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. 

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. 

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. 

Vegan in the Countryside

I've just got back from another trip to the countryside and I still found it a struggle to be vegan but I think things are slowly improving. I was pleased to find Gosh food burgers for sale which were healthy and only use natural ingredients and are of course vegan. There was also a garden centre which sold vegan cakes which was a real shock to find and there was of course plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables in abundance. I still haven't found any vegan options in cafes but there were a few places with vegetarian options so maybe in time veganism will move to the smaller villages and towns in England. I will be detailing different things I have found in the countryside but it was also nice to have simpler meals and not rely on ready made vegan options. The healthiest foods are wholefoods so it doesn't really matter if you can't find ready made vegan products as long as you have fruit and vegetables you can always have delicious, healthy meals. Wherever you travel it is about being creative and realising that plant based foods are always available wherever you go. 

Hiking Snacks

Ma Baker bars are delicious! This strawberry bar was so tasty and filling. They are the perfect vegan snacks for hikes and outdoor adventures. Having a fruity flapjack makes it a healthy alternative to chocolate bars but the fruit gives it a sweetness that makes you feel like you are having a dessert. 

It is a perfect portable size that makes it a great travel snack. You can easily fit this is a bag or in your pockets. It is light but filling which is ideal if you are planing a long hike or long journey. I have only recently started seeing these bars around, I found this one at a farm shop but they are also available online. I think this brand will become more popular soon and will be available in more places.

Dents Farm finds

I finally found a place with a few vegan options. By chance on a countryside drive after dinner me and my Grandad stopped at Dents Farm Shop. This is a well known fishing place with a farm shop and cafe. 

I wasn't looking for vegan food so was pleasantly surprised to see they sold hummus, vegan crisps, lazy days foods and the cookies my grandad bought turned out to contain no dairy although they weren't labelled vegan. 

I was pleasantly surprised to see some options. I particularity like the hummus in a glass jar I usually only see it in plastic tubs and I am looking forward to trying the Quinoa chips. It just shows that the countryside does have some vegan options. Look out for reviews of my vegan finds coming soon. 

Check out Dents Farm here: http://www.dentsfarmhilgay.co.uk/

Not the only Vegan in the Village

I was happy to come across this poster on my walk in Downham Market. 

The countryside so far has felt like a lonely place to be Vegan. No cafés cater for you, there's hardly any choice in supermarkets and it seems like an alien concept that people surrounded by dairy farms and butchers can't understand so I was so happy to see this poster pinned to a post. 

Turns out I'm not the only vegan in the village! Other people have the same beliefs as me. I'm not sure how many people will read the poster or want to learn more but it caught my eye so hopefully it will grab the attention of more people. Turns out there are other ways to spread the vegan message- I prefer the digital world but it's nice to think of vegans trying to get the message out there in all different kinds of ways. 

Sending a virtual hug to who ever put up this poster! 

The darker side of the countryside

The countryside is beautiful, there's a reason why there are programmes like Escape to the country. People want to live here, move away from the stressful city or retire to a peaceful life. 

However I've seen a darker side of the countryside. I saw a van driving past in the village and it turned out it contained an animal going to the local butcher. Apparently he kills his own meat so it's fresh! 

I find this disgusting, that poor animal being driven to it's death. I don't even want to think about it- living in a city you don't see things like this. Meat eaters are shielded from the reality of where their 'food' comes from, here you can't escape it. It's not easy to ignore when a animal is literally being driven to its death. It is a living creature, it deserves a life, it is not food.

I really believe most meat eaters basically have their fingers in their ears when it comes to meat. They know it's an animal but they don't want to think about it being killed, suffering or once being alive. It's just meat- packaged up for your convienience. If they really thought about it or saw the van carrying an animal to the butchers maybe they'd wake up. 

Every time you buy meat you have paid someone to murder an animal. Think about it, really think about that reality. I have never seen meat as food it is dead flesh, part of a rotting corpse that has been slaughtered. 

I hope one day we don't ignore the cruelty that exists in society. I usually just have my blog for vegan food and lifestyle this is what I love but I just wish more people realised that being vegan is the way to go. A cruelty free life is a happy life- the more people that choose it the less scared animals being driven down country roads. The only way to bring back the beauty of the countyside is to get rid of the darker side and let's the animals do what they were born to do and enjoy living off the land not dying on it.

A vegan option in the countryside

I've been here a week. There are no vegan cafés, no health food shops selling vegan frozen food, no vegan ice cream! But finally I have found something I can eat in the countryside. 

Baked potato and beans with no butter and salad, I didn't eat the coleslaw. Yes it's basic but at least I can enjoy a meal out with my grandad. I had it with my standard green tea- people keep asking me if I want milk with it, so veganism is definitely not well known here yet but maybe one day. Until then at least I can eat. Sadly in some places you will only be able to get basic meals but at least you can adapt options to suit you, by taking away the butter from this option it was made vegan. You can look out for ways to take dairy, eggs and meat out of food options to see if it will be suitable. 

Green Tea on the menu

So far on my holiday staying in Norfolk I've still not found any vegan options. There are so many cute cafés there are no chain stores that you see on every high street they are all individual and unique. I love places like this, they have a unique charm you can't find at a cafe that looks the same whatever town you are in. The downside is so far every cafe I have been in has a menu filled with meat and dairy. Eating out is proving to be difficult, I enjoy cooking for myself but it would be nice to be able to have lunch out now and again. I will keep looking but until then I am becoming an expert in green tea, which is sometimes the only Vegan option. 

The only Vegan option at the Countryside Cafe

Sadly some places still haven't cottoned on to the idea of having vegan options on the menu. 

Big cities are more vegan friendly but in small countryside towns there is still so much dairy on the menu. 

As much as I like the cafe Charmed in Downham Market the menu is full of omelettes and dairy. There is cheese on everything! There's even the option of cheesy chips and the alternatives to dairy is meat!! 

It's a shame this cute country cafe doesn't have one vegan option! The only thing on the menu was chips. When you are vegan chips almost become the enemy- I'll eat them but I'd rather be enjoying something else. It's not as if just one option would be difficult maybe some vegan cheese to use as a substitute could mean the menu could be the same but with options for those who don't eat dairy. The cakes also look amazing but sadly no dairy free choice. 

One things certain at least you don't spend a lot on lunch in the countryside!