'I’ve been a vegan for years. These are the 5 questions I constantly get asked.'

When I became vegan, I did it for my health, the animals, and the environment. 

I had stopped eating four-legged animals when I was 11 and you could say it was the slowest burn ever to becoming vegan. Friends and family were used to my requests of only eating out at places that served chicken or seafood, and boyfriends had to brush their teeth before kissing me if they’d eaten beef, lamb or pork beforehand (and by the way, there were never any complaints).

So imagine my surprise when 22 years later, I became a vegan and that once understanding nod to my “special food” or my brushing of the teeth requests were now met with concern for my health. I never thought being compassionate for animals could turn a non-vegan into an instant nutritionist.

In the spirit of sharing (and perhaps as a way to save myself from ever having to answer these questions again), here are the top five questions I constantly get thrown at me.

Where do you get your protein?

There seems to be this misconception that when you give up the consumption of animals it turns you into a protein-deficient human. Nothing can be further from the truth as long as I eat a variety of plant-protein sources.

What sources, you may ask? Well, here are a whole bunch of them:

• seitan (a high-protein meat substitute made of wheat gluten)
• lentils 
• tofu, tempeh and edamame 
• beans 
• nutritional yeast 
• spelt and teff 
• hemp seeds 
• green peas 
• spirulina 
• amaranth and quinoa 
• ezekiel bread and other breads made from sprouted grains 
• soy milk 
• oats 
• wild rice 
• chia seeds 
• nuts, nut butters, and other seeds 
• protein-rich fruits and vegetables
• mycoprotein

But aren’t you low in iron?

Nope. Never have been. 

Women between the age of 19-50 need to consume 14.8mg of iron daily. Some of my favourite iron-rich foods are:

• nuts
• dried fruit
• wholemeal pasta and bread
• iron-fortified bread and breakfast cereal
• legumes (mixed beans, baked beans, lentils, chickpeas)
• dark leafy green vegetables (spinach, silver beet, broccoli)
• oats
• tofu

As far as iron supplements go, FAB Iron's range is designed specially to help vegans, vegetarians and iron-deficient women and teenagers top up their iron stores, with each capsule containing 10mg of iron per tablet. 

It's easy to absorb, intended to be gentle on the stomach and uses a combination of B-group vitamins and zinc to help restore energy and support your immune system. They also aim to assist when a balanced diet alone can’t effectively maintain adequate levels of iron in the body. Plus, it comes in liquid, tablet and capsule forms. 

What do you eat? Closely related to: don’t you get sick of eating vegetables?

I eat absolutely everything and never get sick of vegetables or fruits for that matter. I love to use vegetables in curries and I constantly chuck them into stir fry and pasta creations. 

I also enjoy ice-cream, sushi, burgers, lasagna, cakes, pies and sausage rolls – you name it, I can veganise it and WILL eat it. 

I’m currently enjoying making all kinds of mock meats with seitan, which is a mock-meat alternative made from vital wheat gluten and found in the fridge or freezer section in your local supermarket. 

If you’re sensitive to gluten, steer clear of seitan and enjoy the variety of soy and vegetable-based alternatives instead. 

So, to answer that question: nope. And getting creative with my diet has made cooking way more enjoyable. 

Umm, look how good my chocolate mousse looks. And yep, you bet it's vegan. Image: Supplied.

What about dairy? Cows need to be milked, right?

Whenever someone comes to me wanting help in becoming vegan (especially if they are finding it hard to stick to), I urge them to give up the dairy first. Once you understand how that milk is sourced and the trauma female cows go through, it becomes the easiest thing to give up cold turkey. (Pun intended.) 

There are great vegan versions of traditional dairy items available at your local supermarket, specialty, and health food stores. Plant milks are available in soy, hemp, almond, oat, rice, cashew, and my personal favourite: macadamia. 

The big brands are veganising their best-selling items – think vegan Drumsticks and Magnum ice-creams. Yep, vegan cheeses and yoghurts are also plentiful. And chocolate, too! So yep, giving up dairy can actually be pretty easy. 

I could never be vegan; I love the taste of meat too much.

Okay, so not really a question but I hear this all the time... and well, I totally get it. Even though I personally can’t stand the taste of red meat, I did find it hard to give up chicken and seafood. 

All I can say is, have an open mind and just try it. It took me five years to really like the taste of mock meat so if now is the first time you’re tasting it, you’re lucky! Meat alternatives have improved significantly over the years and my non-vegan friends and family love it too. The meat alternatives are so convincing that die-hard meat eaters can’t tell the difference. 

I hear you saying, “what about bacon?” Well, tempeh, mushrooms and even rice paper are some clever alternatives to bacon and add that extra umami flavour to a plant-based burger. I use vegan chicken and vegan seafood in my cooking – yes, there are even vegan prawns and crab sticks available. Don’t forget falafels in a simple wrap with hummus or tahini (which are actually pure bliss).

I’m not a perfect vegan by a long shot and definitely put too much pressure on myself in the first five years. There’s been many times I’ve accidentally consumed dairy in chocolate or baked goods, especially if they weren't properly labelled. But instead of beating myself up, I’ve learnt from it, and been prepared in situations where I could be without food. 

If you’re considering going vegan or already are, please don’t forget to eat the rainbow and fill your plate with all the beautiful colours of fruits and vegetables. 

Check out the FAB Iron range for easy-to-absorb iron that's gentle on the stomach.  

The range offers energy-boosting B group vitamins and iron to help increase iron levels when a balanced diet alone cannot effectively maintain adequate levels of iron in the body.

Always read the label and follow the directions for use. 

Feature Image: Supplied.