Research is showing that people who stick to vegan foods tend to lose more weight than people who eat animal-based foods. Photo: Warwick Smith

It might be a stretch to describe vegan eating as mainstream but the signs are that more people are willing to give it a go (why else would Beyonce launch a business delivering vegan meals?)

For one thing, the old vegan image of nut roasts and homespun fashion is dead. Eating plants, not animals, has a new glamour thanks in part to the numbers of famous names now reportedly eating meals without animal products - think Christine Lagarde, the elegant head of the International Monetary Fund, musicians Russell Brand and Usher, and actors like Joaquin Phoenix and Jessica Chastain.

And while paleo still rules in the world of cookbooks, the numbers of vegan and vegetarian titles published in Australia is rising. Last year The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon that made the New York Times bestseller list was released in Australia by Penguin Books, which are publishing a second vegan title Peace and Parsnips by Lee Watson in May. So far this year Murdoch Books has released the Easy Vegan by Sue Quinn andEat Clean Green and Vegetarian by Lee Holmes.

Meanwhile, Kym Staton who founded the Sydney Vegan Clubtwo years ago to support both vegans and those who are trying to be, reports that around 200 new members are joining each month, double the rate of a year ago.

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But eschewing all animal foods dairy and eggs included isn't always easy, especially if you try converting overnight.

"In my experience it's the people who go vegan in a more gradual manner who usually have better vegan diets," says Lucy Taylor, a Melbourne accredited practising dietitian and vegan. "They might stop having dairy milk and switch to soy milk instead and they'll have beans, lentils or tofu instead of meat. Some people who try going vegan overnight don't always do their research and end up just omitting meat and dairy from their diet for instance, they might just have vegetables and pasta for dinner but without a good source of protein such as legumes.

"The solution is to read vegan food blogs and recipe books - there's a whole world of new foods that opens up that you can experiment with - wholegrain like quinoa, amaranth, barley, cous cous and freekeh, legumes like chickpeas, black beans and lentils, nuts and seeds as well as plant milks like oat, almond, soy and rice. "

While it's easy enough to get sufficient protein on a vegan diet from legumes and nuts, for example, the nutrient that's hard to get from plant foods is vitamin B12.

Originally posted here:
Vegan food is popular, but how easy is it to change your diet?