Enjoying the Vegan Lifestyle
Whether certain food allergens and intolerances have led you to becoming a vegan or you have chosen to enjoy the vegan lifestyle due to your views on animal rights and the environment, it is likely that you raise a few eyebrows when you explain your choice in social circles.
But the vegan lifestyle is becoming more and more popular as news of its benefits spread rapidly through social media along with news of how some animal-based food production is carried out. The variety of ingredients now on offer and increased awareness amongst food manufacturers means that it is now easier to eat a wide variety of food and have a fully balanced, delicious diet.
If you are new to veganism, or considering changing your diet then it is highly recommended that you do your research and talk to a professional about nutrition, so you don't inadvertently lose out on essential nutrients such as calcium or iron which you would have previously sourced from animal-based products. Despite what friends and family may think, it is very easy to have a fully balanced diet and stick to your vegan principles. It is a healthy lifestyle that is full of wonderful, fresh food.
Many non-vegans will be surprised at just what cutting out animal-based products from your diet means. There are the obvious ingredients such as meat, cheese, eggs and milk. Then there are not so obvious ingredients that involve animals in the production, such as honey, made by bees of course, and shellac – a common wax used on fruit that is derived from the lac beetle, from killing lots and lots of lac beetles, to be precise. This means that even some perfectly innocent looking fruit is out-of-bounds to strict vegans. Food manufacturers also change their recipes with surprising frequency, so a chocolate bar that is vegan one week, may not be the next. Carefully reading the labels and knowing what ingredients to look out for soon becomes second nature when you are vegan.
And veganism is not just about food, but also clothes and furnishings and any other products that are made from leather, wool or feathers or any other material that is sourced from animals. Vegan is a lifestyle, not a diet and anyone who is vegan will testify that it is a great lifestyle and not at all restrictive as soon as you adjust your consumer choices.
As keeping a look out for the pitfalls becomes part of the lifestyle, so does keeping track of all the delicious recipes you can try and food you can eat. There are now vegan substitutes for almost everything. Tofu can be used instead of meat and soya instead of dairy. There is no need to not have ice cream or go without cheese on your pizza just because you are vegan. When non-vegans eat our delicious gluten-free Luxury Christmas Cake they never guess that it has been made without eggs or butter as it's so rich and scrummy.
Veganism is not about deprivation, as many people think, but about the celebration of ethically produced foods. You can enjoy all sorts of healthy meals free from guilt and, of course, you can also tuck in to the occasional slice of vegan cake.
But the vegan lifestyle is becoming more and more popular as news of its benefits spread rapidly through social media along with news of how some animal-based food production is carried out. The variety of ingredients now on offer and increased awareness amongst food manufacturers means that it is now easier to eat a wide variety of food and have a fully balanced, delicious diet.
If you are new to veganism, or considering changing your diet then it is highly recommended that you do your research and talk to a professional about nutrition, so you don't inadvertently lose out on essential nutrients such as calcium or iron which you would have previously sourced from animal-based products. Despite what friends and family may think, it is very easy to have a fully balanced diet and stick to your vegan principles. It is a healthy lifestyle that is full of wonderful, fresh food.
Many non-vegans will be surprised at just what cutting out animal-based products from your diet means. There are the obvious ingredients such as meat, cheese, eggs and milk. Then there are not so obvious ingredients that involve animals in the production, such as honey, made by bees of course, and shellac – a common wax used on fruit that is derived from the lac beetle, from killing lots and lots of lac beetles, to be precise. This means that even some perfectly innocent looking fruit is out-of-bounds to strict vegans. Food manufacturers also change their recipes with surprising frequency, so a chocolate bar that is vegan one week, may not be the next. Carefully reading the labels and knowing what ingredients to look out for soon becomes second nature when you are vegan.
And veganism is not just about food, but also clothes and furnishings and any other products that are made from leather, wool or feathers or any other material that is sourced from animals. Vegan is a lifestyle, not a diet and anyone who is vegan will testify that it is a great lifestyle and not at all restrictive as soon as you adjust your consumer choices.
As keeping a look out for the pitfalls becomes part of the lifestyle, so does keeping track of all the delicious recipes you can try and food you can eat. There are now vegan substitutes for almost everything. Tofu can be used instead of meat and soya instead of dairy. There is no need to not have ice cream or go without cheese on your pizza just because you are vegan. When non-vegans eat our delicious gluten-free Luxury Christmas Cake they never guess that it has been made without eggs or butter as it's so rich and scrummy.
Veganism is not about deprivation, as many people think, but about the celebration of ethically produced foods. You can enjoy all sorts of healthy meals free from guilt and, of course, you can also tuck in to the occasional slice of vegan cake.