You can enjoy a filling, tasty vegan meal almost anywhere you eat in Australia. Most restaurants are now vegetarian or vegan-friendly! Ethnic restaurants often offer meat-free options; others will adjust the ingredients or cook something that may not be on the menu.
Australia is the second-most popular nation in the world for vegans in 2020, behind only the UK, according to Chef's Pencil's latest annual index of the the most popular countries and cities for veganism around the world.
Going vegan in Australia is simple, but it can bring some challenges depending on your location and how diverse you'd like your lifestyle to be. Let's take a closer look at some of the best resources to help you do it right. Give these a try: Veggo Sizzle, Ayla's Café and Chianti.
Along with Melbourne and Brisbane, Sydney and Australia's other big cities appear to have the largest vegan population. Even though the Sunshine Coast is coming in with an abundance of vegan options, bigger cities like Sydney are still taking the title of highest vegan population.
In 2019 a nationally representative survey of Australians found that 35 percent of respondents were vegetarian or vegan for animal welfare reasons. The second most popular response was for health reasons.
The Sunshine Coast is one of the most vegetarian-friendly cities in the world. It has some of the best vegetarian restaurants in the world and is also home to Australia's first vegan grocery store. Vegetarianism is rising, and the Sunshine Coast is one of the best places to be a vegetarian or vegan.
Vegans tend to be younger than the general population, with the majority falling between 18 and 34. Younger generations are more attuned to animal welfare, climate change, and health issues and are more likely to adopt a plant-based diet.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in the US for example states that well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets are appropriate for all life stages, including pregnancy, infancy and childhood. But it also adds that vegans need to ensure they take vitamin B12, be it in the form of supplements or fortified foods.
An estimated 2 per cent of Australians are vegan, but a 2019 survey found almost 2.5 million people whose diet is all or almost all vegetarian, while almost 10 million Australians were eating less red meat.
Veganism is a lifestyle which avoids meat, fish and other animal by-products such as dairy, and is gaining popularity as each year goes by. In January 2023 there was a record-breaking sign up rate for Veganuary with one person signing up every 2.4 seconds on 1st January.
Nearly 2.5 million Australians (12.1% of the population) now have diets of which the food is all, or almost all, vegetarian, up from under 2.2 million (11.2%) four years ago in 2014.
This is also true in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), where research suggests that anywhere from 20-47% of Australians are flexitarians and 34% of New Zealanders are eating less or no meat. In 2019-2020, sales of vegan foods increased 32% to reach $185 million.
A vegan diet does not automatically mean that you will age faster or slower than anyone else. A balanced plant-based diet is however protective against premature ageing. Plant foods have a beneficial influence on the main processes that promote ageing; oxidation, inflammation and glycation.
The reality is that you won't look like you're 25 forever – no matter how “clean” or “healthy” or your diet might be. While there are a variety of health benefits associated with following a vegan diet, eating a vegan diet won't make you age faster or slower in and of itself.
Do vegans look younger? In general, vegans do not look any younger than people who choose to eat meat and dairy products, though many do live longer, healthier lives. Still, the effects of aging are not only determined by what we eat.
“Vegan diets are potentially very healthy as they are high in fruit, vegetables and legumes, and are even better if you include nuts, wholegrains and beans and lentils, as well as chia, hemp and flax seeds,” says Dr Phillips.
Like any eating plan to restrict specific food groups, vegan diets can come up short in essential nutrients such as protein, calcium, iron and vitamin B12. If planned and supplemented (as needed) appropriately, vegan diets can certainly be a part of a healthy lifestyle.
In Sydney, there are heaps of vegan restaurants at every budget that cater to whatever you're craving — vegan pizza, burgers, pies, gelato and a variety of cuisines including Japanese, Italian, Palestinian, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Mediterranean and Mexican.
Sydney is known for its diverse and delicious food scene. These food options are not limited to non-vegetarian and vegetarian food but also have top-notch plant-based dishes.
And lucky for vegan Melburnians, gone are the days of ordering hot chips and a sad salad consisting of just greens, red onion and tomato; in 2023, vegan eateries are practically a dime a dozen, and Happy Cow has ranked Melbourne as the fourth most vegan-friendly city in the world.