Vegan is the way to go!

There has been a slow but steady increase in the number of people turning vegan in the city. No wonder, then, that tea parties with grilled tofu, hummus and soya milk payasam are becoming a hit.
A year ago, Pavan Ashok had no idea what it would be like being a vegan. That was until a friend took him to a vegan tea party. “It was the first time but I liked it.So, I am turning a vegan,” he says.
Today, as the world celebrates Vegan Day, Chennai Times catches up with a few vegans.
Awareness has been on the rise with the launch of social networking groups on veganism.
Says Srinivas Krishnaswamy of one such group, “When my wife and I turned vegan, we decided to help others to know the right vegan products. And that’s how we launched the group online. Since then, it has been getting a good response.”
Srinivas says people turn vegan for two reasons. “First, people change on getting to know about the cruelty involved in killing animals for meat. The second is the health aspect. There have been instances where people have been able to control diabetes by stopping the use of diary products,” claims Srinivas. Guhan Venkat is a youngster who has managed to lose weight by turning vegan. “It’s only a few months since I turned vegan. I was overweight and I have already started shedding those extra kilos. Instead of cow’s milk, I take soya milk which is more nutritious,” he informs.
The number of restaurants with a vegan menu have also been on the rise. Monira Diana from one such restaurant in Besant Nagar says, “When we started, we had several vegan special options available in the menu. But the demand has been increasing since then and now, we have a few fixed vegan combo meals. There are customers who are both pure vegans and those who just want to try it.”