3 recipe ideas for vegan diet comfort food

With more grey days, it's no secret that many will start looking for comfort foods including vegans.

Though most people understand vegan diets to be difficult, there are plenty of options to ensure they're really not.

Nutritional researchers say there are various types of vegan diets and not just one way of being vegan. One vegan diet includes the junk-food vegan diet: a vegan diet that also relies heavily on mock meats and cheeses, fries, vegan desserts and other heavily processed vegan foods.

With the growing popularity of veganism, it may be important to list some of the health benefits. Health experts believe that vegans tend to be thinner and have a lower body mass index (BMI) than non-vegans.

A study published in US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health titled Type of Vegetarian Diet, Body Weight, and Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes suggests vegans benefit from lower blood sugar levels, higher insulin sensitivity and up to a 78 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than non-vegans

However, it's important to note that a vegetarian or vegan diet is no healthier than one that includes meat unless those who follow it cut out junk food, a study has revealed.

The study found that following a "plant-based" diet is pointless if people continue to eat processed, sugar-laden food.

Researcher Professor Demosthenes Panagiotakos, from the Harokopio University of Athens, said: "It seems that simply following a plant-based or vegetarian diet is not enough to reduce cardiovascular disease risk."

The Greek researchers said avoiding sweets, fruit juice and refined grains such as white bread and white flour is key.

Here are some fun dishes from vegans who have managed to put a twist on some of South Africa's dishes but are still making it a healthier option.

Homemade vegan Kota

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Homemade vegan Kota 🥪 . Vegan 🌱 Mince Vegan mince Coconut oil Pink salt Origanum Ground cumin Garlic Onion Diced mixed peppers Soft fry all the ingredients . Grill vegan sausages in olive oil . Bake potatoes in the oven with vegetable seasoning . Layer your Kota (you can add your preferred sauces and additional ingredients like lettuce)

A post shared by Mercy Mogase(@nourishbymercy) on Feb 23, 2020 at 5:14am PST

Vegan cheese burger

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Cheat day I’m spoiling myself with a vegan cheese burger. Cheese is from @nature_moi_veg Veggie patty @frysfamily #veggieburger #veganburger #foodblogger #veganfood #veganfoodblogger #conciousliving #vegancomfortfood #consciouseating #vegan #veganlife #plantbased #healthcoach #vegancoach #wholefoods #wholefoodplantbased #greensmoothie #smoothie #healthylifestyle #eatingclean #vegan #plantbaseddiet #healthybreakfast #healthyeating #foodbloggers #vegandessert #vegandishes #acalaca5dayveganchallange

A post shared by Acalaca Vegan Paradise(@acalaca_vegan_paradise) on Apr 15, 2020 at 4:35am PDT

Some plant-based comfort food for the weather. Jackfruit stew, chakalaka, potato salad and polenta pap.

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Some plant-based comfort food for the weather. Jackfruit stew, chakalaka, potato salad and polenta pap. I got my jackfruit from @leafygreenscafe deliver around Joburg #jackfruit #jackfruitrecipes #vegancomfortfood #plantbasedcomfortfood #plantbasedcooking #plantbasedcoach enquire #veganmeals #veganmealprep #vegan #vegansmoothiesandjuices #conciousliving #consciouseating #vegan #veganlife #plantbased #healthcoach #vegancoach #wholefoods #wholefoodplantbased #greensmoothie #smoothie #healthylifestyle #eatingclean #vegan #plantbaseddiet #healthybreakfast #healthyeating #foodbloggers #vegandessert #acalaca5dayveganchallange acalacabudgetfriendlyveganmeals

A post shared by Acalaca Vegan Paradise(@acalaca_vegan_paradise) on Apr 4, 2020 at 6:16am PDT