By Anne Custer

A few months or maybe years into your journey you may become
discouraged. You may ask yourself if it’s all worth it because it may
seem like you are the only one that cares. Well, you aren’t! If you need
an extra push or a reawakening into veganism, here are some great
resources that helped me get back on track.

I found the following helpful because they inspire me to continue on in
veganism through the realms of cooking, health, and the environment.
Seeing all the healthy food prepared in documentaries inspires me to
create my own recipes and try new food. Watching people lose weight, get
off their medication, and reverse their diseases makes me excited to
enter the health field. Reading other people’s experiences and following
their journey encourages me to continue on in my own. And finally,
learning about the ways the meat industry affects the environment fuels
my passion to live sustainably.

Documentaries:
Forks Over Knives
Hungry for Change
Cowspiracy
Vegucated

Books:
Becoming Vegan
Whole
Omnivore’s Dilemma

Blogs:
My Eclectic Kitchen
Oh She Glows
Fork & Beans
Minimalist Baker

In addition to resources, find a group of local vegans who share your
values. Visit www.vegan.meetup.com to find a group in your city. Once you plug into a community, you may find it easier to be vegan because
you have people supporting you. You never know who you might meet! Get
involved in your local vegan or vegetarian society. If your city doesn’t
have one, consider creating your own. Someone else is probably looking
for the same thing. Attend a local vegan or animal rights festival or
conference. There you can talk to different organizations, sample
delicious food, and learn more about the movement. I’m positive you will
walk away encouraged just seeing all the people who are as passionate
and involved as you are. Also, it may be a good idea to write down why
you became a vegan. That way, you can look back and remind yourself of
how you felt when you first made the switch. Finally, try a new vegan
restaurant. Food never fails to make me happy and being in an all vegan
restaurant makes me excited (and a bit overwhelmed) because I can choose
anything on the menu and it’s safe to eat. Here is a list of restaurants
across the United States and Canada that cater to vegan diets:
http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

Visit the VRG site for more resources and answered questions:
http://www.vrg.org/

Anne Custer wrote this piece while interning with The Vegetarian Resource Group.