Since the group evolved from a network for vegetarians in 1990 to a group for vegans in 2014 it has fast gained momentum, hosting film nights and working bees, and participating in street activism.

Ms Arnett said the purpose of the group is to grow, support and promote veganism in Canberra.

"And help people to see how easy it is to live cruelty free," Ms Arnett said.

The online group chat varies from sharing plans for animal activism to sharing new vegan food finds around the city. Its members are part of an emerging trend in Australia which has see plant-based meals pop up in the most unlikely locations.

Australian startup Food Frontier founder Thomas King said in the last 18 to 24 months double the plant-based products have appeared on shelves in major supermarkets across the country.

The not-for-profit works to provide research and recommendations for industry and policy makers navigating this emerging market on Australian shores.

Mr King said 42 per cent of Australians reported reducing their meat intake in 2019, while 10 per cent reported as vegetarian or vegan.

"The biggest growth was in consumers seeking to eat less meat," Mr King said. "Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned with the impact meat production has on the environment, the climate, their health and animal welfare."

Canberra's top restaurants are conscious of their diners' growing appetite for plant-based foods, with The Boat House, Aubergine and Sage all reporting an increase in requests for vegan meals.

The Boathouse director of events James Souter said while they were in the process of further developing their vegan menu, vegans still only represented around 1-2 per cent of their customers.

"That said, we understand this is an area that is growing as people look to balance their diets and ethical concerns," Mr Scouter said.

"Our vegetarian dishes have often been some of the most popular on our menu."

At the art centre in Braddon, Sage has served degustation diners a vegan option for several years. The animal-free experience is best enjoyed paired with something from its range of vegan wines.

A spokesperson for Aubergine said its chefs were accustomed to adapting the menu for a growing number of vegan diners.

These iconic Canberra establishments join a host of chain restaurants to board the plant-based bus by including at least one vegan option on their menus.

National chains Grill'd, Hungry Jacks, Nando's, Domino's and Mad Mex have all leaned in, while closer to home, Brodburger and Fish Shack have also made themselves vegan-friendly.

Bucking the traditional flake and chips fry up, Fish Shack's vegan owner Hai Le has been serving plant-based alternatives as its standard over fried friends from the sea for six years.

In Dickson, Kingsland Vegan Restaurant, now Utopia Vegan Cuisine, has been around for about 25 years, while Braddon has its own vegan bakery in Sweet Bones Bakery and Cafe.

Kingston-based nutritionist Georgia Houston said when done right a vegan diet can definitely be healthy. However, she warned against the danger of cutting out entire food groups.

She said among clients she works with experiencing eating disorders, she's seen a growing trend in those people taking up a vegan diet.

Miss Houston came to specialise in eating disorders after her own experience of Orthorexia at 19 years old.

She said as a teenager she became obsessed with the idea of eating healthily, which eventually transpired into "a very warped sense of what healthy was."

Miss Houston said social media has also spread the idea of the "dirty vegan" which promotes meal choices which, while excluding animal products, are often low in nutritional value and high in sugar. The more than 11,000 people who have used #dirtyvegan on Instagram have used the tag to accompany images of highly processed meat-free meals.

"If you're eating vegan you need to be more aware of what your missing out on and what you need to be putting more of on your plate," Miss Houston said.

"See a GP, go to a dietitian, make sure you're eating a wide range of wholefoods, fruits, veggies and whole grains."

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Miss Houston said people should also be aware of some of the biases presented as facts on popular Netflix documentary, Game Changers, which promotes the benefits of a vegan diet on athletic performance.

Featuring vegan heavyweight's Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton and Novak Djokovic, the film is the latest of several recent documentaries, including Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret and What the Health which promote a vegan diet.

The latter has come under fire from nutritionists following several disputable claims, including the argument that "eating an egg a day is as bad for life expectancy as smoking five cigarettes a day".

Food Frontier founder Mr King said research has found the majority of plant-based alternatives to meat contain equal or greater protein, considerably less saturated fat, none of the carcinogens often found in processed meat and the added benefit of fibre.

He said plant-based alternatives had room for improvement in ensuring a more complete inclusion of micronutrients and in some cases lowering sodium.

"But if you compare convenience meats [pre seasoned] which is usually the most accurate comparison because their alternatives are also sold ready to eat, it's very similar sodium content - if not less," Mr King said.

Part of Food Frontier's work is to consult with retailers working in the space to ensure their product meets consumer demand. An appetite their research forecasts could triple or quadruple in the next 12 month period.

Far from presenting a threat to Australia's meat producers, Mr King said plant-based alternatives offer an opportunity for farmers to get involved in an industry they're predicting will generate $3 billion annually by 2030.

"Five years ago veganism was very much a niche market, now we're seeing plant-based foods open up to the mainstream consumer," he said.

"There's room for both new and traditional proteins.

"We need to talk about how Australian farmers can participate, with a growing demand for legumes, there's scope for farmers to actually make better profit."