Vegan Journey

06/06/2026

01/06/2026

WHO OWNS THE WORD "MILK"?

I recently looked into the origin of the word "milk," and it made me rethink the debate around plant-based milks.

The English word "milk" comes from ancient roots connected to the act of drawing or extracting a nourishing liquid. Over time, it became strongly associated with mammalian milk, but language has never limited the word exclusively to cows.

For centuries, people have used terms such as coconut milk, milk of magnesia, milkweed, and many other non-dairy expressions containing the word "milk." The broader use of the word long predates modern veganism.

That's why I've always found it interesting when people argue that oat milk, soy milk, or almond milk should never be called "milk."

When someone says "milk," the natural follow-up question is often: "What kind of milk?"

Cow's milk?

Goat's milk?

Breast milk?

Coconut milk?

Soy milk?

The qualifier has always mattered.

To me, "oat milk" or "soy milk" is not an attempt to deceive consumers. It is a practical description of a milk-like liquid derived from oats or soybeans, just as coconut milk describes a milk-like liquid derived from coconuts.

Of course, companies can create their own unique names and brands, and many successfully do. But from a language perspective, the word "milk" has never belonged exclusively to one species or one industry.

Words matter. Definitions matter. But history matters too.

The word "milk" did not begin as a marketing term, and it certainly did not begin with modern plant-based products. Language has always evolved to help people describe the world around them, and consumers have long understood the difference between cow's milk, breast milk, coconut milk, and other milk-like substances.

Whether a beverage comes from a cow, a coconut, an oat, or a soybean, clarity comes from the label, not from restricting a word.

For me, this isn't really about dairy versus plant-based. It's about understanding the history of language before deciding who gets to own it.

26/05/2026

The Psychology of Food Cravings and Plant-Based Transition

During my pregnancy as a vegan, I experienced something that completely changed how I think about food cravings and meat alternatives.

I started craving suya.

Immediately, people assumed I needed meat. Some even believed my body was “asking for animal protein.”

But something about that assumption did not sit right with me.

Because if you handed me raw meat, I still would not want it.

So I paused and asked myself:
What exactly am I craving?

And that was the breakthrough.

I realized I was not craving the meat itself.
I was craving the experience around it.

The suya spice.
The smokiness.
The pepper.
The texture.
The familiarity.
The emotional memory attached to the food.

So instead of eating meat, I recreated the experience using suya spice, curry, pepper soup spice, tofu, and seitan.

And surprisingly?
The craving disappeared.

That moment taught me something powerful:

Sometimes, the barrier to food transition is not necessarily the animal product itself.
Sometimes, people are attached to flavor architecture, texture, rituals, memories, and cultural familiarity.

This is why flavor innovation matters deeply in protein diversification and plant-based transition.

In many cases, people are not craving “cow,” “chicken,” or “fish” in isolation.
They are craving the seasoning, preparation style, mouthfeel, aroma, nostalgia, and identity connected to those foods.

Even milk is a good example.

Most people do not question whether a powdered milk product came from one brand or another as long as the taste profile feels familiar enough. The sensory experience matters.

This insight is important, especially in African food systems.

If we truly want effective and inclusive food transition strategies, we cannot focus only on nutrition charts or replacement products.

We must understand:
🌱 local flavors
🌱 cultural eating patterns
🌱 emotional connection to food
🌱 affordability
🌱 accessibility
🌱 texture and spice familiarity

Because sometimes, changing the protein is easier than changing the experience.

And perhaps that is where the future of sustainable food innovation really begins.

06/05/2026

This is your sign to try a vegan diet for 14 days first and eternity after.

If you are seeing this post and you are planning to go plant based or you are an already existing vegan that needs clarity on how to fortify you meals properly, then this is you sign to join the plantly Naija Challange for an effective vegan transition. Click on the link here https://chat.whatsapp.com/Du0ihDveADhCoIqJpT3lBL and let the magic begin.

29/04/2026

🌱 Help Us Make Veganism Sustainable in Nigeria

Every year, many people try to go vegan and quietly stop.

Not because they don’t care, but because they lack the right guidance, nutritional knowledge, and support to do it well.

At The Vegan Journey Advocacy, we’ve identified the real issue:

👉 Poor transition - nutritional gaps, frustration, and drop-off.

So we created the Plantly Naija Challenge, a practical, guided program designed to help Nigerians transition to a healthy, balanced vegan lifestyle without confusion or deficiencies.

💡 This is not just a challenge. It’s a solution.

With your support, we can:
• Equip participants with simple, locally relevant meal plans
• Teach proper nutrient balance using accessible foods
• Provide daily guidance and community support
• Reduce the number of people abandoning veganism due to avoidable challenges
- Answer and Vegan Related Questions

🎯 Our Goal is to Support over 1000 Nigerians in completing a safe, informed plant-based transition in this first cohort ( 14 days) starting from 10th -24th of May 2026

Join us through this whatsapp link
https://chat.whatsapp.com/Du0ihDveADhCoIqJpT3lBL as we build a stronger, healthier vegan community across Nigeria and Africa.

Lastly, please follow Plantly Naija to keep up with the challange update.

29/04/2026

Who's joining the challange?

Get ready!!!!!!! 🌱
The Plantly Naija 14-Day Challenge is starting in just a few days, join us to eat better, feel lighter, and discover how delicious plant-based living can be. Don’t miss it! 💚

03/03/2026

The Future of Protein Is Becoming Personal

I feel like we are entering an era where protein is no longer a one-size-fits-all.

It’s becoming customized not just for taste,
but for health outcomes, ethical beliefs, and environmental impact.

Today, protein can be lower in saturated fat, cholesterol free, fiber rich, produced without slaughter, and designed with specific nutritional profiles.

What this means is that the question would no longer simply, “Do you eat meat?”But Rather “What kind of protein serves your body and aligns with your values?”

This shift is bigger than food trends.

It is now about informed choice, precision nutrition, and responsibility.

Protein will no longer just be consumed. It will be selected and intentional

19/02/2026

Plant-Based vs Vegan Let’s 🌱 Let's look into this properly.

When it comes to food, these two are not exactly the same.

Plant-based means the meals are built mostly from plants,vegetables, grains, legumes, fruits and nuts.

Sometimes it can still include small amounts of animal products but the base is plants.

Vegan food, means completely animal free.
No meat. No dairy. No eggs. No honey. Nothing from animals.

Both can look similar on a plate, But the intention and definition are different.

Plant-based focuses on the ingredients.

Vegan means the meal contains zero animal products, fully and clearly.

It’s not about which word sounds better.
It’s about using the right word for what we’re actually eating.

Clarity helps everyone make informed choices.

And maybe this is something to think about: If a meal is 100% from plants with zero animal products, is it just “plant-based"
or is it totally-plant?

Sometimes the simplest words are still the clearest ones.

I think it should be Totally plant-based.

15/02/2026

Why Tofu and Seitan Aren’t Alternative Proteins And Why Africa Should Pay Attention

I'll be honest.
When I first heard that tofu and seitan aren’t classified as alternative proteins, I paused. ( like What???)

As a vegan advocate, those foods are staples. They’re affordable. they’re protein rich. They replace meat on my plates every day.
So why the resistance to calling them alternative proteins?

So here’s what I’ve come to understand.
Research and industry knowledge show that alternative protein isn’t just a plant-based label.
It refers to proteins intentionally developed to replace conventional animal agriculture at scale through food technology, fermentation, extrusion, and cultivated meat.
Companies like Beyond Meat aren’t just selling plant protein. They’re engineering products to compete directly with beef in mainstream markets.

Tofu and seitan?
They weren’t created to disrupt livestock systems. They are traditional foods with their own identity.
And this is where Africa enters the conversation.

If we think alternative protein simply means anything plant-based, we might miss the bigger opportunity.

Globally, the term is tied to : Investment
• Research funding
• Policy influence
• Large-scale food and
system transformation

The real question for us is not whether tofu qualifies.
It’s this:
Will Africa only consume alternative protein innovation or are we going to build it?

We have soy.
We have legumes.
We have indigenous crops with serious protein potential.

But are we positioning them within the innovation and scalability conversation?

This debate isn’t about semantics.

It’s about whether Africa shows up as a market or as a leader.

14/02/2026

The torment I feel seeing this 😣