So, what can you eat?

It’s impossible to ignore the growing rise in popularity of the vegan diet – that is, a diet where no animal-based products are consumed.  Data from the UK (a similar culture to Ireland as figures aren’t available here yet) shows that vegan and vegetarian diets now account for 12% of the diets of their adult population.  Pop-up vegan food trucks, fully vegan restaurants and vegan options are certainly becoming more mainstream, but since my forage in the world of veganism, I still hear the same question – so, what CAN you eat?

To me it’s simple – anything that doesn’t come from an animal.  So yes, that includes anything with eggs, honey, cow’s milk, cheese..you get the idea.  But it doesn’t include anything else, so the list really is extensive (I promise!).  Think nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, lentils, grains, fruit and vegetables.  It is possible to obtain every nutrient, vitamin and mineral you need from consuming plant based foods.  After all, that’s where animals get them from too, so you don’t need to eat the animal-filtered version, you can take it directly from the earth yourself!

But where do you get your protein? Surely we all need a bit of meat? Short answer – no, we don’t.  The average person already consumes more protein than we actually need, and we can see this from the amount of nitrogen contained in urine urea excretions.  Some vegetables are rich in protein (that wonderful green leafy spinach again!), nuts are an excellent source, as is quinoa, soya, beans and lentils. The argument against needing dairy as your source of calcium is a powerful one – in countries where the most dairy is consumed, you will only find the highest incidence of osteoporosis! And plenty of vegan foods are rich sources of calcium, including almonds, sesame seeds, green leafy vegetables and even chickpeas.

There are some elements of a vegan diet that do need more careful consideration – namely Vitamin B12 and iodine.  Vitamin B12 in particular is contained in soil, so years ago when people consumed unwashed fruit and vegetables, there wasn’t any problems.  But now, due to modern farming practices, we are usually advised to wash all the soil off our food before consumption.  If you buy organic fruit and vegetables, do try to leave some of the soil on and you will be getting your dose of B12, but if this thought doesn’t appeal to you, then try some nutritional yeast from your local health food store.  Make sure the one you buy does include Vitamin B12, then add it to soups and sauces, or sprinkle over your popcorn! Not too tricky!

Iodine, on the other hand, is a mineral and is found in seafood.  But you don’t need to eat fish to meet your recommended daily intakes – you just eat what fish eat instead.  Sea vegetables are becoming infinitely more popular, even if you didn’t realise it.  Nori used to make sushi, for example is one, but wakame and kelp are other options.  I sprinkle wakame over salads and pasta and I love the flavour it adds!

So, is it difficult to eat a diet that doesn’t contain any animal-products? My simple answer is yes, but….there’s always a but! Here’s mine..it’s easy not to eat animal-products, BUT it does require a little more thought and consideration.  But, in my humble opinion anyway, it certainly is worth it