In Prisons

The rights of vegan prisoners

Veganism has been found to come within the scope of international human rights provisions and vegans in the UK are protected under human rights and equality law. This means that prisons have an obligation to ensure that they do not interfere with a vegan’s right to freedom of conscience, and a responsibility under the Equality Act 2010 to avoid any discrimination on the grounds of veganism.

Definition of veganism

Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude – as far as is possible and practicable – all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.

Reasons why people go vegan

• It helps animals
• It can reduce your impact on the environment - a vegan diet can reduce your food related carbon emissions by 50%.
• Well-planned vegan diets support excellent health
• It reduces the demand for feeding crops to non-human animals

How to meet vegan needs in prison

Nutrition

A vegan diet excludes all animal products, including meat, fish, milk, eggs and honey. Well-planned vegan diets can support healthy living in people of all ages, a message that is supported by the British Dietetic Association. Visit our nutrition zone to find out about how vegans obtain essential nutrients from diets that exclude animal products.

Vegan prisoners should not be given any food containing animal products, and must be able to obtain all the nutrients needed to maintain good health during their time in prison.

Supplements

It’s recommended that everyone in the UK uses a vitamin D supplement during autumn and winter as a minimum, and vegans also need to ensure reliable intakes of vitamin B12, iodine and selenium. Although vitamin B12, iodine and selenium can be obtained from carefully selected foods, it may not be possible in a prison setting, so using a specially designed supplement like The Vegan Society’s VEG 1 is a particularly good idea for vegans in prison. VEG 1 has been formulated by experts and is the most affordable vegan supplement we are aware of. We strongly suggest making it available to your vegan prisoners.

Dress

All clothing supplied to prisoners should be made from non-animal materials. Vegans avoid wearing materials such as leather, suede, wool, silk or fur and should not be required to do so. Vegan work boots can be bought from vendors such as Vegetarian Shoes.

Toiletries

Vegan prisoners should have access to appropriate toiletries. You can find a list of products that meet our Vegan Trademark Standards by using the Vegan Trademark search.

Work

Vegan prisoners should not be expected to work on prison farms. They should not be expected to handle or prepare non-vegan ingredients in a prison kitchen. Alternative work should be offered.

Medication

Currently all medication is required to be tested on animals by UK law. However, the definition of veganism includes the tenet ‘as far as is practical and possible’. The Vegan Society does not recommend that vegans abstain from taking prescribed medications. Sometimes, it is possible to find a suitable alternative to a medication containing animal ingredients. For more information, check out this blog about medication written by a pharmacist.

Benefits of vegan catering

• It’s the most inclusive option. Vegan food will be enjoyed by most people, including:
  • Vegans, vegetarians and people who eat meat and fish
  • Those trying to limit their consumption of animal products
  • People with allergies to milk and/or eggs (if free from these allergens)

  Vegan meals may be acceptable to people who eat Kosher or Halal food; this must be discussed on an individual basis

• It’s better for the environment. Research has associated vegan diets with the lowest emissions of carbon dioxide – a strong vegan offering helps to make your catering service more sustainable.
• It’s easy. Producing tasty meals that are rich in fibre, low in cholesterol-raising saturated fat, and provide multiple servings of fruit and vegetables is straightforward when serving vegan food. Vegan options are particularly valuable for service users, staff and visitors who are nutritionally well.

If you'd like to explain your rights to your prison, you can use the form at the bottom of this page to access our template email. You can find the letters in word here. 

Vegan rights

Veganism has been found to come within the scope of international human rights provisions and vegans in the UK are protected under human rights and equality law. This means that prisons have an obligation to ensure that they do not interfere with a vegan’s right to freedom of conscience, and a responsibility under the Equality Act 2010 to avoid any discrimination on the grounds of veganism.

How to request/buy vegan products

Canteen sheets are usually issued on a weekly basis in order for prisoners to order food, toiletries and other requirements. The amount you are permitted to spend will vary from prison to prison.

Prison Retail should make every effort to stock food, toiletries and other items for which there is a demand. To ensure equal opportunities, they also need to cater for their vegan population even if they are in the minority.

The National Product List contains a list of products from which the local Prison Retail Team chooses products they would like to stock. Therefore, you can request items which are not on your local canteen sheets, but are on the full National Product List.

Most prisons have a team of prisoners who decide what is stocked on the local canteen sheets, so your first port of call might be to find out who they are and ask to see the full canteen listing to discuss your requirements being added.

If there is a product you would like to buy but which is not on the National Product List, you should speak to your Diversity Manager or Residential Governor. They may be able to add companies such as Holland and Barrett to their Facilities List. Once this has been arranged you can then purchase your requirements via a cash disbursement from your prisoners’ monies.

Resolving grievances

If you have a grievance there are various ways of trying to resolve the issue, as outlined below.

Internal resolution

First try to resolve the problem by speaking to a relevant member of the staff e.g. Wing/Landing Officers, Senior Officers or Catering Manager. If this is not successful then approach your Personal Officer, Diversity Manager or Residential Governor.

It is a good idea to keep an accurate note of any instances you wish to complain about, including details of dates, times and who was present. Keeping a diary of your food consumption will also be helpful should you need to raise an issue relating to your nutrition.

If you try to resolve the issue internally, initially with a written complaint, you are more likely to be eligible for legal aid in the event that you need to take the complaint further.

Complaint forms

Complaint forms should be issued to you within seven days of applying and a reply should be received usually within five days of completion. These are to be completed when other channels of complaint have failed.

If you’re not happy with the response, the next step is to fill in an appeal about your complaint and then appeal to the Governor. Using form COMP1A, this must be made within a week of receiving the first response. You should receive a response within seven working days.

External resolution

If you are still not happy with the response, or the Prison Service does not reply to you within six weeks, the next step is to write to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman within one month of receiving your final response.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman
Ashley House
2 Monck Street
London SW1P 2BQ
Tel: 020 7035 2876

Support

If you require assistance, you can speak in confidence to your prison’s Independent Monitoring Board. The IMB are entirely independent of the prison establishment and have a wealth of experience on prisons and prisoner issues.

You can also contact the Prisoners’ Advice Service. PAS take up prisoners’ complaints about their treatment inside prison by providing free advice and assistance on an individual and confidential basis. They take legal action where appropriate and have solicitors on-hand to advise.

Prisoners’ Advice Service
PO Box 46199
London
EC1M 4XA
Tel: 020 7253 3323 / 0845 430 8923

Vegan Society support

If you feel that the prison service is struggling to meet your vegan needs, and you are finding it difficult to resolve the situation, you can seek support by calling 07482 363922 on weekdays or sending an email to KnowYourRights[at]vegansociety[dot]com. We can support staff education, and our Dietitian Heather can offer nutrition advice to the catering team.

If you'd like to explain your rights to your prison, you can use the form below to access our template email. Just complete the fields, press copy, then paste into your email browser - you'll then see the full suggested email to send to your prison. You can access the letters in word here. 

Definition of veganism

Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude – as far as is possible and practicable – all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.

Reasons why people go vegan

• It helps animals
• It can reduce your impact on the environment - a vegan diet can reduce your food related carbon emissions by 50%.
• Well-planned vegan diets support excellent health
• It reduces the demand for feeding crops to non-human animals

The rights of vegan prisoners

Veganism has been found to come within the scope of international human rights provisions and vegans in the UK are protected under human rights and equality law. This means that prisons have an obligation to ensure that they do not interfere with a vegan’s right to freedom of conscience, and a responsibility under the Equality Act 2010 to avoid any discrimination on the grounds of veganism.

Benefits of vegan catering

• It’s the most inclusive option. Vegan food will be enjoyed by most people, including:
  • Vegans, vegetarians and people who eat meat and fish
  • Those trying to limit their consumption of animal products
  • People with allergies to milk and/or eggs (if free from these allergens)

  Vegan meals may be acceptable to people who eat Kosher or Halal food; this must be discussed on an individual basis

• It’s better for the environment. Research has associated vegan diets with the lowest emissions of carbon dioxide – a strong vegan offering helps to make your catering service more sustainable.
• It’s easy. Producing tasty meals that are rich in fibre, low in cholesterol-raising saturated fat, and provide multiple servings of fruit and vegetables is straightforward when serving vegan food.

How to cater for vegans

A vegan diet excludes all animal products, including meat, fish, milk, eggs and honey. It’s been estimated that over half a million people in Britain are eating a vegan diet, and many others are interested in eating more plant-based diets. It’s important for caterers to have an idea of how to hit nutritional targets without animal products, and our nutrition zone provides some great resources. Well-planned vegan diets can support healthy living in people of all ages, a message that is supported by the British Dietetic Association.

Ensure that your service offers a variety of balanced vegan meals. Consider them available to anyone because they can be enjoyed by most people, helping them to hit their fibre and 5-a-day targets and limit saturated fat. You can keep menus simple by serving vegan options as standard. For example, you can keep the vegetable soup of the day dairy-free, and create puddings without using dairy and eggs, which can be served to vegans with custard made using traditional custard powder and soya milk, or ready-made soya custard or dessert.

Menu planning tips

Fruit & vegetables

• Ensure meals contain a vitamin C source, such as pepper, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kiwi fruit, oranges, strawberries, pineapple, grapefruit or orange juice. This boosts absorption of iron from plant foods.
• Offer a really rich source of carotenoids every day, such as sweet potato, carrots, butternut squash, spinach, kale, cantaloupe melon or apricots
• Offer a good source of vitamin K daily, such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, broccoli, spinach, spring greens or kiwi fruit

Starchy foods like grains and potato

• Some breakfast cereals are not suitable for vegans because they are fortified with vitamin D3 from animal fat
• Wholemeal bread is a good source of zinc
• Ensure that dairy-free spread is available for toast

Protein

• Good sources of plant protein tend to be rich in iron and zinc too, making it even more important that they’re included in most meals
• Some options are particularly economical e.g. legumes (beans, lentils and peas) and the dry variety of soya mince

Omega-3 fat

• Vegans should be encouraged to consume a really rich source of omega-3 fat on a daily basis, such as six walnut halves (20g) or a tablespoon of ground linseed
• If you can buy linseed in bulk and mill small batches as needed, this might work out a lot cheaper than offering walnuts
• Using vegetable (rapeseed) oil for cooking is helpful

Calcium

• A daily vegan menu should contain at least two portions of really calcium-rich food per day. Here are examples of one portion:
  • 200ml fortified plant milk
  • 200g fortified soya yoghurt
  • 70g calcium-set tofu (uncooked weight)
• A daily provision of 2 x 250ml cartons of fortified soya milk is recommended to help meet a vegan’s calcium needs in prison
• Ensure that fortified plant milk is available in refreshment areas

Iron

• Provide a daily diet that contains good sources of iron, such as lentils, chickpeas, beans, tofu, cashew nuts, ground linseed, pumpkin seeds, kale, raisins and fortified breakfast cereal
• Iron-rich food should be combined with a source of vitamin C to optimise absorption (see ‘Fruit & vegetables’ above for examples).

Weekly vegan packs

It will be necessary to provide vegan prisoners with a weekly pack of extra supplies if the menu cannot meet nutritional needs.

Ingredients to avoid

Vegans don’t eat anything that comes from an animal. This includes:

• Meat, including chicken, fish or any kind of shellfish
• Milk from any animal, or products containing milk such as cheese, yoghurt, cream and mayonnaise
• Eggs, or products containing eggs
• Honey, gelatine or beeswax

Here is a non-exhaustive list of common ingredients to avoid:

The Food-Info website provides further useful information about ingredients.

Please note that if a product carries a label which states that it may contain traces of an animal ingredient, this does not prevent it from being considered a vegan product.

If you are unsure whether a product is suitable for vegans, check if it carries the Vegan Trademark. If not, get in touch with the manufacturer for the most reliable and up to date information.

Cross-contamination

Kitchen organisation and food service also need to be considered. There should be no cross-contamination between vegan and non-vegan food. Practically this includes keeping vegan and non-vegan foods separate, and using clean equipment.

Further information

Prison blog

Hawliau carcharorion fegan

Mae feganiaeth wedi ei ganfod i ddod o dan gwmpas darpariaeth hawliau dynol rhyngwladol ac mae gan feganiaid y DU ddiogelwch o dan gyfreithiau dynol a chydraddoldeb. Golyga hyn bod gan garcharau rhwymedigaeth i sicrhau nad ydynt yn ymyrryd ar hawliau’r fegan i ryddid cydwybod, a chyfrifoldeb o dan Ddeddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 i osgoi anffafriaeth ar sail feganiaeth.

Diffiniad o feganiaeth

Mae feganiaeth wedi ei ganfod i ddod o dan gwmpas darpariaeth hawliau dynol rhyngwladol ac mae gan feganiaid y DU ddiogelwch o dan gyfreithiau dynol a chydraddoldeb. Golyga hyn bod gan brifysgolion rhwymedigaeth i sicrhau nad ydynt yn ymyrryd ar hawliau’r fegan i ryddid cydwybod, a chyfrifoldeb o dan Ddeddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 i osgoi anffafriaeth ar sail feganiaeth.

Rhesymau am fod pobl yn mynd yn feganiaid.

• Mae’n helpu anifeiliaid.
• Mae’n cyfyngu ar eich effaith ar yr amgylchedd - mi all diet fegan leihau eich gollyngdod carbon hyd at 50%.
• Mae diet fegan sydd wedi’u chynllunion yn dda yn hwyluso iechyd da.
• Mae’n lleihau ar y galw i fwydo cnydau i’r anifeiliaid hynny nad ydynt yn ddynol.

Sut i anelu tuag at anghenion fegan mewn carchar

Maethiad

Mae diet fegan yn eithrio holl gynnyrch anifeiliaid, gan gynnwys cig, pysgod, llaeth, wyau a mêl, felly ni ddylai feganiaid gael cynnig unrhyw fwyd sy’n eu cynnwys hwy. Mae’r Vegan Society a`r British Dietetic Association yn cydweithio i rannu gwybodaeth ddibynadwy ynglŷn â maeth y fegan, gan gynnwys neges bod diet fegan sydd wedi’i gynllunio’n dda yn medru hwyluso byw yn iach ym mhobl o bob oed. Ymwelwch â’n nutrition zone i ffeindio allan sut mae feganiaid yn derbyn maeth hanfodol o ddietau sy’n eithrio cynnyrch anifeiliaid.

Ni ddylai carcharorion fegan dderbyn unrhyw fwyd sy’n cynnwys cynnyrch anifeiliaid, ac mae’n rhaid iddynt dderbyn yr holl faetholion gofynnol i gynnal iechyd da yn ystod eu cyfnod yn y carchar.

Atchwanegiadau (Supplements)

Awgrymir bod pawb yn y DU yn defnyddio atchwanegiadau Fitamin D yn ystod yr hydref a’r gaeaf, ac mae’n rhaid i feganiaid hefyd sicrhau cymeriadau dibynadwy o’r fitamin B12, ïodin a seleniwm. Er bod fitamin B12, ïodin a seleniwm ar gael o fwyd dewisedig, efallai nad ydynt ar gael mewn lleoliad carchar, felly mae defnyddio atchwanegiad wedi’i gynllunio’n arbennig fel VEG 1 o’r Vegan Society yn syniad da i feganiaid sy’n treulio amser mewn carchar. Mae VEG 1 wedi’i fformiwleiddio gan arbenigwyr ac ef yw’r atchwanegiad Fegan mwyaf fforddiadwy yr ydym yn gwybod amdano. Rydym yn awgrymu’n gryf ei fod yn ei wneud ar gael i’ch carcharorion feganaidd.

Gwisg

Mi ddylai’r holl ddillad a gyflenwir i garcharorion gael ei wneud o ddeunydd sydd heb ddod o anifail. Mae feganiaid yn osgoi gwisgo deunydd fel lledr, swêd, gwlân, sidan, ffwr ac mi ddylid gwneud hyn yn ofynnol iddynt i wneud hynny. Gellir prynu esgidiau gwaith fegan o werthwyr fel Vegetarian Shoes.

Pethau Ymolchi

Dylai carcharorion fegan gael mynediad i doiledau addas. Ni ddylai’r cynnyrch gynnwys unrhyw gynhwysion a daw o darddiad anifeiliaid neu a gafodd eu profi ar anifeiliaid. Gellir gweld rhestr o gynnyrch addas trwy ddefnyddio’r Vegan Trademark search.

Gwaith

Ni ddylid disgwyl i garcharorion fegan weithio ar ffermydd carchar. Ni ddylid disgwyl iddynt ddelio â, neu baratoi, cynhwysion di-fegan yng nghegin y carchar. Dylai gwaith arall gael ei gynnig.

Meddyginiaeth

Ar hyn o bryd mae cyfraith y DU yn mynnu bod yr holl feddyginiaeth yn cael ei brofi gan anifeiliaid. Ta waeth, mae’r diffiniad o feganiaeth” yn cynnwys y daliad “cyn belled ag y bo’n ymarferol bosibl.” Nid yw’r Vegan Society yn argymell bod feganiaid yn ymwrthod rhag cymryd meddyginiaeth ragnodedig. Weithiau mae’n bosib ffeindio dewis arall i feddyginiaeth sydd heb gynnwys cynhwysion o anifeiliaid. Am ragor o wybodaeth edrychwch ar y blog hwn am feddyginiaeth a ysgrifennwyd gan fferyllydd.

Manteision arlwyo fegan

Dyma’r opsiwn fwyaf cynhwysol. Bydd bwyd fegan yn cael ei fwynhau gan fwyafrif o bobl, gan gynnwys:

• Feganiaid, llysfwytawyr a phobl sydd yn bwyta cig a physgod
• Y rheiny sydd yn ceisio cyfyngu ar y maint o fwyd maint yn bwyta sy’n dod o gynnyrch anifeiliaid.
• Pobl gydag alergeddau tuag at laeth a/neu wyau (os yn rhydd o’r alergenau hyn). Mi all brydau fegan fod yn dderbyniol i lawer o bobl sy’n bwyta bwyd Kosher neu Halal; rhaid i hyn gael ei drafod gan bob unigolyn.
• Mae’n well i’r amgylchedd. Mae ymchwil yn cysylltu dietau fegan gyda’r gollyngiadau isaf o garbon deuocsid - mae cynnig da o fwyd fegan yn eich gwasanaeth arlwyo’n helpu gwneud eich gwasanaeth arlwyo yn fwy cynaliadwy.
• Mae’n hawdd. Mae cynhyrchu prydau bwyd blasus sy’n uchel mewn ffibr, isel mewn braster dirlawn ac sy’n darparu digonedd o ffrwyth a llysiau yn hawdd a syml.

Hawliau Fegan

Mae feganiaeth wedi ei ganfod i ddod o dan gwmpas darpariaeth hawliau dynol rhyngwladol ac mae gan feganiaid y DU ddiogelwch o dan gyfreithiau dynol a chydraddoldeb. Golyga hyn bod gan garcharau rhwymedigaeth i sicrhau nad ydynt yn amharu ar hawliau’r fegan i ryddid cydwybod, a chyfrifoldeb o dan Ddeddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 i osgoi anffafriaeth ar sail feganiaeth.

Sut i ofyn am/ brynu cynnyrch fegan

Mae taflenni ffreutur fel arfer yn cael eu dosbarthu’n wythnosol fel bo carcharorion yn medru archebu bwyd, pethau ymolchi a phethau eraill sy’n ofynnol. Mae’r swm a ellir ei wario’n amrywio o garchar i garchar.

Mi ddylai Prison Retail sicrhau cyflenwi bwyd, pethau ymolchi ac eitemau eraill sy’n ofynnol. I sicrhau cyfleoedd cyfartal, rhaid iddynt hefyd arlwyo ar gyfer y boblogaeth fegan er taw grŵp lleiafrifol ydynt.

Mae`r National Products List yn cynnwys rhestr o gynnyrch sy`n galluogi`r Prison Retail Team ddewis a chadw cyflenwad ohono. Felly, mi allwch ofyn am eitemau sydd ddim ar eich taflenni ffreutur leol, ond sy’n bresennol ar y National Product List llawn.

Mae gan y mwyafrif o garchardai dîm o garcharorion sy’n penderfynu'r hyn sy’n cael ei stocio ar y taflenni ffreutur lleol, felly eich cyrchfan cyntaf yw ffeindio allan eu henwau a gofyn i weld y rhestr ffreutur lawn er mwyn trafod eich gofynion.

Os oes `na gynnyrch dymunol sydd heb fod ar y National Product List, mi ddylech siarad â’r Rheolwr Amrywiaeth neu’r Llywodraethwr Preswyl. Efallai mi fyddent nhw yn medru ychwanegu cwmnïau fel Holland and Barrett i'w Rhestr Cyfleusterau. Wedi i hyn gael ei drefnu mi allwch brynu eich gofynion o’ch arian neilltuol.

Datrys cwynion

Os oes gennych gwyn mae yna nifer o ffyrdd i'w datrys, fel y gwelir isod:

Datrysiad mewnol.

Yn gyntaf, ceisiwch ddatrys y broblem trwy siarad gydag aelod perthnasol o’r staff fel Swyddogion Pen Staer/Adain, Swyddogion Uwch neu’r Rheolwr Arlwyo. Os nad yw hyn yn llwyddiannus ewch at eich Swyddog Personol, Rheolwr Amrywiaeth neu Lywodraethwr Preswyl.

Mae’n syniad da i gadw nodyn cywir am unrhyw achosion rydych am gwyno amdanynt, gan gynnwys manylion am ddyddiadau, amserau ac enwau'r rheiny oedd yn bresennol ar y pryd. Fi fydau cadw dyddiadur ynglŷn â’ch bwyta yn ddefnyddiol hefyd os ydych yn cyfeirio at fater yn ymwneud â maethiad.

Os ydych yn ceisio datrys y matter yn fewnol, yn wreiddiol trwy wneud cwyn ysgrifenedig, mi fyddwch yn fwy tebygol i dderbyn Cymorth Cyfreithiol, pe tasech yn gorfod mynd â’r gwyn ymhellach.

Ffurflenni cwyn

Mi ddylech dderbyn ffurflen gwyn o fewn saith diwrnod ar ôl gwneud y cais ac mi ddylech gael ateb i’r gwyn gan amlaf o fewn pum diwrnod. Dylid llenwi’r rhain ar ôl i sianeli eraill o gŵyn fethu.

Os nad ydych yn hapus gyda’r ymateb, rhaid mynd i’r cam nesaf drwy apelio i’r Llywodraethwr. Rhaid gwneud hyn o fewn wythnos o dderbyn yr ateb cyntaf gan ddefnyddio ffurflen COMPIA. Dylech dderbyn ateb o fewn saith diwrnod gwaith.

Datrysiad allanol

Os ydych yn dal i fod yn anhapus gyda’r ymateb, neu fod y Gwasanaeth Carchar heb eich ateb o fewn chwe wythnos, y cam nesaf yw ysgrifennu at Ombwdsman Y Carchardai a Phrawf o fewn mis o dderbyn eich ateb terfynol.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman
Ashley House
2 Monck Street
London SW1P 2BQ
Ffôn: 020 7035 2876

Cymorth

Os oes angen cymorth arnoch, mi allwch siarad yn gyfrinachol gyda Bwrdd Monitro Annibynnol (IMB) eich carchar. Mae’r IBM yn gwbl annibynnol o’r sefydliad carchar ac mae ganddo brofiad cyfoethog am faterion yn ymwneud â charchardai a charcharorion.

Mi allwch hefyd gysylltu gyda`r Prisoner`s Advice Service (PAS). Mae PAS yn edrych ar gwynion carcharorion ynglŷn â’u triniaeth o fewn y carchar gan ddarparu cyngor a chymorth am ddim mewn dull unigol a chyfrinachol. Mi fyddan yn barod cymryd camau cyfreithiol os yw’n addas ac mae ganddynt gyfreithwyr wrth law i gynghori:

Prisoners` Advice Service
PO Box 46199
London
EC1M 4XA
TEL: 020 7253 3323 /0845 430 8923

Cefnogaeth o’r Vegan Society

Os ydych yn teimlo bod eich ysgol yn ei chael hi’n anodd cwrdd ag anghenion fegan eich plentyn, a’i bod hi’n anodd datrys y sefyllfa, mi allwch geisio cefnogaeth wrthym drwy ein galw ar 0121 523 1730 rhwng 09.00 a 17.00 yn ystod yr wythnos waith neu anfon e-bost i advocacy[at]vegansociety[dot]com. Mi allwn helpu gyda dysgu’r staff, a gall ein dietegydd, Heather cynnig cyngor am faeth i’r tîm arlwyo.

Mae diet fegan yn eithrio pob cynnyrch anifeiliaid, gan gynnwys cig, pysgod, llaeth, wyau a mêl. Amcangyfrifir bod dros hanner miliwn o bobl ym Mhrydain yn bwyta diet fegan, gyda llawer o rai eraill yn diddori mewn dietau sy’n fwy seiliedig ar blanhigion. Mae’n bwysig bod gan arlwywyr syniad o sut i gyrraedd targedau maeth heb gynnyrch anifeiliaid, ac mae’n nutrition zone yn cynnig rhai adnoddau gwych. Rydym yn gweithio gyda’r British Dietetic Association i rannu neges bod diet fegan sydd wedi’u chynllunio’n dda yn gallu bod o gymorth i fywyd iach i bobl o bob oed.

Manteision arlwyo fegan

Dyma’r opsiwn fwyaf cynhwysol. Bydd bwyd fegan yn cael ei fwynhau gan fwyafrif o bobl, gan gynnwys:

• Feganiaid, llysfwytawyr a phobl sydd yn bwyta cig a physgod
• Y rheiny sydd yn ceisio cyfyngu ar y maint o fwyd maint yn bwyta sy’n dod o gynnyrch anifeiliaid.
• Pobl gydag alergeddau tuag at laeth a/neu wyau (os yn rhydd o’r alergenau hyn). Mi all brydau fegan fod yn dderbyniol i lawer o bobl sy’n bwyta bwyd Kosher neu Halal; rhaid i hyn gael ei drafod gan bob unigolyn.
• Mae’n well i’r amgylchedd. Mae ymchwil yn cysylltu dietau fegan gyda’r gollyngiadau isaf o garbon deuocsid - mae cynnig da o fwyd fegan yn eich gwasanaeth arlwyo’n helpu gwneud eich gwasanaeth arlwyo yn fwy cynaliadwy.
• Mae’n hawdd. Mae cynhyrchu prydau bwyd blasus sy’n uchel mewn ffibr, isel mewn braster dirlawn ac sy’n darparu digonedd o ffrwyth a llysiau yn hawdd a syml.

Diffiniad o feganiaeth

Mae feganiaeth yn athroniaeth a ffordd o fyw sy’n ceisio eithrio - cyn belled ag sy’n bosibl ac ymarferol - pob ffordd o ecsbloetio neu ddangos creulondeb, tuag at anifeiliaid i gael bwyd, dillad neu unrhyw beth arall; ac o ganlyniad, hybu’r datblygiad o brofi opsiynau heb anifeiliaid er budd pobl, anifeiliaid a’r amgylchedd. Mewn termau dietegol mae’n terfynu gyda’r defnydd o gynnyrch a ddaw nail ai’n gyfan neu’n rhannol o anifeiliaid.

Rhesymau am fod pobl yn mynd yn feganiaid.

• Mae’n helpu anifeiliaid.
• Mae’n cyfyngu ar eich effaith ar yr amgylchedd fegan leihau eich - mi all diet fegan leihau eich gollyngdod carbon hyd at 50%.
• Mae diet fegan sydd wedi’u chynllunion yn dda yn hwyluso iechyd da.
• Mae’n lleihau ar y galw i fwydo cnydau i’r anifeiliaid hynny nad ydynt yn ddynol.

Hawliau fegan

Mae feganiaeth wedi ei ganfod i ddod o dan gwmpas darpariaeth hawliau dynol rhyngwladol ac mae gan feganiaid y DU ddiogelwch o dan gyfreithiau dynol a chydraddoldeb. Golyga hyn bod gan brifysgolion rhwymedigaeth i sicrhau nad ydynt yn ymyrryd ar hawliau’r fegan i ryddid cydwybod, a chyfrifoldeb o dan Ddeddf Cydraddoldeb 2010 i osgoi anffafriaeth ar sail feganiaeth.

Sut i arlwyo i feganiaid

Os ydych yn adolygu eich bwydlen, ystyriwch wneud prydau fegan ar gael i unrhyw un am ei bod yn gallu cael eu mwynhau gan y mwyafrif o ddisgyblion, gân eu helpu i gyrraedd eu targed "5-a-day."

I’r myfyrwyr fegan hynny sydd mewn llety, mae’n enwedig o bwysig i gynnig amrywiaeth o brydau cytbwys. Gellir cadw’r bwydlenni’n syml a’u gwneud yn opsiynau safonol. Er enghraifft, mi allwch gadw’r cawl llysiau dyddiol yn ddi-laeth, creu pwdinau heb laeth ac wyau, a all ei gweini i feganiaid gyda chwstard wedi’i wneud o bowdwr cwstard traddodiadol a llaeth soia, neu gwstard soia parod neu bwdin.

Ffrwyth a llysiau

• Sicrhewch fod prydau yn cynnwys ffynhonnell o fitamin C, fel pupur, brocoli, bresych, briwiau Brwsel, ffrwyth ciwi, orennau, mefus, pîn afal, grawnffrwyth a sudd oren. Mae hyn yn amsugno haearn o fwyd planhigion.
• Cynigiwch ffynhonnell gyfoethog o garotenoidau’n feunyddiol, fel tatws melys, moron, butternut squash, sbigoglys, bresych deiliog, melon cantaloupe neu fricyll.
• Cynigiwch ffynhonnell dda o fitamin K yn feunyddiol, fel briwiau Brwsel, bresych, sbigoglys, glaswellt y gwanwyn a ffrwyth ciwi.

Bwydydd â starts fel grawn a thatws

• Nid yw rhai o rawnfwydydd brecwast yn addas i feganiaid am eu bod wedi’u gadarnhau fitamin D3 o fraster anifail.
• Mae bara gwenith cyflawn yn ffynhonnell dda o sinc.
• Sicrhewch fod taenydd di-laeth ar gael i'w roi ar dost.

Protein

• Mae ffynonellau da o fwyd planhigion yn gyfoethog mewn sinc a haearn hefyd, a’i wneud yn bwysig iawn i'w cynnwys yn y mwyafrif o brydau.
• Mae rhai opsiynau’n enwedig o economaidd ee llysiau (ffa, ffonbys a phys) a’r amrywiaeth sych o fins soia.

Braster Omega-3

• Mi ddylai feganiad gael eu hannog i fwyta gwahanol ffynonellau o omega-3 yn ddyddiol, fel chwech hanner cneuen Ffrengig (20g) neu lwyaid o linad wedi’i chwalu.
• Gellir prynu digon o lined ac mi fydd hwn efallai’n gweithio allan i fod yn rhatach na chynnig cnau Ffrengig.
• Mae defnyddio olew llysiau (olew rêp) ar gyfer coginio’n ddefnyddiol.
• Er nad yw’n cael ei gyfrif i fod yn hanfodol i iechyd feganaidd, mae braster Omega-3 sy’n bresennol mewn pysgod olewog ar gael mewn atodiad microalgae.
• Os bydd cnau yn cael ei gwahardd, efallai bydd hyn yn ei gwneud hi’n fwy heriol i optimeiddio braster omega-3.

Calsiwm

• Mi ddylai bwydlen feganaidd gynnwys o leiaf dwy gyfran o fwyd calsiwm-gyfoethog pob dydd. Dyma esiamplau o un gyfran:
  • 200ml o laeth planhigyn wedi’i gadarnhau
  • 200g o iogwrt soia wedi’i gadarnhau
  • 70g tofu wedi’i osod ar galsiwm (pwys heb ei goginio)
• Awgrymir bod darpariaeth wythnosol o 3.5 litr o laeth planhigion cadarn pwysig i gwrdd â gofynion calsiwm claf feganaidd tra’n yr ysbyty.
• Mae maint ac ansawdd y protein a geir yn y fersiwn soia o laeth planhigyn yn debyg i laeth y fuwch.
• Sicrhewch fod llaeth planhigyn ar gael mewn mannau lluniaeth.

Haearn

• Darparu diet dyddiol sy’n cynnwys ffynonellau da o haearn, fel ffonbys, chickpeas, ffa, tofu, cnau cashew, llinad wedi’i chwalu, hadau pwmpen, bresych deiliog, rhesins, grawnfwyd brecwast wedi’i gadarnhau,
• Mi ddylai bwyd haearn-gyfoethog gael ei gyfuno gyda ffynhonnell o fitamin C i optimeiddio amsugniad (Gweler uchod o dan “Ffrwythau a Llysiau” am esiamplau)

Cynhwysion i'w hosgoi

Nid yw feganiaid yn bwyta unrhyw beth a ddaw o gorff anifail. Mae hyn yn cynnwys:

• Cig, gan gynnwys cyw iâr, pysgod neu unrhyw fath o bysgod cregyn
• Llaeth o unrhyw anifail, neu gynnyrch yn cynnwys llaeth fel caws, iogwrt, hufen a mayonnaise
• Wyau, neu gynnyrch yn cynnwys wyau.
• Mêl, gelatin neu ŵyr gwenyn

Dyma restr fer - ond nid gyflawn - o’r cynhwysion cyffredin a ddylid eu hosgoi:

Mae gwefan y Food-Info yn darparu mwy o wybodaeth ddefnyddiol am gynhwysion. Noder os gwelwch yn dda: Os yw’r cynnyrch yn arddangos label sy’n datgan y gallai’r cynnwys ddangos olion o gynhwysion anifail, dydi hyn ddim yn ei atal rhag cael ei ystyried yn gynnyrch fegan.

Os nad ydych yn siŵr ynglŷn ag addasrwydd y cynnyrch i feganiaid, gwiriwch i weld os yw’n cario’r Nod Masnach Feganaidd neu’r Vegan Tradmark. Os na, cysylltwch â’r gwneuthurwyr am wybodaeth ddibynadwy a chyfoes.

Croes-lygru

Rhaid hefyd ystyried trefniant y gegin a gwasanaeth y bwyd. Mi ddylai arlwywyr anelu tuag at leihau unrhyw groes-lygru o’r cynnyrch di-fegan ar wahân, a defnyddio offer glan.

Mwy o wybodaeth

Prison blog