Two common mistakes new vegans make
It can take a while for a person to adjust to veganism. Here are the two main mistakes that new vegans tend to make when they're getting used to this way of eating.
Swearing off their favourite Chinese restaurant and going to specialist vegan restaurants instead
Because of how immensely popular Chinese food is, most people have a favourite Chinese restaurant that they visit fairly regularly. One mistake that many new vegans make is swearing off their beloved local Chinese restaurant and limiting themselves to dining establishments that market themselves as being vegan. These people normally do this because they believe that standard restaurants that don't make a point of catering specifically to vegans won't be able to meet their dietary requirements.
This is untrue and can result in these vegans missing out on what may have once been one of their favourite dining experiences. The truth is that many dishes that are typically found on the menus of Chinese restaurants are either vegan or can be made vegan if a person asks the chef to make a few adjustments to them.
For example, there are plenty of noodle dishes, like chow mein and lo mein, that can be turned into vegan dishes if the person asks for vegetables or tofu rather than meat when ordering them. Likewise, a vegan can enjoy a delicious bowl of fried rice if they have the chef make it without the egg. Additionally, a lot of common sauces used in Chinese dishes are vegan; for example, hoisin, plum and black bean are usually free from any animal products. In short, there is no reason why a new vegan should have to abandon their favourite Chinese dining establishment.
Not letting themselves indulge in vegan 'meats' when they eat out
More and more restaurants are offering highly-realistic vegan 'meats' that replicate the look, flavour and consistency of things like beef burgers, chicken and sausages. Some new vegans don't allow themselves to indulge in these foods when they go to restaurants even though they would like to because they feel guilty about the idea of enjoying something that looks and tastes so much like real meat, a substance that they have chosen to abstain from.
This is a shame, as it can leave these vegans with fewer options when visiting restaurants. Furthermore, it does not achieve anything in terms of protecting animals (which is the primary motivation that usually drives people to make this dietary change in the first place) as the production of these vegan 'meats' does not result in any animals being harmed.
For more information, contact a Chinese restaurant near you.