Groningen should eat more vegetable protein, is the wish of the municipality. Is that needed? “All restaurants should have at least one vegan recipe.”
It is not a vegan place, but Jos Spijkerman (27) still likes to go to café De Bres in Groningen. The reason can be guessed by the empty bowl on the table: there were the bitterballen that he likes. “It’s a well-kept secret that they are vegan here. Can we have another portion?” he asks the bartender.
Jos has been vegan for over five years. According to him, Groningen is a good place to be if you don’t want to eat meat or dairy. “A friend and I keep a map where they have vegan bitterballen on the menu. It’s great that there are so many such places in the city.”
The fact that there are already vegan options fits in with the municipality’s ambitions. It wants to be a leader in the so-called protein transition in the coming years. This means that Groningen residents must eat more vegetable proteins from the Groningen country, such as beans and grain, and less animal proteins such as meat and dairy, because climate change demands this.
Veganism
Vegans strive for a lifestyle without the use or exploitation of animals. They try to avoid animal products as often as possible for moral reasons.
This includes food such as meat, dairy, eggs and honey, but also clothing, shoes and cosmetics. In 2020, the Netherlands had approximately 261 thousand vegans.
‘The current monoculture is not sustainable’
That is why the municipality sits down with people from the business community, restaurants, supermarkets, universities, colleges and the agricultural world. Protein transition councilor Kirsten de Wrede has the role of pioneer. By encouraging local and organic alternatives such as food forests and vegetable gardens, she hopes to get everyone moving in the same plant-based direction.
“We need to get more control over our food supply. The current monoculture in rural areas is unsustainable. No more soy imports, no pesticides. Instead, we have to grow everything locally,” says De Wrede.
At the beginning of September, advisor Lara Sibbing updated the municipal council on the state of affairs. The first concrete plans should be announced next year.
‘Groningen can really be a leader’
The transition to a more plant-based lifestyle in Groningen seems to be slowly taking shape. For example, the province is working together with the Groningen National Program (NPG) and with the companies Agrifirm, Avebe, Cosun and FrieslandCampina on ideas to make agriculture in Groningen more sustainable, healthier and nature-friendly.
On Campus Groningen – the place on the Zernike grounds where students, entrepreneurs and researchers work together – specialists are tinkering with tasty products made from proteins from regional raw materials and ingredients, so that they will soon find their way to supermarket shelves and menus. The combination of an agricultural province and a university city with a lot of knowledge and research is ideal and quite unique, thinks Sven Stielstra of Campus Groningen. “Groningen can really be a leader.”
A protein ball in a year and a half
For example, this summer the Groningen laboratory of food company Avebe came up with vegan ice cream, made from protein and starch from starch potatoes. Another example is the new protein ball, a healthy alternative bitterball containing Groningen potatoes, field beans and grain. The crispy crust is made from pumpkin seeds, among other things.
According to Stielstra, the rapid development of the protein ball shows what Campus Groningen is capable of. “We picked up the phone and put everyone together: farmers, technicians, distributors and catering entrepreneurs. Then we started working on ingredients. Within a year and a half, the protein ball was introduced.”
‘There really is a movement going on’
He calls it a blueprint for the future. “Large companies see what is happening here in terms of innovation and want to participate, because there is money to be made from it. They also want to settle here soon. That brings jobs. And graduates stay here instead of going to the Randstad.”
Vegan business in Appingedam
There is less supply of plant-based dishes in the province. Vegan Keuken in Appingedam is the only completely vegan restaurant outside Groningen. But according to owner Patrick Verschueren, business is going very well.
He looks for the explanation for the success in his positive approach. “I don’t want to judge my guests and respect them. My product has to tell the story. Then you show: it can be done this way. It’s not rocket science.”
All kinds of people come to his vegan business. “Also families with a supercarnivore. He says: vegan, I don’t need any of that. Of course it is a switch. But if someone like that eats my burger with a big smile: that’s the biggest compliment.”
Colleague Daan van Oldeniel is proud that Campus Groningen can play a role in the protein transition. “People didn’t want a mobile phone at first. That just takes time. But if producers, developers and the catering industry can work together to offer tasty and healthy plant-based products, then you will automatically get everyone on board. I think there really is a movement going on.”
Is Groningen a paradise for vegans? That goes too far, Jos thinks. But he does get his money’s worth at the vegan snack bars in the city. “Fries are still my favorite food. They now know me at We Go On on the Zernike site.” The bowl next to his glass of beer at De Bres is empty again. “Oh, you’re going in? Would you like to order a portion of bitterballen?”
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Vegans
There is still a world to be won, but how do vegans experience the vegan range in Groningen in 2023?
According to Sander Kaatee (27), a lot has changed since he became vegan six years ago. “Back then, the Vegetarian Butcher only just existed and you didn’t have a single vegan house brand in the supermarket yet. Now there are six different types of oat milk.”
According to Sander, it makes it easier for meat eaters who want to try something plant-based. , “If you eat standard meat and are used to an AGV, you can very easily replace just the schnitzel, for example.”
Lara Wouters (26) also thinks about the way people view vegans. “Five years ago my friends had a kind of aversion to veganism, now they are more likely to abhor their own meat consumption.”
Britta van Bergeijk (56) became vegan with her husband three years ago through their eldest son. She can imagine that people find it exciting to eat vegan more often and advocates a positive approach. “Screaming bloody murder doesn’t work. You don’t have to be rigid. If every Groningen person eats plant-based more often for one or two days, we will make a huge difference.”
More and more places in the city offer a plant-based snack. There is the Groningen falafel tent FLFL, lunch cafés De Groene Stoel, Parrhesia and Mahalo and snack bars Mr Vegan Foodbar and Lust. With Achterwerk there is also a luxurious vegan restaurant.
Susanne Veenstra (24), three and a half years vegan, also sees more ‘vegan-friendly’ places appearing in the city. “At Het Concerthuis they first used chicken protein in the cocktails. But they now do that with aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas.”
Jos Spijkerman (27) thinks that Groningen has the resources to be a leader in the protein transition. “The gap between city and countryside is much smaller here than in a city like Rotterdam. This is a young and progressive student town, but we are also close to the farmers. This offers many opportunities for everyone to participate in a protein and agricultural transition.”
Bob Evenhuis (26) calls on all restaurants to put at least one vegan recipe on the menu in addition to a vegetarian option, so that you can always try it out. Sander thinks that is a good suggestion: “When you go out to eat as a vegan, you want something special. Not just fries and ketchup or a lettuce leaf.”
Companies and the university can set a good example, Susanne thinks. “If you facilitate a lunch, make it plant-based. A tofu sandwich or curry is just as delicious as a roast beef sandwich. People with an aversion to plant-based food then discover how tasty and nutritious it can be.”
Lara recommends experimenting with world dishes. “Indian and Lebanese cuisine often does not contain meat. If you practice with this and add a lot of proteins, such as lentils or tofu, you will quickly have a full belly.”
How can you eat healthy vegan food?
Dietitian Bob ter Haak became vegan two years ago specialized in plant-based nutrition. “A well-balanced vegan diet can be very healthy. It contributes to a lower intake of saturated fats and possibly a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers.”
A plant-based diet can also promote weight loss due to lower calories and increased energy. “This is probably due to an increased intake of minerals and antioxidants from vegetables and fruit.”
According to Ter Haak, there are challenges for vegans. “Particularly vitamin B12, vitamin D and omega 3. Iron and calcium are present in plant-based foods, but are absorbed differently. A balanced diet, possibly supplemented with supplements, is essential.”
He has some advice for beginning vegans: “Request a blood test from your doctor and repeat this annually, especially for B12 and iron levels. Being completely vegan can be a challenge, but it is quite achievable if you pay careful attention to your diet.”