Well, 2017 has certainly been the year veganism went mainstream! According to a poll by the Vegan Society the number of vegans in Britain has risen by more than 360% over the past decade, with over 500,000 people now adopting a vegan diet, making it one of Britain’s fastest growing lifestyle movements.
Vegan on Female First
This means that these days eating vegan doesn’t have to mean growing your own veg and cooking from scratch anymore, there are plenty of convenient and nutritionally sound ways to be a vegan in 2017. Take canned food for example, a plant-based treasure trove! Here are our six reasons why canned food is perfect for vegans:
Great variety
Even when you take meat and fish out the equation there’s a huge range of canned foods to choose from, starting with baked beans (Heinz Beanz are our favourites), canned tomatoes, sweet corn, artichokes, you name it! There’s also a great range of canned fruit that’s perfect for whipping up tasty desserts. Then there are also some delicious soups, which are absolute go-tos on a cold winter’s day.
Surprisingly nutritious
There’s a bit of misconception around canned foods that they contain processed food and are therefore unhealthy, when actually nothing could be further from the truth. The genius thing about the cans is that the fresh food is canned, sealed and then cooked or baked inside, which protects the goodness and quality of the food and means that no artificial preservatives, colours or nasties are ever used. This also means that the contents of the can, once it’s opened, are as good if not better than the original fresh version. Fact.
100% recyclable
We vegans care for our planet so it’s good to know that every can in the Heinz range is 100% recyclable - just give the can a wash when you’ve finished with it and pop it in the recycling bin. Or you might want to re-use it for yourself - clean cans make for gorgeous shabby chic style pen holders or classic tin can telephones for the kids. And if you’re feeling really creative you could do the same as a Dutch designer who creates lampshades from tin cans! #cangoals
Low in sugar
All the canned food in the Heinz range contains less than 5% sugar. In fact, at Heinz they’ve been actively reducing the sugar content of all their canned food over the past few years to ensure they’re as healthy and nutritious as can be. They also have a ‘no added sugar’ range is you’re keen to cut out sugar altogether.
Great value
There’s a bit of myth around vegan food that it’s expensive and we all know that’s not true - that and the fact that vegans love wearing kaftans! But some plant based ingredients can be a bit pricey, so it’s good to know that canned food presents a good value option for vegans that’s also easily accessible at supermarkets and corner shops versus specialist food shops.
Makes vegan life easier!
Canned food makes for easy cooking too, which is good news for vegans because, let’s be honest, preparing vegan food can be a bit of a mission sometimes. Whether you’re tucking into some Heinz Beanz on vegan toast, or enjoying a bowl of classic soup, they’re quick and easy dishes to prepare and perfect for the whole family, vegan or not!
So go on, if you haven’t already discovered the delights of vegan cooking with canned food, give it a try! And please share your recipes and creations with us on your social channels @femalefirstuk
Tagged in Vegan