegetables, the beans and the mushrooms that are already there, eat until you have had enough, and leave it at that. Nobody is asking you to be perfect on day one.

The nutrition worth knowing about

Eating vegan properly still means getting enough protein, fibre and carbohydrate — it is not a matter of boiled vegetables and nothing else. Tofu, beans and pulses, mushrooms and nuts are the plant protein sources that are easiest to find. If you have been eating vegan for a while and feel unusually tired or washed out, see a doctor or a dietitian rather than putting up with it, and never stop medication you are on by yourself. This is general information, not medical advice.

Vegan banh mi, whenever it suits you

Banh Mi XANH has five shops in Ho Chi Minh City, open 24 hours a day: 38 Lê Thị Riêng, 15B Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, 2B Trần Hưng Đạo and 148B Đề Thám in District 1, and 210 Bùi Văn Ba in District 7. Alongside the loaves — Thập Cẩm, Chả Lát Chay, Đậu Hũ Cay, Bơ Đường and Thượng Hạng Premium — there is coffee, Jasmine Lemon Tea and nut milk bubble tea to vary the day. For delivery, call 0923.183.183; orders from 500,000d within 5km arrive free.

Eating vegan does not have to be perfect from the first day. Start small, keep it regular, and at some point it stops being a decision and becomes what you do.

Quick questions

Do I have to go fully vegan straight away?

No. Start with a few fixed days a week or a month. Once that feels normal, adding days later is no harder than starting with them.

Which days of the month make sense to begin with?

Most people choose the first and the fifteenth of the lunar month because they are easy to remember. From there you can extend into the other days of the ten-day vegan period.

How do I manage it with a busy job?

A vegan banh mi in the morning will hold you until lunch; at midday choose the plate with the most vegetables, tofu and mushrooms. If the afternoon drags, a coffee or a nut milk bubble tea helps.

What do I do when I am out with friends who are not vegan?

Tell them at the start that you are keeping a vegan day — most places have something suitable. If you are travelling somewhere without an obvious option, carry a vegan banh mi with you.

Is there a risk of missing out on nutrients?

If you are eating tofu, beans and pulses, mushrooms and nuts, protein is not the problem people assume it is. If you have been eating vegan for a while and feel unusually tired, see a doctor or a dietitian rather than carrying on alone. This is general information, not medical advice.

Does Banh Mi XANH deliver?

Yes — the shops are open 24 hours and deliver. Call 0923.183.183; orders from 500,000d within 5km are delivered free.