Transitioning to Vegetarian/Vegan diet

Take your time in the transition. If you break the guidelines you set for yourself, accidentally or on purpose, don't panic or give up. It's a process and every vegetarian/vegan has stories about doing that. Once you find recipes you like, consider making them in batches and freezing the rest for later meals. I remember the amount of cooking I ended up doing once I went vegan was a little overwhelming at first since a lot of fast, processed options weren't options anymore. Canned and frozen vegetables are your friend because they're cheaper than buying 100% fresh and they're just as nutritious if not more so in most cases. Dried legumes (beans, lentils, etc.) are another cheap way to get a lot of protein, along with nut products if you're not allergic. You don't have to buy a lot of meat/dairy replacement foods (meatless hamburgers, vegan ice cream, and so on) if you don't want to, there are plenty of options and recipes to get nutrients without them. That being said, psychologically speaking, they do help with any cravings and can be convenient. Always check the label, try not to assume something's fine to eat. Also, something I wish I had known a long time ago: most granulated, brown, and powdered sugars are processed with bone char. Kudos to you if you already knew that, but I didn't until recently.

As far as recipes go, minimalistbaker.com is a fantastic resource that I use pretty much daily. They have so many amazing recipes and include a lot of ingredient options for different diets as well as general information. Hope this was helpful and not overwhelming and good luck.

There’s a bit of a learning curve with tofu, so I generally don’t recommend it for new vegans and vegetarians. Gardein, however, is my latest obsession. It’s a meat sub that is great at mimicking texture and flavor, and runs cheaper than organic meats.

As for recipes, I’m bonkers for Thug Kitchen. There’s a blog, and three cookbooks (last time I checked).