School’s out and it’s well and truly summertime holidays! What better way to embrace those ‘new year, new me’ feels than with a little goal setting under the Aussie sun.
As you know, we’re lovers of all things animals, planet and people related so why not make 2019 the year to switch it up and consider going 100% plant-based! We know that there are plenty of reasons why you should go vegan, but sometimes you might just need a little help figuring out the how’s.
We wanted to break down our tips on how to make it a little easier for you to go vegan – every little step counts!
Veganise Your Favourite Recipes
The Lord’s know it can be a little tricky to give up your favourite conventional ingredients such as cheese, milk and eggs BUT we have great news for you! There are now lots of delicious vegan-friendly alternatives that won’t have you lookin’ back.
Got milk? Believe it or not, cow’s milk isn’t the only (or the best) way to enjoy your morning coffee! Our favourite milk subs are coconut, soy, rice and nut milks. Plant-based milks are often low in fat and none contain nasty cholesterol. With a great combo of healthy fats and rich in all the good stuff – vitamins and minerals! With lots of wicked dairy switch ups nowadays you can even find plant-based creams (including whipped creams), if you know where to look.
Getting eggscited? Chia and flax seeds are our secret to egg for all those delicious treats you might be creating, they can thicken foods. Bananas and apple sauce are the trick for sweet recipes and mashed potato or blended silken tofu for savoury dishes. If you’re really cravin’ an egg though head on into your local LOTF to pick up our breakfast menu – you won’t regret it. Meringue can even be made from aquafaba, or the liquid from chickpea cans. Yep, vegans are a creative bunch. If none of these work for you, check out your favourite supermarket for a vegan commercial egg replacer.
Don’t even get us started on cheese! The easiest thing to make at home from blended nuts and nutritional yeast, but if you don’t want to go all out, our favourite vegan brands are BioCheese and Daiya, pass us a cracker!
Get Yourself A Vegan Cookbook
Treat yo self to a new vegan cookbook and get the latest on some delish vegan recipes that we love cooking at home, when we’re not eating LOTF of course. We’re never short of inspo, especially if they’re filled with delish looking creations. If going old school ain’t your thing, some great recipe collections can also be found online on cooking websites such as Taste.
Spend More Time At Your Local Green Grocers
Sometimes it’s about the little things in life, you know? Your local green grocer is the best place to be when you’re thinking vegan, as they stock the freshest (and sometimes even the cheapest) fruits and veg. Challenge yourself to try foreign fruit and veg every week, you might even find a new favourite! Ask your green grocer or other locals for their recipe ideas and get inspired to make fresher foods – don’t forget to share!
Veganise Your Kitchen
Don’t get us wrong, we’re all about change but sometimes that long-term commitment can be a scary thing! One way to overcome your fear is set smaller goals: veganise your kitchen so that everything you make at home is vegan! All your home cooked meals are healthier, and you get to learn how to make lots of fresh vegan meals along the way, all it takes is a little prep.
By preparing vegan foods at home, you’re greatly decreasing the amount of unhealthy animal fats that you eat. You can go easy on yourself when you go out and follow your normal diet, but by the time you’re out you may discover that you don’t want to give up on your vegan eating streak and pick a vegan option anyway!
Go To A Vegan Restaurant Each Week
Trying new things at new places is the spice of life, don’t ya think?! So, make those new places and experiences vegan, and knock two birds with one stone! The Lords have been vegan-friendly for a while now but lots of our other favourite restaurants are taking a vegan charge too! Check out Yelp or Zomato for your favourite restaurant’s vegan options.
If you’re already a level 5 vegan, and need more of a challenge, we have some ideas for you as well. Veganism is great in that it’s flexible and it’s a growing culture, meaning there’s always room for more and always scope for improvement!
As a vegan, you can set goals for yourself like reading more books and watching more movies about animal rights and environmental considerations, go to more meetups and get to know more people in the vegan community, encourage a friend or family member to go vegan, visit an animal sanctuary… the options are endless!