Veganism vs coeliac disease
Before I start, I would just like to point out that this post is not aimed directly at vegans. I am not against veganism, I just have some beef about some dairy alternatives!
Over the past week I have gone out three times for coffee in east London and on two of those occasions I was unable to have milk with my coffee because they only served oat milk as their dairy-free option. One excuse for not having any other plant-based milk alternatives was that apparently oat milk froths better?! (This is absolute BS by the way, because I manage to make a lovely frothy coffee everyday at work using the Nespresso machine.)
This is very frustrating because a. since I have become slightly addicted to an almond flat white with hazelnut syrup (yes I am one of those and it's sugar-free hazelnut if i'm in Starbucks) I have fallen in love with going out for coffee and b. these establishments in question have not thought about gluten AND dairy intolerant individuals, just dairy intolerant and (mainly) vegans otherwise they would supply an alternative such as almond, coconut or soy which caters for everyone! I get that I am very unfortunate having intolerances to both, but I am not the only one and with more and more people analysing their gut health, the number is only going to increase.
There has been a significant rise in vegans (to over 3.5 people in the UK according to a survey conducted by Compare the Market earlier this year) which on a positive note, means that it has become easier to eat and drink dairy-free, however what upsets me is that food and drink establishments are quick to jump on the vegan trend to make more money but some are being completely ignorant to people suffering from allergens.
I am fully in support of people embarking on a vegan lifestyle, I for one have also cut down on my meat intake to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions to benefit the environment but veganism is a choice at the end of the day and coeliac disease or gluten intolerance is a serious medical condition that should be widely considered and not ignored!
Give the girl her flat white for gluten-sake!
