Will you try veganism for a day in November? Founder of Dorset Vegan explains health benefits behind lifestyle

She set up Dorset Vegan a few years ago as a guide to vegan-friendly restaurants, cafes and businesses.

Now she has more than 2,400 followers on Twitter and hundreds more on Facebook.

In June this year she organised Bournemouth’s first vegan fair.

“I was very surprised and delighted by how much interest there was in the fair,” she said.

“At least 40 per cent of people who turned up were non-vegan and many others had travelled many miles to be there.”

According to Google Trends, three times as many people now search for the word ‘vegan’ than ‘vegetarian’.

The American Dietetic Association has also stated that vegan diets offer major health benefits and ‘significant nutritional advantages’.

Tall, lean and fizzing with energy, Lizzie, 34, who lives in Bournemouth, is certainly a good ambassador for the cause.

“I became a vegetarian at the age of 14,” she says sipping a soya milk latte. “I’ve always loved animals and I made the connection – how can I say I love watching those lambs in the field and then eat them? I wasn’t that keen on the taste anyway.

“But it was much harder to be vegetarian back then – I ate a lot of macaroni cheese! Being a vegetarian was a bit like being a vegan now.

“People don’t understand it in the same way.

“Today you can go into any restaurant and there will be a vegetarian option on the menu.”

Three years ago she decided to give up dairy and eggs and stick to a plant-based diet.

She said: “I realised that I was kidding myself that by being a vegetarian I wasn’t causing animals any harm.

“Becoming a vegan is much easier that you think. There are so many good recipes and books available and masses of ingredients once you start looking around.

“Yes there is a bit of a lifestyle change, but there are some great alternatives. I loved milk chocolate but there are some really good replacements now.”

Lizzie also says she has been healthier since she became a vegan.

“I used to catch colds and flu, but since I became a vegan it is so rare that I pick up any bugs now.”

But she agrees it could be that she is just more aware of what she eats now.

She adds: “It is still important to eat a balanced diet. It comes down to what motivates you.

“With more and more people turning to plant-based diets as a healthy, cruelty free and environmentally friendly way to live, it is a lot more achievable than people realise.

“Even if people are making tiny steps it all makes a difference and I’m happy to be part of making that change happen.”

IF you fancy taking up the challenge of being vegan for a day, Europe’s largest vegan campaigning charity has just published a new cookbook, Viva! Cookbook.

Author Jane Easton, says: “There are important reasons to go vegan but this book is simply about passionate, exciting, accessible cooking that draws inspiration from around the world.

"It can be summed up in three words – flavour, flavour and more flavour, and I haven’t forgotten about those who need gluten free, wheat free and low fat diabetic diets.”

The Viva! Cookbook costs £9.99 plus (£3.95 p&p) from Viva!, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH.

Order online vivashop.org.uk/ vivacookbook or call 0117 944 1000.

Here are some recipes for you to try at home.

Quick aubergine and tomato curry

Serves four to six, ready in 30 minutes.

It’s particularly good with something mellow to offset its slight tartness, such as a lentil dahl or a potato and chickpea curry. It’s also nice with a tin of chick peas or black-eyed beans added.

675g/1½lbs aubergines

2 tbsp plain oil or oil spray

1 heaped tsp turmeric powder

4 cloves

1 heaped tsp cumin powder

1½ tsp coriander powder

6 black peppercorns 2.5cm/1inch piece fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp chilli powder

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp salt

Juice of half a lemon

2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Cut aubergines in 2cm/1inch cubes and soak in cold water.

Assemble all the spices. Heat oil and fry spices for 2 minutes.

Drain the aubergines. Add them, the salt and tomatoes.

Cook, stirring occasionally for five minutes. Add lemon juice, cover and cook slowly until tender – about 20 minutes.

Add chopped fresh coriander just before serving hot.

Tony’s leek and almond pie

Serves four to six, ready in 30-40 minutes, including baking time.

This lovely creamy pie is very easy to make and looks lovely, too. Thanks to Tony Wardle – Viva’s Associate Director and super-cook – for the recipe.

3 medium-large leeks, cut lengthways and then sliced into 2cm/1 inch long pieces

2 tbsp olive oil

2 medium onions, cut in half lengthways then sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, crushed Oil spray or a little oil

1 sheet of ready-rolled vegan shortcrust pastry (eg Jus-Rol or Sainsbury’s)

4 heaped tbsp Engevita nutritional yeast flakes (Ocado, Holland & Barrett and other health food shops)

25g/1oz ground almonds

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Dairy-free, ½ carton (125ml/generous 4fl oz) – Oatly, Alpro or Provamel

½ tsp salt

Lots of black pepper

2-4 tbsp flaked almonds

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/ Gas Mark 6 – about 10-15 degrees less if fan-assisted.

Soak leeks in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes. Shake vigorously to get rid of grit, rinse and drain in a colander. Set aside.

Heat olive oil and sweat onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes, until onions start to soften. Add leeks and continue to cook gently until soft enough to eat – 5-10 minutes.

Add a small splash of water if they start to stick and stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, grease oven dish with oil spray or a little oil and gently place the sheet of pastry into dish, distributing evenly.

Trim off top edges with a knife.

Pierce pastry base a few times with a fork and cover the dish with baking parchment so it bakes evenly. Scatter baking beans over the parchment to weight it down evenly if possible. Cook the pastry in the hot oven for 10 minutes. This is called ‘blind baking’ and it prevents the pastry base from going soggy.

Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5 (10-15 degrees less if fan-assisted). Add yeast flakes, ground almonds, nutmeg, salt and pepper to onion/leek mix.

Stir in soya cream and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Spoon fill into the pastry dish and distribute evenly. Scatter flaked almonds over top and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Check after 15 minutes to ensure almonds are not burning.

Medjool dates with cream cheese and sherry vanilla sauce Serves four, ready in 10 minutes. Medjool dates have a beautiful butterscotch type flavour and are much nicer than the traditional smaller variety.

Or use fresh figs cut in half.

Stuffed dates

1 pack of medjool dates (approximately 2-3 medjool dates per person)

1-2 generous tsp plain vegan cream cheese per date, eg Tofutti Original, Sheese Original or Tesco Free From Original Style Spread Sauce

60ml/4 tbsp sweet or medium sherry made up with water to 250ml/8fl oz (many sherries – including most of Harvey’s – are vegan but check first)

1 tsp arrowroot

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

Mix arrowroot into the sherry/water, whisking well.

Bring to the boil, stirring continuously.

Add sugar and vanilla extract and simmer for a few minutes – until the sugar is dissolved.

Allow to cool – you want sauce to be just warm.

Split the dates with a sharp knife and spoon cream cheese into each one. Place the dates on a serving plate, drizzle the sauce around them and serve.

Chocolate berry cake

Serves six to 10, takes 50 minutes including baking time.

It’s slightly squidgey in the middle and is lovely served warm, with ice cream.

55g/2oz hazelnuts or flaked almonds (omit if unsuitable)

250g/9oz self-raising flour

85g/3oz cocoa powder

3 tsp baking powder

250g/9oz caster sugar

1 tbsp flaxmeal mixed with 3 tbsp hot water – flaxmeal available in pouches from Aldi, Sainsbury’s etc 1½ tsp vanilla extract 120ml/4fl oz mild-tasting plain oil, eg vegetable or sunflower 340ml/12fl oz soya or other plant milk, eg almond – use 50ml less if you want a firmer cake

125g/4½oz frozen raspberries or frozen mixed berries (don’t use fresh – they are too soft to bake)

Grease a 20cm/8 inch loose bottomed cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 (reduce by 10-15 degrees if using a fan-assisted oven).

If using unroasted nuts, gently roast them in a non-stick frying pan until golden brown. Cool, then – if using whole hazelnuts – chop into small chunks.

Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into a bowl. Mix in sugar, vanilla extract, oil, flaxmeal mixture and soya milk.

Beat mixture until it becomes a thick batter and stir in berries – and nuts, if using them.

Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or, until the cake is cooked. Test with a sharp knife or toothpick.

The middle should be slightly gooey. Allow the cake to cool in its tin then transfer to a wire rack – or serve it warm.