Often when researching ways to help fight the climate crisis you’ll be told to switch to a vegan diet. Frankly, it’s great advice, and something we should all consider if possible, but where do we start?
To help answer that question I’ve invited my Mum, Jackie Byrd, to offer some advice. She’s been exploring sustainable eating for decades and supported my decision to go vegetarian 24 years ago, as well as fostering my interest in sustainability and the environment from an early age (thanks!).
She’s got lots of great advice and information to share, so get reading…
Introduction
I first became aware of meat-free, plant-based diets in the mid-70’s, around the same time that I came across a thought-provoking book called Diet for a Small Planet. In it, Frances Moore Lappe described the environmental impact of meat production – how wasteful it is and how it makes little economic sense.
It was written in 1971 but feels just as relevant today. For me, this book was the start of a journey down the rabbit-hole of political, environmental, animal rights, and health-related issues relating to meat based diets.
I’ve now spent decades learning about, and experimenting with, a variety of diets – including pescatarianism, vegetarianism, and now veganism (for 3+ years).
I’ve learned a lot over that time but I still remember how hard it can be starting out. With that in mind, I’ve collected a range of helpful information for anyone looking to get started with a plant-based diet.
Top 8 Meat Replacements
Ideally, we’d all cook every meal from scratch – the nutrition is better and there’s also plastic-packaging on meat substitutes which impact our environment. However, meat-like products can really help people make the transition to a plant-based diet and are invaluable in many cases.
Here are some of my favourite meat replacements:
1. Soya Mince
In chillies/bolognaises/lasagnes soya mince is ideal. With well chosen herbs and flavourings a meat-eater would be hard pushed to tell the difference.
2. Meat-free Sausages
Vegan sausages are fantastic these days – there’s more variety than the meat market and often they taste better than the real thing. In the UK products from Cauldron Foods are very reliable.
3. Jack Fruit
A recent discovery for me, Jack Fruit comes from India and the young, unripe fruits have a meaty texture similar to artichoke hearts. It features in vegan burgers, curries etc and can be used at home to make dishes similar to pulled pork. Like soya mince, it’s all about the flavourings added.
4. Tofu
Tofu deserves its place in a plant-based diet as it’s super versatile (it comes in solid blocks and a ‘silken’ version which is good for desserts, omelettes, sauces etc). It takes up the flavour of whatever spice is added to it and is great marinaded and fried or baked.
5. Tempeh
Tempeh is an Indonesian food made from fermented soya beans formed into blocks. It’s packed with protein, fibre, calcium and vitamins.
6. Beans & Lentils
These are what people generally associate with vegetarian/vegan cooking and they really are so useful and varied. They belong to the legume family and are low in fat and cholesterol. There are several types of lentil and many different beans, dried or tinned. They are super-nutritious and can be turned into burgers, sausages, patties, casseroles and salads with little effort. They also make fabulous soups and stews and freeze really well.
7. Seitan
Seitan – for those people not avoiding gluten – is processed wheat gluten. It’s a popular alternative to soya produce and has a dense, chewy texture that’s great for grilling, frying or braising.
8. Mushrooms
For anyone missing the savory, meaty texture, mushrooms are a great substitute. They give that ‘umami’ quality and are rich, earthy and very healthy. Used to make pates, in stroganoff or burgers, mushrooms are incredibly versatile.
Note: If you’re concerned about the origins of soya produce then the organisation Viva has some useful information on their website listing the policies of some popular vegetarian/vegan food companies.
Let’s Talk About Dairy…
For a long time before becoming vegan I was a vegetarian. I thought the beef/pork/chicken industry was cruel and unnecessary, but the more I learned about dairy and egg production the harder it became to ignore the parallel levels of needless brutality – hence the move to veganism!
Animal cruelty aside, drinking another animals breast milk is something no other mammals do in the wild.
But how do we substitute all the dairy products that make up so much of our modern diets? What about ingredients for baking, and all the sweet treats we are accustomed to?
Top Dairy & Egg Replacements:
1. Plant-based Milks
Plant milks (or ‘mylks’ if you want to avoid offending the increasingly defensive dairy industry!) are widely available and include soya, oat, almond, coconut, rice and hemp. There’s much more variety, and you’re bound to find one that suits your taste. There are even some very good plant creams now – and my meat-eating friends don’t notice the difference when I cook for them.
2. Spreads & Butters
We’re all familiar with plant-based spreads to substitute for butter when baking, cooking, making sandwiches etc. They’re available in all supermarkets and a really easy switch.
3. Eggs
Surprisingly, eggs can be replaced by many different ingredients. It’s worth doing some research online, but here are a few of my favourite options:
- Silken tofu and gram flour combined to make an omelette mixture
- Aquafaba – who knew that the water from a can of tinned chick peas could be a fantastic substitute of egg whites. Gloopy and whiskable – it puts mousses etc back on the menu for vegans. Hallelujah!
- Ground flaxseed can be mixed with warm water and it turns glutinous enough to make muffins, cakes, cookies, burgers etc.
- Apple puree can be mixed with baking powder as a raising agent and used in cakes, breads, brownies etc.
- Commercial egg replacer products work well such as Follow Your Heart’s VeganEgg.
4. Cheese
I used to be a total cheese addict and went cold turkey when turning vegan. It was hard, but only for 2 weeks or so. It helped for me to learn that the casein fragments (casomorphins) in cheese attach to the same brain receptors as heroin and other narcotics. Seriously – cheese is actually addictive!
Anyway, fear not(!), cheese substitutes are available in almost all supermarkets these days so take a look. Don’t give up if you don’t enjoy the first one you try, just like real cheese, some are acquired tastes.
For those looking for more information about the meat and dairy industry, here are a few great links to get you started:
https://www.cowspiracy.com/facts
https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/tackling-worlds-most-urgent-problem-meat
https://www.peta.org/about-peta/faq/how-does-eating-meat-harm-the-environment/
Making The Change
If you would like to try and make the transition to a vegan diet there’s lots of help and advice available online. Here are my top tips:
1. Go At Your Own Pace
Some people do it all at once – cutting out everything including throwing away all leather goods, cosmetics, toiletries etc. Others find it more sustainable to take it slowly. Maybe vegetarian for a while, then move to eliminate other products. The route to veganism is different for each person and that’s ok.
2. Do Your Research
Knowing the facts about the meat industry will fuel your determination, knowing what you need to consider nutritionally will empower your decision, and having ready answers will help you feel prepared or may even lead to someone else making the transition.
3. Experiment
Try lots of different ingredients and products. There is such a wide range available these days, with most supermarkets carrying an increasingly extensive supply of vegan friendly products.
4. Go Digital
Subscribe to a few good vegan apps for your mobile phone! You might have to search online to find the best ones for your country or community, but here are some great examples:
- Happy Cow – to help you find the right places to eat.
- PETA Points – an app that rewards 13-21 year olds for making animal-friendly choices.
- Bunny Free – another PETA app, to help you discover if a company is testing on animals.
- Vegan Pocket – scan products to discover if they’re vegan friendly.
5. Feel Good!
Take satisfaction from your compassionate, ethical choices. Plant-based diets offer a conscious way of living that is full of variety, creativity and the chance to live in harmony with all other beings. And it means you are playing your part in helping to create the sustainable practices we need to protect our environment and climate.
Scared of going it alone? One nice way to get started is with the Veganuary movement where people try and live meat-free for the whole of January. Their website has loads of resources including a cookbook and menu plans plus lots of facts and information.
Get Inspired
The global community of vegans is growing fast and there’s no shortage of ways to get inspired:
People
Websites:
- Ed Winters of Earthlinged is a fantastic advocate for animal rights – he speaks with compassion, logic and much wisdom. Well worth following on all social media platforms.
- James Aspey took a year’s vow of silence to draw attention to the millions of animals worldwide who are powerless and voiceless regarding their lives and fate.
- Erin Janus – watch her 5 minute video here.
Instagram vegan recipe resources:
Videos, Films & Documentaries
I’d highly recommend you watch some of the following, but be warned: once you open your eyes to the horrendous practices involved in animal agriculture you will find it impossible to close them again.
- The Food Matrix – 101 Reasons to Go Vegan – This is an excellent presentation, designed originally for High School students
- Cowspiracy – An in-depth, no holds barred look at animal agriculture and it’s environmental effects (available on Netflix).
- Forks Over Knives – A great film and movement giving the evidence for the health benefits of a plant-based diet (available on Netflix).
- Earthlings – Made in 2005, this is the pivotal documentary about the animal agriculture industry in the US. Shocking, disturbing and utterly heart-breaking. I could only watch it in ten minute segments, it affected me so deeply. I went vegan shortly after.
- Land of Hope and Glory – This is Earthling Ed’s expose of the UK animal agriculture industry. His answer to people who watched Earthlings and thought it could never happen in the UK.
Good Luck!
If you have read this far – well done – hopefully you’re feeling more informed and inspired than ever to try a plant-based diet. And finally, if my words aren’t enough, here are some convincers from a couple of influential thinkers you may have heard of:
“Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” – Albert Einstein
“The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men.” – Leonardo Da Vinci