3 years now of vegan living, I have learnt a lot along the way, and I am still learning every day. Here are a few tips which may help those wanting to move to the vegan lifestyle or for those who just want a little extra information.
Shop around
I can never find all the things I want in one place. I do the majority of my shop in Lidl/Aldi, then pop to a larger Supermarket like Asda/Tesco for anything that I missed. I then head to a specialist store, such as Holland and Barrett or a local Health Food Store for any unusual vegan items, such as Nutritional Yeast or Fry's frozen range.
Learn to read labels
Understanding food labels is a must! Research non vegan food items, there are often hidden additions which you may not realise are not suitable. Vitamin D sourced from lanolin (sheeps wool) in cereal caught me out for a long time. I normally look for the vegetarian symbol, then look for allergens listed in bold. Eggs and milk have to be listed as an allergen in the ingredients. Then I have a scan through for the hidden ones, honey etc. It may take some time at first but it soon becomes second nature.
Read about animal ingredients here.
Don't become complacent
One of the biggest mistakes is to become complacent, just because an item was vegan last month doesn't mean to say it will always be vegan. It is common practice for companies to change the ingredients list. Look for new advertising such as 'new improved recipe', an indication they may have hidden a new ingredient in there! Jammie Dodgers recently turned non-vegan! *Sad face*. This is also relevant the other way round, just because it is not vegan now doesnt mean it won't always be... oreos recently went vegan, and quorn and now producing a vegan range, hurrah!
Prepare in advance
Going out for meals is often a daunting experience, but it really doesnt have to be. Look up menus in advance to find out what is suitable. If nothing stands out give them a ring. Many restauraunts will gladly appreciate the advanced warning and put something together. Don't turn up on the day and expect them to fulfill demands without pre-warning them.
There are many chain restaurants which already have vegan options on the menu. Some of my favourites are The Lounges, Toby Carvery and Yo Sushi.
Then there are others which have options that can be slighlty altered on request to make them vegan, like Pizza Express (dough balls with garlic oil instead of butter, pizza with no cheese) and Wagamama (tell them you are vegan and they will bring you the allergen menu with a list of suitable changes).
Join vegan groups on social media
Talking to like minded individuals can really help. There are many groups available on social media, from group discussions, to vegan products, even vegan dating. Most people are friendly and chatty, and willing to offer you as much advice as you want. However, beware of the 'vegan police', those people that want to insult your choice because you are 'not as vegan as they are'. Dont let them put you off!
Some of my favourite facebook groups are:
Vegan Meringues - Hits and Misses
Vegan (Supermarket finds) UK
What Fat Vegans Eat
Vegans UK- Off Topic Chat
More than just food
Being vegan is more than just a diet change, as you venture into this lifestyle you will learn to adapt and change everything around you. Be flexible and open minded to what you may need to change. You will never stop learning. From ensuring the beauty products you buy are not tested on animals, to eliminating silk and wool in your clothing purchases. Its your journey to take and make sure you enjoy it. Dont be pressured into anything - as that will make it more stressful than fun. Take it at your own pace and love every moment of it!
Shop around
I can never find all the things I want in one place. I do the majority of my shop in Lidl/Aldi, then pop to a larger Supermarket like Asda/Tesco for anything that I missed. I then head to a specialist store, such as Holland and Barrett or a local Health Food Store for any unusual vegan items, such as Nutritional Yeast or Fry's frozen range.
Learn to read labels
Understanding food labels is a must! Research non vegan food items, there are often hidden additions which you may not realise are not suitable. Vitamin D sourced from lanolin (sheeps wool) in cereal caught me out for a long time. I normally look for the vegetarian symbol, then look for allergens listed in bold. Eggs and milk have to be listed as an allergen in the ingredients. Then I have a scan through for the hidden ones, honey etc. It may take some time at first but it soon becomes second nature.
Read about animal ingredients here.
Don't become complacent
One of the biggest mistakes is to become complacent, just because an item was vegan last month doesn't mean to say it will always be vegan. It is common practice for companies to change the ingredients list. Look for new advertising such as 'new improved recipe', an indication they may have hidden a new ingredient in there! Jammie Dodgers recently turned non-vegan! *Sad face*. This is also relevant the other way round, just because it is not vegan now doesnt mean it won't always be... oreos recently went vegan, and quorn and now producing a vegan range, hurrah!
Prepare in advance
Going out for meals is often a daunting experience, but it really doesnt have to be. Look up menus in advance to find out what is suitable. If nothing stands out give them a ring. Many restauraunts will gladly appreciate the advanced warning and put something together. Don't turn up on the day and expect them to fulfill demands without pre-warning them.
There are many chain restaurants which already have vegan options on the menu. Some of my favourites are The Lounges, Toby Carvery and Yo Sushi.
Then there are others which have options that can be slighlty altered on request to make them vegan, like Pizza Express (dough balls with garlic oil instead of butter, pizza with no cheese) and Wagamama (tell them you are vegan and they will bring you the allergen menu with a list of suitable changes).
Join vegan groups on social media
Talking to like minded individuals can really help. There are many groups available on social media, from group discussions, to vegan products, even vegan dating. Most people are friendly and chatty, and willing to offer you as much advice as you want. However, beware of the 'vegan police', those people that want to insult your choice because you are 'not as vegan as they are'. Dont let them put you off!
Some of my favourite facebook groups are:
Vegan Meringues - Hits and Misses
Vegan (Supermarket finds) UK
What Fat Vegans Eat
Vegans UK- Off Topic Chat
More than just food
Being vegan is more than just a diet change, as you venture into this lifestyle you will learn to adapt and change everything around you. Be flexible and open minded to what you may need to change. You will never stop learning. From ensuring the beauty products you buy are not tested on animals, to eliminating silk and wool in your clothing purchases. Its your journey to take and make sure you enjoy it. Dont be pressured into anything - as that will make it more stressful than fun. Take it at your own pace and love every moment of it!
