‘This culture of good versus bad foods is a nightmare — it’s a very black and white approach’

“THERE’S definitely a change, a move towards a different way of eating,” said dietitian Aveen Bannon, the founder of the Dublin Nutrition Centre. “People are experimenting more with plant-based food.”

“Years ago, I used to see one vegan every few years, but nowadays, it is one a month,” she said. “Things like the ‘meatfree Monday’ idea fell flat on its face a few years ago, but now people are much more open to the idea of non-meat protein sources.”

In her view, there are a number of factors driving the growing popularity of vegan and vegetarian diets. “Some people are really passionate about it, have done all their research and are very thorough, but others do it because it is a food trend, or perhaps as a way of losing weight,” she said.

Aveen ( right) ) is in favour of people trying more plant-plantbased foods, but cautions that embarking on a vegan or vegetarian diet without proper research and without appropriate substitutes for meat protein, or dairy, can have negative effects.

As a dietitian, Aveen describes herself as “neutral” - she’s not pro or anti veganism or vegetarianism. However, she does feel that Irish people need to watch portion control when it comes to meat. “A serving of meat should fit in the palm of your hand, about 90 to 100g,” she said. “The main issue we have with meat in Ireland is that we tend to eat too much of it. But red meat three times’ a week is fine.”

When it comes to dairy, Aveen believes it has got a bad rap. “A lot of people are lactose intolerant, but that doesn’t mean that you have to give up dairy 100 per cent,” she said. “Hard cheeses, such as cheddar and parmesan, are almost lactose-free, for example.” Overall Aveen thinks it is a positive thing that people are becoming more experimental with their diets. “There’s no such thing as good or bad foods, simply a good diet,” she said. “This culture of good versus bad foods is a nightmare. It’s a very black and white approach.”