THE OUTLOOK #69

#69 PRACTICE

From Veganuary to February, here are some easy swaps to keep you on track

After a very successful Veganuary, we want to share some easy tips to help you keep up the good work

Veganuary celebrated its highest numbers ever this year and little, easy swaps can be done at home to keep up with the good practice throughout the year.

Launched in 2014, Veganuary has gained popularity over the years and more people than ever signed up to the challenge of having a plant-based diet this January. Around 700,000 people signed up this year, an 80,000-increase compared to the year before and it is said that the only countries with no sign ups this year were North Korea and Vatican City, showing the growing will for people to adopt a more sustainable diet globally.

We're all aware of the emergency state our planet is currently in and unfortunately, industrial scale animal farming is a huge contributor to climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. The current way we produce food is no longer efficient and won't allow us to feed the growing global population as we’re estimated to reach 9 billion people before 2050.

One way to help facilitate change is for us to cut our meat and dairy intake and adopt a more plant-based diet. Whilst taking part in the 31-day challenge is fun and a great place to start with new habits, for a lot of us the thought of going fully vegan 365 days a year is a big no, no. Veganism can seem a bit daunting and, up until a few years ago, it was considered boring or restrictive as well.

However, at Positive Outlook we believe that every little change counts and helps make a big difference, and easy swaps can be made to your daily routine to be more plant-based in the long-term. To help you keep up with the good practice, we've shared below some of our favourite plant-based substitutes for everyday essentials.

Plant based butter

Who doesn't like butter? Butter is everywhere: on your toast, in your pan, as a yummy icing on your cake, it makes everything taste better and is a staple in most kitchens. Luckily, there are some really good alternatives nowadays that have all the flavour and nutrients with half the carbon impact!

My favourite is the unsalted butter from Flora and I've made it my new go-to when baking at home. If you don't believe me, below is a dairy-free apple crumble cake I made a few months ago:

Vegan burgers

Whether it's on the BBQ in the summer or as a nice fakeaway with friends in the winter, burgers are the perfect go-to comfort food we all need once in a while. Unfortunately, beef is the meat which produces the most greenhouse gas emissions and therefore one product we need to try and cut back on the most. The good news is, there's now a huge range of plant based alternatives to satisfy our needs.

Our favourite here is The Beyond Meat burger patty. Place it between a brioche bun, add lettuce, red onion with some French fries on the side and off you go, you’ll barely notice the difference!

Non dairy ice cream

Looking for the perfect pudding or a scrumptious snack in front of your favourite Netflix show? Ice cream always hits the spot and yes, once again we have a delicious vegan alternative! Non-dairy alternatives use soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, or oat milk to recreate the creamy texture of traditional ice cream and also offer a much lower fat content, making it a healthier, guilt-free option.
Don't mind us if we're having an extra scoop!

There's loads of different plant-based alternatives and fun recipes to discover and experiment with, and just a few easy changes to your diet could have a massive impact on our lovely planet and also your health.

If you get inspired, share your result and tag us in your picture! @positiveoutlookclothing

Léa's takeaway

A growing urge to do my bit for the planet and a lactose intolerance means that I've started including more plant-based alternatives to my diet and I've loved trying (and sometimes failing at) new recipes!

Want to treat yourself to a nice vegan meal but don't fancy making it yourself? We've got you covered in Stratford-upon-Avon with Fed Bistro and Wine Bar and the Plantarium Cafe which are both fully vegan and equally delicious!