Oh the Vegan We GO!!!

First off, I am not vegan - I am however, a very healthy eater to the best of my ability and, very conscious of how my choices affect the planet.

In our home, we don't do single use plastics, all my furniture is pre-loved and up-cycled, I regularly support my local SPCA (my kitteh-kat is a bush rescue), and I buy local as much as possible in the city - this includes local butchery, local markets, 2nd hand books and clothes and local bakery...

So my system is not perfect but my efforts are consistent and my resolve is strong!

I LOVE making food and conscious food at that. I will usually pick a vegetable for the day and build my meal around it. There will be music and conversation or I will be just breathing in the smells and listening to all the birds...and cars...outside.

So getting down to it. What is a vegan diet? It is a diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients.

And the million dollar question that any vegan or vegetarian will know... So what do you eat??? Gasp!

The answer: SO MUCH STUFF!! There is such a misconception that vegan food is boring and simple and you cannot get enough in terms of nutrients from it.
Keeping in mind that each person has unique dietary requirements for their body type, the vegan diet is very healthy as long as it is balanced.
"Man cannot live on lentils alone..."
There are certain amounts of protein and healthy fats that you need to adjust to your needs if you are changing over to this way of living from a meat based diet.
Some people burn energy quicker than others and this would mean that they are fine with more lentils, beans and starches like potatoes/maize in their diet.
However other slow burning metabolisms require more protein as sustenance from sources like peas and nuts that burn slower.

Other considerations when going vegan is where you live. How much access do you have to fresh fruits and vegetables and will you be sharing space with non-vegans?
It may sound simple but if you live in a place where there is very little variety you may have to make a sincere effort to research how best to continue your diet.
Like with anything in life your body will need variety.
Also having the support of people around you when it comes to things like cross-contamination of food staffs or general education on what you will and will not eat is important for all round harmony. Body, mind and soul care is all part of a vegan lifestyle.

There are tonnes of recipes online but if you are just starting out here are some vegan alternatives for animal based products that you can switch out in recipes:

butter – coconut oil, seed oil, olive oil

milk – hemp milk, rice milk, nut milk, soy milk(opt for non-GMO)

yogurt – soy milk and vegan-friendly probiotics

eggs – chia/flax seeds soaked in warm water (1 tsp seeds=1 egg) or mashed banana. Aquafaba (Chick pea liquid) for egg white replacement in recipes like meringues/mousse

meat – basically any vegetable, beans, lentils, tofu, mushrooms and of course the many vegetable alternatives on the market (burger patties, sausages, ‘meatballs’ etc)

cheese – There are many vegan cheeses on the market right now but you can make your own with cashew nuts, garlic, lemon, water and yeast. Here's a great site for experimenting with all types of cheese:
https://www.vegkitchen.com/8-amazing-vegan-cheese-recipes/

sour cream – silken tofu

mayonnaise – aquafaba, oil, lemon, garlic and dijon mustard blended

gelatin - agar flakes or powder

honey - maple syrup and agave nectar measure out similarly to honey. There is also: malt syrup, light and dark molasses and brown rice syrup

sugar - natural organic sugar, unbleached cane sugar,date sugar, beet sugar, fructose

Images from top to bottom:
Orange, broccoli and ginger salad
Gazpacho (with extra garlic of course) - gluten free version
Roasted chickpeas and leeks
Black Bean Biryani
Fruit salad with papaya, apples, coconut and seeds AND green salad with orange, cashews, sunflower seeds and Roma tomatoes

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