Swap chicken for beans and avoid cheeze … From a MasterChef finalist to a maker of ready meals, high-profile vegans give their favourite recipes and tips
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his new year, you may be embarking on Veganuary, or have resolved to eat less meat and dairy in 2026. What are some of the simplest switches to make and most nutritious dishes to try with minimum fuss? Vegans share their tips on how to eat a balanced plant-based diet.
Sophie Sugrue, who last autumn became the first plant-based finalist on MasterChef, says: “It has pushed me to experiment so much more with different flavours from all over the world, because there’s so much naturally plant-based food.” Her favourite cuisines are “Japanese, because although they use fish sauce, it can be subbed out, and they use a lot of tofu; Vietnamese food is incredible, because a lot of people follow a plant-based diet. If you go to a Vietnamese grocery store, you can find loads of substitutes.”
“Make sure that you’re hitting all of your food groups,” says the dietitian Reena Sharma, who suggests using the Eatwell Guide. Check that “you still have protein, you still have healthy fats, you still have omega-3”. Although you can also get plant-based omega-3 from things such as walnuts and flaxseeds, the rate at which it is converted to what our body needs is low, so Sharma recommends taking a supplement.
