The number of vegans in the UK almost doubled last year – so what's it like bringing up a family on plants, nuts and seeds? Two York families share their experiences

YORK vegan mum-of-two Angela Taylor has no problem with Greggs bringing out a vegan sausage roll – except that it was hard to get hold of one because they sold out on their first day!

"It's great," she says. "The more choice the better."

Angela lives in Fulford with her partner Stuart and daughters Erin, 12, and Sophie, 14, and follow a vegan diet at home.

They are part of a growing band of the population who have switched to veganism – cutting out all animal products from their diet.

If that sounds hard – Angela says it's never been easier. As the popularity of veganism grows (almost doubling in 2018 alone to 600,000 in the UK), the food industry has responded by making plant-based foods more readily available in shops, supermarkets, cafes and restaurants.

"Never has it been easier to be a vegan," says Angela, who turned vegetarian aged 15 and became vegan five years ago on ethical grounds.

"You can go to vegan restaurants and even buy vegan ready meals, there is a lot more awareness and choice," she says. When eating out, many places now have vegan dishes or entire vegan menus.

Veganuary – the campaign which runs in January to promote veganism – has helped promote the dietary lifestyle too, she says.

Lots of celebrities promote a vegan lifestyle, with some, including Madonna, Alicia Silverstone and Natalie Portman, reported to have raised their children vegan too.

Angela says her youngest daughter Erin became vegan three years ago for health reasons, and while Sophie and Stuart are vegetarian, all four members of the family eat vegan food at home.

It's no hardship, insists Angela, who makes sure all their nutritional needs are met. Instead of dairy milk, there is a wide choice of alternatives readily available including soya, almond, rice and cashew milk as well as dairy-free spreads and desserts, which can help meet daily calcium requirements. Protein is derived from pulses and beans, the likes of lentils and chick peas, as well as from tofu, nuts, seeds and mock meat such as vegan quorn and soya mince, adds Angela,

She likes to cook meals from scratch and a family favourite is a veggie curry with protein from chick peas, tofu or cashew nuts.

Many vegans do take nutritional supplements and she gives her daughters a multivitamin recommended by the Vegan Society.

She said society often has an image of vegans eating plain, boring food. "They imagine we eat bird seed and cakes that taste like grass. But food can taste delicious. I make a brownie birthday cake which is just amazing."

Is it cheaper? Probably, says Angela. Her weekly supermarket shop to Aldi costs around £60-£70 a week. "It used to be about £45, but food prices have gone up."

York primary teacher and mum-of-two Lauren Iveson has been a vegan for three years after becoming vegetarian aged nine. Her husband Michael gave up meat last year and became vegan in August. Their two children, Antonia, aged 23 months, and Cole, aged four, are vegan too. Their reason for going vegan was on animal welfare grounds, she said.

Far from thinking it is tricky to get children to follow a vegan diet, Lauren believes it's adults that often find it harder. "If you put a sausage in front of a child they will eat it and you don't have to tell them it's a vegan sausage.

"I think it can be more difficult for the older generation. It's been socially ingrained in them to carve the turkey and if there is no meat on the plate how is it a meal?"

When she became a veggie in the Nineties she says the best the supermarkets could offer were Linda McCartney vegetarian sausages. There is so much more choice now, she says, with many products helpfully marked as "suitable for vegans" on packaging too.

Her advice for families wanting to make the switch is to do some research and take it slowly. There is a lot of nutritional advice online and plenty of recipes too.

"Do a simple switch such as making a spag bol using lentils or soya mince," she says. As for milk, try the different varieties and decide on the one you like best.

She doesn't miss eggs and just uses baking powder instead when making pancakes and sponges. Nutritional yeast is a good substitute for anything that needs a cheesy flavour. And if she craves a choccie biscuit she reaches for a packet of Bourbons rather than Chocolate Hobnobs.

Going out, she says, York has a lot more vegan-friendly venues including Humpit, Hummus & Pita Bar in Church Street; True Story, Lord Mayor's Walk, and The Block Pizza Bar in Goodramgate which always sells vegan slices.

Lauren is not surprised more people are becoming vegan. "I saw 2018 as the year of awareness," she says, adding that its promotion was helped by the efforts of campaigner Earthling Ed, who has a large following on social media. "He's a nice guy and so good at explaining what veganism is and in a way that's not argumentative or degrading to meat eaters. It makes people more open to listening."

To find out more about veganism, including dietary and nutritional advice, visit: vegansociety.com

Recipe

Eleanor Fletcher who runs Riverford's home veg box delivery service for York & East Riding suggests this vegan recipe for people to try this Veganuary.

More more information, visit: riverford.co.uk

Aromatic beetroot curry with coconut

Healthy and sustaining, this jewel-coloured, mild curry is packed with aromatic spices, and cooled with coconut and yoghurt. If you want to prevent your hands from staining when you’re preparing the beetroot, wear a pair of rubber gloves, although it does wash off, eventually!

Ingredients:

Oil for frying e.g. sunflower or coconut

2 onions (3-4 if small), peeled & finely sliced

1 tbsp black mustard seeds

800g beetroots, peeled & chopped into 1-2cm dice, or thin wedges

2 large or 3-4 small garlic cloves, peeled & finely chopped

6cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled & finely grated

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

1-2 red chillies, deseeded & finely chopped - add to your taste for heat

4 tomatoes, roughly diced

1 tin coconut milk

A little hot stock or water, to thin the curry if needed

2 limes, juice to taste

2 tbsp toasted desiccated coconut or coconut chips

Salt & pepper

Cooked quinoa (or use rice or naan, as you prefer) & yoghurt to serve

Method

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan (one with a lid). Gently fry the onion for ten minutes, stirring now and then. Add a splash of water if it looks like catching at any point.

2. Add the mustard seeds. Fry until you hear them start to pop.

3. Add the beetroot, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, bay and chilli to your taste for heat. Stir for two minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes and coconut milk. Season, cover and simmer for approx. 25 mins or so, stirring now and then, until the beetroot is tender. Top up with a splash of stock or water as needed, to prevent the curry from drying out too much.

5. When the beetroot is tender, squeeze in lime juice and add more salt and pepper, all to taste.

6. Serve sprinkle with toasted coconut and serve with cooked quinoa (or rice) and a dollop of yoghurt.