That vegan lunch? It’s less healthy than Häagen-Dazs

GOING vegan – that’s eating nothing animal-related (even honey is out) – is the celebrity food fad of the moment, with Robbie Williams, Brad Pitt, Beyoncé, Jay Z and even Miley Cyrus claiming to have adopted the diet.

Now high street food chains have jumped on the bandwagon, with sandwich specialists Pret a Manger and chicken-shop Nandos listing vegan dishes on the menu.

A third of the half a million vegans in the UK follow the diet for perceived health benefits, according to a recent YouGov survey. But dietician Dr Carrie Ruxton says they might be in for a shock.

‘People have realised that eating more fresh veg and fruit, beans, pulses and grains, and less meat and fish, is better for us. But that doesn’t mean that a meal labelled vegan or vegetarian is healthier than other options. The opposite may be true.’ One example is the latest invention from McDonald’s: The ‘McVegan’ – a burger made of plants and hailed as a guilt-free take on the 500-plus calorie Big Mac. It’s free from animal produce, but contains 30 per cent more sugar than a McChicken Sandwich and twice the salt. Vegan Society dietician Heather Russell says: ‘Vegan diets are linked to a reduction in heart disease, cholesterol and some cancers.’

Yet, with some plant-based foods containing as much saturated fat as TWO tubs of Häagen-Dazs ice cream, is going green the best option? Here, Dr Ruxton gives her verdict on some of the chains’ vegan lunch options…