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Would you go vegan?

This January is Veganuary, which is a campaign that challenges you to eat a vegan diet for the month of January.

Chloe's Red Lentil Dahl recipe.
Since 2014, Veganuary has inspired and supported more than one million people in 192 countries to try vegan for January – and beyond.
The Guardian have reported that Veganuary 2021 is the biggest yet:A record 500,000 people have signed up to the Veganuary challenge to eat only plant-based foods for a month. The milestone is double the number who pledged to go vegan for January in 2019.
There are lots of reasons why you might like to try eating vegan for a month, from the reduced environmental impact of your diet (BBC) to the potential health benefits (BBC). It doesn't have to be difficult or expensive either, as you'll see below. I know we're already into our first week on January, but it's not too late to get started. Getting started
Veganuary have helpfully outlined some must-know tips to help you get started. I've picked out a selection and listed them below.Plan
Plan your meals! Think about what meals you might like to eat, and what snacks you might like to have in, ahead of time so that you can buy anything you might need.Look out for 'accidentally vegan' foods you already have
If you take a look through your cupboard, you might find that many of the items you have in stock are already vegan. Keep your eye out for pasta, rice, peanut butter, most breads, tinned tomatoes, chickpeas and kidney beans, jam, curry pastes, baked beans, many crisps and biscuits, tea, and coffee.Ease yourself in
There's no need to completely overhaul your diet if you don't want to. There are now more vegan alternatives on the market than ever, so you don't have to give up those familiar comforts. Fancy a sausage sandwich? Have on with vegan sausages. Hankering for some ice cream? Try one of the many dairy-free vegan alternatives.Be persistent
You might try your first vegan meal or alternative and automatically think the diet isn't for you. The truth is that there's a huge variety of ingredients and recipes out there, so it's worth trying out lots of different foods and combinations to find what works for you.Nutrition
Lots of people hold the view that it's difficult, or even impossible, to get the nutrients you need from a plant-based diet, but this doesn't have to be the case. Veganuary have addressed some of the concerns people have about vegan diets, and I've picked out two examples that you can read below. Of course if you're worried about your diet or think you might be deficient in something, you should speak to your GP.Protein
...protein is in almost every single food we eat. Of course, there are better sources than others, but it is not difficult to reach the recommended daily intake as a vegan.
Some of the best sources include tofu, tempeh, vegan sausages made from pea or soy protein such as Linda McCartney or Richmond Meat-Free; lentils, chickpeas, black beans, baked beans and edamame; seeds, nuts and nut butters; quinoa, oats, rice and grains. Even vegetables contain protein!
A typical day’s food that exceeds protein requirement might be:
Oatmeal with a sprinkle of almonds or seeds – 12g
One hummus and falafel wrap with a three-bean salad – 24g
Veggie sausages with potatoes, peas and broccoli -30g
Some of the best sources include tofu, tempeh, vegan sausages made from pea or soy protein such as Linda McCartney or Richmond Meat-Free; lentils, chickpeas, black beans, baked beans and edamame; seeds, nuts and nut butters; quinoa, oats, rice and grains. Even vegetables contain protein!
A typical day’s food that exceeds protein requirement might be:
Oatmeal with a sprinkle of almonds or seeds – 12g
One hummus and falafel wrap with a three-bean salad – 24g
Veggie sausages with potatoes, peas and broccoli -30g
Calcium
Just as meat does not have the monopoly on protein, milk does not have the monopoly on calcium! Beans and greens tend to be calcium-rich, so eat plenty, including black turtle beans, kidney beans, soya beans, kale, watercress, okra and broccoli. You’ll also find calcium in sweet potato, butternut squash and tofu, and if you snack on dried figs and almonds, you’ll be getting a calcium hit again. Plant milks, including milkshakes, and yogurts are often fortified with it, too.
Recipes
Google 'vegan recipes' and you'll get loads of results! There are absolutely loads of vegan recipes out there catering to different tastes and budgets. I've picked out a few recipes from the Veganuary website that I think look tasty:- Chocolate chip cookies
- Shepherd's pie
- Smokey mac and cheese
- Red tofu curry
- Black bean chilli
- Chickpea and sweet potato tikka masala
- Quesadillas
Read next
Our 'Veg Pledge' post.Chloe's Red Lentil Dahl recipe.
Over to you
Are you a vegan? Would you go vegan for a month? Do you have any questions about veganism? Do you know any good vegan recipes?
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Replies
I wouldn’t do it for environmental reasons either as like @OverlyAnxious says I am uncertain it is really that good for the environment but again would need to read some kind of neutral source before making a judgement on that.
Here's an article, again from the BBC, that seems to start to cover your question about food miles of fruit versus the environmental impact of animal agriculture (in particular, cows).
“My general recommendations end up being, reduce meat consumption, and pay attention, if you can, to how foods are grown and transported,” adds Martin Heller, a sustainability researcher who led the University of Michigan study. “Try to avoid heated greenhouse grown fruit and veg, and stuff that may have been air freighted.”
Just for fun: you can find out your diet's carboon footprint here.
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Oddly, just by coincidence, I have just read an article about cars that satisfy vegan requirements (i.e. no leather or animal products used in the interior) and it was quite interesting. I have decided if I ever got a Range Rover I would tick the no cost vegan option because it actually looks nicer than the leather in my opinion.
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I think the modern stuff, (such as Sensico in the latest Fords) should be better quality... How far did your friend get @Tori_Scope ? Synthetic plastic based material never will work in the same way as leather...but being grown should make it pretty much identical!
Regarding the food miles, there was an interesting TV programme on this last week...showing that something such as out of season asparagus had a much higher carbon footprint than chicken or bacon! There was also another interesting point though...that the lowest carbon footprint from the meats they were comparing came from battery hens (around 1g/kg less than free range)...so of course there's more to think about than just the carbon side. Beef was by far the worst product they tested, but I don't eat beef myself (just don't like it) and quite surprisingly chicken and bacon/ham were pretty low, cheddar was higher than both of those. I do think we should be eating less meat overall, I just don't believe that eating a vegan diet is ideal personally.
I love the Linda McCartney products I've tried @chiarieds! It obviously depends on your taste though. Can you remember what you had?
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Interesting points about the food miles. I've seen quite a lot of people say that cutting out red meat is the biggest thing, if you're just thinking about the environmental impact.
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There are lots of other brands now too, so I think it's just worth shopping around and trying new foods whenever you're feeling a little adventurous!
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From what I have seen of the person who I know I wouldn't go vegan
I dont eat slot of meat because I have no teeth due to my condition and no guns so I think I would probably have trouble eating it and I cant eat fruit because I am doubled up in pain lol
I mainly survive on soft food and my forti sips supplement drinks with all my vitamins I need in it