Over the past 3-4 years, we’ve seen an incredible rise in the number of people embracing the vegan lifestyle. In the UK alone, the percentage of vegans has quadrupled since 2014, from 1% to 4% of the population.* There are loads of reasons for this, including better understanding of the environmental benefits of a plant-based diet and easier access to delicious vegan foods.
If you’re thinking of giving veganism a try, here are a few top tips from Team Ombar. ✌️
1. Do your research – follow pages and browse websites that share helpful advice e.g. Veganuary, The Vegan Society and VegNews. These will help you to understand what nutrients you might need to prioritise to ensure a balanced diet and share exciting new plant-based launches and help you find vegan restaurants when you’re out and about.
2. Go vegan gradually – if the transition feels daunting, start slow and introduce plant-based foods on a daily or weekly basis. Why not challenge yourself to Meatless Mondays and see how you get on with incorporating dairy-free days, too. You’ll soon realise how easy (and delicious) a plant-based diet can be!
3. Experiment with new ingredients – there are plenty of plant-based alternatives that make the switch to veganism easier. Using ingredients like nutritional yeast for a “cheesy” taste on top of pasta or products from brands like Oggs to make pancakes fluffier.
4. Veganise your favourite foods – going vegan doesn’t mean you have to say no to meals you enjoy. . Love chilli? Simply swap beef for beans, quorn or lentils and top with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast instead of cheese. It might not taste exactly the same, but you’ll be surprised how delicious it is!
5. Be adventurous – Browse Instagram, Pinterest and the web for recipe inspiration. You’ll find hundreds of talented content creators that are making super exciting vegan meals! Also, don’t forget you can check out the Recipe page on our website for a variety of delicious chocolatey recipes, including granola and choc-iced coffee.
6. Check ingredients on packaging – Some products may have hidden animal products in such as milk powder or gelatine, but equally, don’t assume that you can’t eat things you already know and love. Some of your favourite snacks might be vegan! You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how many snacks don’t use animal products.
7. Try different m’lks – a huge variety of alternative milks available on the market, from almond to pea to potato. We’re lovers of Oat milk here, which is why we use oats as the base for our Oat M’lk chocolate.
8. Make vegan desserts to sweeten the transition – A vegan diet isn’t all salad and quinoa, you can still enjoy the sweet stuff! Try baking something with Ombar chocolate and you’ll realise that vegan food can be just as delicious as anything made with dairy. We recommend using Ombar Coco Mylk for baking because it melts easily and tastes super creamy, but any flavour will work in most recipes.
9. Consider taking supplements – if you’re nervous about the nutritional impact of changing your diet, try taking supplements. Sometime people can struggle to get enough B12 and iron on a vegan diet, so it could be a good idea to take a supplement. We recommend learning from dieticians and medical professionals about the benefits of taking certain supplements before you give them a go.
10. Remember, veganism is about more than food – if you want to dive fully into the plant-based lifestyle, remember that clothes, cosmetics and cleaning products can all be veganised. Any garment that uses animal products (e.g. wool or leather), isn’t considered vegan. Luckily there are loads of alternative materials out there, like organic, natural cotton, which is what we use to make our Ombar tote bags.
Good luck! Remember to subscribe to our newsletter and follow @ombarchocolate on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for more from Ombar.
*source: statista
