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.

Aside from the health/ethical benefits the lack of calorie counting was what attracted me to this - I do hope I lose weight (not WI for 3 months though - to stop that habit too). Think that most people would if following wholefood vegan food pyramid? Hope so!

I'm still transitioning but 6 days in and I've cut out meat, dairy, oil and added sugar - which was much quicker than I thought it would be.

Need to work on:

*Drinking more water
*eating more leafy green vegetables
*fitting in legumes
*I'm not going mad with avocados/nuts/nut milks (cashew is favourite) but think I need to be more mindful of keeping portions of these low

Sung, is WI weighing in or Women's Insitute?

I'm keeping off the junk too. I am only going to weigh myself once a week.

Off to google vegan whole food pyramid....

I've got the daily dozen weekly planner attached to the fridge, to keep me on track. I do well for beans and veg but less well for fruit other than berries. Will take a look at that pyramid.

Great suggestion for meatless balls above (can't see who as on my phone, but thanks!)

And managed to create the vegan latte of my dreams this morning so am now fully enjoying Veganuary!

I am logging my food intake with MyFitnessPal, unless I do that, I kid myself on that I am eating in moderation, but I am not.

When I first went vegan (years ago) I gained weight because I went pasta/carb meat replacement mad. I thought because I wasn't eating meat and dairy, it was ok, so watch out.

Started this on the 5th and 3lbs down already. (Water weight, but hey)

I am still having cow milk in my tea and coffee because if I am not drinking or eating cake, without a proper cuppa, I would be a very angry beast.

haha Lorelei76 - bit of both maybe! I was a member of the WI (lite!)...

I think the headache was because I had, not intentionally, reduced sugar and then last night had a bit of an Oreo fest! It was a really unusual headache which took most of the day to go 😞 that'll teach me!!

I don't think Oreos are vegan anymore Str4ngedays

They used to be but not sure they are anymore. I really hope they are though as I loves them.

I checked Oreos and Jammie Dodgers the other day at the supermarket. I thought they were both vegan, but both contained whey from milk . The Oreos were a weird flavour though (think it wasn't peanut butter), so maybe the original kind are still vegan.

www.oreo.co.uk/faq

This^^ says not suitable for vegans due to "cross contact" with milk. I'm not really sure what that means though.

Bugger - Thanks. Well I won't be having them again 😒

I went to a vegan friends house today though and she had made the most amazing chocolate. I'm going to get the recipe and will share 😀

Oh please do str4nge! I love a bit of .

I'm determined not to have any (deliberate) slip ups this week.

Plan for today is:

B: peanut butter on toast

L: homemade lentil soup with bread

T: brown rice, peanut and edamame salad

Snacks: I'm off to buy some vegan snack foods this morning, so don't know yet!

Hope everyone has nice days.

Haha just realised you didn't even say "chocolate cake", you just said "chocolate"! Clearly, that was my cake obsession talking .

There are different types of Oreos, some have milk and others don't - the same product sometimes has different ingredients depending on where it was made. The only vegans I know who avoid foods with the 'may contain' cross contamination warning are those with dairy allergies. From Veganuary website: "In the UK, a manufacturer must declare whether a product is made in a factory where allergens are present. You may be confused when you see a label that appears to be free from any non-vegan ingredient and then states ‘may contain milk’ (for example). This is a legal requirement and does not mean the product is not vegan."

I have to say I'm not too worried about cross contamination. As long as a product doesn't actually contain animal products, the "may contain" warning refers to traces left because the same factory produces things that do contain milk etc. I'm also relaxed about (for example) buying a black Americano from somewhere which has a milk frothing arm on the coffee machine. Inevitably trace amounts of milk will be spattered onto the machine so that would be cross contamination too. Any vegan food produced in a commercial kitchen - yes, Pizza Express etc do a vegan pizza, but food hygiene requirements mean that while gloves must be changed or hands washed (coughwhenanybody'slookingcough) between handling meat and handling veg, it's not necessary between handling cheese and handling veg (although my food hygiene certificate is ancient now so the regulations may have changed).

If you go too far down this rabbit hole you find yourself not eating seaweed (may have accidentally scooped up little sea beasties in it), not handling the new £5 notes, and not eating figs. Go on, google for fig wasps, you know you want to.

str4nge I wonder if it was the in this blog? itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/2015/11/21/the-ultimate-vegan-chocolate-cake/ It is amazing, rises like a dream and you'd never know it was vegan!

Thanks for clarifying that chop. The Oreos I looked at were the peanut ones, in an Asda in Northern Ireland. Maybe in England they don't contain milk? I'm back home in England now so will maybe be able to indulge in a few packets biscuits!

And thanks for the cake recipe! Might be a project for DD and me this week.

Klingy I recommend the pound shop for all your Oreo needs!

Thanks to the PP who mentioned the just-rol. I have a can of croissants in the fridge so swooped down to check and sure enough said only 'may contain milk'. Happy days! Thanks also to the PP who clarified the meaning of that.

I had a quinoa, avocado and red pepper salad with lime dressing. Was DELICIOUS!

I'm finding that I'm eating less just because it's often much more effort to make tasty vegan food than it is to do my usual favourites.

I was wondering how to make jus rol pastry with a nice mushroom filling. I suspect just slow cooking the mushrooms won't be enough. I dunno, maybe I'm completely wrong.

I realised yesterday I have never tried that chestnut puree you can buy ready made, it seems to be reduced on account of the time of year. But it sounds like it would be quite sweet tasting. Not sure that's what I'm after.

I've got rice milk to try for porridge tomorrow, never had it before.

thanks chop!

I like rice milk lorelei. Rice and oat milk are my favourites of the ones I've tried so far. I haven't tried oatly foamable yet but everyone seems to go on about it, so might get some next time I'm out.

That's exciting re jus rol croissants!

Just got back form London where I was so close to a big Mac with the utter stress of the day! (Didn't though 😇) will update when I have finished my vegan chilli 😁

Well resisted Strange!

Not tried rice milk either.

Evening all!

Thanks for clarification on Oreos - I agree about going off ingredients and not over thinking cross-contamination.

I'm working late so think will be a quick dinner of nachos with salsa and guacamole and some melted vegan cheese under the grill. I've found a small amount of Sainsbury's vegan one works well melted. Not a fan of vegan cheese not melted though!

So it was an absolute nightmare in London! We were having a tour of the houses of parliament and because of all the delays we got there late and I only had a banana and a nakd bar. by the time we got back on the us I was so 'hangry' I was ranting at poor DS about how I was GOING to have a big Mac and I DIDN'T care anyway. Poor lad. Luckily at kings cross there is a pret a manger and they do a bloody marvellous vegan cardboard box of falafel salad etc which I wolfed down! So pleased I didn't falter.
I have the chocolate recipe:
Thereabouts:
50g Creamed coconut (shred with cheese grater)
200g Cacao butter (shred with cheese grater)
25g Carob
65g Cacao powder
130g coconut sugar

Heat pan of water and put shredded cacao butter and creamed coconut into a Pyrex bowl on top of it.
Take care to keep the temperature at all times below 42
When melted a little, add the powders (carob, cacao powder and sugar)
Melt all ingredients and stir together taking care to heat to 42 degrees, no higher. Stir and cool to 35 degrees. Out into moulds add nuts if required, put in frdige for 20 mins. EAT!!! It really is gorgeous