Vegan store cupboard- World Vegan Day Post.

The thought of eating vegan seems to fill most people with a sort of slow, creeping dread.




What the hell am I going to eat!!!!??????



Even the limited cupboard of a confirmed meat eater is likely to yield the ingredients of a vegan meal.


But what DO vegans eat?

The common misconception is that the vegan diet is salad and lentils, alone, dry, boooooorrring.



Well YEAH I’d be pretty bored too if that all I had to eat, but….

But what if I told you that vegans ate stir fries and curries, south American food, junk food, snacks, cakes, fried food and all manner of highly flavoured meals.

Can a Thai curry with its rich creamy coconut milk base and mouth tingling chillies be called bland?

Could a rich hot Mexican chilli, with white rice be boring?

How about fried chips with a selection of sauces and dips, crispy onion rings and battered tofu? Sound gross?



To be vegan is to be inventive, to look at every recipe and understand that it only needs a couple of items replacing to make it vegan.



I kept all my cook books, even the meat heavy ones, 99% of the recipes within can be adapted.



There is no need to miss out on any of your favourite meals.



Vegan means compassionate eating, not a life of chewing dried mung beans and navel gazing.



Some store cupboard staples make life a lot easier though, so here’s a few things you might consider getting in for World Vegan Day.



TOFU. (Most major supermarkets)

Much maligned and often used incorrectly, tofu is a great source of protein and a must have health food for any post-menopausal woman (and the rest of us!). Scare stories abound about Soya, but the general consensus is that consumed in moderation it is a healthy food and a great friend to the vegan.

Tofu comes in many kinds though and it is IMPERITIVE that you use the right one for the job!



Firm tofu (from the fridge section), is your guy for using as a straight meat replacer in stir fries, curries etc. drain well and weight down between two clean tea towels to really firm it up so that it keeps its shape when cooking.



Firm tofu (UHT packed) is no good for cooking in chunks. Makes good mock scrambled “egg” and can be blitzed with a blender to make sauces and dips.



Silken tofu (UHT packed) lighter than UHT firm, use as above, also good in smoothies.



Smoked tofu (from the fridge section) tastes like bacon!! Fantastic in sandwiches, wraps etc, stir fry’s. very very firm.



Braised tofu (Some supermarkets), sheets of tofu, packed in brine and in a tin. A good tuna replacement.



TEMPAH (Some supermarkets, independent shops/whole food)

Like tofu, this Indonesian Soya bean food can be used in numerous ways. Often come in jars of brine in flat sausage shapes.



MILK ALTERNATIVES (All Major supermarkets)



Soya milk can be an acquired taste when drunk alone, but is very good for tea and cooking. Be sure to use unsweetened milk for savoury cooking!



Other common milks are rice, almond, and oat.



When using milks that have added calcium and vitamins make sure that they are suitable for vegans. Some use Vitamin D3, which is derived from sheep’s wool! D2 is vegan friendly!



Another thing to note is that Soya milk should be purchased from companies who are rainforest friendly. As Soya is grown cheaply for cattle feed many supermarkets now produce their own brand Soya milk. This is not guaranteed rainforest friendly! Alpro Soya and Provamil both have good ethics.



NUTRITIONAL YEAST FLAKES (Independent food shops/whole food)



These cheesy flavoured flakes are not only yummy but are packed with B vitamins. Sprinkle on soups, pasta, even on toast for a vitamin boost.



MARMITE/ VEGEMITE

Savoury yeast spread full of B vitamins, add to stews for a “meaty” flavour, spread on toast and crumpets.



VEGAN MARGARINE

Nearly all margarine has milk in it somewhere. In the UK there are only a few spreads that are vegan.



Pure (all major supermarkets) a choice of Soya or sunflower spread, Vegan society approved.



Vitalite (Most major supermarkets) Suitable for Vegans BUT made by dairy crest, so debatable if it can really be “vegan”. Personal choice.



Suma (online, independent shops) Vegan sunflower spread.



OTHER PRODUCTS



Agave syrup (Most supermarkets) syrup from the agave plant, sweeten drinks and cereal and use in place of honey.



Parmezano (most supermarkets) parmesan cheese replacer in a shaker, nice to add to mock mac n cheese!



Mayola vegan mayonnaise (Most supermarkets) I found this while I was still an lacto-ovo veggie and couldn’t find a decent free range egg mayo, they all tasted nasty! This meanwhile was lovely and is still a sandwich staple!


TVP (Textured vegetable protien) Deydrated soya mince, great for chilli's and pasta sauces.




THINGS THAT ARE NOT VEGAN BUT YOU THINK THEY ARE!!



Crisps! Even flavours that don’t appear on the surface to have any animals in it (i.e. salt and vinegar) can still use whey powder and lactic acid in the flavouring. Never trust, always check the label. Perversely steak and onion walkers crisps are vegan… go figure.



Bread. Some bread will have dairy products in it. Look out for milk powder, whey powder etc.



Drinks. Not all drinks are vegan. Even some Soya drinks contain milk! This is more often in drinks brought from Asian markets.



Chips/hash browns/ croquettes. Anything that has a coating is potentially none vegan. Yes even plain old chips!



Sweets. Most sweets contain gelatine, milk products, or egg products.



It sounds hard work, reading labels, but its really all you should be doing anyway.

To pick food blindly and not check what you are putting in your body is foolish for vegan and meat eater alike.



HIDDEN THINGS TO LOOK FOR



Whey /Whey powder (milk)

Milk/ Milk powder (Milk)

Lactic acid (Some is vegetable derived)

Lactose (Milk)

Casein (Milk)

Rennet (extract of calf stomach)

Albumen (from egg white or blood)

Aspic (Meat/fish jelly)

Carmine/ Carminic acid (red dye from bugs!)

Cholecalciferol (Vit D3 from fish or Lanolin)

Glycerine (Animal fat)

Isinglass (fresh fish air bladder)

Lanolin (sheep’s wool fat)

Lecithin (egg yolk fat)

Shellac (Insect secretion)

Stearin/ Stearin acid (Form animals fat)



CALM DOWN THOUGH!!!!



Notice how many of these hidden animal products are the kind that crop up in processed food?

Why else would you eat sheep wool fat?



If you are eating a good diet of fruit, veg, whole grains and protein foods like beans, peas and Soya, you will not even come across most of these things. Pick up some sweets a packet of crisps and a cheap pre-made sandwich and you have them by the truck load!



Learning to look at labels is a good lesson in food generally even if you don’t decide to go vegan.



Any questions or other vegan stuff you want covered please comment here or on the FB event page!