With the rapid increase of people adapting to healthier lifestyle choice such as veganism, the food that they consume, totally devoid of animal products has

become the keen interest of a lot of conventional eaters due to the publicity it gets from celebrities, doctors and overall health food advocates.

Vegan food is hyped up as healthy as the not so wholesome elements of conventional diets and the heavily processed, instant food they are usually connected to be vastly diminished. Heavy consumption of meat, processed and fast foods has been linked to countless health issues from heart disease, diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels to even the dreaded cancer.

Veganism, a lifestyle practice or choice removes any and all forms of animal products not limited to beef, pork, chicken and fish. Motivations vary from health concerns to ethical issues like animal cruelty. This is differentiated from

vegetarianism which allows for the consumption of eggs and dairy products such

as milk, cream, cheese and yoghurt. Veganism is sometimes called “strict vegetarianism. Very staunch vegans do not use non-food products that are derived from animals such as leather and makeup and hair brushes made of animals. It is not surprising to find vegans in organizations such as P.E.T.A. (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and anti-fur activist groups.

With proper care taken balancing food groups and selection of ingredients, a exclusively plant-based diet can provide all the necessary nutrients needed for a healthy body. Found in a sustainable vegan menu are protein from beans and other legumes, calcium from dark leafy greens, vitamins and minerals and enzymes from the countless fruits and vegetables in nature’s bounty. The fats found in plant-based food such as nuts and oils are generally unsaturated and elevate good cholesterol levels in the body as opposed to weight gain-inducing, artery-clogging bad fat and cholesterol.

All vegan recipes are vegetarian of course, but not all vegetarian recipes are vegan. Whether from recipes found online or from cookbooks, a simple read of the ingredients determines whether the dish is free from animal. Watch out for eggs, milk, whey, cream, butter and convert the dish to vegan by replacing them with vegan-friendly substitutes. Nuts and can be ground up, soaked and squeezed, dehydrated and transformed into wonderful dairy-like delights. Seasoned with herbs and spices, it can even pass for cheese.