‘Real’ men should have no beef with veg diet

Durban — The 10th global Veganuary challenge kicks off on Monday with participants encouraged to sign up for 30 days of plant-based eating during the first month of the year.

The challenge by ProVeg International, a food awareness organisation, says it’s better for your health, for animals and for the planet.

For 30 days, participants will receive daily food ideas and various articles to encourage them on their journey.

“To make the vegan diet more approachable for those trying it for the first time, Veganuary promotes ‘plant-based’ and ‘flexitarian’ eating ‒ which involves a more measured transition ‒ for those who may want to sample this dietary pattern without a full commitment,” says ProVeg SA communications manager Wikus Engelbrecht.

He says in 2023 Veganuary attracted more than 700 000 participants from 228 nations and territories and nearly 30% of them reported to still be eating a plant-based diet by the end of October.

Engelbrecht says there’s a long-held belief that “real” men eat meat, which could be the reason why more women are likely to go plant-based.

“In Germany, Europe’s leading plant-based food market, only 19% of vegans are men despite an equal national gender split. It can be puzzling and various studies have explored how masculinity is often linked to meat-eating, and vegan associations with femininity,” he says.

He says the demonisation of non-animal diets can be traced back to what is now widely known as the “protein myth” that eating meat, a primary source of protein, is the key to physical strength but many well known athletes have gone green and it has not had a negative impact on their performance.

Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton is vegan, boxer “Iron” Mike Tyson has spoken about the benefits of going plant-based, while world powerlifting champion Ryan Stills, who is known to squat with 317.5kg and bench 207.5kg, is also vegan.

“However, in South Africa we’ve tended to have a profoundly macho, sports-centred culture that spans all racial groups, tied to the habitual, almost ritualistic enjoyment of meat. Vegans are estimated to be around half a million out of the more than 60 million people in the country,” said Engelbrecht.

He says health, environmental sustainability and creating a more equitable food system are some of the many reasons why men should eat plants rather than “body parts”.

To participate in the Veganuary challenge, you can sign up at www.proveg.com

Independent on Saturday