Tomato and Basil Houmous

This houmous from Sainsburys is a real winner. The combination of tomato and basil flavours works really well and is a nice change from traditional houmous. I used this in a couscous salad, on toast and with snacks. It is very versatile and tasty and most importantly labelled vegan. Sainsburys vegan range keeps getting better, they have a new range of vegan cheese out soon and lots of products in store labelled for your convenience. It is nice to see the vegan range gaining popularity and an increasing product list in supermarkets. 

Taste the Difference Maris Piper Jumbo Wedges

 It's always nice to find food labelled vegan and these taste the difference wedges from Sainsburys are a great find. Of course you expect products like this to be vegan but that is not always the case. For some reason even the simplest foods can have non vegan products added like milk proteins or eggs so it puts your mind at ease to see the vegan label. Sainsburys is one of my favourite stores for vegan food as their own brand range is clearly labelled, there are plenty of options and the prices are good. They cater for vegans well and I am happy to shop there. These wedges are delicious as well, they are obviously made with good quality potatoes and the simple seasoning is just the right amount to add flavour. These are definitely ones to look out for. 

Good Stuff- The Vegan Sweet Treat

Good stuff have a range of vegan sweets for those tasty treats. They are free from gelatin which most sweets use making them perfect for vegans. These cola bottles are delicious, they prove that no animal products are needed to make sweets like this. Find them in the free from isle. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Fancy a cup of Fairtrade sugar?

This brown sugar is both vegan and fairtrade and cheaper than other named brands! Perfect. I use this in baking and it is great to know that you are also supporting fairtrade. I used this sugar in flapjacks, cakes and biscuits. It is available from Sainsburys. 

Organic Homous

It's great to see Tesco embracing the organic food world. On a recent trip into the supermarket I couldn't believe how many organic items there were. They are clearly labelled with cream packaging and green writing. There were so many options in all parts of the shops. It was nice to see more organic fruit and vegetable options. This organic houmous was a great option as it was the same price as other versions. This is unusual as you usually have to pay more for organic products, hopefully this is the start of these options becoming more cost effective. I will definitely be buying more organic options soon and hopefully more supermarkets will follow suit. 

Have you tried the newest addition to the Vegan Quorn Range yet? The vegan fillets are a welcome addition, they can be cooked in a sauce and eaten with vegetables or rice. Quorn is clearly listening to the demand for more vegan products. Fingers crossed for more soon as all the products have been great so far! I know in America Quorn has vegan burgers out so I am really hoping they have those in the UK soon. 

Alpro Custard

Baking just got easier with this Alpro Custard. Everything has a vegan version and custard is the same. This ready to heat custard is perfect for adding to a freshly baked vegan cake. It tastes amazing and you may even like it better than 'regular' custard as it is sweet, creamy with a light taste. Alpro has a great range of dairy free alternatives and they are usually found in the free from section in a supermarket. Cake and custard anyone? 

Alpro Soya Chocolate

If you haven't tried this chocolate milk from Alpro yet give it a go. It is delicious and will remind you of being a kid enjoying a chocolate milkshake. It is available in supermarkets in packs of three and is perfect for adding to a lunch for work or a picnic, drink it chilled for the unbelievably chocolate taste. You'll appreciate it at work when you are fed up of pretending to be an adult and it's healthier than you think as it contains adding vitamins such as calcium and B12, it is also low in calories and a source of protein so there's no need to feel guilty about this treat. A word of warning though when my nephew drank this he was full of energy and didn't want to go to sleep, maybe keep this one for yourself, it's far too good to share! 

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! 

Whitworths Fruit

 The fresh food isle isn't the only place to look for your fruit fix, these bags of fruit from Whitworths are perfect for baking and snacking. They tend to be sold with the baking ingredients such as flour and sugar and are perfect for adding to cakes. The handy, resealable bags mean you don't have to use all the fruit straight away. It also makes them perfect for travelling as they are small enough to bring in a bag. These dates are delicious and lovely on their own but they are perfect for baking in a sticky toffee pudding as they are already chopped and prepared. The figs are tasty and great for snacking especially if you are eating more raw food or want a healthier snack. I plan to use the dates in a recipe soon which will be on the blog soon. 

Find out more about the range at http://whitworths.co.uk/ 

Pure New Range

Pure are bringing out a range of dairy free meals that will be found in the chilled section. This is exciting as it can be hard to find vegan convenience food on the go. This is a nice change and hopefully a sign of how being vegan is getting easier by the day. These products would be good for a quick snack or lunch on the go. Look out for them in the chilled section. 

Sea Dog Chocolate

Another day another discovery of vegan chocolate. One of my favourite foods in the world and there are just so many vegan options! I liked the look of this Sea Dog chocolate I saw in the supermarket as the brand (Montezumas) has a range of unusual flavours like this Lime and Sea Salt bar. I love the packaging and the fact that it is a British company so you are supporting a local brand. It also uses minimal ingredients which is also a bonus and could be an interesting option to use in baking as it would give your desserts an interesting flavour. This was found in the supermarket along with all the other bars of chocolate, this shows how vegan options are becoming more popular and mainstream. A lot of the time the vegan chocolate is separate in the 'free from' isle so it is nice to see a vegan choice along with all the other options. This is another option for when you are out shopping. It does not clearly state it is vegan on the front so it may be a brand you've never heard of. Enjoy! 

Find out more about the brand here: https://www.montezumas.co.uk/

How to eat healthy for less

A lot of people say healthy food is too expensive or being vegan is hard because the food is dear. I disagree that a vegan lifestyle is too expensive but some foods are probably dearer than fast food. Fast foods can be cheap but this is because they are mass produced and not nutritious. 

If you want to add more healthy foods into your diet it is possible to do it cheaply. As I am eating more raw foods this month I have been searching for good deals on fruit and vegetables.

One way of eating well for less is to simply shop around, don't buy all your food in one shop but look at what offers are on in different places. All supermarkets and stores will have some foods that are marked down in price, only get items that are on special offer or on sale as you will get more for your money. 

Also don't plan your meals then shop but make something out of the food which is on offer that day or week, this means you will need to be more creative but you will save money and maybe find new foods which you love. 

Shopping more often is another way to save, fruit and vegetables are perishable and if they need to be used on the same day or the following day supermarkets will sell them off, often at rock bottom prices. If you are able to shop late in the day you can find amazing deals. Buying food more frequently will also mean you don't have waste, if you do a big weekly shop you can often forget what you have in the fridge, food can go off before you've had a chance to use it and you end up losing money. Buying the right amount is more cost effective. 

You could also join a group that can tell you the deals. There are many vegan groups on facebook where people spot special offers in different places, it takes the hard work out of finding cheap food. 

These are just some ways to eat healthy for less, it's also good to remember that you can't put a price on your health and it is worth spending a little extra or finding ways to get bargain prices on good food. Also think about why junk food is so cheap- maybe because you get what you pay for? 

Vegan Finds- Chick pea dhal

Found at Sainsburys, this vegan chickpea dhal is perfect for a quick curry night. Simply heat and eat with brown rice. Being vegan is becoming so easy with more convenient foods to have in your cupboards. I love cooking but sometimes a simple, fast meal is helpful on busy days. Why not stock up for rainy days and you can always copy the ingredients when you want to make your own home-made version.