Ready to go vegan but not sure where to start? Try these 3 tips to lose the overwhelm & start eating more plants.

You know you want to switch to a plant-based diet, but every time you think you’re ready to actually start making some changes, the overwhelm kicks in.  

Maybe you have a whole folder of plant-based recipes saved on your phone. Or you bought a couple of plant-based cookbooks, and you flip through them thinking some of the meals sound good, but they also look super complicated. Or maybe you’ve started following some plant-based accounts on social media thinking that will be the motivation you need to finally get started.

But you’re still stuck. You don’t really have a plan, and if you’re being honest, the self-doubt is really creeping in. 

Who are you even kidding to think you could actually do this? 🤦🏻‍♀️

And how do you even begin to build a plant-based meal? 

The truth is… it’s no wonder you’re asking yourself those questions. 

If your childhood was anything like mine, dinner was usually pretty predictable: meat, starch, vegetable. On Sundays, my mom threw in some rolls with lots of butter. Even our convenience foods back in the day were a version of that… a frozen TV dinner with each of those components in its own separate compartment. 

We have been programmed (for years!) to believe that meals are supposed to look a certain way, and when you have to think outside of that TV dinner-shaped box, figuring out what to do instead isn’t exactly intuitive.

Not to mention we are constantly bombarded with ads for ultra-processed foods and meal-prep shortcuts, combined with constant messaging that makes cooking feel like a chore. Even eating out doesn’t help when most meals on restaurant menus look an awful lot like those Sunday dinners we remember from years gone by.

Oh, and let’s not forget society has led us to believe that being vegan is just, well… weird. 😨

So of course you’re feeling stuck and overwhelmed! Who wouldn’t be?!

But imagine how it would feel to finally get past all that and start making plant-based choices with confidence, knowing you’ve got what it takes to make your plant-based goals a reality. 

Here are three low-risk, minimal-effort strategies that will get you unstuck, let you reclaim that feeling of plant-based excitement, and put a pin in that self-doubt.

1. Take a baby step: Start “plantifying” your pantry and fridge.

One of the biggest barriers to eating plant-based is that at first, it seems so different from what you’re used to.

And to your brain, different = scary 😱, and it just wants to keep you safe. Human brains have evolved a lot over time, but on a primitive level, they sometimes have a hard time differentiating between “Is that a bear?” and “Tofu is weird.”

Feeling like you have to change everything you know and love all at once can give your subconscious all kinds of reasons to dig in its heels… even when you know deep down this is what you want to do. 

So, let’s keep it super simple.

As you run out of staples, start replacing them with plant-based versions instead. 

Although I’m a huge advocate of eating as whole food plant-based as possible, I’m also all for vegan alternatives to animal-based foods, especially at the beginning, if that helps ease the transition.

• When you run out of butter, try a plant-based version (to me, they taste exactly the same as traditional margarine).

• If you use up the last carton of chicken broth, add vegetable broth to your grocery list.

• Replace the white rice you're used to with brown rice or quinoa (Yes, white rice is a plant, but there are other options out there with more nutritional value.)

• Commit to trying a plant-based yogurt when you finish up what’s already in your fridge (again, I find them to be very similar to dairy yogurt).

• Choose a salad dressing that does not include eggs or dairy.

• If you like to bake, skip the eggs and substitute flax eggs. I promise you’ll never know the difference, plus you get some extra fiber and omega-3s. (If this is new to you, no worries… it was to me too when I first went plant-based! This blog post is a great resource to learn the basics!)

By swapping things out slowly over time, you get to test plant-based ingredients in familiar meals without overhauling your entire routine. And before you know it, you will have started to slowly shift some habits without triggering that all-too-familiar resistance to change. 

These new plant-based swaps will begin to feel like the norm, and your subconscious will start to be more open minded about trying new plant-based foods. 

As an added bonus, this gradual shift spreads out costs so you don’t have to overhaul your entire pantry and fridge all at once (like I did 🤦🏻‍♀️).  That way, when you’re ready to take the next step, you won’t be weighed down by a 3-page grocery list… you’ll already be well on your way to a well-stocked plant-based kitchen.

And speaking of the next step…

2. Find a go-to plant-based meal “formula” that works for you.

What the hell is a meal “formula?”

I’m so glad you asked!

It’s just a simple framework for building a meal so you’re not starting from scratch… you’re just mixing and matching components in a fill-in-the-blank meal template. 🤯

Think Taco Tuesday, but with a twist.

If you’re thinking “That’s all well and good, but I don’t really want to eat the same thing every week,” I get it. I don’t either.

That’s why a go-to meal plan formula is such a great meal hack. It’s basically the plant-based answer to our old friend ‘meat, starch, vegetable’. 

So, sticking with our Taco Tuesday theme…

Until I went plant-based, tacos meant one of two things: 

• ground beef, shredded cheese, lettuce and salsa OR

• shredded chicken, shredded cheese, lettuce and salsa. 

(In case you’re new to my blog… Hi! I’m Meghan. Until February 2020, I was a grown-ass woman with the palate of a toddler. Welcome, I’m so glad you’re here.)

It seems so obvious now, but it never crossed my mind that there isn’t actually a taco “rule,” and you can literally make any kind of tacos you want. 

Enter the meal formula:

🌮 TACOS = protein + greens + veggies + sauce

Here are some of our go-to tacos. We use corn tortillas and add:

• taco-spiced tofu crumbles, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes & onions, salsa, and plant-based sour cream (alllll the classic taco vibes)

• roasted sweet potatoes, black or pinto beans, corn, chopped greens, avocado, green onions, salsa,  and plant-based sour cream (my personal fave)

• tofu scramble, chopped spinach or arugula, whatever chopped veggies we have, and a plant-based cheesy sauce 

• chickpea masala, lemon-cilantro slaw, and avocado

• crispy cauliflower, beans (whatever kind we have), shredded lettuce, shredded cabbage, and plant-based ranch

BOOM! Five whole weeks of tacos, done! 

And it never feels like I’m eating the same thing week after week. 

If tacos aren’t your jam, build-your-own bowls and DIY pizzas are other easy-to-adapt meal ‘formulas.’

Just choose your flavor profile (i.e., Mexican, Greek, Italian, etc) and start combining ingredients that go with your theme:

🥣 BOWLS = grains + greens + protein + veggies + sauce or dressing + topper

🍕 PIZZA = crust + sauce + protein + veggies + greens (added at the end of cooking)

And voilà… Dinner is served. The possibilities are endless! 

[Grab my Build a Better Plant-Based Bowl Guide and give this meal formula thing a try for yourself. I'm also thinking about creating Plant-based Pizza Builder Guide because who doesn't love pizza!? Click the link to join the waitlist and get it delivered straight to your inbox when it's ready!]

These simple meal ‘formulas’ give you a basic template you can tweak to match YOUR preferences, which makes meal planning less stressful and helps you move beyond your TV-dinner tray mindset.

Helping you develop meal planning strategies like this are a crucial part of the Practicality (P) pillar of the MAPS framework I use in my 1:1 coaching program. We work together to build a personalized meal planning system that works with your tastes, lifestyle, and time constraints. That way, even on those crazy days when all you want to do is run through the drive-thru, you have a simple strategy to fall back on that helps you stick to your goals.

And speaking of goals…

3. Get super clear on your “why” and let it guide you.

It may seem odd that I’m bringing up something goal-related as the last strategy, but I promise there’s a method to my madness. 

Chances are, if you already know you want to switch to a more plant-based way of eating and you’re still reading this post, you have a general idea of WHY you want to make these changes. 

🎯 And whatever your reason, the more clear you are on your why and the more committed to it you are, the more likely you are to make changes that last, especially when life throws you curveballs. 

But sometimes we don’t truly know what will be challenging for us until we actually try something. 

So, ideally, you’ll try this next strategy after you’ve worked on implementing the first two for a few weeks. (That being said, this is YOUR journey. If it just doesn’t make sense in your brain to do it this way, do them in whatever order works best for you!)  

Let’s take a deepish dive into your why.

I like to do this on paper, because the teacher in me knows research shows that hand writing ✍🏻 something creates better connections in your brain than typing, but you can do it in a Google doc or the notes app on your phone.

The important part is to get it out of your head and onto paper/the screen. 

🤔 Take a few minutes to write about why you want to go plant-based. Be very specific and give as much detail as you can.

• What is your goal for going vegan? (Your why and your goal may be the same, two related things, or two totally different things. Just write whatever comes to mind.). 

• What feelings come up when you think about your goal? Be super honest with yourself here.

• Now, imagine it’s a year from now, and you’ve made all the plant-based changes you want to make. How is your life different? Imagine all aspects of it in vivid detail. (There’s actual science behind the whole idea of manifesting what we want in life. Let’s use it to our advantage!)

• What feelings come up when you think about this new plant-based version of your life?

Now take that image of what your life will be like and how you’ll feel when you reach your goals, and let that guide you as you navigate new plant-based experiences. 

If something has been challenging as you’ve tried to implement the other strategies, what tiny change can you make to make it easier going forward? What else can you do that will bring you a little bit closer to the plant-based life you imagined? 

The next time you find yourself faced with a plant-based choice that feels difficult, go back to your vision of yourself in a year — and the way you felt when you were thinking about it — and ask yourself which choice will bring you closer to that version of yourself. 

This strategy can be super effective in creating lasting change, but it’s also not easy. Understanding where you are, where you want to be and why you want to make plant-based changes is so important to start shifting your mindset around food. Digging even deeper into your why and using it to guide your plant-based journey is at the core of the Mindset (M) pillar of my MAPS coaching framework. 

Making plant-based shifts that stick

Here’s the truth: sustainable change doesn’t come from sheer willpower. It comes from building small, consistent habits over time. The key to making a plant-based lifestyle stick is taking action in manageable steps and staying accountable to your goals.

By following the strategies I’ve covered — gradually replacing pantry staples, using go-to meal formulas, and getting clear on your why — you’re setting a foundation for success. These small, intentional changes allow you to build confidence and consistency without the pressure of doing everything at once. You don’t have to be perfect to make progress. 

What matters is taking the next step… even if it’s just one meal at a time.

By adding in an accountability piece, whether through personal tracking, community support, or coaching 🙋🏻‍♀️, you’ll have the structure and support needed to stay on track. When challenges arise, having a plan and someone to check in with makes it easier to troubleshoot and keep moving toward your goal.

You are 100% capable of making this change, and the best time to start is now — because the more you lean into this journey, the easier and more rewarding it will become.

Eating more plants doesn’t have to be complicated.

If you’re ready to stop overthinking and start making real progress, my 12-week Empowered by Plants 1:1 Coaching Program is here to help. 

With a clear understanding of your why (✅ Mindset), personalized support (✅ Accountability), real-world strategies (✅ Practicality), and the foundation for long term plant-based habits (✅ Sustainability), you’ll finally feel confident in your plant-based choices.

Apply now, and get off the plant-based struggle bus once and for all.