Homemade Nachos

Being vegan doesn't mean missing out, you can have all your favourite foods just using alternative ingredients. I love nachos and they are easy to make without using dairy. 

I bought some ready prepared tortilla chips from Sainsburys then made the topping. I did this by chopping two salad tomatoes, half a green pepper, half a red onion and adding a tablespoon of red wine vinegar. For those who like more spice you can add jalapenos and possibly even lemon juice. I like fresh vegetables but the ready made salsa from Sainsburys' own brand is also vegan which can be used. I then grated Violife vegan cheese and heated it under the grill for a couple of minutes. 

And there you have it, a classic snack made vegan. There is nothing that can't be transformed into a plant based, cruelty free version. It's perfect for snacking whilst studying! 

Lentils and Rice & Quinoa- Vegan protein meal

My go to food at the minute is lentils, I have them several times a week in many different dishes and could easily eat them all the time. They are so versatile and a great source of vegan protein. Many people don't think a vegan diet can be high on protein but lentils have 26 grams of protein per 100 grams which is really high making them a perfect addition to your meals, especially if you are into health and fitness and want to build muscle on a vegan diet. Lentils also have nutrients such as magnesium, fibre, potassium and iron meaning you get more health benefits than just protein which is something meat alternatives which are high in protein can't compete with. 

Lentils are also so simple to use. To cook they are washed and boiled in water for around 20 minutes. To make these curried lentils I simply added a stock cube and spices (cumin, turmeric and curry powder). This was serves with rice and quinoa. These are also great protein foods as quinoa has 14 grams of protein and rice has around 7 grams, depending on which brand you use. All in all this is a great, quick meal filled with vegan protein. It is perfect for after the gym when you don't feel like cooking a time consuming meal but still want something healthy and filling. And it is also a cheap dish which is perfect for vegans on a budget! 

Quick, healthy meal idea Avocado and Chickpea spread on a Bagel with Couscous and Salad

I love quick and healthy foods it makes evening meals easier especially when you are in a rush. This meal idea combined lots of my favourite foods, I made it when I was home late so didn't want to spend a long time cooking but still wanted something healthy. 

I mashed together an avocado and a tin of chickpeas and added the juice of half a lemon and seasoned this with black pepper and added it to a toasted bagel. I then added chopped tomato and cucumber, fried onion and paired it with wholemeal couscous made with mushrooms and grated carrot. It took less than  30 minutes to prepare and was extremely filling and tasty, I also added tahini as a dressing. Eating healthy is easy and doesn't have to take long to prepare. Plus when you have a meal with many different foods you gain the nutrients from all the different ingredients as well as having array of flavour. I used the New York Co bagels for this meal which are vegan and high in protein making them a great part of a meal or a snack after working out. You also gain protein from the chickpeas and healthy fat from the avocado as well as nutrients from the rest of the vegetables. This meal shows that healthy food can be quick, simple and delicious.  

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! 

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. 

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. 

A Meal with only 2 Ingredients

When staying away from home I like to keep my cooking simple. I don't have the usual herbs and spices I have at home so making easy and simple meals is important. 

This was one of my favourite countryside dinners as vegetables are so easily available when you are surrounded by farms and it also makes a healthy meal. 

Broccoli is a source of vitamin E and iron and is low in calories and sweet potatoes make tasty chips without the need for loads of additional flavouring. Also using only vegetables for a meal keeps food costs down while still providing a healthy filling meal. 

This is one vegan meal for anyone who doesn't like cooking but still wants nutritious food. It is simple to do, the broccoli only needs boiling and I peeled and chopped the sweet potato then roasted in the oven with a little oil and seasoned with paprika (although seasoning is optional). 

This is definitely one simple recipe. Only two ingredients but loads of vitamins and minerals. 

Special offer- Almond Milk

You can get two cartons of Almond milk in the bargain freezer store Heron foods (UK) two for £1. In supermarkets non dairy milks can be £1.40 each and sometimes more! So this is a real bargain and one way to make switching to non-dairy milks or trying a new product easier or cheaper. Look out for special offers like this to save you money and make being vegan easier than ever. And if anyone ever tells you it's too expensive to go vegan you can share this offer. That's one less excuse you can have for going vegan. 

Budget Buys

Just like most people these days I am on a budget and need to be careful with money. Sometimes vegan options can be expensive which can put people off buying them or trying them for the first time. 

However it is possible to find vegan options on a budget, these products are my bargain finds and may give you ideas of where to shop. Reviews on these products will be on the blog soon. Happy shopping. 

The following items were found at Heron Foods the budget freezer food store. 

This Almond Dream milk was only £0.69. This is half the price that supermarkets sell non dairy milk for. This is the place to stock up and try different non dairy milks for cheap. 

This Almond milk is a different brand from the same store, they seem to have different versions every week. This is great as it allows you to try different options. This milk was again £0.69 brilliant! 

This Rice Dream chocolate milk came in a pack of three for only £0.39, I had never tried this brand before, this is why budget shops are great you can try something new for a bargain price. 

The next items are from Holland and Barrett, this is a great store to look in when they have a sale as they have a great selection of vegan treats. 

These Booja Booja chocolates are a luxury brand. They were half price at only £2.49. How could anyone resist. 

This mushroom pate was on offer for £0.99. This is something I hadn't tried before which is why I chose it. Sales are a great chance to try something new. 

The next products are supermarket finds, all supermarkets have offers and sales on different items each week so it is worth shopping around to see what's on offer and try new things when they are cheap as this can save you money. Don't stick to the same products as you miss out on bargains. 

These accidentally vegan bars were on offer in Tesco for £1. I have never eaten them before and saw them online. Products like this are worth trying when they are on offer. My review will be on the blog soon. 

This Vanilla Rice Milk by Rice Dream was £1 in Asda. It is something I hadn't tried before so I decided to give it a go.

These Pulsin bars were from Aldi, they stock different brands so it is worth looking out for new products to try. These were £2.49 for three bars. 

All these bargain finds are cheaper than the recommended retail prices. It is worth shopping around and looking in bargain stores for special offers. The cost of living goes up all the time and every little way of saving money is worth doing. Hopefully these tips will help- search out offers and shop around and save, save, save! 

Raw Salad

For a quick and healthy lunch a raw salad is convenient and will leave you feeling great. For this easy meal idea follow these simple instructions: 

You will need: 

• Half a courgette 
• 1 carrot 
• Half a cucumber
• Half a red onion
• A handful of lettuce 
• Mixed seeds (eg. sunflower, pumpkin) 
• Organic cider vinegar and mixed herbs 

Simply chop all the ingredients apart from the carrot which should be peeled and grated and mix in with the vinegar and herbs (Around 1tbsp of vinegar and any herbs of your choice) 

This raw meal is so quick and simple, it is the ultimate vegan fast food. Raw food holds more nutrients and fills you up as vegetables hold a higher water content. It is perfect for a hot day or when you are bored of sandwiches. Try adding different vegetables each time and different herbs and spices which will change the flavour. The easiest way to stay healthy is to make your plate as colourful as possible as you know you are getting a range of vitamins and minerals in every meal. 

Eating Organic for Less

Aldi are continuing to provide more organic food, these banana's are the latest product I have discovered. This whole bunch of fairtrade and organic bananas were only £1.08. They are priced based on weight so all the bunches were different prices but they were all around this price. I think this is so reasonable as it is a similar price to buying non-organic bananas in other supermarkets. I really welcome the bargain stores like Aldi starting to stock organic food as it means living an organic lifestyle is becoming more doable on a budget. Taste wise these bananas are lovely, fresh and sweet tasting, I do think they taste better than the non organic version although this may be because I know they are healthier and better for me as well as better for the environment. I also like that they are fairtrade as I like supporting ethical products. With items like this in shops eating organic for less is easier than ever. 

Budget Vegan- How to save money when shopping

 Food is essential and it can also be expensive especially if you don't shop around. Most people stick to the same supermarkets, buy the same products and perhaps don't realise how much they could save. Another bad habit people have is doing a big weekly shop, buying lots of ingredients with the good intention of using it only for it to go off and get thrown away. If this is something you do you are literally throwing money away. Nowadays most people do not have a lot of money to spend, I am on a budget myself but determined to find ways to be healthy. To do this you need to shop smart and find bargains. 

One tip for saving money is to only buy the ingredients you need. If you are making a meal for one or two people you will obviously need less ingredients so why buy family sized products? Also if you only want to use one ingredient in one meal there is no point buying in bulk. Buying loose vegetables allows you to only buy what you need, loose fruit and veg is also often cheaper than the ones in fancy packaging that you only throw away anyway and the bonus is it is better for the environment. There is far too much plastic on food that doesn't need it these days which only ends up in the land fill so save your money and save the environment by buying loose vegetables and smaller amounts. You'll be amazed by how much you save and how little you need to throw away.