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Vegan

Join Mumsnet's vegan community and discuss everything related to the vegan diet.

Original poster

Veganuary 2018

379 replies

lurchermummy · 30/12/2017 23:50

Myself and DD aged 16 are going to try a vegan diet for January. DD is already vegetarian and I was vegetarian for many years although recently not. I really want to try a lighter healthier plant based way of eating, feel blurgh after all the rich food of Christmas, and am really keen to see if it helps my psoriasis. If we like it we may well continue but I signed up for Veganuary to give us a focus. DD2 is a fussy eater and not a big fan of vegetables so that may be tricky, DH is happy to eat vegetarian but vegan may be a step too far for him. Would really welcome any tips for adaptable family meals eg. sausage and mash, I can do vegan sausages for us and meat for them. I'm actually really looking forward to it now!

OP posts:
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maybeshesawomble · 12/01/2018 16:10

This is my favourite vegan discovery this week. Pricey at £4 a jar but really nice

Veganuary 2018
DasPepe · 12/01/2018 19:06

There is a hazelnut "milk" alternative which tastes really good. It's sweet but not in the syrupy coffee shop way.

I've been using it for a while. Once my OH made me coffee and drunk half of it without realizing after licking the stirring spoon. And he had his coffee black usually

Woolfrai · 12/01/2018 19:08

I've been quiet impressed with Co-op for vegan food this week.

Husband has brought home some vegan Ben and Jerry's so I'm very excited to try it.

DeliveredByKiki · 13/01/2018 17:31

I made minimalistbaker.com/one-bowl-vegan-chocolate-cake/ for a friend's birthday today and it was AMAZING

Mysteriouscurle · 14/01/2018 22:07

Very pleased with myself today. Made my first ever veg/nut wellington. It was actually really nice. I went back for secondsSmile. I will be making it again. Had veg bacon sandwich in the morning. Treated myself to a costa coconut milk cappucino and one of their new vegan cakes. A good day.

WhyDidIEatThat · 14/01/2018 22:12

I made two annoying mistakes this weekend, one was a cider which was previously listed as vegan/vegetarian but now has fish scales in or something equally implausible and unpleasant, the other was sausages which my daughter assured me were vegan until I’d eaten them then she said they had milk and eggs in (cauldron I think, not even very nice) 😕

Noregrets25 · 14/01/2018 22:14

Hello, just saw this thread and please forgive me for my ignorance- I just wondered what the hype is all about for being vegan? I mean surely if you only eat a vegan diet you will not be getting all the things your body needs (the same as if all you Is is meat) and I also wondered is veganary just about what you eat or is it the whole lifestyle - as in not wearing make up etc tested on animals or wearing leather? This is not meant to offend anyone I am genuinely interested! I have done many diets in my time and wonder is it a whole lifestyle way or a diet as such?

AdalindSchade · 14/01/2018 22:22

Hi no regrets, vegans can definitely obtain all the nutrients they need. Vegans tend to eat more whole foods and less processed/convenience food which means thinking more about your meals and bulking them out with protein. Lentils, beans and legumes are very high in protein. Tofu, some vegetables and nuts also. I eat peanut butter and cashew nuts every day. Plus houmous at lunch and loads of vegetables at dinner. It's honestly not unhealthy. Humans are omnivores- we can live off plant based diets just as well as meat based.

I'm a life long vegetarian and already veto leather etc. Being vegan for January is a bit of a challenge for myself but I'm definitely considering continuing. I have dropped a couple of lbs but I'm overweight already so that's to be expected. Less fat and less sugar is automatically lower calorie. However it definitely isn't a weight loss diet, you can overeat vegan food just as easily as any other kind. Toast and peanut butter isn't exactly a diet food!
For me, veganuary is an extension of my lifestyle and I have found it extremely easy to switch. My motivation is living more authentically and have less of a detrimental impact on animal welfare.

Noregrets25 · 14/01/2018 22:27

That’s interesting, I often read recipes and think it would be so easy to switch mince etc for beans and pulses, what about dairy? Is there good alternatives for this?

Noregrets25 · 14/01/2018 22:28

And is there vegan peanut butter? I adore peanut butter! But assume it’s made with butter?! Blush

AdalindSchade · 14/01/2018 22:38

Peanut butter doesn't have butter in! It's just peanuts and sometimes added oil and salt.
There are loads of milk alternatives but none of them taste exactly like milk. They are fine though. Cheese is harder to replicate. You can buy vegan yoghurt and ice cream alternatives that are nice.

Noregrets25 · 14/01/2018 22:46

Haha how stupid am I?! Lol!! Ah ok, thank you, I could get into this!! I’m quite fussy with meat and often end up picking at it anyway, so maybe substituting it would be better for me! Thank you!

AdalindSchade · 14/01/2018 22:48

Give it a try!

WhyDidIEatThat · 15/01/2018 10:57

You might find rather than trying to replicate specific animal products replacing them with something differently textured, flavoured and less processed works better for you. It’s a fun challenge.

LoniceraJaponica · 15/01/2018 18:24

I have been skim reading this thread, mainly to get a feel for which milk alternative is best in tea. My concern is that everything I have tried so far has a powdery taste. I am currently drinking a cup with cashew milk and am unimpressed. Rice milk is too thin and oat milk makes it taste of porridge.

My other concern is why is it so difficult to find unsweetened milk alternatives? I was in Holland and Barrett the other day and could only find two milks that were unsweetened. Why do these milks need sugar in?

Food-wise we are eating some delicious meals, but I am still looking for the holy grail of a plant milk that actually tastes nice in tea. I don't like hazelnuts BTW, and I really, really dislike my tea black.

travailtotravel · 15/01/2018 19:37

Lonerica, my DH is struggling with the milk thing. I dont drink coffee and take tea black.

travailtotravel · 15/01/2018 19:37

Lonerica, my DH is struggling with the milk thing. I dont drink coffee and take tea black.

LauraMipsum · 15/01/2018 20:56

I don't like most plant milks (soya tastes like wallpaper paste smells, oat tastes of porridge, rice - whoever thought of that needs taking out and shooting) but I find unsweetened Koko is the best. I actually like that rather than just tolerate it.

They have added sugars because sucrose / fructose / glucose replaces the lactose in milk. Koko has less than half the sugars of dairy milk.

maybeshesawomble · 15/01/2018 21:02

Lonerica - i don’t drink milk anyway, but am told by my vegan BIL that Oatly Barista is the way to go.

I had my annual health assessment. Nothing has changed year on year in terms of my fitness, alocohol intake other than now being three weeks plant based (I started on Boxing Day) and my blood test results came back ‘perfect’ in the words of the doctor. My bad cholesterol had gone down, good cholesterol up, and all other measures have improved!! Could be a coincidence I guess...

maybeshesawomble · 15/01/2018 21:02

Lonerica - i don’t drink milk anyway, but am told by my vegan BIL that Oatly Barista is the way to go.

I had my annual health assessment. Nothing has changed year on year in terms of my fitness, alocohol intake other than now being three weeks plant based (I started on Boxing Day) and my blood test results came back ‘perfect’ in the words of the doctor. My bad cholesterol had gone down, good cholesterol up, and all other measures have improved!! Could be a coincidence I guess...

LoniceraJaponica · 15/01/2018 22:44

I can't find Oatly Barista anywhere. Apparently there is a national shortage as so many people are turning to plant milks these days.

DD and I have just done a taste test of 4 milks on their own and then in tea. Oatly wins hands down. The rice coconut milk was OK on its own, but vile in tea. The oatly, cashew and soya milks just made the tea taste powdery, the oatly being the least unpalatable. At least none of the milks curdled.

Apologies to the full time vegans on here, but I am not drinking my tea black and will continue to add dairy milk to my tea.

I love the vegan diet though. I watch a lot of Bosh cooking videos and find them inspirational.

maybeshesawomble · 16/01/2018 06:12

I got Oatly barista for DH yesterday from Ocado if anyone uses them.

SweetestThing · 16/01/2018 19:42

Evening. Veganuary going fairly well, although I haven't actually said I'm doing it for the whole month. Tried some vegan cheese this evening and was pleasantly surprised by how tasty it was and how like "real" cheese it tasted. DH thought the same.

Succumbed to a couple of Christmas chocolates yesterday, but have resisted all other dairy, meat, fish and eggs. I can't say I feel much different for it, but I'm sure it is doing me some good.

Robyrollover · 16/01/2018 20:38

I’m trying this - and really loving it.

We’ve had so many delicious meals, and there are so many options now it’s not as hard as I imagined !

The kids all have a different preference for milk Hmm DS1 has Koko, DS2 Rice Dream and DS3 Alpro Almond Unsweetened UHT.

Evening meals we’ve enjoyed have been:
Butternut Squash, Mushroom and Pinto Bean Chilli
African Sweet Potato Stew
Curry Potato Cakes with Dhal
‘Sausage’ Casserole
Broccoli and baby corn stir fry with rice noodles
Pasta in tomato sauce with roasted veg
Bean burgers with veg chips
Quorn nuggets and jackets

I can’t see me going back - DH not so sure!

Littlepig8834 · 16/01/2018 21:14

I've had quite possibly the worst tea I've had for the whole of this month and it's not because of being vegan, it's because I'm lazy. 3 veggie sausages and some mushy peas. I enjoyed it but it wasn't very adventurous!