Anyone thinking about doing Veganuary 2021

[DumbleDorkReturns]

I want to do Veganuary 2021 and wondered if anyone else is?

Also any tips from those who are well established vegans. Thanks

Not vegan but a complex allergy household so often vegan by default
It’s allll in the prep-
Food plan, shop online, and consider ALL food especially any eating out etc
If you aren’t already DF the main thing you’ll miss ks cheese because they’re all a bit crap so consider embracing vegan food not substitute food ie amazing coconut curries not vegan pizza
Chains do Began well now btw especially pizza express zizzi and even Starbucks (vegan wrap is amazing, most drinks can be vegan and they have sweet stuff too)
A lot of budget ranges are DF as use oil not butter so don’t head to special stuff ASAP
A lot of butter and honey lurks in breads etc- get used to what you can/can’t have- wraps usually fine
Hoummus and carrots etc good snacks likewise peanut butter and apple
Chocolate- Nomo, Moo free and morossons are our press
Oatly chocolate mylk is amazing with sweet haven whip cream
This won’t make you thin LOL

Do it!
I did 2 years ago and coming up to my 3 year veganniversary now!
What kind of tips are you after? Are you vegetarian already or not?

Also. Stock up on long life stuff like milk now because often it runs short in jan as people join in!

Fuck no! What a ponsy term 🤮

Mostly vegetarian, only tend to eat meat out which hasn't happened much this year.

Is it easy enough to do vegan for one member of the household if the rest aren't?

@Savourysenorita

Fuck no! What a ponsy term 🤮

Poncey or not not ponsy it's really effective so I'm good with it

Yes! I am. Been veggie for years but ready to go the full veeeg! Following :)

It could be difficult if there are fresh food shortages!

@DumbleDorkReturns

Mostly vegetarian, only tend to eat meat out which hasn't happened much this year.

Is it easy enough to do vegan for one member of the household if the rest aren't?

DS isn't vegan but he is veggie. I often do vegan meals like curry, pasta and tomato sauce (he'll have cheese on) or stir fry but I'll also do us meals on the same theme. For example pasta with cheese sauce and I'll have pasta with a vegan white sauce. Baked potatoes with ragu, again he adds cheese, fajitas or chilli with beans etc, many meals can be vegan and add cheese if the non vegans want it.

I want to try, I'm veggie anyway and have a few vegan days but the men in this house eat meat, so I buy organic meat for them (I really enjoy cooking).

It'll be tough on my and my sons birthday but apart from that I believe I can definitely do it! X

I have done this with DD, but as she is at university now it will be less easy.

As a tea drinker, having tried every non dairy milk around and still haven't found a good substitute for non dairy milk in tea.

I like Oatly and I like rice milk, but in tea they just don't work for me.

Other than milk in tea I can quite happily eat vegan food.

Stop showing your ignorance Savourysenorita

@Ginfordinner I do get that! Before oat milk was a thing (or before I knew about it), I found it so hard to drink "vegan" coffee. Not a yea drinker but can imagine it doesn't taste right.

Those that are struggling with milk, my neighbour who is dairy free uses oatly barista for hot drinks if that's any help

It is fine in coffee, but no good in tea IMO.

I did it last year and still going :)

I drink tea black (very weak, 1 sugar) and use almond milk for porridge. Cheese wise I like Vitalite slices and Asda mozzarella for visual cheese on pasta etc.

The rest of the family are carnivore but will eat vegan sometimes so I do things like pasta and a many veg sauce, and do some meatballs for them and veggie balls for me (or all veggie), sausage casserole in two dishes (Richmond meat free for me), Quorn in place of chicken, lentil bolognaise for all etc. And then OH has a steak on a Saturday (No Bull mushroom steak for me and it's amazing). It takes a bit of thinking but not too much work - just splitting the sauce at the point meat goes in or adding some meat if they want it particularly.

I have tried as many vegan cheeses as possible The Tyne Chease company makes the nicest cheese substitute, but it is extremely expensive and not suitable for cooking.

IMO other cheese substitutes are inedible. Violife is calles vlie-life in our house. It really has a disgusting aftertaste.

The main revelation for me was home made cashew cream. It is an absolutely brilliant substitute for cream in curries.

The best korma curry ever is the Bosh recipe, and I say this as an omnivore.

YesI’m doing it. DH will be also, but DS (7) won’t. He’ll be eating vegan at dinner times with us though as I’m not cooking twice!

I’ve been preparing by testing out the milks. I found Oatly barista and Alpro hazelnut both ok in tea and coffe. Oatly better though if I’m being completely honest. Everyone keeps telling me that I will not find a vegan cheese that’s worth eating so although I will try a couple, I’m prepared to just not eat any for a month even though I know that will test me to my limit.

I’ve been stocking up each week on chick peas, different types of beans, jackfruit, coconut milk, oat milk etc over the past month or so as I know sometimes it’s tricky to come by some vegan products in Jan and I cannot stand soya milk. I’ve also got some nutritional yeast (apparently cheesy) and some silken tofu to try as I’ve never had it before. We eat form tofu most weeks already but can’t stock up on that too far in advance.

I’m a pretty competent cook and confident I can adapt what we eat quite easily, plus we do have some vegan dishes that we eat regularly anyway.

Last year we did Vegetarian for January as I wasn’t prepared to give up cheese or eggs. Since then our overall meat intake has been much lower than before and I now only buy high welfare meat/fish.

I'm going to do it this year.

DS may join me, he doesn't eat meat or fish now so perhaps at least we can cook together. DH is not over excited about it.

I'm doing it again, this year I did all of Jan and all of Feb. I've also stopped eating cheese at home apart from a pizza every couple of months. I mostly avoid eggs apart from in baked goods occasionally when out. I don't feel that there will be too many changes to make once I get started again in January, as long as I have stocked up on Tesco or Waitrose bourbon biscuits I'll get through it!

I don't have regular tea or coffee, just peppermint tea, and if out I often order hot chocolate with soy milk in Costa etc.

I think we'll give it a go, other than milk. I just can't get on with vegan milk in hot drinks. Other than that, should cope okay.

Me. Did it last January

I did it last year and stayed vegan for the past year (and plan to continue) because I found so many recipes! I was going from vegetarian though so it was less of a shock for me than most! Good luck if you go for it :)

Tips:

1. A lot of what you eat is probably already vegan (or almost vegan!) so think through what you normally have and you won't have to change so much. Loads of standard things can be easily veganised just by switching out butter for spread for example, or switching meat products for soya or vegan quorn ones (like pasta, risotto, lots of curries, loads of things like humous, falafel, baba ghanoush, peanut butter, most bread, soups etc etc!)

1. stay away from vegan cheese initially - give your tastebuds time to adjust. It's not the same as standard cheese but if you have a period with neither it will taste much nicer :)

1. Sign up to the veganuary website as they send you recipes and ideas every day

1. for me soya milk in tea and oat milk in coffee is best (you can get cheap versions from aldi)

1. If you want to get into recipes and cooking there is a 'vegan version' of most things out there so if you're craving something google it! Expect them to taste different but they are usually delicious in a different way - e.g. vegan chickpea 'tuna' mayo on baked potato is yum.

1. vegan cakes = delicious and light and fluffy!

1. vegan pizza - buy a base and make your own (pasta, garlic, oregano for the sauce), you only need a sprinkle of vegan mozzarella style and it's delicious and you don't miss the cheese.

Good luck - feel free to message if you have any questions!

I'm thinking about doing this as I am trying to make as many vegan swaps as possible.

For tea, I really like Alpro my cuppa. It's designed especially for tea. For coffee I use oat milk.

My downfall is usually cheese, or cheese flavour things (like crisps), or quorn.

I'd like to give it a go. Need some easy recipes though as I'm not particularly adventurous in the kitchen and have to juggle food prep with looking after a toddler and a baby.

Any easy recipe recommendations are welcome! 🙏🙏🙏

@waytoosoon most of mine are from Bosh! books. They're great!