New year, new us, and for many that means some new changes to their diet – namely going Vegan! Veganuary has been around for a few years now, and we love it, but we’re also here to say that plant-based eating should be a year-round thing!
It’s been well documented that plant-based diets have a positive impact on the environment, and if you want to experience this for yourself we have a delicious vegan trip around Europe! But to confirm all the facts, and confirm how scrumptious a vegan diet can be, we spoke to Lilli, a long-time vegan passionate about sustainability and saving the planet.
Lilli works in sustainable packaging and hopes that her eco-consciousness will spread, so get your plates and notepads at the ready, and find out why Veganuary shouldn’t just be for January.
Hi Lilli! How long have you been vegan, and what compelled you to start?
“I’ve been vegan for almost nine years now, and I initially took it up as a challenge to give up meat over Lent. But, as I was doing some research, I became aware of the environmental implications of having an omnivorous diet so I decided to stick with being plant-based after that, and I just haven’t looked back!”
Image source:Contiki
What’s your favourite thing about the vegan diet?
“I love the creativity of it! I think a lot of people think vegans only eat boring and plain salads, and while salads are a staple, there are actually so many ways of dressing them up and making them full, hearty, and well-rounded meals.”
“The way that vegan restaurants completely re-conceptualise plants is amazing and always surprises me. Mushrooms and watermelon being used as meat and fish replacements? Mind blown! There are so many amazing vegan dishes that I would never have discovered if I was still eating animal products and meats. It really challenges you to be creative in the kitchen, and it’s so yummy.”
What do you wish more people knew about vegan diets?
“I think there are a few common misconceptions, like the salad one I just spoke about. Just because you’re on a vegan diet it doesn’t mean that you aren’t getting enough protein, for example. There are so many protein sources in plants and high protein vegan dishes that are easy to learn and make at home.”
“There’s also a common misconception that humans need to eat meat in order to maintain a healthy diet. However, it’s evidenced that even our ‘hunter-gatherer’ ancestors were mainly eating seeds, berries, and other non-meat foods.”
Image source:Tao Heftiba / unsplash
Can you tell me about some of the environmental benefits to going on a vegan diet?
“There are lots of reasons why a vegan diet is good for the environment, and most of them just come down to how wasteful the meat industry can be.”
“57% of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions in food production come from the meat industry, whereas only 29% comes from plants. And still, that 29% has the potential to be reduced as a quarter of these emissions comes from plants being grown so they can be used to raise beef alone. While we’re growing more crops to feed livestock, we’re simultaneously causing mass deforestation around the world.”
“One of the main reasons that the Amazonian rainforest is facing so much deforestation is because of cattle ranching in the region. In fact, this is the cause of 80% of the forest’s deforestation, and Australia’s Daintree Rainforest faced similar difficulties. On top of this, land that has been cleared for cattle ranching has contributed to a 60% loss of biodiversity, impacting major ecosystems and their ability to cope with climate change.”
“Lastly, the meat industry uses massive amounts of water. Depending on the type of livestock you’re raising, it can take between 5000 to 20,000 litres of water to produce just 1kg of meat.”
Are there any ways you can be environmentally friendly with your food, even without going 100% vegan?
“For sure! Even just reducing your monthly or even weekly meat consumption down to just a few times instead of every day can make a big contribution.”
Image source:Contiki
Do you find it hard to travel as a vegan and find restaurants that will cater to your diet? How can you prepare for this?
“It really depends on the country you’re visiting. Some countries around the world already have a strong plant-based culture, like India for example, a lot of their dishes are vegetarian. A lot of staple foods around the world consist of rice and beans and tofu which make for really easy vegan meals on the go.”
“Usually ahead of a trip I’ll google ‘vegan restaurants’ in the location that I’m travelling to, and I’ve always been able to find a few. As plant-based diets become more and more common around the world then these restaurants will just keep popping up as well.”
Do you have any advice for anyone thinking about starting a plant-based diet but unsure how?
“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, and don’t try to go fully vegan from one day to the next. I think that will just put a whole load of unnecessary pressure on yourself, and it’ll make the diet harder for you and discourage you from sticking to it.”
“I would recommend trying a few new recipes here and there and replacing the meat and animal products in some of your favourite recipes, that way you can make a steady transition and you’ll enjoy it more along the way! Some things are easily replaced as well, like milk in your morning coffee for example – plenty of plant-based alternatives exist and you probably won’t even notice the difference.”
Image source:Contiki
Do you have any favourite vegan dishes?
“One of my go-tos for a weeknight is this quick, easy, and so delicious vegetable stirfry. You can toss anything into it – any leftovers in the fridge that you’ve forgotten about – and I like to add a spicy peanut sauce to it, as well as crispy tofu. I make this at least once a week, so I would highly recommend!”
Have you tried any vegan dishes around the world that you’ve loved?
“I went to an amazing vegan banh mi restaurant in Vietnam – it was the best banh mi I’ve ever had! And once in Copenhagen my friend and I had a 10 course fully vegan tasting menu. Some of the dishes were incredibly unique, and there was a truffle filled donut I still dream of.”
You don’t have to go 100% plant-based this year to save the planet, but even cutting down your meat consumption and being more aware of the food you eat can have a big impact! And if you are doing Veganuary, why not extend it a little longer, and discover some cultural vegan dishes around Europe with Contiki?
