In the case of certain dishes, it does not matter if you are vegetarian or not. These are traditional preparations that everyone loves, and that can be eaten alone or accompanied.

1. Ratatouille

One of the best-known recipes in French cuisine, composed solely and exclusively of vegetables. If you have not tried this traditional dish yet, at least you know its name thanks to the movie that is called the same.

2. Pisto manchego

This dish is the Spanish relative of ratatouille. You'll often find it served with a crushed egg for a topping, perfect for an ovo-vegetarian diet.

3. Escalivada

A classic of Spanish cuisine, very healthy, with aubergines, peppers, zucchini, onion, and garlic.

4. Vegetable stew 

A hearty and generous homemade recipe to mix many vegetables and get the best of them.

5. Spinach Soufflé

Soufflé is another homemade dish, which in this case we propose in a salty version, with our beloved spinach.

6. Vegetable Wok

In this case, rather than talking about a traditional dish, we could talk about a technique (wok cooking) or a well-known utensil. Borrowed from oriental kitchens, a good wok will allow us to cook a delicious variety of vegetables, in a very healthy way.

7. Falafels

I believe that no vegetarian in this world does not love this dish. Also, you can make versions that do not contain chickpeas, but rather other grains, such as lentils.

VEGETARIAN QUICHES AND TORTILLAS

These egg-based preparations are a great example of ovo-vegetarian or ovo-lacto-vegetarian cuisine, depending on the case. The point is that all (well, almost all) use vegetables, and they are light, delicious, as well as very easy and fast to prepare.

1. Asparagus omelet

Asparagus is a true vegetable delight, for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. With this recipe, you can prepare them in an omelet and even solve a quick lunch or dinner.

2. Zucchini Omelet

We have already talked about zucchini in spaghetti, and now we present a second idea to cook these vegetables, but in the form of an omelet. I can think of few healthier and faster recipes than this one.

3. Spinach Tortilla

We have also already talked about spinach, but this time we suggest you prepare these delicious vegetables in an omelet. Either way, Popeye's delicious delicacy will be rich and nutritious, with this or other recipes.

4. Omelet

This is one of the most Spanish recipes out there and it is deliciously vegetarian. I'll be back in a moment because I'm hungry and I'm going to start cutting potatoes and cooking.

5. Frittata

If you want to prepare eggs in an Italian style, then this recipe is the one for you. Need I say that it is totally suitable for vegetarians?

6. Omelet

Now is the time to make a transition to French cuisine, and we will do it with this omelet recipe, which is totally suitable for vegetarians and can be filled with your favorite vegetables.

7. Spinach Quiche

Again, spinach comes to the fore among our vegetarian food options, and I suppose you may have noticed by now that we love them. How could it be otherwise? In addition to being rich and versatile, they are highly nutritious vegetables.

8. Vegetable Quiche

This quiche recipe goes beyond the obvious, featuring a pie-style flour topping for this healthy, veggie-filled preparation.

Veganism, like vegetarianism, is a philosophy and a lifestyle that seeks to reduce cruelty and exploitation towards animals, from food, clothing, or any other purpose. Worldwide, it is estimated that there are around 75,300,000 vegans.

The most common is to start a plant-based diet, avoiding meat, fish, shellfish, insects, dairy, eggs, honey, and any component that derives from cruelty.

The Vegan Society claims that people have chosen to avoid animal products for more than 2,000 years. For example, in 500 a. C, the philosopher Pythagoras helped promote benevolence in all species and followed what can be described as a vegetarian diet. In a near time, Buddha also discussed related subjects with his followers and from there the concept and its practices have evolved. 

So what do vegans eat?

Unlike veganism, and in addition to eliminating meat, vegans choose to eliminate dairy, eggs, and fish. This type of diet is very diverse and includes fruits, grains, nuts, vegetables, seeds, beans, legumes, among others. There is actually an infinite number of combinations that you can make to stay on your vegan diet. 

What is being vegan about beyond food?

Being vegan, although the diet is essential, is more than that. In fact, if you only eliminate animal meat, you would be becoming a vegetarian because this is a philosophy that avoids any exploitation that may exist towards the animal.

Compassion is one of the reasons why this lifestyle is chosen, eliminating makeup, clothing, accessories, among others, that have caused damage in its creation.

Some vegans also choose to eliminate medications, since the main reason is that these must be tested on animals, before being considered for human consumption, however, this must be medically founded.

Along the same lines of animal exploitation, vegans do not support animal-based entertainment such as aquariums, zoos, circuses, among others. 

Types of vegans

Ethical Vegans

Ethical vegans are those who have chosen this lifestyle due to animal cruelty, so these types of people avoid being related to the exploitation of animals.

Environmental vegans

E Vegans these have the philosophy of a greener lifestyle and friendly to the environment, who believe, in this way, put your bit to improve the health of the planet.

Vegan health

Health is one of the biggest drivers of acquiring this lifestyle. Health vegans consider generating greater awareness of their nutrition and health, through the reduction of diseases, reducing animal meats.

Religious vegans

Those who choose this diet as a result of religious beliefs, for example, Jainism, where its believers consume strict vegan diets; Also, along the same lines, you can find vegan Buddhists. 

Types of veganism according to their variations in the diet

Just as there are variations in a vegetarian diet, there are also variations in lifestyle choices and variations in veganism. Some types of veganism include:

Fruity vegans

Este type of vegan diet is low in fat and crude. This subset limits high-fat foods like nuts, avocados, and coconuts. Focusing on fruit instead relies primarily on fruit. 

Whole vegans

This diet is based on whole foods such as legumes, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fruits, and seeds.

Diet vegans or plant-based eaters

They are those who avoid foods of animal origin but continue to use clothing and cosmetics from their abuse.

Junk Food Vegans

They are those that provide their diet with a large percentage of processed foods such as vegan meats, frozen dinners, French fries, among others.

Raw Food Vegans

They are the ones who only add foods cooked at temperatures below 48 ° C or, failing that, raw to their diet.

How are vegans different from vegetarians?

Unlike vegans, vegetarians can vary their philosophy and their diets. On the one hand, being a vegetarian can be better nutrition and thrifty decision, on the other hand, vegans base their entire life and every aspect of it on zero cruelty.

Keep in mind that if he eliminated eggs or dairy from his diet he is a strict vegetarian and remains in that category. Remember the types of vegetarianism since in some cases animal products continue to be added to their lives such as clothing, accessories, among others: 

1. Lacto-Ovo vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products.
2. Lacto-vegetarians consume dairy products, without eggs.
3. Pescetarians do not eat meat from birds or mammals, but they do eat fish and shellfish.

What should a vegan diet have?

In addition to eliminating animal meats and all products from them, some main ingredients that you can taste will be:

• Vegetable dairy.
• Tofu
• Sweeteners like molasses or maple syrup.  
• Beans, lentils.
• Nuts and seeds.
• Tempeh.
• Vegetables.

Taking into account some nutrients required by the body, and the ease with which they can be forgotten to ingest them, it is important to focus the vegan diet on ingredients such as protein, fat, calcium, and other vitamins, which may be lacking in a diet without dairy products and meat. 

1. Your diet should include at least three daily servings of protein. Vegetable options are beans, tofu, soy products, peanuts, and walnuts, among others.
2. Fats should always be present and you can find them in avocados, seeds, nut butter, vegetable oils, among others.
3. Even if you feel that you have a balance in the diet, in many cases the taking of nutritional supplements of vitamin B12, iodine, and vitamin D is required separately, since it is complex, sometimes, to find them in food.
4. Without dairy products, be careful of losing calcium in your diet. Include foods rich in this vitamin with kale, turnip greens, fortified plant milk, and some types of tofu.

Benefits of adopting a vegan lifestyle

Positive impact on your health 

Remember that a balanced vegan diet offers many benefits to your health, some such as reducing the risk of heart disease, obtaining more fiber, antioxidants and plant compounds benefits.  It will help you lose weight, lower blood sugar levels, and improve kidney function; it will prevent you from suffering from colorectal cancer, among many more.

It is important to be clear that you have to strengthen the vegan diet with foods enriched in B12, fortified cereals, soy milk, among others. Usually, the correct diet tends to be high in dietary fiber, magnesium, folic acid, vitamins C and E, iron, and phytochemicals, lower in calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol. In this way, it is advisable to follow medical or nutritional recommendations if this lifestyle is to be adopted.  

Positive impact on the environment and for animals 

Each year, more than 150 billion farm animals are slaughtered. Industrial agriculture and animal agriculture have an impact on the environment and agriculture is estimated to be responsible for 37 percent of all methane emissions, 3 million acres of rainforest destruction, 90 million tons of dioxide of carbon, 260 million trees from deforestation, and in general, from the increase in the rate of global warming by up to 50 percent.

Imagine reducing the impact generated in the said industry through this lifestyle. According to the UN, it is possible to combat the worst effects of climate change through a plant-based diet and a study by the University of Oxford, published in the journal Climatic Change, shows that meat consumers are responsible for almost twice as much greenhouse gas emissions than vegetarians and about two and a half times more than vegans. 

How to start being vegan? 

If you chose to go vegan you can do it gradually or completely. If you decide to do it the first way, try to eliminate one animal product at a time, either daily or weekly.

Subsequently, increase the number of days, of animal proteins, until it is completely done. Otherwise, if you decide to gamble radically stay focused on the reason why you are doing it, this will help you facilitate your progress and prevent you from consuming meat again. 

Also try connecting with communities that follow this lifestyle, as they will support you in your process of change, as well as recipe tips and local restaurant recommendations, among others.

Veganism is beyond a type of diet, it is a philosophy and lifestyle based on reducing cruelty and the environmental state of the planet. Following a rigorous and well-planned diet will be important to avoid long-term health problems.

The vegetarian diet has many health benefits, it decreases the risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cancer, or heart ailments. Many people frequently wonder if vegan and vegetarian diets are capable of meeting all nutritional needs during the life stages, and the answer is yes. 

A well-balanced vegetarian or vegan diet is capable of providing all the nutrients, in addition to being rich in fiber, it is highly beneficial for the health of children, as it includes fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes, nuts, and seeds, discovers the infinity of flavors that can keep you healthy and fit! 

Whether you follow a diet of this type or your children are attracted to vegetarian food, you are in the right place! Today you will learn what the nutritional needs of children are and we will share 5 healthy recipes that you can easily integrate into your little ones' menu, let's go!

Vitamins and nutrients in a vegetarian menu

Between 2 and 11 years old, children go through a stage in which growth is remarkable, if we want to plant good eating habits and strengthen their growth, we must teach them to eat a balanced diet from the first years of life. 

In this sense, vegetarian diets can help improve the health of children, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics emphasizes how this type of diet is capable of meeting all the nutritional needs of children, in addition to providing various benefits. If you want to know about the advantages and disadvantages of this type of diet, we recommend our article " impact of vegetarianism on children ."

A vegetarian diet is a good choice as long as it covers the consumption of essential nutrients, as their name implies, they are essential for children to develop all the basic conditions of childhood and avoid future health problems. 

The essential nutrients that you should include in a vegetarian diet for children are:

1. Calcium and vitamin D

This vitamin helps growth at different stages of development, in addition to being associated with a lower risk of osteoporosis in adult life. We can obtain these nutrients through foods such as wheat germ, mushrooms, oats, sunflower seeds, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and moderate exposure to the sun.

2. Iron and zinc

They are nutrients that stimulate the development of intellectual capacity and protect children against infections, they are found in green leafy vegetables, onion, tomato, or cucumber.

3. Vitamin B12

This vitamin belongs to the B complex group and helps children obtain the energy provided by macronutrients, it can be found in foods such as eggs, milk, those derived from dairy products, and nutritional yeasts.

4. Fiber

Constipation is usually a common affection during childhood; however, it is easy for vegetarian children to get fiber, as it is mainly found in fruits and vegetables. Do not forget to accompany it with plenty of liquid to improve its absorption, especially in vegetarian menus.

5. Omega 3

This nutrient has important functions in the neurological development of children, as well as in their visual function. You can get omega 3s from foods like flaxseeds, walnuts, chia, tofu, and soybeans.

Very well! Now that you know what are the essential nutrients that every child should have in their daily diet, you must know what their caloric requirement (energy) is, this may vary depending on the stage of life in which they are, let's know this information!

Caloric requirements for vegetarian menus at different stages

If a child is on a vegetarian or vegan diet, they will likely feel full very quickly since their foods are usually high in fiber (although low in fat); However, we must be careful, because it is rich in fiber does not mean that it covers all caloric needs. 

The caloric needs depending on each stage in the life of children are:

- 1-year-old baby: 900 Kcal 

It should be noted that if the baby walks or crawls very actively, his needs are likely to increase by 100 to 250.

- Children 2 to 3 years old: 1000 Kcal 

Depending on the physical activity carried out by children, this amount can increase from 200 to 350 Kcal; For example, if the child performs a mild physical activity, he will need to consume approximately 1200 Kcal, a moderate activity will require 1250 Kcal and finally, if he has a high physical activity, it is recommended to consume 1350 Kcal. 

- Children 4-8 years: 1200-1400 Kcal 

During this stage of life, children develop language, cognitive, sensory, motor skills, and social bonding. As in the previous cases, if you perform a higher physical activity, you may need 200 to 400 Kcal more. 

- Children 9-13 years: 1400-1600 Kcal

In this period, known as puberty, children experience various physical and hormonal changes, which causes their caloric intake to increase from 200 to 400 Kcal if they engage in any physical activity. 

- Children over 14 years: 1800-2200 Kcal 

In this stage, the physical and mental changes such as menstruation, the change of the voice, and the development of affective bonds continue, for this reason, the caloric intake also becomes greater. At these ages, the intake also increases from 200 to 400 Kcal depending on the physical activity that is carried out.

Vegetarian children need foods with high energy density in their vegetarian menu to cover all their needs during their growth, remember that it is important to maintain the correct levels, as this will influence even later stages of their life; For this reason, it is advisable to add healthy fats such as seeds, nuts or avocado, in addition to including more meals during the day.

Remember that all the recipes on your vegetarian menu must include the food groups essential for growth, in this way you will maintain balanced nutrition in your little ones. We assure you that if you do it well, these practices will bring well-being to your whole family!

Vegetarian menu ideas for the little ones

Okay, now is the time to move on! We will show you 5 options of vegetarian meals that are easy to prepare and with the necessary nutrients to provide a balanced diet. See the great versatility of the ingredients and start combining a wide range of flavors in your little ones' meals. Go ahead!

1. Mushroom ceviche

This recipe, in addition to being delicious and fresh, is rich in iron, an essential nutrient for the development of children's intellectual capacity, it also generates greater resistance against infections.

Mushrooms also help us to properly flow the blood, strengthen the heart, increase the feeling of satiety (so you can use them to cook very substantial meals), they work as antidepressants, they are rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals! amazing health benefits!

In case your child has diabetes, remember that the glycemic index of these mushrooms is very low, so it lowers blood sugar levels benefiting health, also, these small mushrooms help protect red blood cells and monocytes from the organisms.

2. Cream of pea with sautéed corn

The second option is a cream rich in zinc since both peas and corn are a great source of this nutrient. Incorporating zinc into the regular diet of children ensures that they have adequate physical and intellectual development, this is because it stimulates the proper functioning of many-body systems, helps build resistance to various infections, and maintains healthy skin.

One of the main benefits of preparing this recipe is that it does not produce allergic reactions, unlike dairy proteins, peas are hypoallergenic, also, the power of this protein does not contain gluten or lactose, so if your child is allergic to these components, you can enjoy this recipe without any problem.

3. Red fruit jam with seeds

This rich recipe will serve as a complement to many meals for your little one since it is capable of providing the essential nutrients for their growth. Nutritionally, red fruits provide significant amounts of vitamin C, even higher than those provided by citrus, despite being the best known and recommended as a source of this vitamin.

Curiously, red fruits also contain the star combination among their micronutrients, since they may provide iron and vitamin C, thus improving the use of both nutrients. As if this were not enough, they also contain beneficial properties for the immune system, a great advantage, since the immune system of children is not 100% developed.

This jam rich in omega 3 will positively impact the central nervous system of children, which will benefit their learning ability, cognitive development, and visual acuity. Excellent and delicious!

If you want to prepare vegetarian and vegan desserts that are delicious and nutritious for your little ones, we recommend you watch the following video, in which you will learn how to make a delicious recipe for cookies with oats, coconut, and honey, as well as a mango pannacotta, let's go!

Healthy food is unfortunately not around the corner on many occasions. 

What is there is our desire to improve our diet and do our bit to stop animal cruelty and global warming.

However, we sometimes question this decision when we don't know what to cook or where to buy our food. Has it happened to you?

For this reason, we believe that if you take a course in vegetarian food, this will help you alleviate this feeling. This way you can also encourage others to dare to eat in this way and never, never lose the most delicious flavors of gastronomy.

Learn how to prepare delicious vegetarian recipes

It is no secret to anyone that sometimes we believe that only by eating salads we are supplying our good diet.

But no, it is not. In reality, the gastronomy is so wide that we have an endless number of vegetarian flavors to try. Enroll in our Diploma in Vegan and Vegetarian Food and learn how to prepare these delicious recipes.

So that no more happens to you and you stop worrying about it, before moving forward with vegetarian food, let's clarify some doubts first.

What is vegetarianism and what is veganism, differences

Sometimes they are terms that confuse us, especially when starting. But for you, who may be starting, we are going to tell you quickly.

On the one hand, a vegetarian is a person who does not eat meat, fish, shellfish, or products that contain them. 

Vegetarianism can be divided into 2 types:

• Ovolactovegetarians: these types of people consume cereals, vegetables, fruits, legumes, seeds, nuts, dairy, and eggs.
• Lacto-vegetarians: they can eat what is listed above, except eggs.

Now, let's define what vegans are. It's actually easy to tell them apart. They are the ones who base their diet on vegan foods, they do so excluding eggs, dairy products, and other foods of animal origin.

Types of diets you can have, based on vegetarianism

But be careful. Based on these types of diet mentioned, others are also derived, such as:

• Those who practice macrobiotic diet: They describe their diet as vegetarian and it is based mainly on cereals, legumes, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Fish can be eaten in small quantities.
• Hindu-Asian diet: This is predominantly plant-based, and can often be Lacto-vegetarian.
• Raw diet: this can be vegan, consisting mainly or exclusively of raw and unprocessed foods. The foods used are fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouted cereals; unpasteurized dairy products can be included.
• Frugivorous diet: they are vegan diets based on fruits, nuts, and seeds. Vegetables, cereals, legumes, and animal products are excluded.

In recent years, vegetarian cuisine has taken a boom but few courses on it. 

Surely at some point, you have already met someone vegan or vegetarian, whether for religious, environmental, or personal reasons. 

You can even think that it is a fashion of a few people but the reality is that with time, there are more and more special foods in the supermarket for those who practice this type of diet.

We even see that many restaurant options offer this type of menu to their guests, gourmet vegan food restaurants, which offer a wide variety of vegetarian dishes, letting us know that vegetarian cuisine is very wide and varied.

10 things you can learn in a vegetarian food course

Learning to cook nutrient-rich dishes is a task for those who want to take care of themselves in every way.

In a vegetarian food course, you will realize that not all preparations are salads. Something very common in the world of those who do not know in depth what it means to be a vegetarian and what to eat.

Like you, we know that instead many preparations are delicious, healthy, and nutritious made from plant foods.

1.- You will learn to create food combinations

Combining foods will help you create your own vegetarian food recipes.  Many times we come to think that vegetarian meals can become boring and we can even miss the flavors of meats or dairy. Forget about that though.

The truth is that when you learn to make good pairings with the correct foods, the mixtures between these ingredients achieve flavors and textures that are very pleasant to the palate.

2.- To have a healthy vegan and vegetarian diet

Yes, it may sound confusing but not everything that claims to be vegan is healthy. In a vegetarian food course, you will learn that the correct selection of food is necessary when shopping for food.

This moment is very important because it determines the quality of the diet. 

I'm going to give you a tip because I like you. Here it goes:

You can make a list and plan your menus per week. If you look at what you have in your refrigerator and cupboard, write down only what you need to make your dishes. 

What better tip, right?

3.- You will know the correct handling of food 

Well, if you want to eat deliciously, you also need to know how to ensure that everything is in order.

It is here where you will see, in the course of vegetarian food, the processes of hygiene, washing, and disinfection, to avoid food-borne diseases. Ensuring the health of your family or your guests in case of having a vegetarian food business.

4.- The fortune of vegetarians, varied dishes

You will realize that, contrary to what most people think, this kitchen, both vegetarian and vegan, has a great variety of dishes, recipes, and combinations of different foods.

That makes it extremely attractive and it would have nothing to envy other kitchens. 

However, it is just the lack of creativity, and sometimes, the lack of knowledge when making different combinations, both of flavors and textures that you can obtain from different foods.

5.- Cooking methods

Don't think that just combining ingredients is the key to making vegetarian food a delight.

On the contrary, in vegetarian gastronomy, cooking methods are very important. There are many options to be able to cook healthy and tasty food with which you can delight your families, such as roasted, sautéed, baked, steamed, poached, pressure, and stews.

Do you see that there is a great variety? 

A vegetarian food course will help you learn about the breadth of this cuisine, from recipes, cooking techniques, and much more. Keep reading to anticipate some of what you will see in the Diploma in Vegan and Vegetarian Food.

6.- Variety of vegetarian products

You will discover that there is a wide variety of products for vegetarians, so pay attention to this:

These foods are enriched with different vitamins and minerals so that your diet does not lack any micronutrients and therefore, there are no signs of deficiency in hair, skin, nails. 

That is why vegetarians must include this type of food in their menus. These foods can be for example soy milk, meat substitutes, cereals, juices.

7.- Plan your vegetarian diet like a nutritionist

It is very important that you know that a well-planned vegan or vegetarian diet is appropriate for all stages of life, including pregnancy, breastfeeding, childhood, youth, adulthood, and older adults, and even if you are an athlete. 

The key to always being healthy? Plan your diet and the products that you will include in your diet. 

If you do it the right way, these types of diets promote normal growth. Therefore, vegetarian food provides all the nutrients you need throughout life.

8.- Supplement your nutritional needs 

In this course on vegetarian food, you can learn to adequately supply the nutrients that meats provide with products of plant origin. 

So how to pay special attention to certain deficiencies that are usually common in vegetarian diets. But do not worry, these deficiencies can be supplemented by nutritional supplements of vitamins and minerals. 

That is why you must take into account the following:

Like the non-vegetarian diet, vegetarian cuisine must comply with the characteristics of the correct diet: 

• Complete: it has the 3 food groups: fruits and vegetables, cereals, legumes, and oilseeds.
• Sufficient: it covers the nutritional needs in each stage of the life cycle.
• Safe: as we already mentioned, it should not cause any risk to the health of those who consume it.
• Adequate: it must be to the taste, culture, and economic possibilities of those who practice it. 
• Varied: should include different foods from each group to avoid monotony.
• Balanced: the nutrients must keep certain proportions at the time of their preparation. 

9.- Most important, you will learn to prepare food

 Well, perhaps it is not the most important, but one of them. Here you can prepare food based on the portions you need, this without offering more or less food according to your stage of life.

10.- Advantages of vegan cuisine

One of the advantages of vegan cooking is that those who practice it have an appropriate weight, height, and BMI for their age.

As if that were not enough, it also helps reduce overweight, obesity, cholesterol, and high triglycerides; as it includes healthy foods and fats such as mono and polyunsaturated fats. Even eating a vegan diet, you have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Most vegans have only one idea in mind: that animals do not die. In a world where industries use animals all the time, from food to pharmaceuticals, it is not an easy task. Of course, there are also those who do it out of simple disgust or rejection. To know a little more about this lifestyle, here are some curiosities about vegans that will give you a new vision on the subject.

8. It's not just about the food

The vast majority of vegans, although not all, repudiate any type of animal product. That is why they not only have to think about what they are eating, but also about their clothes since leather and other derivatives are very popular. The same goes for cosmetics tested on animals and pharmaceuticals.

7. It is healthy

If the diet is planned carefully, it can represent a health benefit. The amount of fats and animal hormones is reduced, reducing cholesterol, and more fruits and vegetables are eaten. Therefore there is less risk of diabetes, cancer, obesity, and cardiovascular problems.

6. Some foods can be substituted for others

Protein is obtained from lentils, vegan burgers, nuts, and soy milk. Since they don't eat cheese or milk, they get their calcium from almonds, broccoli, soybeans, and orange juice. The vitamin D that they cannot have in food is taken from sunlight, that is why they must be exposed more than the rest.

5. The diet of a vegan is not always healthy

Although eating more vegetables and fruits helps us prevent some diseases, it is also true that some harmful foods are accepted in a vegan diet. For example, all kinds of desserts, French fries, pizza, etc.

4. It also doesn't make you lose weight

Although meat provides us with a lot of fat, most weight-loss diets include it. In addition, as we already said, there is a place for many desserts, sweets and fried in the diets of vegans.

3. It originated in India

This custom originated in India, and if we go to the facts, today 70% of vegans and vegetarians live in that country.

2. It's a new word

The word vegan derives from vegetarian and was used for the first time in 1944 when Elsie Shrigley and Donald Watson felt that they needed a term that did not cover so many animal products.

1. Famous figures who practiced veganism

Although the term is recent, some historical figures were vegan. For example, Leonardo Da Vinci, Leon Tolstoi, Voltaire, and Plato.

This is the third and last article of this year on “how to distinguish quality vegan cosmetics”. The first one detailed how-to choose vegan and natural cosmetics, since there are cosmetics with synthetic ingredients, which can be called vegan, and there are also certified natural cosmetics with animal ingredients that we should avoid.

In the second article in the series, the quality was differentiated, by identifying organic ingredients and active ingredients, also avoiding filler ingredients that are used to cut costs.

Let's now learn to differentiate organic and first-press ingredients, against those that come from conventional agriculture with pesticides and even refined ones.

There are three main categories of ingredients to identify the quality of natural cosmetics:

• Virgin Ecological Ingredients: they are grown without pesticides, and are obtained from the first cold pressing. They preserve natural antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc. that nourish and help maintain skin hydration.
• Virgin Natural Ingredients: cultivated with pesticides, obtained from first cold pressing. They come from conventional agriculture, so they can have traces of pesticides, and also damage the environment (aquifers, soils, fauna, etc.)
• Refined Natural Ingredients: cultivated with pesticides, and also refined. They are obtained through chemical or physical processes and high temperatures. They damage the environment and their properties are much lower than those of ecological ones.

For this reason, we must always choose organic ingredients from the first cold pressing, but how to distinguish them?

In food, there is legislation to certify BIO products, and the seal (European green leaf) is enough. Ecological or BIO cosmetics is not regulated so if we are not experts, the ideal would be to look for certified cosmetics. All the stamps are very similar and guarantee natural cosmetics, without ingredients that are harmful to health, but none of them requires that the ingredients come from organic farming or are first pressed.

In general terms, the 3 certification categories that exist are:

• Category 1 "organic cosmetics": between 90% and 100% organic ingredients.
• Category 2 "natural cosmetics with organic percentage": between 10% and 90% organic ingredients.
• Category 3 "natural cosmetics": between 0% and 10% organic ingredients.

Therefore, if we want to choose cosmetics with the best ingredients, we must read the label and look for:

The percentage of organic ingredients: it is usually detailed, but if it is not, we will look for:

Asterisks that identify organic ingredients, for example:

Ingredients: Prunus amygdalus Dulcis (sweet almond oil) *, Rosa canina fruit oil (rosehip oil)

*: Ingredient from organic farming

In this case, the Almond oil comes from organic farming and will be first pressed, while the Rosehip oil will not.

The differentiation of the ingredients with the asterisks is the key to choosing quality cosmetics

The certifying seals guarantee that it is natural cosmetics, but they do not guarantee that it is ecological cosmetics, so differentiating the ingredients with asterisks is the key to choosing quality cosmetics.

As with food products, we can consider it to be a vegan cosmetic when it does not contain any product derived from animals.

It seems easy since cosmetic products are required to include the list of ingredients on their label. However, unlike food, an international nomenclature known as INCI is used, which can make it difficult to recognize some ingredients.

Added to this is the presence in cosmetics of compounds named by complicated chemical names or numbers, as in the case of colorants, which makes their identification extremely difficult.

Some of the most commonly used ingredients in eco-natural cosmetics that the vegan consumer should avoid are products made by bees such as honey, pollen, and wax, those derived from milk and eggs. Others are more difficult to distinguish and are a long list of which I put some examples:

• The carmine (CI 75470) extracted from an insect - parasitic chambers.
• The guanine (CI 75170) derived from fish scales which provides a pearlescent lipstick, eye shadow, and shampoos.
• The collagen (collagen) obtained from animal cartilage material (and algae).
• The lanolin (lanolin) Protective fat sheep wool widely used in moisturizers.
• Any ingredient that contains the term caprylic or capric, a fatty acid extracted from milk.
• The glycerin extracted from animal fat and present in the ingredients with glycerol terms, glyceryl, etc.

How to choose a vegan cosmetic

If we do not want ingredients of animal origin we have two options: choose a cosmetic that only includes ingredients of simple vegetable origin such as vegetable oils, essential oils, hydrolats, aloe vera gel, etc. or choose a cosmetic certified as vegan. The Vegan Society and PETA (Association for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) offer certifications. Some manufacturers also indicate in their cosmetics that it is suitable for vegans, being themselves their own guarantee.

Not tested on animals

This is another of the requirements that vegan cosmetics must meet. European legislation prohibits cosmetic products from being tested on animals. But we must bear in mind that many of the ingredients that we find in cosmetics are no longer tested on animals because they were at the time. However, some ingredients that are also used in the pharmaceutical industry are still being tested. And another aspect to consider is that some countries like China force some cosmetics such as sunscreens or dyes to be tested on animals if they want to be sold there.