Vegan diet

A vegan diet excludes animal-derived foods, including meat, fish, dairy, eggs and honey. Meals draw on beans, grains, vegetables, fruit, nuts and other plant foods. Animal welfare is a central reason for many people; environmental concerns, health and preference may also play a part. It can involve ordinary meals such as chickpea stew or rice with tofu.

Excluding foods isn't enough to make the diet nutritionally complete. You need a reliable vitamin B12 source through fortified foods or supplements, alongside attention to other nutrients. A vegan label doesn't make a packaged food a good everyday staple. Expensive replacements are optional; adequate nutrition isn't.

By questionnaire

Early work includes finding recipes, checking labels and making arrangements when someone else cooks. Meals need to provide enough energy and protein, with attention to calcium, iron, iodine and vitamin B12. Pregnancy, childhood or medical conditions call for informed professional support with planning.

Plant drinks differ widely in nutrients and fortification; buying one doesn't mean it replaces milk nutritionally. Waiting until you feel unwell isn't a sound way to check for deficiencies. A reliable B12 source needs to be part of the plan from the outset.

Limited choices, repeated meal planning and missing shared foods can make the diet difficult to sustain. Cooking separately from everyone else in the household can become exhausting.

When the choice carries strong moral meaning, admitting difficulty can feel like failure. That can make it harder to say you're eating too little or relying on a very narrow range of foods. Seeking help with those problems matters more than appearing to manage everything perfectly.