Food for thought about Veganuary | Letters

Veganuary should mean natural food, not ultra-processed. Many people starting Veganuary this month will assume that vegan substitutes for animal foods are nutritionally equivalent (How to go vegan: our beginner’s guide to everything from essential supplements to meat alternatives, January 3). But this is far from true.

Most meat imitations contain much less protein. Important micronutrients in meat, such as zinc and iron, are often not added to meat substitutes. Even if it is, it could be poorly absorbed through the body.

Most vegan cheese contains no proteinand much of it is high in coconut oil, which is extremely high in unhealthy saturated fat. And the essential omega-3 fats in oily fish are missing from almost all vegan foods, both natural and ultra-processed.

Eating less animal foods is crucial for the environment, but these foods should be replaced with natural plant foods, not ultra-processed foods.
Richard Hofman
Royston, Hertfordshire