Whether you have decided to adopt a vegan lifestyle or are already there, you know that it is important to have resources to help keep your new diet and way of life in check. There are many reasons why you have chosen to make the change. If you are looking to go green, you have concerns about animal cruelty, a celebrity endorser has swayed you, or want to make a change for a healthier you, going vegan is a significant change.

Thankfully, there are a variety of online resources available to help you be successful. Here are five of our favorite online resources, all designed to help you become a healthy, strong, and successful vegan.

• Thrive Magazine - This site is your one-stop-shop for anything and everything you need to know about a vegan lifestyle. From recipes to online support to shopping, you can find it all in one place.
• Happy Cow - If you appreciate others' influence through online reviews, you will enjoy this site. Similar to Yelp, Happy Cow makes it easy for you to find places that cater to vegans or provide vegan-friendly options.
• Barnivore - Just because you have gone vegan doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy an alcoholic concoction from time to time. Barnivore makes it a bit easier by educating you on what alcoholic brands and products do not contain animal byproducts.
• Farmer’s Market Directory - One of the best things to do as a vegan is to check out local farmers' markets. This is about more than just farm to table. It's about meeting like-minded individuals and becoming part of a community. There is no better way to do that than to frequent your favorite farmer's market.
• VegNews - This site provides the latest and greatest in informative news articles related to the vegan lifestyle. Whether you are an activist or just want to be in the know, this website will help you make that happen.

We’d remiss if we didn’t share at least a few of our favorite vegan recipes with you. With the cold weather setting in and darkness coming earlier, many of us are ready to indulge in comfort foods. These comfort foods don’t have to be unhealthy, and just because you are a vegan, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t nutritious and delicious options available.

This Vegan mac and cheese recipe caught our eye because it is dairy-free and chock full of broccoli (yum) and great flavor. This dairy-free recipe is fun and unique in its use of tasty garlic powder, onion powder, and dry mustard powder.

If mac and cheese isn't your comfort food type, give this Portobello Vegan Beef(less) Stew a try. Who says you need beef to enjoy a hearty stew? Plan ahead for this one, though, as a critical ingredient is Marmite. If you’re not familiar with Marmite, it is a yeast extract that is combined with vegetable and spice extracts. Marmite has been a popular spread for toast and crackers for people in Australia, England, India, and more, for decades. You can buy this ingredient online at Amazon or at a variety of local grocery and health-food stores.

Last but not least, if mac and cheese nor stew is your gig, whip up some buffalo cauliflower wings. Perfect for game night or a night relaxing by the fire, you make these tasty morsels with Frank's red hot sauce, coconut oil, white vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, etc., and of course, cauliflower.