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Vegan & Plant-Based

Plant-based proteins, vegan recipes and a compassionate food philosophy.

25 articles

Plant-based cooking has moved far beyond substitution. The world's great cuisines — Indian dals, Middle Eastern mezze, East Asian tofu and tempeh traditions, Mediterranean legume dishes — have built deeply satisfying meals around plants for centuries. This section covers both the cooking craft and the nutrition: how to build savoury depth without meat, get textures right, and structure a vegan diet that genuinely covers your nutritional bases.

You'll find guides to plant proteins and how to cook them well, umami-building techniques using miso, mushrooms, and fermented ingredients, and honest coverage of the nutrients vegans need to plan for — B12, iron, omega-3s, iodine. Whether you're fully vegan or just cooking more plants, the goal is food you'd choose for flavour, not obligation.

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14 min read·Apr 8, 2025

Plant-Based Diet for Athletes: Vegan Sports Nutrition

Discover how a plant-based diet can power athletic performance — vegan protein sources, sports nutrition strategies, supplementation, and recovery tips.

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MCC Editorial Team
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11 min read·Apr 8, 2025

Flexitarian Diet for Beginners: Mostly Plants, Some Meat

Discover how the flexitarian diet lets you enjoy plant-based eating's health benefits without giving up meat entirely — plus meal ideas and tips.

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MCC Editorial Team
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13 min read·Apr 16, 2026

Complete Proteins: Combining Plant Foods for Muscle

How to combine legumes, grains, and seeds for complete plant protein, plus leucine thresholds and daily targets to build muscle without meat.

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MCC Editorial Team
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12 min read·Apr 16, 2026

Vegan Umami Guide: Miso, Mushrooms, and Yeast for Depth

Miso, dried mushrooms, nutritional yeast, and kombu unlock deep savoury flavour in plant-based cooking. Learn the science and how to layer them.

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MCC Editorial Team
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13 min read·Apr 16, 2026

Iron-Rich Plant Eating: Boosting Absorption with Vitamin C

Plant-based iron is absorbed less efficiently than meat iron. Learn the best plant sources, vitamin C pairing, and inhibitors to avoid for better absorption.

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MCC Editorial Team
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14 min read·Apr 16, 2026

Veganism for Athletes: Fueling High-Intensity Workouts

Fuelling high-intensity training on a plant-based diet takes planning around protein, creatine, iron, and carbs. Here is the evidence-based approach.

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MCC Editorial Team
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12 min read·Apr 16, 2026

Plant-Based Egg Substitutes: Aquafaba to Flax-Eggs

Eggs bind, leaven, emulsify, and enrich. This guide matches aquafaba, flax eggs, silken tofu, and other substitutes to the job each recipe needs.

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MCC Editorial Team
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13 min read·Apr 16, 2026

The B12 Essential: Why Every Vegan Needs a Supplement

B12 is the one nutrient vegans cannot reliably get from food alone. Here is why deficiency is serious and how to supplement correctly.

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MCC Editorial Team
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12 min read·Apr 16, 2026

Vegetarian Favourites: Indian Dals to Turkish Mezes

From Indian dal to Turkish mezze and Ethiopian wats, global cuisines show that plant-based cooking is a deep, flavourful culinary tradition.

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MCC Editorial Team
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12 min read·Apr 16, 2026

Dairy-Free Creaminess: Cashew and Cauliflower Sauces

Cashew cream, cauliflower béchamel, coconut cream, and bean purées each replicate dairy richness differently. Here is which to use for which dish.

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MCC Editorial Team
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13 min read·Apr 16, 2026

The Ethics of Food: How Plant-Based Diets Impact the Planet

Food production drives a large share of global emissions, land, and water use. Here is what the evidence says about plant-based diets and the planet.

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MCC Editorial Team
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14 min read·Apr 16, 2026

Feeding a Plant-Based Family: Nutrition for All Ages

A well-planned plant-based diet can support healthy growth from infancy through old age. Here are the nutrients and monitoring each life stage needs.

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MCC Editorial Team
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14 min read·Apr 27, 2026

Plant-Based Protein: The Complete Guide to Sources, Combinations and Meeting Your Daily Needs

Plant-based protein is more than tofu and lentils. A guide to major plant protein sources, amino acid profiles, and meeting daily needs on a vegan diet.

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Sarah Mitchell
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13 min read·Apr 29, 2026

Vegan Baking: The Complete Guide to Egg and Dairy Substitutes That Actually Work

The science-backed guide to vegan baking swaps: flax eggs, aquafaba, plant milks and vegan butter, so every bake turns out right.

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Amelia Thompson
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13 min read·Apr 29, 2026

High-Protein Vegan Meals: 15 Recipes with 25g+ Protein Per Serving

15 whole-food vegan recipes each packing 25g+ protein per serving, built from tempeh, lentils, tofu, seitan, edamame and hemp seeds.

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Amelia Thompson
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13 min read·Apr 29, 2026

Vegan Cheese Making: Cashew Ricotta, Tofu Feta and Fermented Nut Cheeses at Home

Make real vegan cheese at home: quick cashew ricotta and tofu feta through to fermented, aged nut cheeses with genuine depth and tang.

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Amelia Thompson
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13 min read·Apr 29, 2026

Whole Food Plant-Based Diet: A Complete Practical Beginner's Guide to WFPB Eating

A practical beginner's guide to whole food plant-based eating: what it is, what the evidence shows, and how to transition step by step.

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Amelia Thompson
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11 min read·Jul 15, 2025

Tempeh vs Tofu: Nutrition, Protein and Cooking

Tempeh and tofu look similar on a grocery shelf but cook completely differently: fermentation gives tempeh more protein and a firmer bite, while tofu absorbs flavour and blends smoother.

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James Chen
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11 min read·Dec 10, 2025

Plant-Based Complete Proteins: Amino Acid Combinations

The complete-protein myth is outdated, but amino acid profiles, leucine thresholds, and PDCAAS still matter for muscle building. Here is what the evidence says.

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Amelia Thompson
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11 min read·Mar 5, 2026

The Complete Vegan Protein Guide: Every Plant-Based Source Ranked

Can you really get enough protein on a vegan diet? A registered dietitian ranks every plant protein source, explains complete vs incomplete proteins, and shows exactly how to meet daily requirements.

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Sarah Mitchell
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9 min read·Mar 10, 2026

The Complete Vegan Calcium Guide: Getting Enough Without Dairy

Dairy is not the only — or even the best — source of calcium. This evidence-based guide from an RDN covers plant-based calcium sources, absorption factors, and exactly how to meet your daily needs on a vegan diet.

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Sarah Mitchell
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11 min read·Mar 12, 2026

Vegan Meal Prep: A Chef's Complete Guide to Cooking for the Week in 2 Hours

The biggest barrier to a consistent plant-based diet isn't motivation — it's preparation time. This practical guide from a professional chef shows exactly how to batch-cook a week of varied, nutritious vegan meals in a single Sunday session.

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James Chen
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12 min read·Mar 12, 2026

The Complete Guide to Vegan Baking: Every Egg and Dairy Substitute Tested

Vegan baking is no longer the land of dense, gummy cakes. With the right substitutes and techniques, plant-based baking can equal — and sometimes surpass — conventional results. Here's everything you need to know.

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MCC Editorial Team
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9 min read·Mar 20, 2026

Iron for Vegans and Vegetarians: Absorption, Best Sources and Meeting Your Needs

Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional concerns for plant-based eaters — but it's avoidable with the right knowledge. A comprehensive, science-based guide to non-haem iron absorption and optimisation.

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Elena Vasquez
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11 min read·Mar 31, 2026

The Complete Guide to Tofu: Every Type, How to Press, Cook and Season It

Tofu has a reputation problem it doesn't deserve. When properly prepared, it is one of the most versatile, protein-dense ingredients in cooking. Master every technique — pressing, marinating, frying, silken — in this definitive guide.

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MCC Editorial Team
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Vegan & Plant-Based: Common Questions

Can you get enough protein on a vegan diet?▾

Yes — legumes, tofu, tempeh, seitan, lentils, quinoa, nuts, and seeds collectively provide all essential amino acids when eaten in variety across the day. The old idea that plant proteins must be precisely combined at each meal has been superseded. Athletes and older adults may need to plan more deliberately for higher protein targets, but it's entirely achievable.

What supplements do vegans actually need?▾

Vitamin B12 is the one clear necessity — it isn't reliably available from unfortified plant foods, and deficiency causes serious harm. Many dietitians also suggest considering vitamin D (like most of the population), an algae-based omega-3, and iodine depending on diet and location. Iron and zinc usually come from food with good planning. A blood test can guide individual needs.

How do you make vegan food taste rich and savoury?▾

Build umami deliberately: miso, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, dried mushrooms, tomato paste, fermented foods, and caramelised onions all carry glutamates that give depth normally supplied by meat. Roasting and browning vegetables instead of steaming, finishing with acid, and using enough salt and fat make the biggest practical difference in everyday plant-based cooking.

Is a plant-based diet healthier than eating meat?▾

Research suggests well-planned plant-based diets are associated with lower rates of heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes, likely due to higher fibre and lower saturated fat. But 'plant-based' isn't automatically healthy — vegan junk food exists — and a varied omnivorous diet rich in plants can also be excellent. Diet quality matters more than the label.

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