Veganism Explained in One Handy Guide
By: Abena D
Tags: Health, Weight Loss, Vegan

Vegan is trending

Photo by Deryn Macey on Unsplash

What Is Veganism, and What Do Vegans Eat?

From celebrities to your childhood neighbor, many people are going vegan, with a wide array of vegan products appearing in local stores.

While the lifestyle is fast garnering appreciation, not everyone is well-versed in what the vegan eating practice proposes.

If you’re curious about what you can and can’t eat in a vegan diet, read on to find out.

What Is Veganism?

In 1944, a small group of vegetarians introduced the idea of “vegan,” a word formed from combining the first and last syllables of “vegetarian.”

The group became independent of the Leicester Vegetarian Society in England and created the Vegan Society. They decided to abstain from eating animal or dairy products like milk and eggs while avoiding meat, as vegetarians do.

Today, we explain veganism as a way of living that promotes efforts to reject all sorts of animal exploitation and cruelty as much as possible. It could be from food, clothing, or any other purpose.

Why Do People Go Vegan?

There is a range of reasons why vegans generally opt for eliminating animal products in their diets and life. They include health, ethical and environmental grounds.

Health Concerns

With the many possible health benefits, it’s no wonder why some people adopt veganism.

For one, studies reveal that plant-based diets potentially lowers body weight and body mass index (BMI). That’s why some people turn to the vegan diet for weight loss.

Other health benefits include reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, some cancers, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and untimely death.

Likewise, reducing your animal product intake may protect you from the side effects of antibiotics and hormones used in modern animal farming.

Ethical Grounds

Ethical vegans advocate for the rights to life and freedom for all animals. As alternatives are available, they strongly argue against ending animal lives for meat, milk, or hide (animal skin).

Hence, they protect against any physical or psychological harm caused to animals from modern agricultural practices. For example, ethical vegans speak against caging and enclosing livestock in pens from birth to the time these animals get slaughtered.

What’s more, many vegans oppose several farming practices including force-feeding poultry birds for the foie gras market and grinding live male chicks by the egg industry.

Most ethical vegans choose animal-cruelty free products and raise awareness for its cause.

Environment Impact

Another reason for veganism is the adverse environmental effects of animal farming.

A 2010 United Nations (UN) report argued that these products generally require more resources and cause higher greenhouse gas emissions than plant-based options.

To illustrate, about 65% of global nitrous oxide emissions, 35% of methane emissions and nearly 9% of carbon dioxide emissions were from animal farming.

These three substances are the leading greenhouse gases causing climate change.

Also, animal farming requires a large amount of water. To produce a pound (0.5 kg) of beef, you would need 550–5,200 gallons (1,700–19,550 liters) of water. This is nearly 43 times more than you’d need to cultivate the same amount of cereal grains.

Farming animals can also cause natural habitat destruction, such as deforestation. Some people burn down forested lands for pasture and this in itself contributes to various animal species going extinct.

Types of Veganism

Different categories of vegans exist, including:

Raw-Food Vegans , who eat on foods that are uncooked and unprocessed or cooked at temperatures below 118°F (48°C)

, who eat on foods that are uncooked and unprocessed or cooked at temperatures below 118°F (48°C) Whole-Food Vegans , who favor whole food-rich diets including whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.

, who favor whole food-rich diets including whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. Dietary Vegans or Plant-Based Eaters , who stay off any animal products in their diet but keep using them in other products like clothes and cosmetics.

, who stay off any animal products in their diet but keep using them in other products like clothes and cosmetics. Low-Fat, Raw-Food Vegans or Fruitarians , who rely majorly on fruits and other plants occasionally in small quantities. They tend to avoid high-fat foods like coconuts, avocadoes, and nuts.

, who rely majorly on fruits and other plants occasionally in small quantities. They tend to avoid high-fat foods like coconuts, avocadoes, and nuts. Junk-food vegans, who greatly depend on processed vegan food like vegan fries, frozen dinners, meats, and desserts, such as Oreo cookies and non-dairy ice cream.

Foods That Vegans Eat

Going vegan doesn’t mean you’re doomed to eating veggies and tofu only. The vegan diet is quite versatile, and vegans consume a wide variety of foods.

You can easily substitute meat and dairy with plant-based alternatives. Even traditional meals are already vegan or can be prepared in vegan-friendly manners.

Examples include sandwiches, veggie burgers, pasta dishes, tomato pizzas, bean burritos, nachos with salsa and guacamole, hummus wraps, and smoothies.

You can replace meat in some dishes with:

Tofu

Beans

Lentils

Tempeh (fermented soya beans)

Seitan (protein-rich processed wheat gluten)

Seeds

Nuts

You can swap:

Dairy products with plant milk,

Raw eggs with flax or chia seeds

Scrambled eggs with scrambled tofu,

Honey with plant-based sweeteners like molasses or maple syrup

Besides, vegans lean towards eating whole grains and various fruits and vegetables.

Lastly, you can also select foods from an ever-growing range of ready-made vegan products, including vegan meats, vegan cheeses, fortified plant milks, and desserts. Be careful with these highly processed products as they may be packed with oils, artificial ingredients, and additives.

Foods That Vegans Avoid

Vegans limit their diet to solely plant-based food. They avoid all foods sourced from animals, including:

Meat

Honey

Dairy

Chicken

Eggs

Fish

Shellfish

Besides, vegans don’t consume animal-derived ingredients, including gelatin, casein, whey, albumin, carmine, isinglass, pepsin, and, shellac. We find these additives in gummy candies, breakfast cereals, chewing gum, marshmallows, and some types of beer and wine.

Final Thoughts

Veganism promotes a plant-based lifestyle, where you avoid consuming animal products on health, ethical, and environmental reasons grounds.

The diet consists mainly of plant foods like whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and other products made from these foods.

Transitioning and maintaining a vegan lifestyle is not difficult. But you need to ensure your body gets all the required nutrients.

If you just starting out on a plant-based lifestyle, you might be looking for restaurants or food delivery services that offer plant-based options. Here are a few.

Vegan Food Delivery Services in London, UK

Soul Vegan UK

Soul Vegan UK offers an array of plant-based options in the Croydon area of South London. Their offerings include salad plates, lentil soups, seitan roast, macaroni cheese, and BBQ seitan.

Contact them:

SoulVegan Instagram Page

SoulVegan email: soulveganuk@gmail.com

RG Vegan Food

RG Vegan Food is a vegan food delivery service that operates in London, UK. They have various soul food options on their menu including vegan pizza, rice dishes, and vegan macaroni cheese.

Contact them:

RG Vegan Food Instagram Page

RG Vegan Food email: order@rgvegan.co.uk

All Plants

All Plants is a nationwide vegan food delivery service that provides customers with various options such as protein bowls, vegan lasagne, and mushroom risotto.

Contact them:

All Plants Website

Vegan Restaurants in the UK

What the Pitta

What the Pitta is London’s first-ever vegan kebab restaurant and takeaway. They offer vegan kebabs very similar to the original meat alternative.

Contact them:

What The Pitta Website

Temple of Hackney

Temple of Hackney is a vegan “Junk food” restaurant with mock fried chicken, mock chicken wings, fries, and seitan burgers on the menu, a good place to start if you are just starting out on a plant-based lifestyle and need your junk-food fix.

Temple of Hackney Website

Natural Bar and Kitchen

Natural Bar and Kitchen is a well known vegan spot in the heart of Birmingham city, UK. Here you can try their vegan fish and chips made with breaded tofu, ramen, and various other dishes.

Contact Natural Bar and Kitchen

Natural Bar Website

Vegan Food Delivery Services in the USA

Vibrant Alkaline Vegan Meals

Vibrant Alkaline Vegan Meals is based in South Carolina and they offer delicious vegan meal bowls that are all alkaline friendly. You can also order your freshly squeezed juices in bulk too.

Contact Vibrant Alkaline Meals:

Vibrant Alkaline Vegan Meals Website

Hungry Hippie Eats

Hungry Hippie Eats offer simple and easy plant-based meals such as veggie burgers, vegan sushi, and healthy vegan desserts.

Contact Hungry Hippie Eats:

Hungry Hippie Eats Instagram Page

Vegan Restaurants in the USA

Sprig and Vine

Sprig and Vine is a restaurant in Pennsylvania that offers both vegan and vegetarian options. Their meals include vegetarian lasagne, veggie burgers, and seitan meat alternative dishes.

Contact Sprig and Vine:

Sprig and Vine Instagram page

Avant Garden East Village

Avant Garden East Village is an NYC based fine dining vegan restaurant offering high quality, flavor-filled vegan food for all.

Contact Avant Garden:

Avant Garden NYC Instagram Page

Eden Vegan

Eden Vegan is a healthy vegan restaurant based in California. They offer veggie spring rolls, lettuce wraps, sushi, and various salad dishes.

Contact Eden Vegan:

Eden Vegan Website