“What do you eat?” That is the most common question asked of any vegan, and the hardest to answer. Not because it is difficult to answer, but because there is so much variety in vegan foods that the question just sounds stupid!
A quick list of your last few meals usually puts any questions to bed - especially if you’ve been eating “real” food like curries, pasta, veg chilli, or chips!
If you’re unsure what a vegan should eat, read on. This web site tell you what’s important, where you can buy it and includes some simple recipes to get you started.
Pale faced, skinny, lacking in energy - that’s not a vegan, that’s someone who has a poor diet. If you cut out animal based products from your diet without replacing them you will suffer. A healthy diet is one with plenty of variety. If you experiment with alternatives and new foods as you change your diet you are likely to end up with a more varied (and healthy) diet.
A vegan diet is not a fad and it’s not dangerous. There are millions of people, over thousands of years who have lived healthy active lives without ever eating food derived from animals. You’re not the first and you won’t be the last.
The inside back cover has a list of common sources of protein, vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients in the vegan diet. If you are concerned about any health aspect of a vegan diet then refer to a specialist book on the subject, such as the Vegan Society’s Vegan Nutrition.
Vegan food isn’t something special - you can go into any food shop and find vegan food. What you do have to get used to is reading ingredients labels as there can be quite a difference between brands. Once you know which brands are OK, shopping becomes a lot easier (although keep an eye open for changes).
If you want treats or specialities you may have to try a health food shop - most towns have one. Independent health food shops are often run by a vegan or vegetarian - so you may be able to get extra advice, and support a business run by a like minded person!
The Vegan Society’s Animal Free Shopper is an invaluable guide for buying products that are vegan and which avoid animal testing. In addition the book includes details of “E” numbers and other additives that are made from animals.
If you have particular favourite foods you may be able to find vegan alternatives - there are even vegan ice “creams”! For some products you won’t be able to find an alternative. If you experiment with lots of new foods you will probably find that you have two new favourites to replace the old one.