Flora gives vegans a reason to celebrate this World Vegan Day

While the vegan lifestyle is becoming increasingly popular globally, South African vegans often find they still lack access to suitable dietary options, particularly with everyday items like spreads.

Flora has always believed in giving South Africans a variety of spread options that deliver different benefits for taste, cooking or health.

All Flora spreads are made from 100% plant-based oils that come from Sunflower, Canola and Linseed. These nutrient-rich plant and seed oils are naturally high in Omega 3 and 6, which is good for your heart health… naturally.

“As our environments constantly change, and South Africans are becoming increasingly more prone to stress, unhealthy lifestyles and increasing risk of cardiovascular diseases, we understand why people are starting to feel like they want to live in greater harmony with nature – whether it’s to decrease their impact or to benefit from her gifts,” says Flora Brand Manager.

“Although all of our spreads are made from 100% plant-based oils, there is a certain amount of milk present which excludes them from being vegan-friendly. This is why we developed the Flora Vegan variant – to give our health and environmentally conscious consumers who follow a strict vegetarian or vegan lifestyle an option that works specifically for them.”

NEW Flora Vegan contains absolutely no dairy, is suitable for vegans, strict vegetarians and those who are lactose intolerant, plus is naturally high in Omega 3 and 6, which play an integral role in maintaining heart health and are important building blocks of the body’s cells. 

Flora Vegan can add flavour to your life, not just as a tasty spread, but, as a 60% fat spread, it can also be used for cooking, like in sauces or melting over healthy vegetables, or even baking!

In September, for Heart Health Awareness month, Flora challenged two local celebrities, TV presenter and new mom Roxy Burger and uKhozi FM Drive Time host, Selby Mkhize, to find their natural balance and improve their heart health by partaking in a 21 Day Plant-Based Challenge; the challenge encouraged them to incorporate a plant-based diet into their existing diets to benefit from heart-healthy ingredients.

Cape Town based dietician Jessica Kotlowitz, also known as The Green Dietician, monitored them weekly, sharing new recipe ideas and watching them progress on their journey to health. At the end of the challenge, both celebs saw a noticeable improvement in their health and both were amazed to see how versatile a plant-based diet could be.

“I always enjoy seeing people’s reactions when I explain to them that there are over 20 000 edible plants on planet earth,”says Kotlowitz. “Once people discover the amazing variety and abundance of plant-based eating, it’s a lot easier to get into a plant-based lifestyle - and enjoy it.”

GREEN EATING TIPS FROM THE GREEN DIETICIAN:

HOW TO ENJOY A PLANT-BASED DIET

You should be eating at least three meals a day on a plant-based diet, to ensure you get enough nutrients and fuel for your body. And the best way to do this is to plan ahead, so you know you’re eating what you should be eating, when you should be eating it:

• Make meals to freeze, like curried soya mince, falafels, soups, date balls and bean curries. They’re healthy and super convenient when you haven’t planned dinner.

• Prepare your plant-based snacks for the week. This will prevent you from grabbing an unhealthy option when a hunger pang hits. Try hummus and vegetable sticks, bean or aubergine dip and rice cakes, or date balls, frozen grapes and fresh fruit.

• Legumes take a while to prepare, so get your weekly legumes ready on the weekend. Make a bean or lentil curry that will keep in the fridge all week. The same goes for your starches like brown rice, quinoa and couscous. They’re easy to store in the fridge for the week and can quickly be heated and added to any meal. 

HOW TO EAT OUT ON A PLANT-BASED DIET

Burgers:

Choose a veggie/bean-based patty with lots of vegetables as toppings. Order a salad instead of chips or wedges. Avoid creamy sauces and mayonnaise, rather ask for hummus or pesto where possible

Italian:

Choose a focaccia with no cheese rather than a pizza. Add some delicious garlic, herbs and loads of vegetables. Or order a tomato-based pasta sauce, avoid any creamy sauces and cheese.

Asian/ Indian:

Asian and Indian restaurants usually have a great variety of plant-based options. Choose a stir-fry with rice or rice noodles or a curry. Avoid egg noodles if possible.

Bistro/ coffee shop:

It is usually possible to find a healthy plant-based option at any restaurant. Salads are always a good lunch option. If you are feeling hungry, order a slice of rye bread to go on the side. Or a hearty vegetable soup. If you’re getting a coffee, try a milk alternative like almond milk.

Breakfast:

Breakfasting and brunching without eggs may seem impossible but there are many options which do not have to include eggs. Try the hot oats, or avocado rye toast with grilled mushrooms and tomatoes. Or a fresh fruit salad with some nuts or muesli.

ENDORSED BY THE HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION

Flora has been endorsed by the Hearth and Stroke Foundation South Africa with the Heart Mark stamp of approval. Flora met the criteria as being a good choice of food product if it is used as part of a healthy eating plan.  For more information, visit http://www.heartfoundation.co.za

“Flora has the “healthy fat option” and consequently does not have harmful effects on the heart if eaten moderately as part of a larger meal plan,” comments Professor Pamela Naidoo from the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Visit the Flora website to find heart-healthy, plant-based recipes, start cooking with Flora and #LiveMoreLife

RSP : R29.99 500g