With changing food trends we also come across changing diet trends, like the vegan diet. What exactly is vegan? What do people eat in this diet? Is it healthy? Is it safe to practice and follow such a diet? 
I’ll be more than happy to answer all your questions about this food trend. Recently I met a person during a catering event and he mentioned to me that he is a vegan and we had a conversation about this diet and how dedicated you need to be to follow this diet religiously. 
We were standing next to the chocolate fountain and he mentioned that he loved chocolates and asked me what chocolate was it. When I answered that it is milk chocolate, he immediately paused his hand holding the skewered fruit to be dipped in the chocolate. That moment I realised how important and difficult it is to start this diet and follow it. 
Vegan diet or veganism is a practice of consuming only plant derived foods. Vegans do not consume any animals or their products including milk, eggs, meat, fish, poultry and honey. As with any other diet it is very important that you plan ahead before you jump into this food trend. However once properly planned, vegan or vegetarian diet can be considerably healthier as compared to the other diets. 
According to American Dietetic Association, vegan and vegetarian diets can significantly reduce the risk of contracting heart disease, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension, obesity and a number of other debilitating conditions. Vegan diet argues that cow’s milk contains ideal amount of fats for the calf but far too much for the humans. 
The cholesterol content in eggs is also higher than most other foods, which leads to cardiovascular diseases. Vegan foods such as grains, vegetables, and fruits on the other hand are low in fats, contain no cholesterol and are rich sources of fibre. 
Vegan diet has come a long way and is at all time high with more and more people coming on board to support this movement. Celebrities like Jay Z, Bill Clinton, and Alicia Silverstone are leading ambassadors of this food revolution. 
Before you get inspired and jump onto this, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind — the first and most important thing is to get proteins and vitamin B12 which are naturally occurring in animal foods. You can replace the protein through a variety of beans, tofu, quinoa, peanuts and whole grains. 
For B12 you need to depend on fortified foods or supplements. For calcium, you can consume plants like pok choy, kale, and almonds. With proper planning and know how about vegan diet, one can balance the diet and can include all nutrients required for our overall well-being. 
The next thing you’ll notice is the questions that your friends and family will throw at you in large numbers. The best way to tackle those is to emphasise that you are going vegan for your own reasons and that it seems to work for you and makes you happier while no animal products are being used. 
Then most of the vegans just hop onto the delight of soy foods as promoters exaggerate its benefits and make you consume it more. Keep one thing in mind that processed foods are always worse than consuming animal products. They are often loaded with high sodium contents, so read the food labels properly and make this as a standard practice to read the label before you buy any new food item. 
Then the next thing is to keep it healthy and sensible, do not replace the animal foods with junk foods like pasta, white bread and other processed foods which have less nutritional value and are high in calories. 
The vegan diet is here to stay and is attracting more people on board. You may not even have to ditch your favourite restaurant to follow this, just announce your dietary requirements and most of them happily accommodate such requests and also have vegan options on their menu.


Avocado and Mango Sushi


Ingredients
For rice
Brown rice 1 cup
Vegan vinegar 2 tbsp
Water 2 cup
Sugar 1 tbsp
Sea salt 1 tsp


For the rolls
Avocado, sliced 1 no
Mango, sliced 1 no
Cucumber 1 no
Sesame seeds 2 tbsp
Vegan tortilla 2 no


Serve with
Kikkoman soy sauce 2 tbsp


Method
In a rice cooker combine rice and water and cook on brown rice setting.
In a separate bowl combine vinegar, sugar and salt, heat it in microwave for few seconds to allow sugar to dissolve.
Prep the filling ingredients and cut them into long thin slices to be used in the roll.
Transfer the rice to a large bowl and pour in the vinegar mixture. Use a spatula to fold the rice and combine the prepared seasoning to it. The rice looks glossy after this step.
Heat the tortilla sheets on hot plate to cook them and to make them flexible. Allow to cool down.
Keep a water bowl and kitchen towel near you. Place one tortilla sheet and place a handful of rice onto the lower two thirds of the sheet and flatten it with wet hands.
At the bottom of the rice place the toppings — do not overfill otherwise the roll will break.
Use a bamboo mat or butter paper to help you roll the tortilla evenly.
Cut using a sharp knife and clean the knife with damp cloth between he cuts.
Serve immediately sprinkled with sesame seeds on top along with Kikkoman soy sauce.

* Chef Tarun Kapoor, 
Culinary Mastermind, USA. He may be contacted at [email protected]