The vegan diet: can veganism help you shed fat?

From t3.com

A beginner's guide to the benefits of the vegan diet

Although a vegan diet is usually adopted for ethical reasons, done right it can also be an effective route to weight loss. You not only have the chance to lose weight with a vegan diet, it can also help you maintain a lower weight. You’ll also feel healthier, and help the planet. Going vegan may be having an explosion in popularity now but that doesn’t make it a fad. It’s not like the Paleo diet, where you eat like a caveman.

If you're struggling to keep stick to your new year's resolution to lose weight fast by following a calorie-counting diet, it could be worth switching to a vegan diet. Rather than following a restrictive diet, consider adapting your eating habits in a way designed not to reach a goal weight by a goal date, but as a permanent change to your lifestyle. The long lasting effects of veganism are great and the amount of effort involved to become vegan may be less than you fear.

The best diets 

• The Keto diet - low carbs for fast results 
• The 5:2 diet - effective fasting
• The 16:8 diet - less hardcore than 5:2

According to U.S. News, 80 percent of people give up on their new year’s resolutions by the second weekend of February, meaning they last for just six weeks.

What's more, new research by Strava suggests many of us won’t even make it that long, and will have given up by January 19. So if you’re still striving to get fit, well done you!

• The military diet - we don’t recommend this one but it is ’original’

What is veganism?

Veganism has been adopted by millions of people all over the world for a number of reasons including eco-consciousness, animal welfare, overall healthier living and of course, weight loss.

A vegan diet is a diet that completely avoids eating animal products, whether that’s in the form of meat, or animal produce such as milk, cheese and eggs. As a result, a vegan diet is centred around fruit, vegetables, beans, grains and nuts. This is different to a vegetarian diet, where meat is not eaten but products derived from an animal can be.

Sounds healthy, right? Not always.

When following a vegan diet it’s important that you still think about the calories in what you're eating, as well as the nutrients in your food. White pasta, chips and Oreos are vegan (although Oreo themselves say vegans should not eat Oreos because of the risk of cross contact with milk), but try living off just these and you won’t find yourself feeling any of the benefits of a vegan diet. You knew that already, of course.

The recommended balance of food groups when following a vegan diet is to get 55-60% of your calories from carbs, 20-25% from (plant-based) protein and 15-25% from fat. The vegan food pyramid is a helpful visualisation of this.

                                                                (Image credit: Pixabay)

Is being vegan good for you?

Eating a plant-based diet often leads to a person eating less processed food, and fewer foods that are high in saturated fat. There’s also usually an increase in the amount of fibre in a vegan diet, which means you eat lower calorie foods that keep you fuller for longer.

While the vegan diet is low in calcium and vitamins B12 and D, these can be supplemented either through clever food choices, or actual supplements. Soy, dairy-free milk, almonds, kidney beans, lentils and leafy greens (spinach, cabbage and kale) are all high in calcium, and there are cereal and soy products that come fortified with B12 as this cannot be consumed naturally outside of eating meat.

One of the main concerns raised about the vegan diet is the lack of an obvious protein source in a meat-free diet. However, there are plenty of plant-based protein sources from tofu and lentils, to edamame beans and chickpeas, as well as nuts and seeds.

“I go where the animals get their protein,” says Ashley Frost, a fitness lover and vegan who advocates a plant-based, wholefood vegan diet. Her philosophy echoes that of Patrik Babousmian, the world-record holding strongman who featured in the Netflix documentary The Game Changers, a film debunking myths around the links between meat, protein, and strength Oh, and he doesn't eat meat. Baboumian says: "Someone asked me, 'How could you get as strong as an ox without eating any meat?' and my answer was, 'Have you ever seen an ox eating meat?'”

                                                              (Image credit: Pixabay)

Does being vegan help with weight loss?

According to a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, participants eating a vegan diet lost an average of four pounds more than those on a regular meat-inclusive diet over a period of eighteen weeks.

This is because the plant-based nature of veganism results in avoiding foods with high levels of saturated fat and animal proteins, which some studies have shown increase the risk of developing heart disease and  type 2 diabetes.

That said, the choices you make within the vegan diet are important. “Being vegan isn’t synonymous with weight loss. It’s not a case of go vegan and you’ll lose weight. Calories still matter,” Ashley tells us.

This is why she follows a plant-based, largely wholefood diet, not dissimilar to paleo in that she avoids processed foods and foods with artificial additives. 80% of what Ashley eats comes from the ground, allowing for 20% of her diet to include processed vegan food like vegan chocolate and meat substitutes.

What foods should you avoid on a vegan diet?

The vegan diet is very clear on what you can and can’t eat. You should avoid anything that comes from an animal, which means no meat or fish, but also no animal by-products like eggs, milk (and products that contain milk, so chocolate and cheese) and honey.

There are some less obvious things to, for example you’ll need to take note of what your food is fried in – opt for vegetable or sunflower oil rather than animal fat – and how your alcohol is produced. Egg white or gelatin is sometimes used when making beer and wine and isinglass, a form of collagen taken from fish bladders, is used to clarify beer and wine.

There are now many alternatives to non-vegan food that you can use to replace animal products in your diet. For example, meat alternatives such as tofu and Quorn, vegan cheese and plant-based milk like oat and almond are all much more common than they were a few years ago.

                                                                    (Image credit: Pexels)

How easy is a vegan diet to follow?

Ashley recommends a slow transition rather than trying to go from full on carnivore to vegan overnight. She grew up vegetarian but then ate meat for a number of years before becoming vegetarian again for six months. “Once I went vegetarian for the second time I thought I might as well try being vegan,” she says. She started by cutting out eggs from her diet, and waited several months before removing another food.

The simplest way to start is by looking at your regular meals, and considering what you can replace. Love curry? Why not try vegetable curry rather than chicken? Can’t get enough of fajitas? Use Quorn chicken pieces or mince instead of meat. If you love pancakes for brunch on a Sunday morning, try making them with bananas and oat milk instead.

An appealing factor about veganism is that you won’t experience the hunger associated with other methods of dieting, for example intermittent fasting. This is because like for like you can actually eat more food as a vegan, because so much of what you eat is low-calorie. Consider how many calories are in an 8oz sirloin steak: approximately 300 if the steak is lean and the fat is trimmed. For that same number of calories you could eat nearly 14oz of sweet potato or almost 32 oz of broccoli.

Practically speaking, being a vegan is a lot easier now than it used to be. “There are replacements for everything,” says Ashley, “and restaurants are so accommodating. I have even eaten at steak houses... I’m not the annoying vegan anymore!”

What are the side effects of a vegan diet?

We’ve touched on a few of the vitamins and nutrients typically lacking in a vegan diet and how to replace them, but are there other side effects?

“At the beginning I had six weeks of bloating because I was eating so much fibre, in particular beans,” says Ashley. “My body wasn’t used to so much fibre, but after about six weeks it had adapted and the bloating stopped”.

In fact, Ashley initially became vegan because she had been suffering from stomach issues including bloating and poor digestion. She thought she had IBS, but after turning to a vegan diet her symptoms stopped.

While there are a number of things to consider before adopting the vegan diet, it's entirely possible to be healthy, strong and lose weight as a vegan. Ashley strongly advocates giving it a go: “It’s so easy," she says, "and it's really not as dramatic as you think it is.“

https://www.t3.com/au/features/vegan-diet

Meera Sodha's vegan recipe for no-cook chickpea, tomato and cucumber salad

From theguardian.com

A quick, easy, throw-together salad to welcome the start of summer

                 This salad is perfect to eat from a bowl on your lap in the sunshine.                                                                              Photograph: Louise Hagger/The Guardian

When the warm weather arrives, I don’t want to cook, but I do still want to eat something delicious. Hence, what classifies as a good, warm-weather recipe to me is one that uses as little time and heat as possible. Happily, it’s as if nature agrees, because fresh produce is at its most abundant right now. In today’s dish, I’ve used some of the season’s most refreshing ingredients – tomatoes, cucumbers and mint – alongside chickpeas and one of the most flavourful characters in the store cupboard, rose harissa, for a quick, throw-together salad that’s perfect to eat from a bowl on your lap in the sunshine.

No-cook salad with tomatoes, chickpeas and rose harissa

I prefer to use pre-cooked jarred chickpeas for salads, because they are impossibly creamy, but if you have only tinned and want to get rid of any chalkiness, you could (if you’re willing to use the hob, that is) put the chickpeas and their water (aquafaba) into a saucepan, bring to a boil, simmer for five minutes, then drain to get equally super-soft chickpeas.

Prep 20 minServes 2 as lunch (or 4 as part of a bigger spread)

For the dressing
2½ tbsp rose harissa – I like Belazu’s2½ tbsp olive oil
2½ tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp fine sea salt

For the salad
240g cooked jarred chickpeas (or 1 x 400g tin – see recipe introduction)
½ red onion, peeled and finely sliced
30 baby plum tomatoes (300g), halved
1 cucumber, deseeded and cut into 1cm half-moons (250g net weight)
20 pitted kalamata olives, halved
20g coriander, finely chopped
15g mint leaves (ie from about 8 sprigs), finely chopped
2 pitta breads, to serve

Put all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and stir. Drain the chickpeas, tip into a large bowl, and add the onion, tomatoes, cucumber and olives. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix well. Sprinkle over the coriander and mint, and fold through the salad.

Put the pitta bread into the toaster and toast until very crisp and golden. When cool, cut into rough pieces. Tip the salad out on to a serving platter, arrange the pitta around the edge and serve.

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/may/30/meera-sodha-vegan-recipe-no-cook-salad-chickpea-tomato-cucumber-salad

Why People Are Trying the Dirty Vegan Diet

From menshealth.com

People continue to find ways to create new versions of already-existing diets. For example, the high-fat keto diet includes Dirty Keto, Lazy Keto, and Clean Keto—just to name a few. And now, there's a plant-based vegan diet called Dirty Vegan.

The vegan diet excludes all animal products from your diet: seafood, eggs, dairy, meat, and poultry. However, some vegans also refrain from table sugar, which is sometimes processed with bone char.

The vegan diet is fairly restrictive and is considered a lifestyle for many followers, says Melanie Boehmer, R.D. at Lenox Hill Hospital.

So, what exactly is the Dirty Vegan Diet?

The term refers to two variations of the plant-based diet, according to Boehmer. The first refers to mainly processed foods that mimic animal-based meals. For example, pepperoni and cheese pizza, buffalo wings, and fried chicken could be deemed "dirty vegan" foods.

The phrase is also used as a name for people who sometimes eat animal products. Actress Lisa Rinna popularized this term during an interview with People magazine.

“I tend to call myself a dirty vegan. I’m mostly plant-based — but if I do need to eat some meat, I’ll have it," Rinna told the outlet.

Should you try the Dirty Vegan Diet?

Probably not—if we're talking about a diet high in vegan cookies, fried foods, and fake meats.

"I wouldn’t advise having heavily processed food—period," says Boehmer.

She recommends asking yourself—without judgement—why you prefer vegan products dressed up as animal-based dishes. This can help you uncover your true desires for adopting the approach, she says.

For example, maybe you love steak but want to eat less animal products for environmental reasons. If that's you, be sure to eat a wide variety of whole foods to make sure you're getting enough nutrients.

Or maybe you're following a vegan diet because you think it helps with weight loss. If that's the case, it's possible to reach your goals without restricting any foods.

Before switching up your diet, Boehmer suggests thinking about why you want to go vegan.

"You have the ability to make this beautiful plate full of flavours and colours [on the vegan diet]. It can be a nutrition bomb in the best way," she says.

That said, occasionally foregoing animal products can be a good option if you're not replacing well-balanced meals with less nutritious options.

For example, a grilled chicken sandwich on whole wheat is perfectly healthy. Replacing that with a plate of deep fried faux cheese may not be the best idea.

What's the best way to go vegan?

People who live for steak and burgers may want to start by eating one plant-based meal a week, says Boehmer.

Think about your favourite recipes and how to make simple swaps. If your typical dinner includes steak, potatoes, and asparagus, simply replace the beef. Boehmer suggests adding a side salad that includes seasonal vegetables and a healthy fat. Or, try a bean-based pasta for a boost of protein.

She recommends avoiding complicated recipes, which provide a barrier to success.

"If you make this easy for yourself, then it’s going to be easy," says Boehmer.

https://www.menshealth.com/health/a32602037/dirty-vegan-diet/

David Atherton's recipe for vegan blueberry baked oatmeal

From theguardian.com/food

This delicious cake-like porridge – baked in muffin cases for easy transportation – is the perfect way to start your day

Porridge has long been touted as the most healthy way to start your day. I have it most days and often have it for lunch or dinner. Over the years, I have experimented with every topping and flavour combination you can imagine. In the States, they bake it with sugar and eggs into a cake-like porridge called baked oatmeal. This is not only delicious, but also versatile. I bake mine in muffin cases so I can easily transport and reheat it. I have made a vegan version by using plant-based milk and flax egg, but it works well with cow’s milk and chicken eggs too. Flavours and fruit additions are totally up to you, and it can be fun to go with the seasons.

                                Vegan blueberry baked oatmeal. Photograph: David Atherton

Makes 6 muffins.

15g flaxseed meal/milled flaxseed (or 1 egg)
40g flaked almonds½ medium carrot
160g porridge oats
15g quinoa
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ banana
175ml plant-based milk (or dairy if you like)
40g agave syrup (or honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
75g frozen blueberries

Add 40ml water to the flaxseed meal to make the flax “egg”. Leave to sit for around 15 minutes until it goes gloopy.

Lightly grease a muffin tin, or prepare six paper cases.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/400F/gas mark 6. Toast the flaked almonds lightly in a dry frying pan on a medium heat for three minutes and set aside.

Finely grate the carrot and add to a mixing bowl along with the oats, quinoa, baking powder, and flaked almonds.

Blend the banana, milk, agave syrup, flax egg, vanilla extract and salt until smooth.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients, then stir through the blueberries. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases, let it sit for five minutes, then bake for 30 minutes.

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/may/27/david-atherton-recipe-vegan-blueberry-baked-oatmeal

10 Vegan Start-ups You Need to Know About

From vegnews.com

From meat made with fruit to “dairy” products sans the cows, these international start-ups are making the food of the future

Impatient as we are, we must admit that it takes time to develop truly outstanding products. We’ve already experienced the invention of vegan Ben & Jerry’s and witnessed the remarkable evolution of vegan cheese. But there is still work to be done. As the world leans into plant-based innovation, so does the funding. The ProVeg Incubator is a start-up accelerator program designed to financially foster and develop grounding plant-based ideas around the globe. Keep an eye out for these 10 vegan international start-ups that are diligently working on everything from omega-3-infused, plant-based seafood to lab-grown, cow-free milk. 

1. Meet Jack, Netherlands
Pulled pork-style jackfruit is nothing new—many grocers carry it in convenient, pre-seasoned packs—but what about fully-formed burgers and razor-thin gyros? That’s where Meet Jack developed its angle. The Netherlands-based company is currently supplying over 25 restaurants with its jackfruit-based vegan patties, gyros, and traditional Dutch appetizers. Under pandemic restrictions, it launched its product delivery service. Now customers in the Netherlands can have their Greek-seasoned strips, meaty croquettes, Jacks Balls (pun intended?), and more delivered to their door.

2. Hooked, SwedenThe vegan seafood market is ramping up. While early innovators such as Sophie’s Kitchen and Good Catch paved the way, Hooked has developed a way to improve these already impressive fishy analogs by adding omega-3s. The company is still in its infancy and has yet to launch a website, but when it announces a product launch date, we will be ready—with vegan tartar sauce in hand.

3. Mister Veg, India
As meat consumption slowly rises in India, Mister Veg is doing its part to satisfy the population’s taste for meat without sacrificing their health or the animals. The company’s Not Meat includes beef-like mince and textured strips along with several fishless varieties from salmon to pomfret. Familiar, ready-made meals are also part of the company’s product range. Customers can find everything from Creamy Tikka to Meatless Biraynni in stores soon (date to be announced).

4. The Live Green Group, Chile
This fully operational Chilean start-up offers a rather unique range of products: burger patties and pancakes. We’ve only seen this mashup once before when IHOP decided to flip the P and become IHOB for a fraction of a moment. However, it seems to work for The Live Green Group. Its wholesome moringa and mung bean-based burger patties and savoury Lentils & Broccoli pancake mixes are available in Chilean stores and online. Sorry, deliveries are currently restricted to Chilean borders, but fingers crossed this incubator program helps them to expand. 

5. Devon Garden, UK
Although Ripple made waves by introducing Americans to pea milk in 2014, Devon Garden is working on the UK audience. Before you make a face—the peas used are yellow split peas, not the bright green variety you might automatically think of. The result is an ultra-creamy, low-sugar, allergen-friendly, and high-protein beverage with the power to become the new oat milk.

6. Wholywood, FranceThe only café included in this incubator program, this casual Parisian spot fuses Western eats with the best of French pastries. Hemed by identical twin brothers Adrien and Anthony, the eatery is dedicated to organic, eco-friendly, and plant-based food to excite vegans and seduce non-vegans. Eats include chicken sandwiches, themed burgers, loaded hot dogs, pancakes, waffles, and more. On the pastry side, patrons are delighted by a daily rotation of quick breads, cheesecakes, croissants, and thick chocolate chip cookies dolloped with puddles of melted chocolate.

7. I Love You Veggie Much, Germany
Similar to Hooked, this start-up is still in the early stages and has yet to publish a full website. However, it is deep in development of an organic line of plant-based baby foods. This is a market that has gone relatively unexplored, and parents of the future will be sure to rejoice once this product hits the shelves.

8. Zveetz, Germany
We’ve seen sugar-free lollipops and chocolate, but we’ve yet to taste a truly fantastic sugar-free dessert. Zveetz is looking to change that with its decadent vegan and sugar-free mousse. The coconut milk-based treat is sweetened with erythritol and stevia and is now available for shipping throughout Europe and the UK. Flavors include lemon cheesecake, chocolate, cold brew coffee, and peanut butter.

9. Heuros, Australia
“Lab-grown” meat has faced controversy from a number of populations. For vegans specifically, some are uncomfortable with the fact that it typically requires foetal bovine serum to grow the muscle cells. Heuros presents a solution: innovative technology that will allow the production of cultivated meat at a commercial scale without having to use animal products, hormones, or antibiotics. That’s an idea we can all get behind.

10. Remilk, Israel
While Perfect Day works to recreate real dairy products without the cows in Silicon Valley, Remilk is attempting to do the same in Israel. Using a fermentation process, the start-up has discovered the science behind creating milk proteins without squeezing a single udder. Once they can produce results on a commercial scale, the possibilities are endless.

https://vegnews.com/2020/5/10-vegan-start-ups-you-need-to-know-about

9 Must-Try Vegan Cheese Brands

From vegoutmag.com

Transitioning to a vegan diet and struggling to replace cheese? Or maybe you’re a vegan pro interested in exploring the vegan cheese universe. Either way, we’ve got your vegan cheese cravings covered! Sure, there are several DIY cheese recipes derived from nuts or veggies, but sometimes it’s nice to have a bag of shreds or a block of slices on hand ready to level up your yummy vegan fare. Here are some of our favorite vegan cheese varieties and a few tips on how to enjoy them.

Chao Creamery

In addition to sausages and frozen macaroni ‘n’ cheese, the Field Roast and Chao Creamery brands also offer cravable and meltable cheese slices. Slice flavours include Creamery Original, Tomato Cayenne, and Garden Herb to meet all of your sliced cheese needs. We love ours in fancy grilled cheese sandwiches.

Follow Your Heart

What started as a soup and sandwich counter transformed into an all-star vegan food company offering award-winning vegan products like Vegenaise and a variety of cheeses. From slices like Garden Herb to Pizzaria Blend Shreds to shakable Grated Parmesan, Follow Your Heart is the cornucopia of vegan cheese products.

Parmela Creamery

Parmela artisan nut cheeses have been life-changing! We love their shreds melted on flatbreads and sprinkled on tacos, but the brand is great for other applications too. You can find slices, blocks, and a variety of spreads to enjoy from Parmela Creamery.

Daiya

This OG vegan brand allows you to crave without compromise. Daiya offers several cheeses in the shape of blocks, slices, sticks, squeezable sauces, and shreds including their new Cutting Board Blends. We’ve always got a bag of cheddar and mozz on hand for when the mood strikes. Spoiler: the mood always strikes.

Miyoko's Creamery

Miyoko’s runs the vegan cheese game with their cheese wheels and fresh mozzarella. We love the mozz on pizza or thickly sliced in caprese salads. The brand doesn’t stop at cheese! They also offer cultured butter and creamy spreads.

Go Veggie

While not all Go Veggie products are vegan, the brand offers several that are. Shaker parmesan and Mexican Blend shredded cheese are a few of our cruelty-free favs! Try their shreds in our Street-Style Barbacoa Burrito Recipe.

Violife

In addition to shredded colby and sliced provolone, Violife has crafted a vegan feta that is out of this world. Greek salads here we come! The brand also offers cream cheeses and smoked cheese blocks that are a must-try.

So Delicious

From mozzarella to cheddar jack, So Delicious has the vegan cheese shreds your recipes deserve. We’ve been known to use So Delicious cheese to make killer nachos. The plant-based brand offers a wide variety of additional veg products to love like non-dairy milks and flavourful yogurts.

Moocho

This vegan Wisconsin-style cheese is seriously cravable. The Tofurky line offers shreds crafted from fava beans, coconut oil, and fermented cultures along with cream cheese spreads and mini cheesecakes. Check out our story on Tofurky’s new stand-alone brand.

While pizzas, pastas, and tacos are always the answer, try your hand at crafting a virtual wine and cheese night using some of the products listed here!
https://vegoutmag.com/nationwide/food-and-drink-article.php?id=374

Vegan food orders surge in Hong Kong amid Covid-19

From rli.uk.com

Vegan food orders in Hong Kong have experienced a significant growth as people are switching to what they perceive to be more healthy and sustainable food options.

Deliveroo in Hong Kong has reported that vegan food orders surged over one hundred percent last year and order volume is up by a further twenty percent since January.

“There has never been a better time for healthy eating in Hong Kong, whether you’re a full-time vegan or a part-time plant-based food fan. The growth of vegan restaurant options and vegan order volume is truly staggering.” – Brian Lo, GM at Deliveroo Hong Kong.

“We have expanded through Deliveroo and Editions in Wan Chai and Quarry Bay, and by doing so we have been able to create two more new virtual brands. The first being, Origin by Treehouse, which has a Middle Eastern focus, and the newly-launched and very exciting vegetarian high-quality burgers brand, Burgers by Treehouse.” – Christian Mongendre, founder of Treehouse.

https://www.rli.uk.com/vegan-food-orders-surge-in-hong-kong/

Climate crisis: Two years of vegan living cancelled out by one long-haul flight, study suggests

From independent.co.uk

‘Over-consumption is linked to environmental disaster,’ say researchers listing best ways to reduce emissions after lockdown

The historic falls in global greenhouse gas emissions during the coronavirus lockdowns around the world are expected to swiftly return to high levels as restrictions ease, but scientists are urging governments and the public to adopt measures to reduce their environmental impact.

A team of international researchers, including scientists at the University of Leeds, have used 7,000 studies from across the globe to develop a list of the most effective changes to household consumption to cut our carbon footprints.

The research team states that “household activities account for around two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions”, and suggests as governments around the world reopen economies, consideration of these options would help to inform decisions that could impact the climate emergency.

Taking one long-haul return flight produces more emissions than are saved by two people going vegan for a year, the study indicates ( Getty )        

The team measured the potential for emissions cuts through changes in consumption of food, transport and housing and listed the top 10 ways people can reduce emissions.

They are to:
1. Live car free
2. Use battery electric vehicles
3. Make one fewer long-haul return flight a year
4. Use renewable energy
5. Use public transport
6. Refurbishment and renovation of buildings
7. Eat vegan diet
8. Use heat pumps
9. Use improved cooking equipment
10. Use renewable based heating
The researchers said implementing all of the measures could reduce, on average, up to 9 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person, per year in a high-consuming, high-income context.

But they warned “existing systemic barriers need to be removed” to allow an easy shift to low-carbon consumption, and called on governments to implement policies promoting low emissions.

By far the greatest means for individuals to cut emissions was to live car free, with the annual saving per individual per year being the equivalent of 2.04 tonnes of CO2 (also accounting for other greenhouse gases).
By not taking one return long-haul flight a year, each person can save 1.68 tonnes of CO2, while going vegan apparently saves the equivalent of 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per year. The data suggests one long-haul holiday cancels out a year of two people going vegan, in terms of emissions.

University of Leeds researcher, Diana Ivanova, who led the study, said: “The top 10 options shown from this research are available to us now, without the need for development of expensive new technologies. Focusing on energy demand reduction clearly presents the lowest mitigation challenges and provides huge potential mitigation impacts.

“The recent coronavirus crisis lockdown has shown the world that options such as living car-free are possible and have a huge impact on the environment. This period of low carbon emissions should motivate governments to strive for strong environmental policies that enable new ways of consuming.”

She added: “Over-consumption is linked to environmental disaster and this study shows the options we should be focusing on in order to tackle the climate emergency.”

The research team noted the average carbon footprint in some continents is more than four times what it needs to be, per person, to meet the climate target for 2030.

Carbon footprints are extremely unequally distributed, with wealthier people and countries releasing far more greenhouse gases into the environment than individuals in poorer countries.
The scientists said the adoption of the measures suggested in their list, starting at government policy level, “would have a truly significant impact on achievement of climate targets across the world”.
They said enacting the policies needed to help people take up the measures would help to enable “a new lower carbon normality”, rather than returning to the pre-coronavirus “business as usual”.
The study is published in Environmental Research Letters.

https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change-coronavirus-veganism-flight-shaming-flying-greenhouse-gas-emissions-a9524066.html

One Twin Went Vegan. The Other Didn't. Here's What Happened Next

From menshealth.com

Professional explorers Hugo and Ross Turner wanted to find out how veganism would affect their training. The results are in...

Hugo and Ross Turner – or is that Ross and Hugo? – have earned the nickname “the adventure guinea pigs”. In 2015, the twins scaled Europe’s highest peak, Mt Elbrus in the Caucasus, to compare traditional mountaineering gear with modern equipment (the latter proved to be mostly marketing). They’ve been to Greenland, where a replica of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 expedition kit uniformly outperformed the contemporary equivalent, from the Sunspel jumper and Crockett & Jones boots to a wooden sled.

Most recently, they embarked on a trial of a vegan diet versus a typical omnivorous one, with their body composition monitored by Virgin Active and their biomarkers tested by King’s College London’s Department of Twin Research. We caught up with them two months in to see what they'd learnt.

MH: This isn’t the first time you’ve compared diets...

Ross: At the end of last year we did a test of high-fat vs high-carb. I was on a high-fat diet and I shredded. I lost about 3kg of fat; Hugo was on high-carb and he put on 3kg.

Hugo: Ross has always been slightly heavier, so, we met each other in the middle. At the end, we were 85kg each.

Ross: But I was much, much leaner.

MH: How fun – or not – were those diets to follow?

Ross: I did miss carbs. I really did miss carbs. But as soon as I had them, I felt bloated, straight away.

MH: So, what are the main takeaways from meat versus veg?

Ross: My cholesterol has stayed the same – about 6.5, quite high – and Hugo [on the vegan diet] is down to 4.9.

Hugo: I was about 5.9 at the start, so it’s dropped drastically.

Ross: As well as your libido.

Hugo: Yeah, my libido went out the window. But my energy levels [were better]. I didn’t get that sugar drop. Most snacks – chocolate, biscuits, sweets – I couldn’t have. I was pretty much just on nuts and fruit.

Ross: We had Mindful Chef delivering our food, so we had exactly the same calories going in – give or take 50 calories across the day.

MH: How did going vegan affect your training?

Hugo: My energy levels in the gym were much, much better. We were going to the gym five, six times a week and I didn’t have a session where I thought, “I don’t really have any energy.”

Ross: I was the opposite. I was very hungry at 10 or 11 o’clock. I had those big spikes of energy and then I’d crash. But then the results [of our training] have been very different – I put on weight, and Hugo has lost it.

Hugo: I’ve shredded. I lost 4kg of fat in the first two or three weeks.

Ross: We wore continuous glucose monitors: they go on the back of your triceps and connect to your phone. I was spiking, going down, having that sugar low – or meat low – and Hugo was far more satiated.

MH: What kind of training were you doing?

Hugo: It’s endurance-focused, so high-rep, low-weight, rather than trying to build up mass. On our expeditions, we don’t want to be carrying extra weight.

Ross: One of the ways we measure how fit we’re getting is with a submaximal test: what resistance you’re on when you get to a certain heart rate on a Wattbike. It’s simple but quite effective if you want to find out what your fitness level is.

MH: And less unpleasant than a VO2 max.

Ross: I don’t mind the VO2 max. It’s quite fun. An effective way we’ve found [to track] our endurance training is to count the “total” mass lifted. We’ve gone from about three tonnes – which sounds epic – to 10 or 11 tonnes in an hour. If you add the weight up, it becomes really motivating.

MH: “How much do you bench?” “A tonne…”

Ross: It is, though – if you lift 100kg, 10 times, that’s a tonne. If you’ve lost weight and you’ve doubled your lifting capacity, you’re getting “expedition fit”.

Hugo: Half of it is looking after your body. What’s the chassis like? Is it healthy? We’ve got quite rusty chassis in the sense that we’ve always got painful backs, tight hamstrings and quads. So, it’s using a good proportion of a gym session on stretching, rolling and core.

Ross: And the other 10% is mindset. I’ve been to the gym over the past few months and gone, “I really can’t be bothered.” That’s the point at which you become expedition “mind fit”. Even if you do very little, but you do the full hour, you’re training your mind not to give up. It’s so easy not to flex the mental muscle.

Crunching the Numbers

On the vegan diet: Hugo lost 1kg of fat and gained 1.2kg of muscle mass
On the omnivore diet: Ross gained 2.8kg of fat and 4kg of muscle mass

https://www.menshealth.com/uk/nutrition/a32449942/veganism-meat-eating-test/

After Successful US Debut, UK Vegan Brand Meatless Farm Expands to Australia

From vegnews.com

The four-year-old brand continues its expansion to serve the growing demand for plant-based meat Down Under

This month, United Kingdom-based vegan brand The Meatless Farm Co. expanded its distribution to Australia. The company made its entry in Sydney through distributor Bidfood Botany and in other parts of Australia through Decade Foods. Sydney burger shop Suburgia will be the first to offer Meatless Farm products on the menu, featuring its vegan burger patty as part of the eatery’s Magnificently Meatless burger of the month (May) and its vegan sausages inside gourmet hot dogs.  

“We’re committed to creating plant-based meats that deliver on taste, texture, and nutrition,” Meatless Farm Founder Morten Toft Bech said. “We’re thrilled to be entering Australia in partnership with Decade Foods. More and more Australians are looking to reduce the amount of meat they’re eating, for both health and environmental reasons, and this shows no sign of slowing down.”

After two years in development, Meatless Farm made its retail debut at 600 Sainsbury’s supermarkets across the UK in 2018 before expanding its product line to Whole Foods Markets across the United States in August 2019. This year, the company reported a 149 percent spike in sales during the 12 weeks leading up to January 25, 2020 as compared to the same time period in 2019.

https://vegnews.com/2020/5/after-successful-us-debut-uk-vegan-brand-meatless-farm-expands-to-australia

Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in the UK Will Be Easier to Find Thanks to New Sticker Campaign

From vegnews.com

Vegan-Friendly UK’s heart-shaped vegan certification aims to help restaurants promote their vegan-friendly offerings

Nonprofit organization Vegan-Friendly UK recently launched the Vegan-Friendly certification symbol to help vegan-friendly businesses promote their vegan options. The heart-shaped symbol identifies restaurants that qualify as vegan-friendly if their menus boost a wide variety of vegan dishes. Originally founded in Israel, the organization expanded to the United Kingdom in an effort to increase the presence of vegan options and make veganism more accessible by encouraging businesses to add vegan options. 

“We will improve the visibility and exposure of restaurants which serve a minimum of 25-percent vegan options by labelling them both digitally and physically,” Ofek Ron, Vegan-Friendly General Manager, said. “We will also provide restaurants with free hands-on training and guidance on how to switch ingredients in their dishes to improve their vegan offering. In our Israeli venture, with our assistance, the restaurants we work with have been able to sell approximately 20 percent more vegan dishes than before. This meant that these restaurants were, in turn, selling less meat dishes and more vegan dishes.”

The Vegan-Friendly certification will initially launch with an online presence and once restaurants begin to open following the COVID-19 lockdown, Londoners will start noticing heart-shaped stickers at the entrance of their favourite vegan-friendly restaurants.

https://vegnews.com/2020/5/vegan-friendly-restaurants-in-the-uk-will-be-easier-to-find-thanks-to-new-sticker-campaign

Ultimate banana bread recipes: vegan, boozy, nutty and low-sugar!

From hellomagazine.com

The banana bread craze continues…

Banana bread has become the champion of cakes during the coronavirus lockdown – easy to make, delicious and uses up all those over-ripe bananas. Yep, we just can't get enough of the fruit loaf. If you fancy trying a new variation on the classic cake, we have four tasty recipes for you below: a vegan banana bread, a chocolate and Brazil nut loaf, a sugar-free recipe and a blueberry and rum cake. Yum! Take a look below…

Vegan banana bread

This FAB Flour Easy Peasy banana bread recipe is super simple to make using common ingredients in your kitchen cupboards – and no eggs! And if you're feeling adventurous, the recipe states, "You can add vegan chocolate spreads, Biscoff spread, nuts or different kinds of chocolate chips to get the flavour you like."

INGREDIENTS

Makes one 1kg loaf

Ingredients for vegan banana bread

• 4 ripe bananas
• 75g vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 225g self-raising flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 100g light brown soft sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Instructions for vegan banana bread

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Step 2

Mash three of the bananas into a measuring jug with the vegetable oil and vanilla.

Step 3

In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

Step 4

Add the wet mix to the dry mix and combine. Pour into the lined loaf tin and top with the fourth banana, halved lengthways.

Step 5

Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden on top and springy to touch in the centre.

Recipes from the FAB Flour Easy Peasy Baking campaign, launched by NABIM. Visit: fabflour.co.uk. Instagram: @fab_flour

Nutty banana bread

Banana bread is a great way to use up overripe bananas, in fact, the darker the skins, the better! This recipe adds Brazil nuts for a delicious nutty crunch and Divine’s 70% dark chocolate.

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for nutty banana bread

• 150g plain flour
• 150g wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 100g 70% Divine chocolate, broken into pieces and roughly chopped
• 60g brazil nuts, roughly chopped
• 125g unsalted butter, very soft, plus a little extra for greasing
• 150g Fairtrade caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 100ml buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 4 medium overripe Fairtrade bananas, mashed almost to a puree

INSTRUCTIONS

Instructions for nutty banana bread

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / Gas Mark 4 and grease a 2lb loaf tin with a little butter.

Step 2

Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the chocolate and Brazil nuts and briefly mix together until evenly distributed and coated in flour.

Step 3

In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a hand whisk or food mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the buttermilk, vanilla and almond extracts and finally the mashed bananas.

Step 4

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Using a large spoon, mix everything together until just combined.

Step 5

Pour the mixture into the greased loaf tin and cook in the preheated oven for 60-70 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle.

Step 6

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Thanks to food blogger Pauline Milligan and Divine Chocolate

Low-sugar banana bread

This naturally delicious banana bread recipe made with YaconViva's Yacon Syrup is the perfect household treat for all those with a sweet tooth.

INGREDIENTS

Makes one 1kg loaf

Ingredients for low-sugar banana bread

• 125g Butter
• 2 ripe Bananas
• 1tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 eggs
• 100g YaconViva Yacon Syrup
• 230g self-raising flour

INSTRUCTIONS

Instructions for low-sugar banana bread

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 170C and place a low sided baking tray on the middle shelf (this helps prevent a soggy bottom) and then line a loaf tin with baking paper.

Step 2

Melt the butter, and once melted, add the bananas and mix to form a smooth paste.

Step 3

Add in the vanilla essence, cinnamon, milk and syrup and mix again.

Step 4

Add in the eggs and mix, ensuring they are fully mixed in.

Step 5

Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and add the flour in. Mix to combine for about 15 more seconds.

Step 6

Pour into the prepared tin and cover loosely with tin foil. Cook for 45mins. After 45 mins take off the tin foil and cook for a further 15 mins.

Step 7

Let it cool before transferring to a serving plate. Enjoy!
YaconViva Yacon Syrup is available at Amazon UK, yaconviva.co.uk and all good health stores. Priced £9.99 for a 220g bottle.

Boozy blueberry banana bread

If you fancy indulging in something boozy and sweet, Aldi’s Triple ‘B’ Banana Bake is straight forward and easy to make with the key ingredients of bananas, blueberries and booze!

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for boozy blueberry banana bread

• 150g blueberries
• 2 ripe bananas
• 140g self-raising flour
• 140g caster sugar
• 140g Aldi’s Perfect for Cake spread
• 2 medium eggs
• 1tsp baking powder
• 50ml of Aldi’s Old Hopking Spiced Rum (£10.49).

INSTRUCTIONS

Instructions for boozy blueberry banana bread

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line the side of the cake tin with non-stick baking parchment.

Step 2

Peel bananas and chop.

Step 3

Whisk bananas, rum, eggs, spread, caster sugar, flour and baking powder until smooth or blend in a food processor.

Step 4

Put a third of the batter into the bread tin and sprinkle over a third of the blueberries. Repeat this until you have used all the ingredients.

Step 5

Bake for 40 minutes, or until risen.

Step 6

Allow to cool, then slice, serve and enjoy!

https://www.hellomagazine.com/cuisine/2020051589887/ultimate-banana-bread-recipes/

Vegan Product Sales Soar Amid The COVID-19 Pandemic

From blackenterprise.com

Thee COVID-19, or novel coronavirus, pandemic has hit the food and restaurant industry hard with many restauranteurs struggling to keep their businesses afloat under the new stay-at-home restrictions. While the restaurant side of the industry may be on the verge of collapse, it is the polar opposite for supermarkets and other food items sold in local grocery stores. One sector that is particularly thriving under the virus outbreak is vegan food products.

An estimated one billion people worldwide do not eat meat and have removed animal products from their diets. In countries like Germany, the sales of vegetarian and vegan products have increased by 65.3% since 2017. Numerous celebrities such as Nick Cannon have invested in opening vegan restaurants while influencers like Tabitha Brown have found new fame teaching others how to make vegan dishes.

According to a Veganz poll, 95% of participants cited animal welfare as a factor in why they went without animal products while 83.9% also listed environmental reasons as a factor in opting for vegan products.

Since the start of the pandemic, vegan brands have seen a significant increase in sales and product gains. Beyond Meat have increased their sales by 82% since the beginning of the year. Bio Gaia gained 8%. This was during the same period the Dow Jones fell by 15% while the DAX lost 18% of its value.

According to forecasts and new data collected, the sales of vegan meat products worldwide will reach roughly $120 billion within five years. By 2040 that number could rise to $450 billion.

“Manufacturers of vegan products are also increasingly popular on the trading floor,” says cryptoscene analyst Raphael Lulay in a press statement. “Not least due to the food’s reception among consumers. In particular, progress in the field of in-vitro meat production could give an already strong growth trend a further boost.”

https://www.blackenterprise.com/vegan-product-sales-soar-amid-the-covid-19-pandemic/

Affordable One-Pound Packs of Vegan Chicken Nuggets Are Coming to Stores

From vegnews.com

Rebellyous Foods is making its retail debut in Seattle stores next week before expanding to West Coast retailers later this year

Next week, startup Rebellyous Foods will make the retail debut of its first product, vegan chicken nuggets, at grocery stores Leschi Market and Vegan Haven in Seattle. Rebellyous Plant-Based Nuggets will be sold frozen in one-pound packs (five servings) for a suggested retail price of $5.99.

  

Rebellyous was founded by Christie Lagally—the former senior scientist at food-advocacy firm The Good Food Institute—with the aim of developing affordable vegan products for the food-service sector while creating machinery that can be used by other plant-based companies to help scale their production. In 2018, the company secured $1 million in funding to create its vegan chicken nuggets—made from textured wheat, chicken-less flavouring, cornstarch, oil, and corn breading—using a proprietary processing technique that creates a texture comparable to its animal-derived counterpart. Since February 2019, Rebellyous has supplied its vegan nuggets to schools, corporate cafeterias, hospitals, and universities in the Pacific Northwest and San Francisco Bay Area regions.

                                                          Photo Credit: Glen Lacey

“Kids love our nuggets because they’re delicious. Parents love them because they’re more nutritious than their animal-based counterparts and they’re simple to prepare,” Lagally said. “Since day one, fans have been asking where they can purchase our nuggets to enjoy at home and we’re thrilled to offer this opportunity for them to do so, while staying true to our mission of offering plant-based meat for all by starting with affordable family-sized packs”

Rebellyous—which raised $6 million in investment capital in April—plans to expand its product portfolio and launch in additional West Coast retailers later in 2020.

https://vegnews.com/2020/5/affordable-one-pound-packs-of-vegan-chicken-nuggets-are-coming-to-stores