Veganism.

More than half a million people in Britain have turned their backs on meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs and honey.

But is it just a fashionable diet fad? And how healthy and achievable is cutting out animal products altogether?

Three Metro.co.uk journalists went cold tofu and took Peta’s 30-Day vegan challenge to find out.


Yvette Caster

I spent most of my vegan challenge very angry because there is milk powder in 99.9% of things.

Bread, flavoured crisps, cakes, biscuits, pizza, even margarine ffs – all off limits except for specific brands you can hardly find anywhere.

I ate a lot of hummus, carrot sticks, smoothies and cherry tomatoes, because they’re readily available in train station supermarkets and my working day (leave home at 6am, get home after midnight) doesn’t allow much time for cooking.

Growing up in the country, I’m unsentimental about animals and I support British farmers.



However, for six months beforehand I’d been pescatarian because I’d started to worry about the impact of the meat industry on the environment.

Not eating beef but eating dairy seemed daft, so I thought I’d try this challenge.

So this is what you get for wanting a pub Sunday lunch at your local – actually pretty nice #30dayveganchallenge pic.twitter.com/wWWIQAZKfN — Yvette Caster (@YvetteCaster) May 1, 2016

It was very hard. When I wasn’t getting angry at restaurants for having just one veggie option, which included cheese, (and ending up eating two sides of veg and some chips) I was going to bed on an empty stomach because I’d given up.

'Not Maccie Ds' on my train home. Not thrilled with seitan. Less dramatic than name implies. #30dayveganchallenge pic.twitter.com/ZTxQFwWZi5 — Yvette Caster (@YvetteCaster) May 1, 2016

I swung wildly between being sure I’d stay vegan when the challenge was up, and vowing to return to eating ‘normally’, meat and all, because this felt like the worst diet of all time.

The feelings of deprivation were familiar to this former serial dieter and binger and, although I had more energy, I didn’t feel balanced.

I guess this comes under 'veganing on technicalities'. Still, no animal products #dinner #30dayveganchallenge pic.twitter.com/ZnG3rYS168 — Yvette Caster (@YvetteCaster) May 2, 2016

One night, just a few days before the end of the challenge, I got drunk at a launch party and ate a Patty & Bun burger. It tasted like God.

Day 4 #30dayveganchallenge breakfast. Fun fact – some 'olive spread' contains milk. Anyone know of a vegan marg? pic.twitter.com/d4MaIK5hX0 — Yvette Caster (@YvetteCaster) May 4, 2016

I didn’t take this challenge because of the health benefits, real or imagined.

However, I lost half a stone, despite eating chips, roast potatoes, plain crisps, Booja-Booja vegan truffles and Hotel Chocolat vegan chocolate.

Now I’m deliberately a ‘failed vegan’ – eating mostly fruit and veg but allowing myself any food when I feel I really need it, or have to write about it for work.

I don’t want to be the person who won’t eat a slice of her four-year-old nephew’s birthday cake because it has egg in it or feel faint on my period because I crave steak.

I have a lot more respect for vegans though. And a lot of rage for restaurants.

Hanna Flint

I’ve been on and off vegetarian for a while so when it came to the challenge, not eating meat wasn’t that difficult.

The egg and cheese part was a different story. I missed it. A lot.

Eggs are normally my go-to food option, so I stocked up on vegan cheese and tofu products to ensure my meals didn’t end up being just vegetable-based.

It was frustrating to find that a lot of products contained milk powder or some animal product, and by the end I was aching for a bit more ease.

But I do believe that we don’t need to eat animal products every day and I think after doing the 30-day challenge I could handle being a vegan three days a week.

Certainly if everyone did a vegan day a week so many animals would be saved and that’s a lovely thought.



Katie Baillie

A month of veganism was tougher in ways I didn’t expect.

Who knew there was egg in Quorn mince?!

Not knowing what the hell I was doing meant I started off cobbling meals together that were a bit weird – salad and half a tin of kidney beans. Yum.

(Picture: Katie Bailie)

As I do a lot of weight training I had to get to grips with finding new protein sources so I didn’t lose muscle mass which took some research.

I need about 100g of protein a day, which is easy as a meat eater as, for example, chicken has 30g per 100g serving.

I discovered that tofu has about 8g per 100g, whereas beans have 17g per 100g, so I tailored meals to include beans as they are the higher source. Quinoa is another high source, with 14g per 100g.

Also, nuts have 6g per 28g serving, so that was my choice for a snack..

I had to completely change my shopping habits, and buy more from Sainsbury’s.

I enjoyed trying vegan alternatives – vegan taramasalata was a revelation, as was Vegenaise.

I wasn’t impressed with vegan chocolate though. I tried tonnes but, in my opinion, 99% tasted like crap. The one bar I did like, Vego, was £1.79 PER BAR. Wtf?

Eating out was a challenge. It was fun finding new places to eat, like Wild Food, but almost impossible going for an improptu dinner.

The incredible chocolate pie at Wild Food (Picture: Katie Bailie)

One night I went to an event and the only vegan option was half a butternut squash.


I got caught out a few times – I accidentally drank milk and bought ‘free from’ chocolate only to discover it was free from sugar but not milk.

But the challenge got me thinking outside the box and cooking more.

I wasn’t vegetarian before the challenge but I’m going to be now. Not vegan though – I found it pretty extreme.

I’m not sure I can live without eggs and proper chocolate.

Katie's homemade vegan stir fry recipe (Picture: Katie Bailie) Serves 2 Ingredients 1 packet marinated Cauldron tofu 1 red pepper 320g packet of stir fry veg 2 tbsp soy sauce Five-spice to taste Squeeze of lime juice Method Fry the tofu for a couple of minutes. Add in the red pepper and fry for a couple more minutes until starting to soften. Add in rest of the ingredients for 2-3 more minutes.

What does a nutritionist say about the vegan diet?

Jess Scott has been a Nutritional Therapist since 2010.

She is the Graze nutritionist and founder of healthy eating blog Jessipes.

Is it possible to have a vegan diet with enough iron, protein and essential vitamins?

It’s important to educate yourself on plant-based alternatives so you don’t create nutritional gaps.

With careful planning and supplements you can hit your protein, iron, essential vitamins, minerals and fats, but remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

The six nutrients that commonly fall short in a plant-based diet are protein, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, iodine and omega-3 fats.

For protein try nuts, seeds, beans legumes and high-protein whole grains such as quinoa, and minimally processed veggie-based protein powders.

Vitamin B-12 is only found in fortified products and nutritional yeasts, such as Marmite. This is commonly supplemented in a vegan diet.

For Vitamin D, sunlight is the best source or use supplements. Vitamin D2 is animal free, vitamin D3 is animal derived.

Calcium is in beans, nuts, seeds, dark leafy greens, seeds, tofu and fortified non-dairy milks.


Iodine is in kelp, sea vegetables, asparagus, green leafy vegetables and iodized salt.

You’ll find Omega-3 fats in flaxseeds, hemp, walnuts, green leafy vegetables and algae supplements.

What do vegans need to do to make sure they stay healthy?

Being vegan does not mean you will automatically eat a better diet.

The common trap people fall into is to up processed meat substitutes, refined carbohydrates, and highly processed products.

No matter what diet you follow, focus on whole foods including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.

Don’t consume junk just because it’s labeled vegetarian or vegan.

Meal plan ahead of the week to ensure you have snacks and quick dips, smoothie ingredients and soups made up with chickpeas and lentils.

And schedule check ups with your doctor every six months to ensure your nutrient levels are on the right track

How can vegans get enough iron?

If you’re feeling low on energy, particularly around your period, ask your GP for an iron test.

Plant-based foods that are great sources include dark green leafy vegetables (kale, chard, broccoli, rocket etc), dark chocolate, nuts, seeds (especially pumpkin seeds), dried apricots, dates and legumes such as chickpeas and soybeans.

Can you suggest a day’s meal plan?

Breakfast – smoothie with fresh spinach, a tablespoon of nut butter, 1 scoop of non-processed protein powder, berries and non-dairy milk as your mixer.

Lunch – big dark green leafy salad with roasted veggies and hummus.

Dinner – kale and shredded cabbage stir fry with tofu and a sprinkling of seeds. Nut roasts are also a winner.

Enjoy the journey and be extra aware of how you feel day to day in terms of your energy, skin health, brain function and overall vibrancy, as your body tells you when you’re not eating right for you.

This is why Peta thinks you should go vegan Peta spokesman Sascha Camilli tells us why she believes a diet free from animal products is a good idea 1. It’s the best way to help animals There is no better way to help prevent animals suffering than by not eating them. 2. It will help save the planet Meat production is a leading cause of climate change, water depletion and soil erosion. 3. You could improve your health Vegans have a lower risk of suffering from obesity, heart disease, stroke and cancer. (Editor’s note: However, another study has found a long-term plant-based diet could raise the risk of cancer and heart disease). 4. It has never been easier or more delicious As the demand for vegan food skyrockets, companies are coming out with more options which have all the taste of the real stuff but none of the cholesterol or cruelty.

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