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Our advertising executive Sam is going vegan! Join him as he talks us through his experience of going vegan, gives his insight on the products that can help you transition, and gives advice on how to overcome any obstacles that a change in lifestyle can throw up… If you have any advice for him, please do share it in the comments below!
“But what do you eat?”
I’ve already been inundated with this question by many friends and acquaintances. There is a clear misconception that vegans only eat lentils, tofu and dust.
Yes, I’ve now experienced amalgamating flimsy starters to make a ‘meal’ at the pub and yes, it does now take me a substantially longer time to shop with all that label reading, but there are a tonne of delicious treats that you can find and it doesn’t really take much effort. There is no need to be limited by what you choose not to eat. You can choose to be excited by what you can eat.
Booja Booja is a great place to start. Their truffles are rich, decadent and dextrously flavoured. They’ve also produced some delicious ice-creams derived from nuts – I highly recommend the caramel pecan praline!
Credit: Booja Booja
For the summer, you need to grab some Frill – the frozen smoothie. They’re intoxicatingly refreshing, light and fruity. Flavours come in the form of Bursting Berries, Intense Chocolate and Refreshing Green; a fusion of fruit, vegetables and herbs from the field which are churned with avocado and macadamia nuts. They’re widely available in London branches of Waitrose and dotted elsewhere around the country. The Frill team were kind enough to send us a bunch!
Credit: Frill
The Coconut Collaborative have produced some delicious coconut yogurts, frozen yoghurts and other coconut based deserts such as their amazing new creamy rice pudding pots that are brilliant with a spoonful of jam. They also aim to give back to the world by planting trees, helping farmers and supporting charities.
Credit: The Coconut Collaborative
If it’s chocolate you’re after, then you can’t go wrong with Ombar. Ombar’s range of incredibly rich, raw chocolate bars might be small in size, but they’re not lacking in the flavour department! Their chocolate’s are creamy and melt-in-your mouth thanks to the coconut milk, and with flavours like blueberry and acai, cranberry and mandarin and strawberry mylk, you’ll be spoilt for choice. My personal favourites are their new soft-centre bars, that feature a truffle-like centre, in delicious raspberry and coconut and vanilla flavours.
Credit: Ombar
If you’re just wandering the free-from aisle as well, I’ve found that the chilled section is full of genuinely astounding products. I tried Tesco’s free from diary banana fromage fraise and I was left amazed. They are clearly marketed as children’s lunchbox fillers, but I have no shame in wolfing all 4 in one sitting and have done so on many occasions. This voracious appetite for food won’t be lost on my colleagues at Vegan Food & Living!
There’s no need to be shackled by healthy food all the time; life is empty without succumbing to the devil on your shoulder just once in a while. These alternatives are usually more healthy than their dairy counterparts too!
