60 second guide to... Going vegan
Cutting out meat and dairy could be good for you and the planet. Here's our essential guide to vegan living.
What is veganism?
Veganism means following a plant-based diet, that is, no meat, fish, eggs, dairy, gelatine, rennet, cochineal, honey or drinks that involve animal products in the refining process. Many vegans, especially those that follow the diet for ethical reasons, also avoid animal skins or using toiletries tested on animals or containing animal products.
People become vegan for a number of different reasons - the main one is concern for animal welfare and practices that involve cruelty to animals. Moral vegans feel the dairy and egg industries severely mistreat animals. Other people follow a vegan or mainly vegan life to slash their fat levels and become healthier.
A growing number of people are also taking into account the environmental reasons for become vegan. Rearing meat is far less sustainable for the world in terms of land and water usage than growing plants, and animals are one of the biggest culprits of carbon emissions.
What can I eat?
You can eat any plant-based foods - fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes (beans, lentils and split peas), mushrooms and yeasts. Nutritious meals for vegans include stir-fries, curries, pastas (non-egg pasta) and salads, but if you’re stuck, jacket potato with beans is an easy option.
Traditional British restaurants and pubs generally don’t have varied menus and will rarely have a vegan option, but Thai, Indian and Chinese eateries are a safe bet. For a full list of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants around the world, check out the site veggieheaven.com.
The major supermarkets will email you a list of their products that are suitable for vegans if you ask. Health food stores often specialise in vegetarian and vegan foods and there will normally be someone on hand with good knowledge of nutrition.
What can’t I eat?
If you want to be a strict vegan you’ll have to stay away from all non-vegetarian foods, such as:
- meat
- fish
- gelatine
- cochineal (red colouring made from crushed insects)
- shellac (an insect secretion)
- animal rennet (the lining of a calf’s stomach)
- dairy
- eggs
- honey
What can I drink?
Animal products are used in the production of a fair amount of wines and beers, but there are vegan drinks companies online such as Smithfield Wines (smithfieldwine.com). Supermarkets, particularly M&S, Waitrose and Co-op are increasingly labelling their vegetarian wines and beers. Samuel Smith pubs might be a good place to hang out, as their cherry beer was voted best vegan drink by the Vegan Society last year. Guiness sadly is not vegan or vegetarian.
Are there any health risks?
It is rare, as far as anyone knows, that living a well-balanced vegan life causes any health problems. But it can sometimes be easier to miss out on essential vitamins and nutrients if you don't gen up on the diet.
You can be a healthy vegan or you can be a vegan that eats loads of chips and bread. The important thing is to ensure a balanced diet with lots of different foods.
There is concern that vegans and vegetarian diets can lack sufficient vitamin B12. The Vegetarian Society has an information sheet on B12, which provides details about why it is an important vitamin and what happens when deficiency occurs
Bringing up a baby as vegan happens all over the world without any problems, but see a nutritionist or specialist if you're worried about yourself or your baby. Vegan pressure group Viva has some information and recipes for babies
You also need to make sure you keep up your intake of good oils, which other non-vegetarians get from fish. Get this through eating seeds, walnuts and Brazil nuts and avocados, or pouring a dash of cold pressed hemp or flax oil on your food.
Do I have to eat tofu?
Most people are a little wary of tofu at first because it’s a bit tasteless on its own and the thought of doing something interesting with it can be daunting. It is made from soya beans, is full of protein and calcium and is a very versatile and tasty ingredient, so its worth finding some easy recipes.
What about all my favourite foods?
Don’t panic, there are good and sometimes tastier alternatives to meaty, milky or eggy foods these days.
Chocolate
You’ll find some luscious options out there and not just for fans of dark chocolate. See the Vegan Essentials website for a vast range. Or just pop along to your local health food shop.
Ice cream
Swedish Glace has a good range, look out for the black hexagonal tubs in supermarkets. Beanies B’Nice rice ice cream is a firm favourite too and won the Vegan Society’s best food product award last year.
Milk
For milk, there’s obviously soya, but you can try oat milk and various others. Check the label, though, as many of them have various additives and flavourings.
Eggs
For cakes and pancakes, easy-to-use egg replacer is available from health food shops and Waitrose. Scrambled tofu also works well as a hearty breakfast. Check out the recipe from the inventive Post Punk Kitchen website.
Marshmallows and sweets
These often contain gelatine, but you can find some that don’t at Waitrose, your health food shop or at veganstore.co.uk. Haribo also has some vegan sweets specially available from their website and in selected shops.
Soya meat
Redwood products are totally vegan but there are other brands available. Linda McCartney sausages are vegan, but the burgers and the rest of the range mostly isn’t.
Cheese
There are various brands, but a fair few people don’t find them much like the real thing. They have their own unique taste though and some, like Cheezly are quite tasty, so they’re worth a go.
Yoghurts and desserts
There are various realistic tasting ones at health food shops and a number of supermarkets now stock Alpro soya yoghurts and chocolate desserts.
Mayonnaise
Again there are various brands to check out, but one of the cheaper, tastier and more popular brands is Plamil.
How do I stay healthy?
Variety is the key - vegans are no more likely to become ill than anyone else and often enjoy better health than meat eaters. For a comprehensive and easy-to-read guide to vegan health, see the website created by vegan nutrition experts Foods for Life.
Most vegans consume enough B12 to avoid anaemia and nervous system damage, but there is also a potential risk of heart disease and pregnancy complications. The only reliable vegan sources of B12 are foods fortified with B12 (including some plant milks, soy products and breakfast cereals) and B12 supplements. To get the full benefit of a vegan diet you should eat fortified foods two or three times a day to get at least 3 micrograms of B12 a day.
For fitness, check out veganfitness.net, where you’ll find advice and forums on running, cycling, body-building and more.
What about clothes, shoes and toiletries etc?
A vegan will not wear wool, leather or silk, or use personal care and household products that contain animal substances or are tested on animals. In fact, a vegan won’t eat, wear or use anything that comes from any animal, dead or alive. Animal Free Shopper is a well-respected source of information on vegan products, including food and drink, footwear and clothing, toiletries, cosmetics and household products.
Share this
(What is this?)