The inevitable Veganuary backlash and the desperation behind Februdairy

As Veganuary comes to an end, we don’t know how many “new vegans” have been created this year, but we do know it has been a total success. More people than ever are doing Veganuary this year and there have been so many newspaper articles on the event, I have lost count. Papers such as the Guardian even published supplements of vegan recipes. But, predictably, there has been a little bit of a backlash.

But, take heart, there always is when something is successful. People in the UK seem scared of success, so the backlash against Veganuary is just a testament to its rise. Of the three anti-vegan article links I can remember, two are discussed below. The third was about the problems of soya and is probably an old link.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-5239137/The-hidden-downsides-trendy-dairy-free-coffees.html

The article does admit “Veganism is officially no longer a fringe lifestyle, with more people opting to cut out animal products from their diet altogether.”

But apparently Oat milk is the most “calorific” and a skimmed milk latte is the least fattening – all of which misses the point by a million miles.

  1. Many vegans aren’t vegan for health reasons.
  2. Other health benefits of going dairy-free are ignored by the article
  3. Detrimental health effects of dairy are ignored by the article.

Early in January, the Mail also published this: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5227331/RICHARD-LITTLEJOHN-says-Veganuary-gimmick.html

Richard Littlejohn writes: “Meanwhile, the rest of us will shrug our shoulders and take no notice whatsoever,” and then goes and writes a whole smug, predictable article about it – oh the irony Richard!

Right-wing commentators are more obsessed with veganism than vegans are. The backlash just proves how popular veganism is becoming.

Then there’s this from the Sun: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5405801/veganuary-ditching-dairy-iodine-deficiency-drop-13-iq-points/ which claims you lack calcium and iodine by going vegan – kale, broccoli and fortified plant milk are all calcium sources – the article claims (wrongly) that non-dairy milk isn’t fortified.

Iodine is something you need very little of and can get through seaweed – but natural iodine is hard to come by – some fruits and veg have a bit, depending on how iodine-rich the soil they are grown in is, so a supplement can be a good bet. Iodized salt is also a source – it is important during pregnancy. The article states that dairy is the best source – that’s only because it’s added to animal feed – it isn’t a natural source.

And as Veganuary careers towards a successful conclusion, we have news of #Februdairy – an attempt to silence the dairy industry’s critics – they say impersonation is the sincerest form of flattery. Here’s what a farming paper says about it: https://www.fginsight.com/news/news/support-your-dairy-farmers-februdairy-launches-to-silence-industry-critics-50675

But it does show veganism’s rise is now a financial threat to the dairy industry – they are desperate to prove they’re not cruel – we, however, know different.

Of course, Veganuary has grown beyond vegans’ wildest dreams over the last four years (the charity was formed in November 2013 – ready for January 2014), so, the biggest surprise is that it’s taken the dairy industry four years to respond. The fact it has responded is a testament to the growing power of veganism! You, of course, can still visit the Veganuary website: https://veganuary.com/ to see what the fuss is all about.

 

 

 

 

Sunday dinners, Veganuary and plastic

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Review – V-Bites Meat-free Meatloaf

A vegan meatless meatloaf had to be worth a try post-Christmas.

Being vegan doesn’t mean you have to automatically skip traditional Sunday meals, and I’m always on the lookout for new and exciting dishes to throw into the mix.

V-Bites came up with the goods on this occasion.

As part of their VegiDeli range, I was excited to find this in my local Holland and Barrett – and even more excited to give it a try.

I have liked the Cheatin’ roasts and love Macsween Veggie Haggis – my favourite roast substitute as it’s totally natural and very filling – but like a boy in a vegan sweet shop, I get excited by new vegan foods.

As Veganuary rumbles on, the hunt for “meaty” replacements to tempt new vegans grows, and this is certainly “meaty” – maybe too much so for some vegans.

The main problem I had with my Meatless Meatloaf was actually getting into the thing. You need to remove the tight plastic casing to cook the thing – it’s harder to get into than the Free Masons – mainly due to the metal clips at each end!

Also, plastic is bad – its affect on the environment is directly deadly for many animals – so, V-Bites, how about dropping that bit? To be fair, a lot of processed vegan food comes in a plastic prison and it’s something we really should be pulling companies up on – it simply isn’t cool!

Once you’ve got into it, it takes a fair while to cook – definitely closer to 50 minutes than 45 (the packaging says 45-5o minutes) – but, on the plus side, it is a chunky beast – I reckon you could get three good servings from it.

So, how does it taste?

It’s OK, in short. Personally, I thought it could do with a little more seasoning – or some seasoning really. A few herbs would have certainly livened it up – or maybe I’m too used to plenty of herbs and spices in vegan dishes – but many meat dishes are powered by these plants to make them taste better too!

It has a nice meaty texture, look and is certainly tender. The taste reminds me a little bit of some vegan minces on the market – so a good gravy, tomato sauce or mustard certainly adds a welcome flavour punch to this substantial and filling dish.

You can buy online here: https://www.vbitesfoods.com/product/meat-free-meatloaf/

But what’s your favourite vegan Sunday dinner? Please comment below – or in the social media thread which brought you here. I also welcome your recipes for vegan dinner dishes.

Also, I’m after your Veganuary stories for future blogs, so please get in touch.