A dietitian weighs up the pros and cons of the vegan diet

"However, this is more challenging compared to vegetarian or omnivorous (meat-containing) diets -especially for those with high protein requirements."

What are the benefits of a vegan diet?

Alongside upping your fruit, veg and fibre intake, there are now lots of options available for people on a vegan diet.

"One of the positives is that it has become so popular and is more socially accepted by society. It is easier to find vegan options on menus and on supermarket shelves. 

"In the past vegetarian and vegan options tended to be limited. Now vegan options tend to be incorporated into the main menu, with many restaurants happy to tweak specifications to make certain dishes vegan for customers who ask, so the UK is a much more inclusive place for vegans."

Is a vegan diet the best environmental choice? 

"Agriculture and livestock farming are by far the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and soil pollution, as well as land and water use.

"Compared to the typical UK diet, a vegan diet has a significantly lower carbon foot print and is associated with lower greenhouse gas emissions.

"However, you don't have to go vegan to have a positive impact on the environment. For example, the average intake of meat by adults in the UK is 108 grams (think a 4 oz steak). If this was reduced to 50g per day (a 2 oz steak), the carbon foot print is reduced by 39%. Also evidence suggests that 25% of all food purchased in the UK is wasted, addressing this would also have a huge impact on our greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint."

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