It’s day and night. The term plant-based was largely unheard of. Now, almost half the population is buying plant-based food products in supermarkets, and conversations around the impact of how we live on our health are part of the mainstream. Broadly speaking there are two types of dietary fats - saturated and unsaturated. A plant-based diet containing nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil tends to contain good levels of beneficial unsaturated fats, especially the omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids. However, deficiency of omega-3 is more common since these are predominantly found in oily fish. It is important to keep the ratio of omega-3:6 balanced by including at least one daily source of omega-3, as below.

The founder of Deliciously Ella, 31, on plant-based food and moving in with her now husband a week after dating. How did your new book, How To Go Plant-Based, come about?Iron has many important roles in the body. It’s crucial for energy, hair health, thyroid health, immunity and brain function. About 70% of your body’s iron is found in red blood cells where it binds and transports oxygen around the body – this means that if levels drop you can really notice it. Typical symptoms include low energy, feeling dizzy/faint, struggling with exercise and concentration. Because of menstruation and childbearing, women have a higher risk of deficiency and therefore need to eat more (around 14g/day) than men (around 9g/day). The average adult requires 45g - 60g protein per day if they aren’t active. Those who are very active, do rigorous training programmes, are pregnant/breastfeeding, have specific health concerns or are elderly may require more. One of the benefits of eating a plant-based diet is that it is naturally rich in many of these micro-nutrients. However, there are some that do require attention as outlined below.

Don’t be afraid of cooking veggies: they shrink when they are heated so cooking iron-rich vegetables like spinach, kale or coriander means you can eat more of them, meaning you get more iron. Omega 6 (aim for around 2 sources per day) – nuts, seeds, avocado, cold pressed vegetable oils such as linseed, sesame seeds. Adults need around 700mg calcium per day (menopausal women may need more). Great sources of plant-based calcium: cabbage, kale, bok choi, okra, broccoli and cauliflower, sesame seeds and tahini, fortified plant-based milk, almonds, edamame, tofu, flaxseeds, lentils, dried figs and prunes.I love that this is no longer considered niche or unconventional and I’m able to share what we do – making simple, natural, plant-based food accessible and delicious – more widely. How do you explain the difference between “plant-based” and “vegan” diets? B vitamins (beans, pulses, nuts, seeds) help the body make energy, synthesize our neurotransmitters such as serotonin and keep our hormones balanced.