I went vegan for a weekend – here’s what I learned

Jenny Stallard immersed herself in veganism to see how it would change her daily life.

Today is World Vegan Day, which also marks World Vegan Month.

Veganism is certainly on the rise, and with studies widely suggesting that a reduction in meat consumption could be a crucial part of battling climate change, it’s not just about lifestyle choices.

That said, going vegan is a huge life change – and one I’ve never tried before. Until now.

I spent a weekend trying vegan products to see just how easy – or hard – a vegan life could be, in an experiment for one quite big meat eater to look at her habits and discover another way to eat, and hopefully show how possible it is to go meat-free, more often.

It’s tricky with any other dietary requirements
In particular, gluten intolerance. Finding a vegan sarnie on the go that’s also wheat free was tricky. Add in that I follow a ‘low fodmap’ diet for IBS (which excludes quite a few vegetables as well as wheat) and veganism, at times, felt like hard work.

You’ll find more delicious things than you first thought (including cheese!)

One big surprise was that I actually really enjoyed a lot of the foods I tried. I was expecting things to taste chalky, or dry – and was pleasantly surprised.

In no particular order, I give the thumbs up to Gosh! veggie sausages and sag aloo bites, Nush chive spreadable cheese, Iceland’s ‘no meat’ meatballs, Meatless farm mince, Belazu Rose Harissa Pesto, and Napolina’s new chickpea fusilli.

On the milk front, you can’t move for alternatives. Look out for Rude Health (they also do a lovely ginger and turmeric – yes, really! – granola), Oatly and Alpro. I didn’t miss milk at all.

Check the label (and try making things yourself)
Many things have a little sign saying they’re suitable for vegans. The joy when I saw it on my usual pesto (which is ‘free from’ because of the FODMAP) was unbridled. You also need to check the label because a ‘free from’ item might seem vegan, but have egg in it. This also led me to the conclusion that it’s often best to make your own food. If in doubt, make it from scratch.

Provenance is key

Avocados are a vegan’s friend, but they often have to travel far to get to you

Something this experiment really drove home for me was that if you are going to eat meat products, buy local. Find out what you’re buying, where the farm is, how the farmer operates.

When it comes to vegan products, think about carbon footprint, too. Do you need another avocado and the air miles it brings, or can you breakfast on something grown nearer to home? Can you make something so you save on the packaging it comes in?

So is preparation

If you don’t have the store cupboard and fridge stocked up, you’ll make mistakes as you’ve established your current eating habits over years. Not having something to put on your toast may (don’t judge me) result in you making toast, taking a bite, swearing, then debating whether to finish the butter-smothered piece. Instead, you go for two gluten-free digestives and remind yourself to buy some vegan butter.

You will google A LOT (then get an app)
Can you get vegan bacon? Is Marmite vegan? You might grow tired of the searches, in which case, looking for an app can help. FYI you can get vegan bacon – or make it yourself. Try this recipe from Deliciously Ella.

You’ll cook a lot more

Normally on a (hungover) Saturday at home I’d have had bacon sarnies followed by ham sarnies… Veganism put paid to that, and instead I found myself rustling up a pan of roast pumpkin soup. In the evening, I made a vegan pasta bake (and learned that herbs are the vegan chef’s best friend).

You’ll search high and low for vegan snacks
And then realise you could just have a piece of fruit… or handful of nuts.

It’s easier today than it was in years gone by

The menu at Leon has a lot of vegan choices

Back when I was at school in the 1990s, vegetarianism was becoming more popular. But cutting out meat isn’t the same as going vegan – and I can imagine 20 or even 10 years ago, the V word would not have gone down well in supermarkets, restaurants or at dinner tables. Now, though, it’s pretty much part of our vocabulary.

A pub I went to on the Sunday had ‘vegan fish and chips’ and there’s vegan mayo (made with aquafaba – the liquid that comes with chickpeas) and ketchup (I combined both from Rubies in the Rubble with paprika to make vegan marie rose dipping sauce).

High street lunch chains offer plenty of options –  Leon for instance has a great range of vegan options. Eating out is about finding the right places, and thoroughly exploring the menu.

There’s plenty for pudding
Ice cream fans rejoice – I found two brands I’d happily have instead of dairy ice cream. Blue Skies and Jude’s both have a vegan ice cream. Fill your bowls – or add to a vegan dessert (you can make cheesecake using ground almonds and cashews). Dark chocolate is often vegan-friendly – I had a bit of over-indulgence with some from Willie’s.

Wine isn’t vegan – but there is vegan wine (phew!)

Some people will be surprised to hear wine isn’t vegan, but it’s actually because part of the process, called fining, can use animal byproducts such as fish oil or gelatin. Thankfully, there are lots of wines out there which are certified vegan, and I can vouch for several after this experiment.

Sadly, it still gives you a hangover, which means it’s back to that vegan bacon if you want a morning-after brekkie. There’s also vegan beer, and cocktail mixers (although I can’t see what’s not vegan about tonic!)

It’s about way more than food
Vegan products extend to everything from toothpaste and mascara to shoes and clothes. It’s worth considering the products you put on as well as in your body, as there could be some surprises (such as animal testing).

Would you consider going vegan?

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