A lot has changed in the world since we entered lockdown due to the pandemic this year in 2020.

The big, noticeable change has been a rise in the number of home workers as a result of many offices closing their doors to help stop the spread of the virus.

However, one thing that has generally passed under the radar is a further increase in people giving the vegan lifestyle and diet a go. People have been searching more for vegan multivitamins in the UK, for example.

As a result, we’ve put together our top 5 tips to help our readers if they’re one of the many considering following a vegan diet.

Make sure to consume Vitamin B12 fortified foods or supplements

Seasoned vegans that have been plant-based for many years will no-doubt know about the potential problems with Vitamin B12 deficiency. But this will be a top tip for those that want to dive in without doing too much research beforehand.

Basically, there are no plant food sources of Vitamin B12, simply because this nutrient isn’t produced by plants.

The Vegan Society themselves actually state this as a fact, so it’s not something that we’ve just made up; on the same page, they also mention that “fortified foods and supplements are the only proven reliable sources [of Vitamin B12] for vegans”.

So, make sure to include Vitamin B12 fortified foods, or a multivitamin containing this nutrient, in your diet when giving the vegan diet a try.

Always double check which foods are vegan-friendly

This tip might seem super obvious. However, it’s all too easy to not check what you’re eating and end up ruining your vegan diet commitment early on in your journey.

For example, we bet you didn’t know that some apple juices are not vegan…yep, that isn’t a joke. It’s because a few apple juices are clarified using fish bladder.

White sugar is another one that may catch vegans out too, since a lot of white sugar is processed using animal bone char.

After that bit of bad news for apple juice lovers (we’re also put off drinking apple juice now), we do have some good news; most popular bread choices are vegan-friendly, such as Hovis, as shown in the vegan bread guide on Astropics.

So while you need to watch out which fruit juices and condiments you can add to your coffee or tea, you can continue eating bread (with some vegan jam).

Keep things exciting by trying new foods

You will never eat more vegetables in your life when going vegan. But eating salad everyday isn’t going to excite anyone and will most likely lead to you turning your back on the vegan diet.

However, by checking out vegan recipes and learning how to swap meat for vegan alternatives such as chickpeas or tofu, you’ll still be able to enjoy your favourite curries and dishes while being vegan. You’ll be surprised by how much you enjoy a vegan thai green chickpea curry!

If you’re a keen baker, then you can check out some vegan cake recipes on our article here. 

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