Keeping it vegan after Veganuary

Prune-packed and Plant-based Picks

If Veganuary has motivated you to try out a plant-based diet, we’re on hand to give you some culinary inspiration. Embracing more fruit and veg will certainly improve your diet, and can be the perfect opportunity to try experimenting with foods you may never have cooked with or snacked on before.

Dried fruit such as California Prunes can add sweetness and enhance the flavour of your sweet or savoury dishes, and make an easy, grab-and-go snack for work, college or a day out. They’re also a great and tasty way to boost your nutritional intake, with just three prunes making up one of your five a day.   With their long shelf life, dried fruit can be stored in the cupboard too, so it can help to reduce food waste.

Whatever you choose to eat, it’s essential you’re still getting vital nutrients. Registered dietitian and nutritionist Jennette Higgs has worked with the California Prune Board to put together some top tips on getting the best from a plant-based diet:

• Aim for one third of your daily food intake to be vegetables and fruit – including dried fruits like prunes – and one third starchy carbohydrates, especially wholegrains
• Beans, pulses, nuts and seeds are a good way to boost plant protein sources, while nuts and seeds are also a good way of including essential unsaturated fats
• Make sure you include calcium sources like dairy products or calcium fortified alternatives
• Make some easy, meat-alternative switches in your favourite dishes. Prunes are a tasty and versatile ingredient, which can enhance flavour and add succulence and texture to a range of dishes where you might have traditionally used meat, such as beany burgers, vegetable tagines and vegetable moussaka or lasagne.

To help you keep it vegan after Veganuary and motivate you on with your plans for a plant-based diet, we’ve put together a collection of our favourite prune-packed vegan dishes.

Author and Chef Peter Sidwell has created the perfect Vegan dish to celebrate Veganuary; why not try his amazing Vegan Falafel with Salted Coconut Yoghurt, California Prunes and Mint recipe?

For wholesome soups, tuck into Tuscan Bean and California Prune soup complemented by delicious Almond and California Prune Bread.

If you want something to warm you up, try a mouth-watering curry, like our Roast Root Vegetable, California Prune and Pumpkin Curry, or, for something a little lighter on the palate, our tasty California Prune Lavender Sorbet is a great vegan option. And to keep your snacks nutritious, you can’t beat our California Prune energy balls.