JUNE 1997
UPDATED IN MARCH 2009
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Introduction
For many years it was thought that meat and dairy products needed to be included in the diet in order for people to remain healthy. There are now many thriving vegetarians and vegans around to show that this is not the case. Vegetarianism is now widely accepted. However, a lot of people when they stop eating meat, simply include more dairy products in their diet instead. And, many vegetarians consequently still consume too much animal fat and protein. They are, in many ways, still very dependent on the animal farming practices which probably made them decide to become vegetarian in the first place! But how safe is it to remove dairy products from the diet as well as meat?
The Editor Confesses!
After spending most of my life eating meat, I finally switched to a vegetarian diet about eight years ago. After four years on a vegetarian diet I became a vegan. Why did I change my diet? Well, mainly for health reasons. But, once I had made the change I discovered that I rather liked eating vegetarian food. During the years that I lived on a meat-free (vegetarian) diet I often wondered about the animals. O.K. So it obviously wasn't a good idea to eat them, but why was it alright to take calves from their mothers so that I could use their milk and eat dairy cheese? And, how could I be absolutely sure that my free-range eggs really were free-range etc.? It was then that I decided that it might be a good idea to go vegan. At first, I was rather nervous about removing dairy products from my diet in case my health was affected. So I decided to do some research to find out if their were any health risks associated with the vegan diet. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found - the vegan diet seemed instead to have many health benefits. Since I have been on a vegan diet my health has improved: I have noticed quite a big improvement in my PMT and acne and I am a lot lighter and my weight is steady.
Getting Started
In last month's Vegan News, I included an article, which described one reader's experience of how they became a vegan. They said it was like being thrown out of an aeroplane at 30,000 feet and that they starved while they relearned how to eat: rather a shock to the system! I am including this article in this month's issue in the hope that it will enable anybody who wants to become a vegan to reduce the number of nutritional mistakes they make along the way. If you have already successfully made the change to a vegetarian diet, then removing dairy products from your diet should be quite straightforward. Of course, if you have eaten meat all your life, then you may find changing to a vegan diet a little bit more difficult. It is of course perfectly possible to become a vegan overnight as shown in the example above, but I would recommend a more gradual approach as follows:
Collecting Recipes
Before you start cooking you will need to collect some suitable vegan recipes. There are many good vegan recipes available on the Internet. I would also recommend that you purchase at least one good vegan cookery book, as unfortunately vegan cookery books are not usually easily available from the public library. I have found the following cookery books particularly useful:
Vegetarian cookery books are now widely available from most public libraries and often contain suitable vegan recipes. (Look for recipes which do not contain milk, yogurt, cheese, animal fat, honey or gelatine etc.)Recipe details can, if you wish, be written out on small cards and kept in a filing box in the kitchen. Similarly, print-outs of recipes downloaded from the internet can be cut to size and glued to cards, or folded up, if too large and filed in the box. Filing recipes in this way prevents cookery books from becoming soiled in the kitchen. As you become more experienced, don't forget to keep adding new recipes to your collection because if you repeat the same recipes for too long you will eventually become bored with your diet.
Introducing Vegan Meals
First of all you will probably have to buy a few new ingredients. But, do not rush out and buy everything at once! Start off by replacing 2-3 of your usual meals each week with vegan meals using some of the recipes that you have collected. Purchase any ingredients that you do not already have. A gradual approach is particularly important if you are not already eating a vegetarian diet as it will allow your body plenty of time to adjust to new foodstuffs and it is also less expensive and wasteful as old ingredients in the store cupboard can be used up and gradually replaced with new ones. As you become more used to the vegan way of cooking, increase the number of vegan meals you cook each week, until eventually all your meals are vegan. You will probably soon notice that your food bills are cheaper now that you no longer need to buy expensive meat and dairy products! Avoid buying vegan convenience foods whenever possible as these tend to be overprocessed, overpackaged and rather expensive.
Researching The Facts
Do some research! It may seem like a lot of trouble if you lead a busy life, but you are much more likely to continue eating a vegan diet, if you understand why you should do things and are happy about what you are doing. You will also be less likely to make nutritional mistakes. If you would like to know more about vegan nutrition then consult Gill Langley's book called 'Vegan Nutrition' which covers a lot of the scientific research done on the vegan diet. It is a very reassuring book, particularly if you feel a bit nervous about starting a vegan diet! I found it very helpful. You can buy a copy from the Vegan Society or I ordered a copy from the public library. Vegan Nutrition Pure and Simple by Michael Klaper, will also provide much information on the nutritional aspects of the vegan diet as well as many useful recipes.The Vegan Society is of course an excellent source of information for the intending vegan and can provide advice, leaflets, many useful books and even videos.
Finding Out if a Product is Suitable for Vegans
The Animal Free Shopper is a pocket-sized book which can be obtained from The Vegan Society. It is particularly useful when you first go vegan. Take it out shopping with you. It covers many suitable vegan non-food products as well as food items.
Many foodstuffs are now labelled as suitable for vegetarians but very few are labelled for vegan purchasers. It is important to be aware that not all products which are suitable for vegetarians are suitable for vegans. Learn to read all labels carefully! Look out particularly for added whey, eggs, honey and gelatine as these ingredients are all derived from animals. Also, vegans do not normally buy products which are made from, or contain wool, silk, fur or leather.
So what are all these funny foods that vegans eat? It is no longer difficult to purchase most of the ingredients used in vegan cookery: many can now be purchased from a good supermarket or health food shop. And, because many of the ingredients are dried and keep for a long time, they can usually be purchased in bulk - perhaps once a month. Frequently used dried ingredients include: seeds, (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame) nuts, dried fruit, wholegrain cereals, wholewheat pasta and flour, lentils, split peas, chickpeas and various dried (or tinned) beans such as baked beans, kidney beans, butterbeans etc. I also keep sun-dried tomatoes in my store cupboard. Peanut butter is also very useful - but avoid brands which contain palm oil, as this is a saturated (plant) fat.A large proportion of the vegan diet is of course made up of fresh fruit and vegetables and so it is important to find a good and reliable source of these fresh ingredients. If you are short of cash, then you should be able to find a good variety of fresh produce in your local street market. (It is often worth going to see what is on offer towards the end of the afternoon, when stall holders sometimes reduce their prices considerably, particularly on Saturdays.) If you have more money, then you might like to investigate the supplies of organically grown produce which are now available in many supermarkets.
There are a few more specialised products, eaten by vegans, which can be a little bit more difficult to find. However, they can usually be obtained from a good health food shop, or by mail order. These include: nutritional yeast flakes, tahini, miso, tamari/shoyu sauce, soya mince, soya chunks and vegan dairy substitutes. I will explain what these all are, later.
The Vegan Dairy
If you are changing to a vegan diet from either a vegetarian or a meat containing diet, then the first problem you will probably encounter is what to eat instead of dairy products. There are now many good dairy substitutes available - most of which are based on soya. The best place to look for these is in your local health food store, although soya milk and soya cream are frequently available in large supermarkets too.
Soya milk is readily available from most large supermarkets and also in health food shops. It is usually unsweetened or sweetened with fruit juice. Try quite a few brands until you find one you like as they all taste rather different. At the moment, it can still be quite difficult to find dried soya milk for travelling. Boots sell a brand of soya baby milk which can be consumed by adults, but it is rather expensive and comes in large tubs. Holland and Barrett sell a smaller tin of spray skimmed soya milk by Allergycare which is more useful for travellers. Flavoured soya milk is also available. The kids may like the individual cartons of Provamel chocolate or strawberry soya milk for a treat.
There are now many hard cheese substitutes available such as: Bute Island food's Scheese or Tofucheese by Red Dragon. Soft cheeses include: Plamil Veeze, Fromsoya and Marigold cheese spread.
For a natural soya yogurt try 'Sojasun' or make your own yogurt using soya milk. So Good make a range of flavoured fruit yogurts which are sweetened with fruit juice instead of sugar.
Most health food shops sell a range of non-dairy ice-cream (e.g Swedish Glace), soya desserts and soya cream substitutes. Soya desserts include 'Provamel chocolate or vanilla flavoured dessert' and 'Provamel Yofu' in peach or strawberry. Instead of dairy cream try 'soya cream' or 'soya dream'. Plamil also make soya milk, rice pudding.
Other Useful Vegan Products
These products are mainly available from health food shops:
Plamil make a nice mayonnaise. I particularly like the garlic flavoured variety. It does not of course contain any eggs or dairy products. Use it for potato salad or in salad sandwiches.
Is a savoury paste, made from fermented soya beans. It can be added to soups, sauces, dips, dressings, spreads, casseroles, or rice and vegetable dishes. I even use it to make a pizza topping! Sanchi produce an excellent range of miso products including: Hatcho, Mugi, Genmai and Shiro Miso.
Try Meridian shoyu soya sauce. Use it in stir-fries or mixed in with tahini for use as a sandwich spread. Meridian also make a good tamari sauce which can be used in the same way.
These are very nutritious and have many uses in vegan cookery. Try sprinkling them on spaghetti sauces or on top of a salad. You can also sprinkle them on top of soups. Engevita is a type of nutritional yeast flake. Look out for it in your local health food shop.
I mainly use these for baking, but they can also be used in egg-free quiches and to make your own mayonnaise. Ener-G egg Replacer can be ordered from Boots the chemist. GF Dietary is another egg replacer which can be found in some health food shops. If you have a favourite non-vegan cake recipe, you may be able to continue to use it, simply by using one of these egg replacers instead of any eggs and by using other vegan ingredients as replacements such as soya milk and a dairy-free margerine.
Yeast extracts (such as Vegemite) can be used in sauces, gravies, in a drink, or in vegan sandwiches. Yeast extract is a very good source of vitamin B12. The vegan diet tends to be lacking in vitamin B12 and vegans need to make sure that they get a good supply of it regularly, from non-animal sources.
Tahini is made from creamed sesame seeds. It is very nutritious, rich in calcium and high in protein and is particulary good for growing children. Try and purchase a brand which does not have added salt, such as Sunita Whole Tahini or Meridian Dark Tahini. It has many uses in vegan cookery and can be used in many dips, pates and spreads. Mixed with mashed banana it can be used as a sandwich filling, or as a cake topping. Hummus (a Greek spread, made from chickpeas) also contains tahini.
More about Soya
It has been suggested that eating soya could be very good for your health! Did you know for example that including soya in the diet might reduce the risk of breast cancer, colon cancer and prostrate cancer? Soya protein has also be shown to lower cholesterol levels. Soya products such as tofu and miso are frequently consumed in Japan and very few Japanese people, compared with Americans or Britons, develop cancer of the breast, colon or prostrate, or suffer heart attacks. Soya bean foods, like tofu, are also thought to help prevent osteoporosis.
Soya as a Meat Substitute....
Soya beans have many uses in vegan cookery. As mentioned previously they are frequently found in vegan dairy substitutes. Next, I am going to cover the use of soya products to replace meat in the vegan diet.
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
TVP products can be very useful items to keep in the vegan store cupboard. (Ideal if unexpected guests turn up!) They are cheap, light and easy to carry, have a long storage life, do not need to be refrigerated and they can usually be cooked more rapidly than their meat counterparts and thus save valuable energy. The bland flavour of TVP can easily be enhanced by cooking it with spices, such as curry or chili powder. And, TVP can of course, also be very useful to take away on holiday. Try to avoid buying ready-made soya-based meals, whenever possible, as these are usually more expensive and are often over-packaged.TVP is usually sold in packets as either soya mince or chunks. Both of these products are readily available in the health food shop and are also frequently found in many supermarkets. Select unflavoured products, as the flavoured varieties often contain animal products, such as egg albumin or whey. If possible vegans should obtain a brand which has been fortified with vitamin B 12.
Soya mince and soya chunks can both be used in many recipes in order to create vegetarian versions of many well-known meat dishes such as: lasagne, spaghetti bolognese, chili-con-carne, shepherd's pie etc. They can also be used in curries, casseroles and goulashes. They are very easy to use. They must be hydrated before use, either by soaking or by cooking in boiling water for a few minutes. You should consult the packet instructions for more details about this.
Many packets of sausage substitute mix, or ready-made veggie burger mix, are also based on TVP. You can also buy bacon flavoured bits which are rather nice sprinkled as a garnish on top of mashed avocado, scrambled tofu, or even on pea soup!
Tofu
Tofu is made from soya beans which are soaked, pureed, boiled and then treated with a coagulant. It is usually sold in small blocks in the health shop or supermarket. There are two main types of tofu available: firm and silken - firm tofu has simply had more water removed. It is also possible to buy packets of smoked and marinated tofu. Marinated tofu can be used in stir-fries, although it is cheaper and very easy to buy ordinary tofu and marinate it yourself.In Britain, brand names of tofu include Sanchi who make a firm tofu (available in long-life packets) and Cauldron Foods who produce plain, smoked and marinated versions. (The Cauldron Food brand is not made from genetically modified soya beans.) Sainsbury's also produce their own version. Try and buy a brand which has been coagulated using a calcium salt, as this adds valuble extra calcium to the diet.
Tofu is a very versatile, healthy, cholesterol-free, high-protein, high-fibre food. It is also a good source of calcium, iron, phosphorus and several B vitamins. It has many uses as a meat substitute: It can be cut up into chunks and used in stir-fries, made into tofu burgers or kebabs, cut into slices and used as tofu cutlets, or chunks of it can be added to casseroles, soups etc. It can also be used instead of eggs to make Scrambled Tofu or 'omelettes.' If it is frozen and then thawed, it becomes firmer and chewier and develops a more meaty texture.
If you want more ideas on how to use tofu, then interesting tofu recipes can sometimes be found on the back of packets of tofu. 365 Plus One Vegan Recipes also has a chapter on tofu recipes. You could also try Banana Tofu in the March Issue.
And Finally......
I hope that you have found the above information useful. If you have any comments or questions, then do not hesitate to contact me. Products listed above are of course only available on the British market. I am aware that many of my readers live in America and apologise for not being able to advise on the availability of suitable American products. New vegans, living outside the UK, should consult staff in their local health shop about this.Don't Forget To Check Out The June Issue Extra - A selection of easy snack and meal ideas which are especially suitable for new vegans.