In 1902, Ellen G. White, health reform leader and founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, said:

“In teaching health reform, as in all other gospel work, we are to meet the people where they are. Until we can teach them how to prepare health reform foods that are palatable, nourishing, and yet inexpensive, we are not at liberty to present the most advanced propositions regarding health reform diet.

“Let the diet reform be progressive. Let the people be taught how to prepare food without the use of milk or butter. Tell them that the time will soon come when there will be no safety in using eggs, milk, cream, or butter, because disease in animals is increasing in proportion to the increase of wickedness among men. The time is near when, because of the iniquity of the fallen race, the whole animal creation will groan under the diseases that curse our earth.”

Wow. That says a lot. Over 100 years ago, Mrs. White was aware that animal products would soon become completely inedible, and that animals would suffer at the hands of evil people. But that’s a whole other story.

The point of this excerpt today is the transition from being omnivore to being vegan. Mrs. White was saying, in the beginning of this excerpt, that people can’t be expected to savour a vegan diet unless it is palatable, nourishing, and affordable. The Happy Vegan will soon begin publishing recipes and reviews of recipes that are all of the above.

Keep in mind also that a “cold-turkey” transition from omnivore to vegan can be very taxing on the body. That being said, here is a three step transition plan that will make your commitment easier to stomach:

1. Start out substituting meats with meat analogues. This can help suppress any meat cravings you might have had if you had “quit cold-turkey.”

2. Cut out dairy and egg products except for your meat analogues.

3. Slowly begin substituting your meat analogues with things like grains, nuts, and seeds. The Happy Vegan will soon begin publishing many versitile recipes for this category.

Once you get to this point… get creative! Vegan diets don’t have to be boring!

If you don’t want to give up your meat analogues (for either flavor or convenience), consider contacting Morningstar Farms to request that they no longer use egg in their vegetarian products. You can find more information on this subject in yesterday’s post.

If you are interested in reading more about the Health Reform of the Seventh-day Adventists, please titles below. Purchasing from Amazon through a link on The Happy Vegan will help support this site and the education of the web author. (For more information, see the “donate” page.)

Thanks as always,