For August, I’m going to encourage you to consider eating vegan. Now, before you run away in horror, let me reassure you. First, you probably already eat some vegan meals or snacks without realising it. And second, I’m not trying to convert you to becoming vegan, just to becoming more “flexitarian” and including some vegan meals in your diet – the bonus being that this will very likely open your eyes to ways of eating you’d never thought of, plus a healthier lifestyle.

So why am I advocating cutting down on animal products? Well, bluntly put, meat and dairy production are very bad for the planet. Each kilo of food produced requires a huge amount of natural resources like water and land, which contributes to deforestation, water scarcity and loss of habitat.

Eating plants ourselves is a far more efficient use of resources

Feeding livestock demands land to produce animal feed – over 5 and a half million acres of land in Brazil is devoted to producing soya for European farm animals. Eating plants ourselves is a far more efficient use of resources. Then there’s processing, slaughter, refrigerated transport – all these come with a high carbon price tag.

The good news is, we can make an impact with small changes to our diet. I’m a big believer in incremental change that can be sustained, so aim for a reduction not a sudden conversion. After 10 years as an almost-vegan, I can report that there has never been an easier time to be vegan! Of course, vegetables and pulses have always been there, but there’s now chefs, recipe books and bloggers creating exciting vegan dishes, restaurants offering vegan options, and so many meat substitutes and gorgeous treats freely available to us that we used to have to make at home or hunt down in specialist shops. Here are some ideas:

• Try simple swaps, like dairy free margarine or milk – there are so many milks available, most of which are fortified so they have the vitamins and minerals found in dairy. 
• Don’t try to replace meat. Instead, cook vegan dishes where fruit and vegetables star. August is a great time to try it – focus on beautiful veg like salads, beans, roasted vegetables, cold soups, fruit puddings, etc.
• You don’t have to be an amazing cook or have a huge spice cupboard. Find easy vegan cookbooks, websites or blogs for ideas for simple meals. The Vegan Society website is a great place to start, and I swear by Julie Montagu’s ‘Superfoods Superfast’, where all the recipes take less than 20 minutes. Unless you’re really confident, avoid American cookbooks with strange ingredients and measures!
• Find vegan groups on social media for great ideas.
• Be realistic and happy with your limits. Though I buy vegan shoes when I can and would never buy a leather bag or belt, I have a couple of pairs of good quality leather shoes that I need because I walk a lot, and I don’t beat myself up for that. 
• Seek out vegan treats like coconut yoghurt or choc ices, or make someone a stunning vegan chocolate cake and then enjoy their expression when you tell them what’s not in it!
• Look for the Vegan Society and Vegetarian Society label on products.
• Check out the Cheltenham Vegan Fair at Cheltenham Town Hall on Saturday 26th August for ideas, information, treats and gifts. See you there!