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Vegan

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

Veganuary 2025

264 replies

kikisparks · 01/01/2025 08:49

A thread for anyone doing this who might need any help or tips 😊 I’m already vegan but happy to offer suggestions or support if anyone wants it!

OP posts:
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Gymbunny2025 · 21/01/2025 09:51

I've decided I'm going to carry on for Feb. Then reassess again. It doesn't help that my kids are carnivores and keep moaning they are living in a vegan ingredients house (total exaggeration obviously but they do both steal some of my vegan stuff!!). We've got a lot more planned as a family in Feb rather than mainly hibernating so will be useful to see how that goes too

PigInADuvet · 21/01/2025 16:06

Gymbunny2025 · 21/01/2025 09:51

I've decided I'm going to carry on for Feb. Then reassess again. It doesn't help that my kids are carnivores and keep moaning they are living in a vegan ingredients house (total exaggeration obviously but they do both steal some of my vegan stuff!!). We've got a lot more planned as a family in Feb rather than mainly hibernating so will be useful to see how that goes too

What kinds of meals are you making? My husband isn't vegan and neither is my child (he's autistic and has a very limited range of accepted foods!) and so there are things I make where the base component is vegan, but separate things can be added to suit peoples preferences. Happy to share ideas if helpful.

As for me, I've invested in a... well I don't know what they are. Fitness coach/personal trainer. I've been tasked with getting my protein up to an average of 100g a day across the week so that is giving me something to think about food wise.

Gymbunny2025 · 21/01/2025 16:32

We all tend to eat our own thing. Not great I know.

Amazing signing up for a PT well done. Are you enjoying it?

100g of protein though? That's loads! I have just worked out and I've eaten 35g today- porridge, flapjack for lunch, Bol soup and 2 slices of seed bread for dinner. That's terrible!!! I've exercised for 90 mins too šŸ™ˆ. Maybe I need to triple protein intake. No idea how though!!

PigInADuvet · 21/01/2025 16:49

Gymbunny2025 · 21/01/2025 16:32

We all tend to eat our own thing. Not great I know.

Amazing signing up for a PT well done. Are you enjoying it?

100g of protein though? That's loads! I have just worked out and I've eaten 35g today- porridge, flapjack for lunch, Bol soup and 2 slices of seed bread for dinner. That's terrible!!! I've exercised for 90 mins too šŸ™ˆ. Maybe I need to triple protein intake. No idea how though!!

At the moment it's more general support, working to get my general movement increased etc. I have joined the gym and been swimming a few times and ventured into the actual gym once so far, but have been supported to manage my own expectations and working on the principle of slow, sustainable changes! It seems to be working, I'm 15kg down over 8 weeks on 2900 calories a day. I do have plenty to lose mind šŸ˜‚

I've looked back to the weeks before thinking about protein and figures there were 80-110g per day. Some as much as 135g!

Think I probably just eat 3x what you do hence 3x the protein šŸ˜† Yesterday's breakfast was 33g protein - scrambled tofu on toast with 2 richmond sausages.

Gymbunny2025 · 21/01/2025 17:01

15 kg weight loss in 8 weeks is absolutely incredible!! I love the gym so would say working there especially with a PT you will start to see results really quickly

Do you have a recipe for scrambled tofu? I definitely need to up my protein significantly if I'm going to continue!!

PigInADuvet · 21/01/2025 17:07

I used to be a big gym goer, I lost half my bodyweight about 8 years ago...and then put it all back on again! I'd love to get back to even halfway there in terms of weight and exercise (few more commitments now, that was pre kids)

There's a lot of recipes out there, most use kala namak/black salt to give an egg type flavour but it's taken me 3 years to realise I don't actually like it. This is the bare bones of my scrambled tofu these days although I do chuck random stuff in depending what I have. Favourite combo at the moment is mushrooms, peppers and cheese. Oh and I use smoked tofu rather than plain for some extra flavour. And oat milk rather than butter to save calories!

Veganuary 2025
Gymbunny2025 · 21/01/2025 17:11

Thanks šŸ™ I'm not much of a cook sadly but that looks fairly easy and simple to make. I'll try it for dinner next week.

If you've done it before you'll do it again šŸ’Ŗ

PigInADuvet · 21/01/2025 17:33

You can't really go wrong with it. My modified version is...

Stick some chopped onions in the pan (I use frozen pre chopped ones). At this point I will also chuck in peppers and mushrooms if adding (again, usually frozen pre chopped)

Whilst that gets going I open the tofu and tear/squash it up into a bowl. When the onions etc are cooked through a bit I chuck the tofu in the pan with a shaking of turmeric, garlic and herb seasoning (if I don't have this, I'll put in actual garlic...frozen pre chopped!), and an unhealthy quantity of nutritional yeast and a splash or two of oat milk just to moisten the dry ingredients. Fry it all together for a bit, keep it moving, but it doesn't take long. Whack it on some toast and you're sorted! If I've mis timed things, I just take it off the heat sooner, or add a bit more oat milk so it doesn't dry out.

If you like tofu, another breakfast or as they are affectionately known in our house, "shit on toast" meal I do consists loosely of...

Tofu, cubed
Onion/garlic/peppers/mushrooms/sweetcorn - all chucked in and fried off.
Then add some sort of seasoning - depending on what I have handy - bbq works well and some tinned toms (usually works out at about half a tin) or passata to combine it all together.

Depending on quantities that'll do me 2 or 3 breakfasts chucked on some toast. Tofu also freezes well so I tend to make in larger quantities, portion and freeze.

bakewellbride · 21/01/2025 17:41

@Gymbunny2025 Amanda ducks on YouTube does a good tofu scramble recipe and many other things! Would recommend x

despairnow · 21/01/2025 18:11

Well Lidl is my new M&S. the moussaka is really nice as are the tzatziki and Russian salad. Meanwhile couldn't even find cheese in M&S only thing handy in there now is the salads and the frozen jacket potatoes

Sunshineandrainbow · 21/01/2025 18:14

Can anyone help with milk please, I drink tea and coffee. Was having soya but hear that's not great for the environment? I like oat barista but it's expensive but maybe I just need to think sod it and get it!

Wavescrashingonthebeach · 21/01/2025 18:30

Sunshineandrainbow · 21/01/2025 18:14

Can anyone help with milk please, I drink tea and coffee. Was having soya but hear that's not great for the environment? I like oat barista but it's expensive but maybe I just need to think sod it and get it!

Could buy organic/sustainable soya? The batista oat is really cheap in Lidl!!!
Agree with @despairnow Lidl is my go to! The chocolate muffins were amazing. I microwaved them just long enough to warm them and melt the vemondo chocolate spread i put on top! Delicious x

bakewellbride · 21/01/2025 18:36

@Sunshineandrainbow soya milk is much, much better for the environment than cows milk and 75% of all soya produced is for animal feed for the meat industry anyway so honestly enjoy your soya milk guilt free! By not eating meat you are still massively reducing your soya consumption.

despairnow · 21/01/2025 18:49

I drink black Americano or occasionally oat cream or milk in tea

PigInADuvet · 21/01/2025 19:48

Sunshineandrainbow · 21/01/2025 18:14

Can anyone help with milk please, I drink tea and coffee. Was having soya but hear that's not great for the environment? I like oat barista but it's expensive but maybe I just need to think sod it and get it!

My favourite is califia farms oat barista and I use it in everything - drinks, savoury cooking, cereal etc. It's not the cheapest but I get it on subscribe and save from amazon which reduces the cost a bit. There are a few branded things I won't compromise on and this is one of them! Others include birds eye peas, green giant sweetcorn and hellmans mayonnaise!

PigInADuvet · 21/01/2025 19:48

despairnow · 21/01/2025 18:11

Well Lidl is my new M&S. the moussaka is really nice as are the tzatziki and Russian salad. Meanwhile couldn't even find cheese in M&S only thing handy in there now is the salads and the frozen jacket potatoes

Don't get too attached. They'll disappear in a week or so never to be seen again! Until next January anyway...

despairnow · 21/01/2025 20:18

True. I'm an M&S shopper partly as I can call in after work. But they've massively let the side down by rebranding their vegan range and dispersing products among the dead animal products!

PigInADuvet · 21/01/2025 20:27

Yeah I don't bother with M&S now for exactly that reason. I have no desire to trawl through the shelves reading labels, I do enough of that already! If I'm feeling flush I will add a few bits to an ocado delivery but the budget is usually more Sainsbury's!

despairnow · 21/01/2025 20:45

I get the frozen jacket potatoes from there sometimes as I can put them straight in the oven after work!
I usually do whole food stuff but have a weakness for certain things like Greggs sausage rolls 😩

PigInADuvet · 22/01/2025 19:47

I honestly think I could eat an unlimited amount of greggs sausage rolls!

despairnow · 22/01/2025 20:50

Me too! I pop in on a Monday after work and they say oh we put some fresh in so they'd be hot for you 🤣

kikisparks · 23/01/2025 22:04

bakewellbride · 21/01/2025 18:36

@Sunshineandrainbow soya milk is much, much better for the environment than cows milk and 75% of all soya produced is for animal feed for the meat industry anyway so honestly enjoy your soya milk guilt free! By not eating meat you are still massively reducing your soya consumption.

This! Plus all Alpro soya beans are deforestation free https://www.alpro.com/uk/articles/sustainability-part-of-our-dna

Alpro

Alpro website

https://www.alpro.com/uk/articles/sustainability-part-of-our-dna

OP posts:
PigInADuvet · 24/01/2025 19:05

I thought of you this morning @Gymbunny2025 as I ate my 66g protein breakfast šŸ˜†

Gymbunny2025 · 24/01/2025 19:14

I'm so impressed!! Today I had porridge, biscuits, walkers squares, then salad for dinner. I'm just so lazy when it comes to cooking šŸ™ˆ

Will definitely try the scrambled tofu recipe (and a Greggs sausage roll!)

PigInADuvet · 24/01/2025 19:21

11g protein in a greggs sausage roll apparently!