Thinking about going vegan?

January is when a lot of people give it a try, and also when a lot of people give up. Not because being vegan is hard, but because changing is hard. There's so much to figure out at first, and doing it alone can feel overwhelming.

I wasn't born vegan. I was raised as an omnivore, became vegetarian 17 years ago, and vegan 12 years ago. As a French person, the hardest part for me was giving up dairy. I get it.

Over the years, I've come to see the transition as three steps. Not everyone goes through all of them, and not always in this order. But it might help to see it laid out.

Step 1: Reduce

You don't have to change everything overnight. One way to begin is simply to reduce how much meat and animal products you eat.

Pick a boundary that works for your life. For example:

• Vegan before 6pm (breakfast, lunch, and snacks are plant-based, dinner is flexible)

• Vegan on weekdays (weekends are your free zone)

• Vegan at home (but eat what you want when you're out)

• Vegan when eating alone (the social aspect is often the hardest)

• When eating out, pick the vegan option when available

These are just ideas. Make up your own rules. The point is to make it easy enough that you'll actually stick with it. You can always expand later.

Some people skip this step entirely and dive straight in. Others stay here for months before going further. Both are fine. This isn't a race.

Step 2: Replace

You don't have to learn a whole new way of cooking. Start by simply swapping what you already eat.

• Use plant-based milk in your cereal or coffee

• Try an Impossible burger instead of a beef one

• Pick up some plant-based chicken or sausage and use them like you would the original

• Use vegan butter on your toast

Don't overthink it. Most of what you eat probably has a plant-based version. Some swaps will be great, some will be just okay. Keep experimenting until you find the ones you like.

This step is about making it easy, not perfect. You're not reinventing your entire diet, just shifting it.

Some people skip this step and go straight to cooking whole foods from scratch. Others live here happily for years. There's no wrong approach.

Step 3: Embrace

This is where it gets fun.

Once you've reduced or replaced, you might start to get curious. What else is out there? What have I been missing?

• Try a cuisine that's naturally plant-forward: Indian, Thai, Mexican, Chinese

• Discover vegetables you've never cooked before

• Learn to make a dish from scratch that happens to be vegan

• Visit a vegan restaurant and let someone else do the creative work

This is the step where vegan stops feeling like something you're giving up and starts feeling like something you're gaining. New flavors, new textures, new favorite dishes you didn't know existed.

Some people get here quickly. Some take years. Some skip straight to this step from day one. It doesn't matter how you arrive, just that you stay curious.