Times have changed and veganism certainly isn’t considered a niche lifestyle choice any longer. Each and everyday, more and more people in the UK decide to stop eating meat amid health and environmental concerns.
However, there are still so many misperceptions and misunderstandings surrounding the dietary decision. In fact, there’s one of those misperceptions right there; that veganism is purely a dietary decision. There are actually myriad reasons why some make the decision not to eat meat, dairy or any other animal by-product, some ethical, others environmental, and others still because of health.
Today, we’re here to consider the nutritious, delicious aspects of a plant based diet in particular. With that in mind, here are 5 myths about being vegan dispelled today.
IT’S JUST ABOUT BAD SUBSTITUTES
You often see non-vegans turning their nose up at vegan substitutes and truth be told, many faux meat and dairy products are less than satisfactory stand ins for the ‘real thing’.
But things are changing, and fast. As more people are choosing to follow a vegan diet, new vegan products are hitting our supermarket shelves every day, with food production companies and even top chefs investing big bucks in the research and development of plant-based, ‘meat’ products. The results are creative and delicious, if meat substitutes are your thing, of course.
We’re fans of chef Neil Rankin’s fermented vegetable ‘Symplicity Burger’, which is available in London’s hugely hyped Bleecker Burger restaurant, alongside the usual suspects like their bacon double and blue burger.
The huge improvement in the quality of vegan substitutes doesn’t stop at riffs on popular meat products; vegan cheese has also seen a massive uptick in quality as more and more of us choose to adopt a plant-based diet.
Vegan pizza restaurant Purezza are leading the pack, with outposts in Brighton, Hove, Bristol and London. The 100% vegan, gluten free pizzas have won several prestigious national awards for their pizza, competing against meat and dairy pizzas from some of the biggest names in the country. Incredible! Check out our guide to 6 of the best vegan pizzas in London for more.
THE FOOD IS BORING
There’s a tendency for some non-vegans to assume that vegan meals are defined by stuffed peppers, quinoa and the obligatory nut roast at Christmas. Au contraire mon frère and sœur; the vegan diet can be way more colourful, fresh and exciting than a meat and two over-cooked-veg meal.
In fact, there’s nothing more delicious than fruit and vegetables in season and cooked with respect. The professionals seem to agree; earlier this year, the esteemed Michelin Guide – for some, the arbiters of gastronomic good taste globally – awarded their first ever Michelin star to a totally vegan restaurant, ONA in South-West France.
What’s more, Arpège, the one of the best restaurants in the world (according to the annual World’s 50 Best list) and holder of 3 Michelin stars, has been majority vegetarian for the previous two decades, with many of the dishes fully vegan.
The trend is catching on worldwide, with fine dining establishments turning their attentions away from meat and dairy and towards fresh, delicious plant-based menus, and we love it!
Not that you have to go to a critically acclaimed restaurant to create exciting vegan dishes. As the professionals behind vegomm.com tell us, ‘’vegan cooking is easy to learn as long as you’re holding the right cookbooks’’, recommending top chef Romy Gill’s fantastic vegan cookbook ‘Zaika: Vegan Recipes from India’, in particular. After cooking from this colourful, delicious, and exciting book regularly, we couldn’t agree more!
EATING OUT IS DIFFICULT
Sure, you can find decent vegan food in Michelin starred restaurants, but what about on the high street, we hear you ask? Away from top chefs and fine dining, isn’t the choice for vegans scant and stale?
Well, no. Where once it was a challenge for chefs to produce a decent vegan meal, times have changed hugely. The world is now very much your vegan oyster when it comes to eating fantastic meat and dairy free food in restaurants globally.
And the good news continues; London is one of the most vegan friendly cities in the world.
According to the excellent vegan and vegetarian restaurant resource app Happy Cow, London was the first major world city to top 100 totally vegan restaurants. That cheerful bovine software suggests that there are over 500 vegan or vegetarian friendly restaurants, too. Result!
Check out our recommendations on the 7 best places in London for vegan sweet treats for more on the dessert side of things.
IT’S EXPENSIVE
There’s a common misconception that leading a vegan lifestyle is prohibitively expensive. But the truth is that if you shop smartly, you’ll spend much less following a plant based diet. Indeed, new research suggests that vegans spend on average 40% less on food than omnivores.
Some dairy and meat substitutes do carry a premium and, of course, that veg flown over from the other side of the pond will be more expensive than seasonal local produce. However, vegans who eat seasonally and locally at any given time of year will save money and enjoy produce at its freshest, most nutritious best.
YOU DON’T GET ENOUGH VITAMINS
Wrong. In fact, vegan diets are often healthier than a carnivore’s, and are generally more likely to reach the recommended vegetables and fruits a day regularly. That said, it does pay to be mindful in your approach to your diet, as a vegan, to ensure you’re getting all your nutritional needs met, particularly where Vitamin B12, zinc, omega 3, calcium and iron are concerned.
The NHS recommends vegans should base meals on starchy carbs, like wholegrain rice and potatoes, as well as beans and pulses, and make sure that emphasis is placed on getting enough calcium, iron and vitamin B12 in their diet, which vegans can sometimes be sufficient in. Fortunately, soy products, dark greens leaves, pumpkin seeds and prune juice can rectify this imbalance.
Some vegans choose to take a supplement like VEG1 to make up for these deficiencies, and this is a smart move, particularly if you’re new to veganism and less familiar with the dietary changes required.
THE BOTTOM LINE
When it comes to the vegan diet, certain misconceptions regarding deliciousness and nutrition persist. We hope we’ve shone a little light on just how amazing vegan food can be!
