An increased awareness of health benefits has lead to more people in Nottingham choosing a Vegan diet.
The diet, which restricts the consumption of all animal products including meat, fish, egg and diary has been shown to decrease the risk of some people developing diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease, according to a study by researchers at the University of California in the United States.
The number of Vegan food outlets has dramatically increased in the last two years in Nottingham, with many people adopting a vegetarian diet first then quickly going vegan in a matter of months.
There are now more than ten restaurants in Nottingham specialising in vegan and vegetarian food,. The most recent to open the Bluebird Café in Sherwood.
Hearty Vegan fry up
Cafes and restaurants in city have followed by adapting their menu’s to follow this new trend. The Broadway cinema in Hockley serves almost all their dishes without meat or fish.
Whilst a hearty English fry up may seem off the menu in the world of veganism, Alley Café, a vegetarian and vegan specialist café is home to an award winning breakfast menu awarded by animal rights charity PETA. The ‘Alley breakfast’ consist of baconesque, sausage, hash brown, grilled tomato, mushroom, organic beaked beans, scrambled (tofu) eggs and toast.
Lauren Birch, 20, became a vegan in October. She often gets an unwelcome reaction to her lifestyle choice, saying people thinks she’s ‘strange and weird.
Rachel Preston, owner of the Natural Food Company on Mansfield Road says customers are becoming more aware of what they eat and where their food comes from.
The shop, which specialises in vegetarian and vegan products has seen an increase in customers, with their lunch time selection of hot vegan pasties more popular than ever.
Whilst the plant based diet can be healthier, vegans can miss out on some vital vitamins which are essential for growth.
‘If you’re vegan, not eating eggs or dairy could mean you are deficient in the vitamin B12, which is mainly found in animal meat and plays a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system.,” says Nutritionist Susan Hart
“Many people do not realise this therefore, vegans should seek their B12 intake through soya products such as tofu and soya milk, ” she says.
