In recent years veganism has gone from fringe dietary choice to full-on mainstream and the demand for meat-free meals continues to grow, with the number of vegans in the UK quadrupling from 2014 to 2019. With that has come not only an increase in meat- and dairy-free options but a rapid growth in vegan alternatives that claim to substitute or even emulate meat, milk and cheese. For people who are trying to cut down on meat or dairy, fake versions offer the best of both worlds – a chance to lessen their environmental impact while emulating the experience they're used to.
Various plants make good vegan meat substitutions (shiitake 'bacon' and jackfruit 'pork' are common examples) but the more popular route is to process plant-based legumes or carbs to make everything from oat milk to pea-based burger patties. Yet while these alternatives are becoming more accessible (as supermarkets and fast food brands launch their own vegan meals or milks), question marks surround the claims that they are inherently better for the environment.
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First, the good news for environmental vegans: according to Ethical Consumer, not eating meat is always better for the planet than eating it, same for dairy. But if the environment is your concern (as frankly it should be, sorry lads) there is quite a big difference between one plant-based milk and another, depending on what it's made of and where it's from.
In the coming slides we've broken down the key ingredients that make up the majority of vegan alternatives, how to judge their environmental impact, and what to watch out for in your purchases. As ever, keep an eye on packaging – the less plastic, the better!
SOYA
Let's start with the most popular product: soya beans.
What it's used for
Milk, ice cream, tofu, meat substitutes
What you need to know
Soya is a complicated beast – its versatility means it has long been used by vegetarians and has been a staple in Asian cuisines for centuries. Interestingly, only 6% of the soya grown in the world is directly consumed by humans, with the majority being used to feed livestock. Which is a long way of saying there is a lot of soya being produced each year.
Soya's mass production has been heavily criticised for its role in the deforestation of South America. The situation is complicated but essentially it's best to avoid Brazilian soya, as there is a risk it will encourage deforestation. Your best bet is to look at brand lists like these, which include a bunch that grow their soy in Europe (which also reduces the impact of shipping).
That said, it's important to keep perspective about the environmental impact of soya – while there are perhaps other, more sustainable vegan alternatives, it is far better than real meat and dairy options. From a nutritional standpoint it's a good source of protein and many soy products (particularly milks) are fortified with nutrients like calcium and vitamins D, B and B12.
Best supermarket/high street options
Taifun grows 100% of its soybeans in central Europe, and 99% are organically grown. You can buy its natural and smoked tofu, as well as its sausages, from Waitrose and Planet Organic.
Plenish makes unsweetened organic soya milk and sustainably sources all its beans from the south of France. It's available from Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Asda (according to the website).
Vivera has a range of plant-based meat alternatives and says on its site that its soy is sourced from North America and China which, while far to import, is better than from South America. Its soya is also GMO free and is available at a range of supermarkets.
Let's start with the most popular product: soya beans.
What it's used for
Milk, ice cream, tofu, meat substitutes
What you need to know
Soya is a complicated beast – its versatility means it has long been used by vegetarians and has been a staple in Asian cuisines for centuries. Interestingly, only 6% of the soya grown in the world is directly consumed by humans, with the majority being used to feed livestock. Which is a long way of saying there is a lot of soya being produced each year.
Soya's mass production has been heavily criticised for its role in the deforestation of South America. The situation is complicated but essentially it's best to avoid Brazilian soya, as there is a risk it will encourage deforestation. Your best bet is to look at brand lists like these, which include a bunch that grow their soy in Europe (which also reduces the impact of shipping).
That said, it's important to keep perspective about the environmental impact of soya – while there are perhaps other, more sustainable vegan alternatives, it is far better than real meat and dairy options. From a nutritional standpoint it's a good source of protein and many soy products (particularly milks) are fortified with nutrients like calcium and vitamins D, B and B12.
Best supermarket/high street options
Taifun grows 100% of its soybeans in central Europe, and 99% are organically grown. You can buy its natural and smoked tofu, as well as its sausages, from Waitrose and Planet Organic.
Plenish makes unsweetened organic soya milk and sustainably sources all its beans from the south of France. It's available from Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Asda (according to the website).
Vivera has a range of plant-based meat alternatives and says on its site that its soy is sourced from North America and China which, while far to import, is better than from South America. Its soya is also GMO free and is available at a range of supermarkets.
ALMOND
What it's used for
Milk, ice cream, some cheese
What you need to know
There's a running joke in The Good Place where Chidi, one of the main characters, is convinced he ended up in the Bad Place because of his predilection for almond milk. He knows it's bad for the environment but he just can't. Stop. Drinking it! While it wasn't his love for the creamy, dusty taste that sent him to hell, there definitely are problems with the almond industry. It takes approximately 74 litres of water to produce one 200ml glass of almond milk, which is more than any other plant-based milk (though less than a typical glass of dairy milk). When you consider that the vast majority of the world's almonds (80%) are produced in California, which often experiences drought, using so much water becomes environmentally and ethically questionable. More recently there's been a focus on how almond production is decimating the bee population. All in all, not great. That said, some brands do use European grown almonds which (they claim) use far less water than Californian almonds, although these are few and far between.
Best high street options
There are some good organic brands recommended by Ethical Consumer including Rude Health, which is available on the high street.
All Nush almond products (including milks and yoghurts) use almonds from Europe and are produced in the UK.
What it's used for
Milk, ice cream, some cheese
What you need to know
There's a running joke in The Good Place where Chidi, one of the main characters, is convinced he ended up in the Bad Place because of his predilection for almond milk. He knows it's bad for the environment but he just can't. Stop. Drinking it! While it wasn't his love for the creamy, dusty taste that sent him to hell, there definitely are problems with the almond industry. It takes approximately 74 litres of water to produce one 200ml glass of almond milk, which is more than any other plant-based milk (though less than a typical glass of dairy milk). When you consider that the vast majority of the world's almonds (80%) are produced in California, which often experiences drought, using so much water becomes environmentally and ethically questionable. More recently there's been a focus on how almond production is decimating the bee population. All in all, not great. That said, some brands do use European grown almonds which (they claim) use far less water than Californian almonds, although these are few and far between.
Best high street options
There are some good organic brands recommended by Ethical Consumer including Rude Health, which is available on the high street.
All Nush almond products (including milks and yoghurts) use almonds from Europe and are produced in the UK.
COCONUT
What it's used for
Butter, cheese, milk
What you need to know
Coconuts have a relatively low environmental impact pre-shipping and are commonly grown without the use of pesticides but grow naturally in tropical climates, which increases shipping. There is also the issue that increasing demand may lead to rapid plantation expansion, potentially to the detriment of pristine habitat. Your best bet is to search for fair trade coconut options to ensure your purchase isn't damaging the habitat and the workers are being paid a fair wage.
Best high street options
Currently Lucy Bee is the only brand with organic fair trade coconut products including milk, oil and creamed coconut. It's available on the high street and you can see stockists here (including Tesco and Asda).
What it's used for
Butter, cheese, milk
What you need to know
Coconuts have a relatively low environmental impact pre-shipping and are commonly grown without the use of pesticides but grow naturally in tropical climates, which increases shipping. There is also the issue that increasing demand may lead to rapid plantation expansion, potentially to the detriment of pristine habitat. Your best bet is to search for fair trade coconut options to ensure your purchase isn't damaging the habitat and the workers are being paid a fair wage.
Best high street options
Currently Lucy Bee is the only brand with organic fair trade coconut products including milk, oil and creamed coconut. It's available on the high street and you can see stockists here (including Tesco and Asda).
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OAT
What it's used for
Various dairy substitutes including milk, crème fraîche and ice cream
What you need to know
There's a reason that oat products are seen as the best option for the environmentally minded vegan. Compared to most other dairy and dairy-free products, the impact of oat production is far lower in terms of emissions, land use and water use, according to this analysis. It's worth being cautious of praising it too much (as there aren't any studies into what is definitely the most sustainable of the non-dairy products) but generally, as long as the oats are organically grown and sourced relatively locally, you're good to go.
Best high street options
Oatly is many people's go-to when it comes to oat products as it is now widely available, and its organic range is the (oat) cream of the crop. While not all its products are organic, Oatly lists all the origins and suppliers of all ingredients in its products. A+ for transparency.
What it's used for
Various dairy substitutes including milk, crème fraîche and ice cream
What you need to know
There's a reason that oat products are seen as the best option for the environmentally minded vegan. Compared to most other dairy and dairy-free products, the impact of oat production is far lower in terms of emissions, land use and water use, according to this analysis. It's worth being cautious of praising it too much (as there aren't any studies into what is definitely the most sustainable of the non-dairy products) but generally, as long as the oats are organically grown and sourced relatively locally, you're good to go.
Best high street options
Oatly is many people's go-to when it comes to oat products as it is now widely available, and its organic range is the (oat) cream of the crop. While not all its products are organic, Oatly lists all the origins and suppliers of all ingredients in its products. A+ for transparency.
PEA
What it's used for
Milk, meat substitutes
What you need to know
First things first – it's not the peas you're thinking of, most of the time. The peas used to make patties and milk are more commonly yellow split peas (or YSP, as no one but me says), a great source of protein and nutrients. While pea milk has been made for years, it's relatively new on the scene in terms of availability and popularity in the UK. While YSP can be grown in the UK – a rarity for plant proteins used in vegan products – the majority of pea-based products seem to be produced overseas. That said, peas are taking on sustainability from all angles – they not only require far less water but according to Time they are tolerant to drought and reduce the need for nitrogen fertilisers because they take nitrogen from the air and store it in their roots, and make an ideal candidate for crop rotation. Research done by US-based pea milk brand Ripple found that its pea milk produces 25% of the greenhouse gases produced by dairy milk, and its water use is much lower too. However there is little independent research into its environmental sustainability. As ever, it has as much to do with where the ingredients are sourced from as how they are grown.
Best high street options
Sproud (which is sold in Waitrose) is Swedish grown and made pea milk, though doesn't appear to be organic.
That said, it looks like peas won't be long in dominating the meat- and dairy-free alternatives. In 2018, Mintel reported 757 new pea-related foods hit the shelves, and the introduction of pea products to UK supermarkets is only set to increase in the coming year.
What it's used for
Milk, meat substitutes
What you need to know
First things first – it's not the peas you're thinking of, most of the time. The peas used to make patties and milk are more commonly yellow split peas (or YSP, as no one but me says), a great source of protein and nutrients. While pea milk has been made for years, it's relatively new on the scene in terms of availability and popularity in the UK. While YSP can be grown in the UK – a rarity for plant proteins used in vegan products – the majority of pea-based products seem to be produced overseas. That said, peas are taking on sustainability from all angles – they not only require far less water but according to Time they are tolerant to drought and reduce the need for nitrogen fertilisers because they take nitrogen from the air and store it in their roots, and make an ideal candidate for crop rotation. Research done by US-based pea milk brand Ripple found that its pea milk produces 25% of the greenhouse gases produced by dairy milk, and its water use is much lower too. However there is little independent research into its environmental sustainability. As ever, it has as much to do with where the ingredients are sourced from as how they are grown.
Best high street options
Sproud (which is sold in Waitrose) is Swedish grown and made pea milk, though doesn't appear to be organic.
That said, it looks like peas won't be long in dominating the meat- and dairy-free alternatives. In 2018, Mintel reported 757 new pea-related foods hit the shelves, and the introduction of pea products to UK supermarkets is only set to increase in the coming year.
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