In order for omnivores to become vegan, they must relinquish things like beef, eggs, dairy and even honey. In the beginning, it can seem daunting to quit cold turkey, so to speak.

“For the sake of the planet and animals, I would love everyone to go vegan — but we live in an imperfect world where ‘all or nothing’ is not attainable for many people,” Todd said. “If you are looking to become vegan, assess your current food intake, as you may be surprised what things are already naturally vegan — beans and rice, pasta and sauce. Take a look at what you could easily substitute. For some people it may be switching to a nondairy plant milk, while others may find it is really easy to stop eating beef.”

You can start out simple by substituting chickpeas, rice and quinoa for meat before moving over to plant-based meat, Johnson added.

“Tofu is really beautiful. Try a couple of different plant-based butters to see which ones you like. Try your cashew milk or oat milk — see what you like. If you’re going to go vegan and just do nothing, it’s a hard curve. But if you start replacing things with vegan alternatives, then it’s easier to transition over,” she said.

So you’ve decided to give veganism a whirl. How long should you give yourself to see if it’s right for you? Johnson suggested trying it for two weeks.

“I’ve never seen anybody say, ‘Hey, I’m going to be a vegan. Give me 30 days,’” she said. “In the first week, you know whether you can do it or not. Once you really start experiencing it and realize that you’re not missing anything, it’s a different kind of experience.”

How do you deal with judgmental people?

Sometimes, veganism comes with discrimination. However, as Johnson’s grandmother once said, “Keep your eyes on your own plate.”

“A lot of times when you say you’re vegan, people will often think you’re not going to eat well,” Johnson said. “People automatically think because you’ve chosen to be vegan that you’re better than them or that you’re going to eat horrible food. But it’s not anybody’s business. I don’t let anybody dictate how I’m going to eat or what my food experience is.”

Similarly, Todd added, “I don’t give a flying fig what other people think.”

What are some unexpected side effects of being vegan?

It can come with the good and the bad, depending how you eat. For Johnson, becoming vegan helped curb her sugar cravings and cleared up her skin — she can leave the house without makeup on — and made her feel lighter.

“Before I was vegan, I used to be the person who went through the checkout stand and always grabbed two or three candy bars,” she said. “Now I’m able to not get those candy bars.”

“But you can’t just say you’re a vegan and eat a ton of French fries,” she continued. “I think that absolutely if more people were vegan, we’d have less health issues. People’s diabetes would go down. Blood pressure would go down. Change could happen.”

Is eating vegan expensive?

Judging by the plant-based aisle in a grocery store, you’d think eating plant-based food was unaffordable. Beyond Burgers cost around $4.99 for a pack of two burgers, and some upscale restaurants dedicate their entire menus to vegetables. But if you are able to cook food from scratch, it can be inexpensive.

“Animal agriculture is subsidized by the government, so everyone should keep that in mind as to why they can go to a fast food joint and get cheap food,” Todd said. “Can vegan food be more expensive? Sure, there are nondairy cheeses in excess of $12. But also you can get a can of beans for under a dollar. Limited research shows vegan diet patterns are cheaper than animal-based ones.”

What are the best ways to get enough vitamins and protein?

The lack of B12-rich foods — meat, dairy products, eggs and fish — and protein can be a challenge for vegans, and it’s also a reason why going vegan may be more difficult for people with certain health conditions such as anemia. To get enough protein and vitamins, Todd recommended eating a variety of foods.

“Vegans should either supplement with vitamin B12 or consistently consume foods fortified with it,” she said. These include cereal, nutritional yeast and some plant-based milks. “People should focus on getting several servings per day of protein-rich foods like legumes and soy foods (soy milk, tofu and tempeh). If one needs to include protein powder and processed foods [like veggie burgers], this is perfectly OK. The idea that some of these products are ‘too processed’ is not founded in science and creates unnecessary dietary restrictions.”