Meat Free Mince

This meat free mince from Sainsburys is a great vegan option for adding to dishes such as curries. It can be found in the frozen food section and is good to have in the freezer for making family meals. It is tasty and a nice option considering brands like Quorn are yet to make a vegan mince option. It is so versatile as you can flavor it with different herbs and spices each time to create interesting meals.  

The Rise of Non Dairy Milks

I have noticed a welcome change in supermarkets, there are more and more non dairy milks on the shelves each week. Whether people are choosing them because they are vegan, for health reasons or simply because they enjoy the taste the sections in the supermarkets are growing all the time. 

Every time I shop I notice new products, the latest one I've seen is Cashew milk from Alpro which joins it's non-dairy nutty friends hazelnut and almond. Nut milks are one of my favourite as they have a great flavour and add delicious taste to porridge, cereals or baking. Of course people could make these products at home by blending nuts and water but like most items convenience wins out. 

The fact that there are more options shows that more brands are realising the demand for vegan products and are trying to win the market with ever more creative products. I've seen bulk buying options for soya milk, mixed flavours of vegan milks and even chocolate non dairy milk by the litre. It is a world away from the days where your only alternative to cows milk was soya hidden somewhere in the supermarket on a dusty shelf. Non dairy milks now have there own sections which is increasing every day. 

I welcome this change and enjoy trying new products, I only recently tried hazelnut milk and love it which just shows you don't know what you will enjoy until you give it a go. The rising range of non dairy milks also shows how veganism is increasing in popularity all the time. Supermarkets only supply what is popular as they are all about making money, I wonder how long it will be before the non-dairy section is bigger than the dairy isle, maybe they'll get rid of it all together because who needs cows milk when there are so many healthier, delicious options available. 

Platter Food

One way to make an interesting Vegan meal is to combine many different foods and flavours. For this meal I combined some of my favourite foods. The falafel is shop bought by Cauldron foods, these are ready to eat or can be heated up. I had the hot which tasted great. I combined this with scrambled tofu, hummus, grated carrot, home made bread and avocado. Apart from the bread which can be made earlier all this food is easy to prepare and creates a picnic style meal. The tofu takes five minutes to cook and can be combined with any ingredients you have to hand, I mixed red onion, mushrooms and spinach with the tofu to great a nice warm side dish which is healthy and low in calories. Having a range of options is one way to make meals more interesting and the bonus is you get a range of nutrients in the easy to prepare meal. 

Check out my easy brown bread recipe here: http://vegoutveganguide.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/homemade-brown-bread-recipe.html

Vegan Cheese

One of the main reasons many people avoid going vegan is because they love cheese. I know this because it was my reason for many months when I was debating going vegan. Looking back I hate how much cheese I used to cover my food with, I loved it on pasta, pizza and sandwiches and probably ate it every week. It was a staple of my diet so the thought of giving it up seemed impossible. However there came a point when I could no longer ignore the ethical, environmental and health reasons in going vegan and I decided that giving up cheese was a small price to pay for living a cruelty free life. I wasn't looking forward to giving it up but I did it anyway. 

Now after over a year of being vegan I don't miss cheese and my taste has changed to the point where I don't really eat vegan cheese much but it is something I occasionally buy. I am so impressed with the choice of vegan cheese, it is so realistic that anyone thinking they couldn't give up cheese should try the alternatives as you can still have the flavour without supporting the cruel and unhealthy dairy industry. 

The picture above is my pasta meal topped with grated Violife cheese. This is one of the most popular brands of vegan cheese as they have a range of flavours. This cheddar style block has a mild flavour and looks and tastes just like mild cheddar cheese. Try it and see if you notice a difference but I imagine anyone just looking at the picture would be surprised to know it is vegan, it doesn't look any different and can be used in the same ways. I always say that everything has a vegan alternative, the vegan food industry is very creative and is making alternatives to everything so why choose the cruel option when you can have any flavour of food you like without any animal products?

It's also good to remember that your taste does change once you start eating healthier, I am now eating foods I had never tried before as going vegan makes you try new foods. Your taste also changes and things you thought you couldn't live without become the same foods you can't believe you ever ate. Don't be put off because you 'love' something because one day you will look back and wonder why you ever ate it in the first place.  

There are so many amazing vegan options for chocolate. This is another one of my favourite brands. Plamil have a range of non-dairy options to choose from and are available from many health food shops. This is definitely my favourite bar (so far) from this brand as it is mint flavoured which is a personal favourite of mine. The chocolate is dark and decadent and the mint flavour is delicious. I have always been a fan of mint chocolate so this is perfect. You also only need a small amount of it as it is so rich so this bar is perfect to share or eat over a few days. That's the great thing about vegan chocolate you eat less as it is so rich in flavour so it lasts longer and is healthier than eating lots of milk chocolate which doesn't have the same high quality and intense flavour. I recommend this brand as they have a wide range of products. Check out the range here: https://www.plamilfoods.co.uk/chocolate

Adding flavour to a cake

One way to add flavour to a cake without having to use flavourings is to add a none dairy milk which already has flavour in it. This rice milk from Rice Dream is vanilla flavour meaning it can be used to add moisture and blend a cake mixture while also adding flavour. 

What's great about this brand is the milk is also organic so it makes the cake healthy right? I like using non-dairy milks in cakes as I find them a great alternative to eggs for blending a cake mixture. I do this by adding small amounts of the milk to the batter of dairy-free butter, sugar and flour until it has reached a nice consistency and then cooking it. This method makes a really moist cake. Trying different milks is a great way to experiment with your baking. I liked using this brand, it didn't give the cake a strong flavour but it added a subtle sweetness which was delicious and not over powering. 

There are so many ways to make baked goods vegan, it is all about attempting new options and realising that you really don't need dairy or eggs to make a delicious cake. 

Alpen Light Jaffa Cake- Accidentally Vegan

Going vegan is the best thing I've done but I do admit to missing Jaffa Cakes. They used to be one of my favourite biscuits. I'm looking forward to the day someone makes a vegan version of these biscuits as I'm sure it can't be long before someone decided to do it! Until them I have found a nice alternative to stop those Jaffa cake cravings. These bars by Alpen are chocolate and orange flavour and they are accidentally vegan. 

They come in packs of five and are only 70 calories each making them a great option for a snack. These would make great additions to lunch boxes or make a handy on the go option. I loved the chocolate and orange flavour, they are really sweet and actually do taste like Jaffa cakes. The only thing is as they are low in calories they are not exactly filling but you can't have everything. I also like the orange packaging and they are often on offer in supermarkets so look out for some deals. There are so many accidentally vegan options out there it is amazing when you get great brands like this which turn out to be dairy free. 

Kallo Organic Vegetable Cubes

My journey for a more organic lifestyle continues with these organic stock cubes from Kallo. These were recommended to me and I thought I would try them when I found them on offer. 

They are full of flavour and in nice packaging. So far I have used them in soup and in a curry. They are very versatile and are a great organic option. 

These Kallo cubes have no artificial flavours or colours and are also gluten free making them a healthier alternative for many people with many dietary requirements. 

I love these stock cubes in soup as they enhance the flavour of the vegetables. I will definitely continue to use these products. 

Find out more here: http://www.kallo.com/things-we-make/stocks-gravies/organic-vegetable/

Three Ingredient Meal

All you need is three ingredients to make this delicious salad- cooked broccoli, boiled sweet potato and couscous. All cooked and mixed together and you have a delicious meal or side salad. Herbs and spices can be added for flavour but the sweet potato gives it a nice flavour on its own so it is actually nice to eat plain. I love simple, wholesome cooking and this was easy to do and one of my countryside meals. Vegetables are really easy to source at farm shops and from local sellers so it is easy to make these the basis of my main meals. I also like using couscous sometimes instead of rice or pasta as it is a lighter alternative. This is a simple meal with only three ingredients but one which will fill you up, keep you healthy as it is filled with vitamins and nutrients and is quick to prepare. It also make a nice base to add more things to- make it more filling with tofu or add more veggies like sweet corn and peppers to increase the flavour it is a great base for many more options. 

So I may have become a little bit obsessed with Ma Baker bars while I was staying in Norfolk. Since it was quite hard to find vegan options when I came across these in Dents Farm shop I stocked up! I also went back again a few days after to get more much to the shop assistants amusement but you gotta do what you gotta do on a vegan lifestyle. I didn't picture the banana bar which is another one of my favourites. They are just so delicious and considering in the past I used to hate any sweet foods with fruit in them I was surprised I liked these so much. They became my evening snack- a flapjack with a green tea. The fruit gives each one a sweet taste and each flavour has a distinct taste but I liked them all. They are very similar to home made flapjacks which is what I like about them plus they are filling making them the perfect snack as you aren't reaching for something else to eat afterwards. 

They are also great for hiking as they are small enough to carry. When I'm home I eat much more home made snacks so these were a nice treat but I am loving this brand more and more, weirdly I have only seen these in the countryside and online but I'll be looking out for them in the city. 

Check out their range here: http://www.firstqualityfoods.co.uk/mabaker.html ps not all there bars are vegan so avoid the smoothie and chocolate smoothie bars. 

Gosh! Naturally Free-From Range

Gosh is a new range which I am loving. They make simple foods with natural ingredients. They are free from the top 14 allergens which include eggs, milk, gluten, soya, fish, nuts and celery. This is great for vegans but also for anyone with an allergy as it can be hard to find foods which are safe to eat when you have a food intolerance. 

I like this companies minimalist ethics and back to basics idea. I hate looking at ingredients in food products and seeing things I can't pronounce or things I don't recognise, there are too many chemicals in most processed food and who knows what these kinds of things do to your body. The good thing about the Gosh range is that you know what you are eating and it is like having a home cooked meal without the need to cook. 

I hope their range gets bigger as the two different types of burgers I have tried so far have been delicious. I had them while staying away from home but still felt like I was eating healthy, hearty food which I was! I simply ate them with a couscous and salad, it was a really quick meal to prepare and delicious. 

Check out the full range here: http://goshfreefrom.co.uk/about-us/ 

Self Catering Essentials

These are some of the food products I bought when staying away from home. I usually like to cook from scratch so I make my own home made burgers, however these Gosh burgers were a nice alternative. They have healthy ingredients in them and are easy to cook. This is quite a new range and I hadn't found it before so it was nice to be able to get something healthy and filling to have. They are £2.50 a pack for two burgers which isn't too expensive although it might be if it was something you were buying for a large family which is where home made options work out cheaper, however as a treat or when away from home I think these are great options. I also got a tub of Pure butter which I used on sandwiches, bagels and in cooking. This is something I would only do when staying away from home as it means you don't have to buy oils or cooking spray. I also got a pack of tofu which was great to add to salads or make scrambled tofu with. It is so easy to find options when on a self catering holiday as there are more and more vegan convenience foods available.  

Peanut Butter Bagels

Can you find a more delicious food than peanut butter bagels. This is a quick, simple meal and perfect for self catering holidays as it is versatile and can be eaten for breakfast or for a snack. The ingredients are also easy to find as these vegan options- The New York Bakery Bagels and Meridian peanut butter are available in most supermarkets. I enjoyed the wholemeal bagels as I haven't tried them before and they are a healthier alternative. 

Rainy Day Motivation

I have a gym membership and love working out but sometimes it's hard to find the motivation to get up early and exercise, especially on rainy days. This week I've found that you don't even need to leave the house to get your daily workout in. Youtube is a great source of inspiration for vegan meals but it is also a great place to find free exercise workouts. This is perfect for the days when you don't feel like going to the gym and even better if you don't want to spend money on a monthly membership. It is also great for helping you learn new exercise moves to make your workouts more effective. You can't even use the rain as an excuse for not exercising now, get up, get your computer on and have your very one exercise class in the comfort of your own home. 

Tesco Free From Vegan Chocolate

Sometimes a little chocolate is needed. You can't be healthy all the time and I'm happy to see more vegan chocolate options available in Tesco in the Free From isle. There is plain chocolate, choc n crispie and white chocolate. They are all vegan and only 40p each, perfect! Just because something is vegan doesn't mean it's healthy and these are definitely once in a while snacks but as a treat they are perfect. I personally love the white chocolate as it can be hard to find vegan white chocolate. It is also great to see budget options, products like this are making being vegan more accessible to everyone and having them in a national supermarket means you can find vegan chocolate even in places like the countryside where other options are not available. I just had to sample all three options while on holiday because everyone knows holiday calories don't count! 

Proper Corn Smooth Peanut and Almond

This is one for nut lovers a peanut and almond flavoured popcorn. It is delicious and a perfect combination. Popcorn is one of my favourite snacks as it is low in calories so a better options than crisps or nuts. I love eating peanuts but the snack versions with lots of added salt are not the best for you because of the high salt content. This is a perfect alternative as you get the nice nutty flavour without the high calorie and salt content. This was another one of my travelling snacks, I don't eat this much at home but these Proper Corn snack bags are great for taking to the cinema for a vegan alternative to the buttery kind sold at the pictures.  

Yo Yo Bear

So these snacks are probably meant for kids but it's pure fruit, in a yo yo shape in mango flavour so I couldn't resist. These are perfect hiking snacks, they are healthy, sweet and easily carried. They would also be good for packed lunches or a snack to keep in your bag when you are out and about, I try to go for healthy snacking options where possible and this is perfect as you can satisfy a sweet tooth while eating one of your five a day. 

Look out for these products in shops as well, there has been a move away from having unhealthy options near tills as the government is trying to encourage people to choose healthier options. If you were wondering why things like Yo Yo Bears and dried fruit were on show in shops where you queue to pay this is why. I'm all for this move as I think any opportunity to help people live a healthier life is important. Although I happily choose this product without any prompting- it's mango and has a cute bear on the recyclable packaging, what more could you ask for! 

Hummus and Mushrooms on toast

When travelling I like to find the quickest foods to cook. I love cooking exciting recipes but when you are away from home and your usual cooking equipment it can be hard to recreate your favourite meals. This simple recipe has become a firm favourite of mine and something I am planning to have again. I simply fried some mushrooms and added them to hummus on toast. It was absolutely delicious especially with seeded bread. It is the kind of fast food I like because it's still healthy but you can have a meal ready to eat in minutes. This was great in the countryside as it gave me more opportunities to get out walking in the beautiful surroundings. 

Vegan Vegetable Grills

Vegan frozen food can be hard to find so it is nice to see more options available and especially budget options which make being vegan easy for everyone regardless of your food budget. These vegetable grills from Tesco are great when on a self catering holiday or as a standby option to have at home for when you don't feel like cooking. 

I bought these grills when I was staying in Norfolk and found that they were a quick and easy way to have a filling meal. I ate them with a couscous salad and it was delicious. They are also nice to cook and eat cold when out walking or travelling and at one £1 for a box of six you can prepare really cheap but healthy meals. 

The Tesco vegan range is quite good and a great place to start shopping if you are new to veganism. Not everyone likes cooking so frozen options are a handy alternative. They also clearly label their products vegan making it easier to shop. Try this budget vegan meal idea which is a healthy option compared to most frozen food as it contains no preservatives, flavours or colours. 

Cow Appreciation Day

So it's Cow appreciation day. I didn't realise this was a thing but there is a day for everything these days. So I thought today would be a good time to write about the reasons to avoid dairy: 

• Cows are artificially inseminated and their calf is removed from them so they can be milked. There is nothing natural about this process and it is repeated many times in a cows life. These animals are essentially hooked up to machines for their whole life. Dairy farms are prisons.  
• Cows have strong emotions, they experience distress when separated from their young or their friends, supporting the dairy industry is as cruel as supporting the meat industry. 
• Cows are gentle creatures who form lifelong friendships, if you think animals are stupid and have no feelings think again. 
• Cows milk is designed to make a calf grow very quickly in the beginning of it's life. Milk is essentially a fat fluid to help a baby cow weighing 65 pounds become a 400 pound cow. Cows stop drinking milk after they have grown, yet humans drink what is essentially cows breast milk throughout their life, it is unnatural. 
•  Avoiding dairy will help you loose weight, this tends to happen when you stop drinking fat.
• Milk is full of hormones such as oestrogen, and does anyone really enjoy a glass of hormones? 
• There are other, better, sources of calcium which do not have the downsides of dairy. Dark leafy greens such as Kale and Spinach contain calcium but this isn't well known as we are led to believe in that drinking milk is the only way to have healthy, strong bones. 
• Cows milk contains up to 59 hormones, allergens, fat, cholesterol and not to mention any pesticides used on their feed or hormones they are given to make them grow faster. 
• The dairy and meat industries are linked, the cows who have spent their lives being milked will be sent to be killed for meat along with the baby cows who are unnaturally bred. If you avoid meat it is a good idea to avoid dairy too or you are supporting cruelty. 
• The growth hormone in milk has been linked to cancer. Need I say more? If you care about your health give up dairy. 
• It takes 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese. No wonder cheese is a fatty food. 
• There are so many healthier non-dairy milks and cheeses on the market, avoiding dairy is easy. 
• Cows get their calcium from plants. Cut out the middle man (or Cow) and get your calcium the healthy way. 
• Also getting calcium from milk is a myth, because of the high protein content it can actually take calcium from the body. Studies have shown that countries with high dairy consumption have higher rates of osteoporosis. So much for milk being a great source of calcium! Stick to the leafy greens instead. 
• If you still want a glass Cow's breast milk after all this information, the fact that milk is allowed to have faeces in it might put you off- it is then pasteurised to make it fit to drink but at room temperature the bacteria will double which is why when you forget to put your milk back in the fridge it goes off very quickly. A glass of bacteria isn't appealing. 

These are just a few of the many, scientifically researched, reasons to avoid milk. Basically cows milk is for cows and human milk is for humans. Drinking the secretions of an animals is strange and no other species does it. You don't see apes drinking rat milk? Dairy, for humans, is unnatural and on Cow Appreciation Day I think it's time to stop using these beautiful, intelligent creatures for a liquid which we don't even need. Wake up and smell the unnecessary bovine secretion. 

Farmers Market Finds

One of the best places to find fresh fruit and vegetables is by shopping at farmers markets. The countryside is one place where this is easy to do- you have access to fresh food straight from the farm. They are also great places to find exciting products and try new foods. They are also usually cheaper as you are buying straight from the farmers there is no middleman, no transport costs so you can buy cheap, fresh, healthy food easily. If you live in the city there are usually farmers markets every so often so search for ones in your area and support British farmers. With demands for cheap foods in supermarkets a lot of farmers are struggling so shopping directly from them supports their trade. Another thing I liked was hardly any of the fruit and vegetables were wrapped in plastic, I hate all the packaging used on food like this as it is so wasteful and damaging for the environment, buying loose food is one way to become more eco friendly, it can be hard to do in supermarkets as they like wrapping everything in sight in plastic, if you stay still long enough in the fruit and veg isle they'll probably wrap you up too so buy loose where possible and support farmers. 

Sandringham Snacks

It is nice to see vegan snacks in more locations. This popcorn by Proper Corn is one of my favourite popcorn brands it is really tasty, comes in lots of different flavours and is of course vegan. I was pleased to find this for sale at Sandringham in Norfolk. It can often be a challenge to eat out at none vegan places, especially in the countryside so having more vegan snacks available is always great. More places need to have vegan options available as they are missing out on business as if there is no vegan option I will simply eat nothing and have just a drink, having at least one option means people will spend more money. It would be nice to see vegan options on the food menu but most countryside places are very far behind the times when it comes to vegan meals so for now having a few simple snacks will have to do. 

A Simple way to Eat Healthier

Eating healthy can seem hard sometimes. If you don't know where to start simply adding a salad to each main meal will increase your health. It doesn't have to cost a lot, lettuce and cucumber make a budget friendly healthy salad that can simply be added to your main meal. It is filling, tasty and adds many nutrients to what otherwise would be a plain meal. Give it a go to get healthier. 

Monday Motivation

Monday's can be a struggle but it is the best time to start afresh and set some goals. Staying active is one way to motivate yourself, if you start being active on a Monday it is easier to keep going throughout the week. Also one way to make sure you get out walking, hit the gym or go for a run is to join forces with a friend and keep each other motivated. It's easy to convince yourself not to exercise when working out alone but if you are going to let someone else down by not going it will give you that bit of needed motivation. So find yourself a workout buddy and set some goals. Staying active is so important for your health and it doesn't need to cost anything. If you can't afford a gym membership simply go out walking or do an at home workout. It is so easy to improve your health and well-being and the best time to start is today. There is never a bad time to start getting healthy, it could be this instant and it could change your life. Stay positive, stay motivated and start today. 

The Vegan Challenge Tips

Trying the vegan lifestyle is something many people want to do whether it's for health reasons or to see if they can survive as veganism is seen as difficult. Many people think they could never change their diet and think going vegan is beyond them even if they would like to do it for ethical reasons. One way to see if veganism is for you is to try the vegan challenge. Going vegan for a month is one way to see if this lifestyle is for you (and I definitely think it is great for everyone) so here are some tips for anyone transitioning to veganism or trying the vegan challenge. 

1) Replace everything: Sometimes people going vegan focus on what they now can't eat and simply cut a large portion of their diet out. One simple way to go vegan is to simply REPLACE everything you eat now with the vegan version. I always say there is a vegan version for everything, milk, cheese and even bacon have a vegan alternative so if you have milk on cereal for breakfast buy some non-dairy milks and there are many options to choose from. If you love cheese try the vegan kind and there are even alternatives to eggs. Vegan egg from follow your heart is a new product which allows you to make scrambled eggs and you can even bake with them. Plus with so many fake meats there is a vegan alternative to everything. 

Here are a few alternatives: 



Check out http://followyourheart.com/veganegg/ for an egg alternative and see http://www.vbitesfoods.com/ for all your meat alternatives. 

2) Try new foods: Veganism is a plant based diet and there are over 20,000 species of edible plants in the world. Your favourite food might be something you have never tried. Use your new vegan diet as an excuse to try new, exotic and different foods, eve things you don't like the sound of as your taste buds do change when you cut out animal products so you might discover something delicious. 

3) Use the internet: With so many resources online it is easy to find help and support for your vegan lifestyle. If you use social media follow vegans and vegan blogs for inspiration and follow some vegan groups on facebook to find out where to get bargain vegan products. Also Veganuary is the official site which helps people try the vegan challenge in January but guess what you can use their site full of recipes, information and help any time of year. It's jam packed full of advice so make sure you check it out: http://www.veganuary.com/

4) Eat more: Vegan foods tend to be lower in fat and calories and digest really quickly, this is why the vegan lifestyle is so good for maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight for those who want to. However if you are already at your ideal weight you need to make sure you eat more food to get enough calories each day. Not eating enough will make you feel weak and ill and then you won't see the true benefits of a vegan diet. When trying the vegan challenge using an app like My Fitness Pal to track your calories is a good way to ensure you eat enough food, the amount you need will vary depending on how active you are but a basic guide is 2000 calories a day for women and 2500 calories a day for men. 

5) Ignore negative people: A lot of people will probably think you are crazy and won't understand why you are becoming a vegan. Veganism is becoming more popular but it is still a minority lifestyle. Don't let other people's judgements and negativity stop you from giving this lifestyle a go, the truth is most people just don't understand what you eat as a vegan or why you would want to do it. They see it as taking away a large part of your food intake and don't realise that everything can be replaced and this is a healthier way to live for maintaining a healthy weight and reducing your risk of diseases. Try to educate others and don't give in to anyone who thinks this lifestyle is extreme. As far as I'm concerned eating the dead flesh of animals who have been murdered, consuming animal products which cause illnesses and wearing animal byproducts as fashion is extreme, avoiding cruelty and being healthy is not. 

6) Watch You Tube videos: There are so many vegan youtubers and my favourite vlogs are the 'what I eat in a day' videos, these have given me so much inspiration on different meal ideas. This will make sure you know what to eat as a vegan and can help you meal plan. They are also brilliant ways to find new foods as when you are new to the vegan lifestyle the hardest part can be getting used to what to eat. 

7) Read the Science: There are so many scientific studies showing meat causes cancer, dairy causes acne and eggs are believed to increase the risk of cancer, diabetes and raise cholesterol. These studies don't always make it to the mainstream media because the meat, dairy and egg industries are big businesses and guess what businesses don't care about your health you need to care enough to research what you are eating and what your 'food' is doing to your body. Check out some articles here: 

http://www.pcrm.org/health/cancer-resources/ask/ask-the-expert-eggs

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/news/world-health-organization-says-processed-meat-causes-cancer

http://www.acnemilk.com/the_no_milk_acne_diet

8) Eat Out: One of the reasons many people give for not going vegan is because it's too hard to stick to and there are not enough options. While I agree the vegan menus in some places need improving there are still so many places which do great vegan options. Eating out and trying new vegan meals will make you see it is easier than you think. A lot of places will offer a vegan alternative and mainstream eateries like Las Iguanas, The Cosy Club, Zizzi, JD Weatherspoons, Loungers, Pizza Express, The Handmade Burger Company, Pret A Manger and Giraffe all have vegan options. Eating out in places which aren't traditional vegan cafes will show you how easy veganism can fit into your life. You won't have to avoid your friends or stop eating with your family it isn't as hard as you first think. 

9) Your taste will change: Another barrier people have when going vegan is the love they have for one product. Whether it's eggs, cheese or meat that you 'can't live without' the reality is you can live without these things you just don't want to. This is why doing the vegan challenge is a great idea as it forces you to give up those foods that you love, many of these products you will eat out of habit and over time your taste changes meaning you no longer crave these foods and will find new ones you love. This is great as meat, dairy and eggs are unhealthy for you and bad for the animals and the planet. You will learn that you can not only live without them but your life and health is better without them. 

10) Research the ethical side: You may try veganism for health reasons or as a challenge. It might be a bit of fun and something new to try. This is great and you may want to stick with it simply because you feel happier and healthier although looking into the ethical reasons to go vegan will make it a lifelong change. I was a lifelong vegetarian until I read an article on the cruelty within the dairy and egg industries. I couldn't continue to support the animal cruelty which is unnecessary as you don't need any animal products in your diet to survive. I am now very interested in animal rights and know a lot about the cruel processes within these industries. When you avoid certain foods for ethical reasons it is so much easier to do as you are not giving up your favourite food or meal, you are giving up animal cruelty and refusing to support inhumane practices. It is a choice and rather than being something difficult it is easy to do the right thing. I don't have to make excuses as to why I support killing and cruelty, this isn't part of my life and that is the best part of this lifestyle. 


Hopefully these tips will help anyone trying the vegan challenge. Who knows a one month challenge may become a new lifestyle. The main thing is to do it right, eat enough, research and try new foods as you will only get the benefits from being a vegan if you do it properly and there are so many benefits to being a vegan, if you want to be healthier, happier and live cruelty free this is the life for you!