Is Vegan The New Veggie?

A few decades ago, hearing that someone was going veggie was a little bit shocking. What would they eat?! What would they do for protein? How would they cope without bacon? Would they survive without adding chicken to every dish?!

Nowadays, it’s much less of a concern, but these questions do still crop up when someone announces they’re going vegan. It could be argued that vegan is the new veggie, although it does take a bit more effort, as vegans don’t eat any animal products at all. So that’s not just meat and fish, but eggs, cow’s and goat’s milk, gelatine and honey as well.

It might sound pretty tough to do, and vegans might sound like a nightmare to cater for at a dinner party, especially if you’re the kind of person who believes a meal is not a proper meal without meat.

But according to new research from Kantar Worldpanel, more and more of us are embracing meat-free meals on a regular basis, suggesting our doors are much more likely to be open to vegan dinner party guests.

In the 12 weeks leading up to the end of January 2018 – which includes the period thousands of people took on the Veganuary challenge – 29 per cent of evening meals consumed in the UK contained no meat or fish whatsoever, up from 26.9 per cent in 2016. That means we’re doing a lot more to reduce our meat intake than just the odd #MeatFreeMonday.

Even though Kantar found meat consumption rose over the Christmas period, as sales of processed meat and poultry increased by 2.9 per cent, plenty of people were still sticking to vegetarian and vegan alternatives it seems, as Christmas and New Year came in that 12-week study period too.

Strictly veg only today? Here’s how to do it. #MeatFreeMonday #NationalVegetarianWeek pic.twitter.com/aSi9RF5k0p

— Tefal UK (@TefalUK) May 15, 2017

Meanwhile, meat substitute maker Quorn Foods – while you’re asking, Quorn is Mycoprotein, which is produced by fermenting fungus (much nicer than it sounds, trust us) – has seen sales of its ‘fake’ sausages, bacon, mince, fillets and burgers climb by 16 per cent over the last year. These handy substitutes are proof that you don’t have to give up the texture or flavour of meat if you don’t feel comfortable eating animals anymore; you really don’t have to resort to kidding yourself with things like coconut bacon and cauliflower steaks – seriously.

But if cauliflower and chips sounds like your perfect meal, who are we to judge? Saying goodbye to meat and fish means people are piling more fresh veggies into their grocery baskets too, with spinach sales up by 43 per cent in the last 12 months and aubergine sales up 23 per cent. We do hope the rise in aubergine interest is for making tasty dishes like veg curries and baba ganoush, rather than for mailing to love interests, which is apparently a service – a little like sending a real-life emoji in the post. And who said romance was dead…?

You don’t need to be an ace in the kitchen or a magician who can turn cauliflower into steak to eat veggie or vegan meals regularly though. There’s a McVegan burger at McDonald’s, IKEA is bringing out vegan hot dogs and Subway has even launched a vegan steak sub. Supermarkets now stock everything from vegan camembert to vegan Cornettos and you can even ask for vegan cheese on your Domino’s pizza.

And never forget, Oreos, Cadbury Bournville and paprika AND smoky bacon-flavoured Pringles are all vegan too. Who needs meat when you can have Oreos covered in melted dark chocolate? Just don’t forget your greens too.