No two vegans eat the same foods – we all have diff erent diets, preferences and tastes. But there are certain guidelines that we should not ignore. We all know someone who claims their diet is ‘the’ diet and that we should all follow their rules. As soon as you hear this, beware, because our bodies are as diff erent as our needs and so no one diet is the absolute best for everyone. Variety and flexibility are the keys to a healthy vegan diet and good longterm health. Within the guidelines below, there’s a lot of wiggle room for you to find what suits you best. There are various selflimiting versions of vegan diets – raw, paleo, macrobiotic etc – which many people try and fail, without actually trying a more balanced and sustainable diet of plant foods. That’s not to say, for example, that a raw vegan diet is not healthy, it just isn’t for everyone.