Yes, you CAN get enough protein from plants

There are plenty of good health reasons to eat more veg — as we’ve seen — but many of us are now going one step further and choosing to reduce the amount of meat we eat, or cutting it out altogether.

Perhaps health or ethical concerns have prompted you to sign up for Veganuary, in which people ditch animal products and try vegan living in January.

if so, you may well be wondering how this might fit with your new health and fitness goals and whether you’ll have enough choice of foods to eat.

‘Following a vegetarian or vegan diet can mean you need to give a little more thought to what you eat to ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need, in particular protein,’ says Julia Westgarth, head of programme at WW. ‘But there are plenty of excellent plant-based protein sources, including chickpeas, beans and lentils, which are all packed with healthy micronutrients and fibre, too.

‘The WW app has dozens of meat- free and plant- based recipe ideas, including tasty twists on classic meat-based family favourites — showing that you don’t have to miss out on dishes you love,’ she adds.

‘And with many go-to vegan ingredients — such as pulses, tofu and plain soya yoghurt — being on the ZeroPoints list on Blue and Purple plans, and very low SmartPoints on Green, staying within your SmartPoints Budget is easy.’

experiment using a wide range of different herbs and spices to add flavour and interest to your meals; these, too, are bursting with disease-fighting phytochemicals to boost your health and immune system.

‘ The extensive recipe resources at WW mean you’ll be introduced to an exciting world of flavours, textures and suggestions for how to prepare delicious and nutritious vegetarian and vegan meals on whichever myWW+ plan you’re following,’ says Julia.