A month of living vegan: what did we learn?
Olivia and Alex finished January, living life vegan. You can catch up on why, and the detail of how veganism is such a significant trend here. So, what did they learn from going plant-based?
You’d be surprised at some of the foods which are vegan. Take crisps, Walkers Salt and Vinegar Max aren’t, whilst normal Salt & Vinegar are. But you’re usually safe with prawn cocktail and most BBQ flavours. Then there are food you might assume would be vegan, and aren’t: lots of veggie sausages, for example
The classic “how do you get enough protein?” question. For both of us, our macros weren’t hugely different, and would expect this to be the same for most people who prepare the majority of their own food themselves
Doing vegan diets forces you to cook new thing and mixes up your routine – lots of curries, discovery of new products and places (vegan Brunch and coconut yoghurt were just two…)
There’s no two ways about this: you gotta love the grain & praise the pulse
The vegan community online is hugely positive – very engaged and happy to chat
Marketing of products as ‘vegan’ is rising markedly
Social events can present culinary challenges: namely having very little choice. Japanese food was a good option for meeting friends and still eating well
For Olivia, especially, discovering hidden gems – eating out in purely vegan places which she would never have discovered
One of the unspoken secrets of a vegan diet: being able to eat a larger volume of food, without adverse weight impact. This is truly the diet for the greedy
Generally, going vegan sees you eat well: lots of whole foods, markedly reduces snacking, and promotes considered eating
Overall, it was surprising just how interested people were in hearing the minutiae. It validated the data insight: this really is something which has captured people’s imagination. For both Olivia and Alex, the month was both positive, and has driven longer-term intentions to change diets.
