I recently published my glossy cookbook, ‘Vegans Can’t Eat Anything!’ I have been vegan for 8 years and vegetarian for 19 years. I decided to write the cookbook to help inspire vegans, those catering for vegans and those just wishing to eat more healthily, with menu ideas.

As a vegan, I have become accustomed to a total absence of vegan dishes in many restaurants. There is a total imagination bypass at times when you say you are vegan and what can they provide? Staff may look totally blank and then ask if you eat fish or chicken? I got so tired of explaining that actually there are loads of really healthy, tasty things vegans can eat, that I decided to write the book. The titles of the book and chapters originate from what some restaurants actually said when asked for their vegan options.

I always try to use fresh, organic ingredients and my recipes range from regional Lancashire fare to international dishes. For example, ‘Bonfire Pie’ is based on a Lancashire dish eaten with pickled red cabbage on Bonfire Night and ‘Crispy Fried Tempeh and Vegetables in Indonesian Satay Sauce’ is based on a dish from Holland. The book includes nutritional information, as well as the reasons behind my decision to become vegetarian, then vegan.

The health impacts are enormous. Many people are worried about heart disease, strokes and cancers. A vegan diet is excellent for reaching and maintaining an ideal weight and improving health. It is naturally high in fibre, vitamins and minerals and low in saturated fats, sugar and salt. It can reduce the risk of heart disease, strokes and cancers.

We can also reduce our impact on the planet. The meat and dairy industries use huge amounts of land and water and generate carbon emissions. This is one of the major contributors to global warming. Changing to a healthier diet not only improves health and reduces the risk of obesity but benefits the planet.

It is important also to respect the right of non-human animals to live their lives free of the exploitation, cruelty and suffering caused by humans in the production of food.

‘Vegans Can’t Eat Anything!’ is available now from the publisher Lulu.com, Amazon, Ingram Book Company and other on-line book retailers.

About the Author – Catherine Greenall
Catherine Greenall has been writing since retiring as a government scientist. Her work includes ghost, horror and realism, as well as cookery. Her recent published works include the vegan cookbook and a ghost story.

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