‘A plant-based diet can lead to weight loss and boost energy’

EXPLAINS, “As celebs like Adele have found, a vegan diet is often lower in calories, which improves our health and can give us more energy. Studies show that vegans are less likely to be overweight and have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and possibly some types of cancer. Vegan diets are also higher in fruit and veg, great news for healthy, glowing skin – as Adele has certainly been displaying lately! These foods are key providers of skinfriendly vitamin C and betacarotene, which the body uses to make vitamin A, vital for a healthy immune system. Plus, they’re full of antioxidants, which help eliminate celldamaging and wrinkle-forming free radicals from the body.

Lockdown has meant most of us have had to change our lifestyle, including our eating habits. But while wine o’clock and home-baked goodies may have become regular features for some of us, it’s not all been bad news. According to The Vegan Society, isolation has seen 15 per cent of Brits reducing dairy products and eggs, and one in five limiting meat.

“Our store cupboard ingredients are the perfect foundation for vegan dishes. That’s canned beans, tomatoes, lentils and chickpeas, nuts, seeds, rice, couscous, noodles, long-life plant milks, baking ingredients, spices, frozen veg, meat-free mince and vegan sausages.”

If you’d like to try a move into a more veganbased diet, here are my tips to getting started.

1 Plan your diet. Research vegan alternatives (ie milk, cheese, cream) and you’ll find plenty of options. Start to replace meat, fish, eggs and dairy with nutrient-rich and wholesome plant foods such as lentils, chickpeas, soya, Quorn, nuts and seeds.

2 Eat plenty of fruit and veg- based meals with fibre-packed starchy carbs, include dairy alternatives, and choose veggie proteins.

3 Don’t rely on vegan ready-meals. Pastry products and fried foods can be high in fat and salt. Look online for recipe inspiration.

4 Snack sensibly – veganfriendly cakes and biscuits are still high-calorie. Try these 100-calorie options, 1tbsp unsalted almonds or cashews, or a bowl of mixed leaves and cucumber with

1/2 small avocado and lemon juice or even 1 slice wholegrain toast with 1tsp unsweetened peanut butter.

5 Choose dairy alternatives like soya milk and yoghurt that are unsweetened and fortified with calcium, and vitamins D and B12, nutrients that can be low in vegan diets.

6 Take a supplement of vitamin B12 and plantbased omega-3 fats.