Veganuary anyone?

[mnpeasantry]

So, never had a lot of luck with launching popular threads but wondered if anyone was game for a bit of vegan January?

My plan is to eat a plant based diet and cut out booze for all except 3 pre planned events in January.

I've put together a list of meals that sound good to me and not too arduous to put together on top of working and caring for two under 3.

Meals include:

Chips
Quinoa and sweet potato cakes
Avocado
Guacamole and tortilla chips
Veg chilli
Lentil soup
Brocolli and cashew stir fry
Spicy coconut noodles
Onion bhaji
Aubergine curry
Hummus
Sweet potato and white bean chilli
Curried coconut veg noodles
www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/veggie-noodles-with-curried-coconut-sauce/
Sweet potato chickpea curry
www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/sweet-potato-chickpea-amp-spinach-curry/
Pumpkin, chickpeas and coconut curry
www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetable-recipes/pumpkin-chickpea-coconut-curry/
Vegan shepherds pie
www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/vegan-shepherd-s-pie/
Best vegan burger
www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/the-best-vegan-burger/

Why? Feeling a bit fat after Christmas and still need to lose a bit of baby weight. I feel that I have become a bit meat based in my meal planning lately and would like to diversify a bit. I'm aware of environmental and ethical issues surrounding the consumption of meat and I feel like I'm starting to believe that dairy doesn't really agree with me and triggers a number of allergies in my family.

So, is anybody with me? Let's (hopefully) improve our health and fitness, complexions, environment, digestion, etc! Feeling hopeful.

Evening everyone. I'm a usual lurker on here but thought would join for support if that's ok. I'm doing Veganuary and Dry January and have had nearly half a stone fall off me since the first as well as having so much more energy so fingers crossed it continues. I've found the Veganuary website really good for recipes and having fun trying out herbal and fruit teas (some with more success than others). I really feel Veganism is the way forward and in a few hundred years or more I think people will look back with shock at just how much meat and animal products people of today consumed.

wow peeling half a stone is amazing! I'm not sure I've lost anything yet, I'm sure I will though due to not eating cheese, biscuits, pizza etc

oops posted too soon!

I agree, I think veganism is the way forward, it's becoming easier and easier to buy vegan foods, it's definitely a growing movement. We had a vegan fair in our town last year and it was absolutely packed with people! Amazing for our middle England town. I'm hoping to continue once Jan is over and I also feel full of energy! long may it last

Yes! I've been looking for a veganuary thread! Am on day 6 now and am doing ok. Love Oatly milk and almond milk and am managing to cook reasonable dinners - tomato-y cottage pie stuff and chilli etc. Finding it tough at work though. Taken vegan cheese and salads so far but find them a bit dull! I do feel a bit tired at the moment but I am taking a multi vitamin too. So glad I found you all!!

Oh I'm an ex drinker as well. Gave up three and half years ago so can't do Dry January 😀

Day 6 and feeling positive about the food side of things but still haven't found a milk that makes an enjoyable latte.

peasantry by foamed milk do you mean using one of those whisk things to foam it? I've never yet ordered a soya latte in a coffee shop so perhaps this should be on my to do list.

Loving Buddha bowls! DH asserts they are so named because they're one with everything 😝

Oatly milk is really good in coffee!

Simon I think it was only because so full of Christmas rubbish and water retention that is that much!

I'm in love with the Naked bars for snacking and hitting that sweet spot. Think they're on special offer in a lot of the super markets at the moment.

Must look up vegan haggis.
Finally found coconut collab choc pot. Sooooo nice.

Soya
cappachino in costa is yum...instead of chocolate on top sprinkle sugar.it goes crunchy

I'm watching vegucated on Netflix tonight, very interesting

Managed an almost vegan day today. The snack bar I had for breakfast had honey in it, sneaky sneaky. Otherwise lunch was what I could find in Tesco metro, surprisingly really nice, 'Mediterranean grains' pouch (rice, quinoa, courgettes, peppers and kale, kinda tomatoey) and one of those yellow box longlife Indian ready meals, a chickpea one. Mixed berries for afters. Dinner was an Amy's Kitchen tin soup and gf bread roll, had to dash out quickly after work. Snacks an apple and some cashews.

I've gone through paleo eating phases when I ate lots of veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds, no dairy, but meats, rather than grains or pulses. Vegan has been easier than paleo so far, in terms of finding stuff to grab and in feeling fuller from eating - I guess that's the carbs. If you can tolerate gluten it'd be even easier.

Watching 'what I eat in a day' videos on YouTube has been useful.

Morning all. I hope you have nice weekends planned.

It's scary how many hidden animal products are in everything and you have to initially read labels of everything to ensure you don't slip up.

I'm disappointed sofa bread had buttermilk in it but founds a recipe I can make myself.

I'm quickly learning you have to embrace cooking

Soda bread not sofa bread

Yes! I'm looking at YOU milk for being in practically everything for NO REASON

sofa bread! I've had some soda bread about the same consistency as a sofa tbf... I hope the vegan version is nice! Report back if you will .

B: leftover rice noodle salad (was so nice last night - slightly less nice today but meh), bread and olive oil

L: I made a huge tray of roast veg and passata last night, sort of based on briam (Greek dish), but with basil instead of other herbs as it was all I had. Will probably have it with more bread.

T: I'm going out for dinner with DH tonight, so will have to see what I can have. It's a little local restaurant so I'm not sure what vegan options there will be, but I will certainly be trying my best to stick to vegan.

Snacks: fruit, maybe toast with coconut oil and jam or a vegan hot chocolate.

Does anyone know, if I make a pasta sauce from fresh aubergine and add olive oil, how long will it stay fresh in the fridge?

Porridge with hazelnut milk this morning.

There's something about walking by whole areas of the supermarket that's very nice. I do want to try Sainsbury vegan cheese but so far I've been unimpressed with vegan cheese generally.

Just making a vegan chocolate cake with DD. Not sure how it will turn out but we'll see 😁 this morning I had bananas, coconut yoghurt oats and hazlenut milk in a smoothie. Nice but not completely filling. Walked past a bakery earlier and had an almost inanse urge for a sausage roll 😞 didn't break though.

I'm steering clear of vegan cheese for now. I've tried it during previous vegan phases and it's just not cheese, and feels like eating plastic usually. Some cream cheeses have been ok. I'd like to experiment with making my own 'cheese' spread, perhaps tofu blended with nooch flakes, garlic, herbs, lemon juice etc might work.

Has anyone found any vegan gluten free sliced bread? I don't eat a lot of bread at all but usually have a gluten free sliced loaf in the freezer for the odd slice of toast etc. I've found vegan gf wraps, pitta and rolls, but all the sliced loaves have milk and/or egg in them. Looks like another thing that will need to be homemade!

Just de-lurking to say the Sainsbury's cream cheese with garlic is lovely but I wasn't keen on the rest! This is my second week as a vegan and finding it gets easier everyday, I picked up some vegan mince in Morrisons earlier so looking forward to see how that turns out.

I fear I may not lose a lot of weight as I eat far too much chocolate still but I defiantly have more energy for the gym.

Lorelei I would say three days? Although I'm not an aubergine fan, however hard I try I can't get on with liking it!

pheonix I've no idea on a gluten free and vegan sliced bread. I did a quick Google and seems any gluten free ones have some sort of egg product in it.

I'm a pesto lover and have tried both Kale and spinach home made pesto with very good results. Using some cashew nuts and big pinch of nutritional yeast subsitudes parmasan.

Vegan cheese is mostly unpleasant BUT I have found one notable exception. The Nutcrafter Creamery cheeses are amazing - I treated myself to some over xmas. However they are wildly expensive so next Nutcrafter treat will probably be easter!

Ooh peeling if you like pesto, try this, it's amazing www.deliciouseveryday.com/roasted-baby-carrots-with-carrot-top-pesto/

We're doing sos-free (no added salt oil or sugar) so I can't make it at the moment but it is divine.

Thanks, three days is about what I was thinking, not a good idea then
Does freshly made spinach pesto last longer? I guess not.
I'm not a fan of cooking, can you tell

Thanks laura will definitely add this to my recipe collection. I'm a pesto fiend!

Lorelei How about freezing batches of things and then defrosting overnight? Pesto is good to freeze in ice cube trays and sauces in small freezer bags or Tupperware?