The 1 November is World Vegan Day, which kick starts World Vegan Month. Whether you plan to go vegan for the day, the month, or if you’ve been thinking about going vegan full-time, here are a few easy switches you can make.
Swap dairy milk for pea milk
There are a lot of alternative milk choices out there now, but if you’re looking for one that behaves like dairy milk, but that’s 100% vegan, high in protein and with a low carbon footprint, you could consider pea milk. Sproud milk was founded in Malmö in the south of Sweden and is made of protein from dry yellow peas cultivated in Europe, where the protein is also extracted. It’s a clean process without chemical solvents, and before you ask, no it’s not bright green, and it doesn’t taste like peas!
Swap honey for maple syrup, date syrup or coconut nectar
Some people are surprised honey isn’t vegan, but there are several practices in honey production that aren’t considered good for the bees. There are plenty of alternatives to get your fix of the sweet stuff though, including maple syrup, date syrup or coconut nectar.
Swap eggs for tofu
Many people moving from a meat-based diet to a vegetarian one start eating more eggs, but obviously you can’t do this if you’re going vegan. However, you can swap your eggs for tofu. If you buy firm tofu, you can scramble it like egg. If you can find any Kala Namak salt to add as well, it even tastes like scrambled egg too.
Swap butter for olive oil
Really good bread and butter is a simple pleasure, but you can easily switch it for bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Also switch butter for olive oil while cooking (but not at super high temperatures). It contains healthy mono-unsaturated fats, antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties, along with other health benefits.
Swap meat for veg
This might seem like stating the obvious, but there are some vegetables with high levels of protein that you should incorporate regularly into your diet to make sure you’re hitting your protein goals. Veggies like lentils, chickpeas and black, red kidney and cannellini beans are a great source of complex carbohydrates and fibre, as well as protein.
Swap dairy yoghurt for coconut milk yoghurt
Coconut yoghurt doesn’t have the same calcium or protein of dairy yoghurt, so be mindful of that and make sure you get enough of both. However, coconut yoghurt is a tasty substitute and can be used in curries, smoothies or to top cereal.
Some of your favourite snacks are already vegan
There are a lot of surprising products available that are already vegan. These include:
Skittles
Marmite
Oreos
Biscoff spread
Tesco Apple Strudel
Heinz tomato ketchup
Cadbury drinking chocolate
Co-op jam and custard doughnuts
Bisto original, vegetable and onion gravy
Doritos Chilli Heatwave and Lightly Salted
Sainsbury’s chicken flavour instant noodles
Pringles Original, Paprika, BBQ and Smoky Bacon
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