Veganuary 2023

The Richmond ones are ok if you like actual Richmond sausages but I always found them to be rank, so…
 
Aldi gyros is this week’s discovery- absolutely delicious. Can’t find it for love nor money now, though, and Aldi have a habit of discontinuing plant based lines after January, which is a real shame.
 
I did break Veganuary today as well by accident. Nothing serious but I made a roast and cooked a chicken for Mr Sheena. I made his gravy and tested it and forgot entirely that it was full of chicken juice.

I’m annoyed something so silly has broken my perfect record, albeit that I know it isn’t really!
 
Sheena said:
I did break Veganuary today as well by accident. Nothing serious but I made a roast and cooked a chicken for Mr Sheena. I made his gravy and tested it and forgot entirely that it was full of chicken juice.

I’m annoyed something so silly has broken my perfect record, albeit that I know it isn’t really!
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Yeah it’s not really. I’ve accidentally eaten non veggie stuff over the years like sweets and yogurt and some things which had meat products hidden in the ingredients. Unless you cook every single thing you eat from scratch or eat solely in vegan restaurants it’s impossible to know 100% that you are keeping to it.

I’m quite lucky as my BF went veggie at the same time as me bar the odd Chinese takeaway but he’s totally veggie now.
 
In the time I've been vegetarian, I've accidentally eaten meat twice. Once when I was in France, asked if they had anything vegetarian (in terrible french) and got given a FISH SANDWICH. I can't really blame them, and I probably should have been able to tell :D
 
I make an exception for medicines, often capsules are not vegetarian and I'll avoid where I can but ultimately if I need it, I'll have it.
 
Star said:
I make an exception for medicines, often capsules are not vegetarian and I'll avoid where I can but ultimately if I need it, I'll have it.
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But you won't make exceptions for food cooked by nuns?
 
Sheena said:
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THIS is a fucking game changer! Don't be fooled by the (terrible) other versions of This Isn't Bacon, the streaky just launched this week goes properly crispy, tastes like bacon and has the same texture. My absolute favourite so far!
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I tried this this week. It got me wondering what the streaks of fat were made from. They even manage to imitate the part crispy, part un-rendered texture of actual bacon fat.
 
Eddie said:
I tried this this week. It got me wondering what the streaks of fat were made from. They even manage to imitate the part crispy, part un-rendered texture of actual bacon fat.
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Told you!

It’s all processed shite, though, of course…
 
This week’s discovery is vegan Spanish tortilla from Lidl, made from chickpeas.

Couldn’t tell the difference!
 
Sheena said:
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THIS is a fucking game changer! Don't be fooled by the (terrible) other versions of This Isn't Bacon, the streaky just launched this week goes properly crispy, tastes like bacon and has the same texture. My absolute favourite so far!
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Just picked this up. It was promoted on the box in Sainsburys as VERY NEW.

Excited to give whatever it is a try.
 
It’s like fucking gold dust at the moment, but it’s so good- I had some only this morning.
 
In other news, Lidl’s salt and vinegar fake fish bites are shit. They literally taste of nothing.
 
I’m still really enjoying this year’s Veganuary. I won’t keep going, I don’t think- I am too unhealthy when I’m vegan (all that processed food cannot be good for you)- but I’ve not once been tempted to fall off the wagon.
 
I've avoided the fake fish. Although I'm still eating fish, so not an issue.

Still loving the Aldi vegan pulled pork.
 
Ag said:
I've avoided the fake fish. Although I'm still eating fish, so not an issue.

Still loving the Aldi vegan pulled pork.
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There’s a great fake tuna, the brand of which escapes me right now, but is lovely.

Asda also do a fake tuna mayo which is gorgeous- also a fake egg mayo too.

Yesterday in London I had Wasabi vegan sushi, which had fake salmon and that was gorgeous. Really similar to the real thing.
 
For me (and I speak from my own point of view) being plant based long-term is not practical. I couldn't do more than one day a week if I was going to make a habit of it.

Being vegetarian on the other hand would be a doddle by comparison. I wouldn't need to look beyond Indian food if I was merely eating to live since traditionally most of the dishes I was brought up on were not meat based. Indian food is probably the only world cuisine actually suited to non-meat eaters in that respect.
 
To clarify, my main issue with veganism is that if the options aren't super processed as @Sheena mentions, then they are impactful to the environment.

The only sensible alternative if you must is to be a vegetarian and cut as much dairy out from your diet as you can manage.

In terms of non-dairy substitutes, oat milk is really the only way to go.
 
So nearing the end (albeit that I need to carry on til Thursday to complete a month, as i only started on January 3rd) of Veganuary and I've actually loved every second of it. I haven't felt like I've had to give things up really and I'm a bit lost as to what to do next. I don't want to throw it all away. I already only eat vegan yogurts/ drink vegan milk and as a pescetarian, I have a lot of vegan meals anyway, but I think I will have to go back to cheese (although vegan cheese really is getting better by the day) and some fish- the one thing I do miss is proper sushi, albeit I've been enjoying making my own with fake tuna.

The issue for me is that I don't eat that healthily. I think "ooh, it's vegan so I can have it" and suddenly bread, vegan ice cream and shitloads of processed foods (which is basically so much vegan food) creep in. I've been hammering the gym and lost a bit of weight since Christmas, but nowhere near what Mr Sheena has managed doing exactly the same exercise, but still eating meat...
 
Processed food simply ISN'T good for you. Period.

This is my main bugbear with the vegan trend (and it is just that - a trend - vegetarianism has been around for millennia). If you truly want to be healthy AND a vegan (and ethics are behind your choices) then follow a vegetarian diet and completely omit animal based products - don't look for alternatives - accept that be it for their detrimental environmental impact, or their nutritional deficiencies, they simply aren't good for you or the planet.
 
I gave this a try out of curiosity on the weekend, not bad but I don't have a huge sweet tooth anymore, truth be told.

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Eddie said:
Processed food simply ISN'T good for you. Period.

This is my main bugbear with the vegan trend (and it is just that - a trend - vegetarianism has been around for millennia). If you truly want to be healthy AND a vegan (and ethics are behind your choices) then follow a vegetarian diet and completely omit animal based products - don't look for alternatives - accept that be it for their detrimental environmental impact, or their nutritional deficiencies, they simply aren't good for you or the planet.
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The first part, well, yes, that's what I said, but fuck off being preachy about the second. Everyone has different reasons and different needs/ wants/ desires from their food. I would LOVE to be a full vegan but I'm accepting that I can't because I don't want to live on processed shite, but equally, I find meat subsitutes an important part of my (mostly) vegetarian lifestyle. I could not just live on vegetables and pulses. It just isn't me.
 
Sheena said:
The first part, well, yes, that's what I said, but fuck off being preachy about the second. Everyone has different reasons and different needs/ wants/ desires from their food. I would LOVE to be a full vegan but I'm accepting that I can't because I don't want to live on processed shite, but equally, I find meat subsitutes an important part of my (mostly) vegetarian lifestyle. I could not just live on vegetables and pulses. It just isn't me.
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If I came across as preachy I didn't mean to be. I'm neither vegan nor vegetarian so I'd be a bit of a hypocrite if that was my intention.

My problem is with the way the west espouses a lifestyle which for large parts of the world is a normal way of living. In my opinion "vegan" food isn't yet a healthy option and so you would do best to limit your intake of it. I say this as someone who regularly purchases vegan burgers and the like (I tried the streaky bacon the other day) but I almost always feel unhealthy after eating it.
 
Yes, but it doesn't always have to mean "healthy". Some people do not embrace that lifestyle for that reason.
 
In terms of my situation, I'd love to be vegetarian but I have accepted that isn't realistically going to happen. I eat very little meat anyway but I would like to still have the option to have it from time to time.
 
Sheena said:
Yes, but it doesn't always have to mean "healthy". Some people do not embrace that lifestyle for that reason.
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Oh I agree but I would also argue (particularly if their previous meat based options weren't processed in the same way) that is is ACTIVELY unhealthy!
 
@Sheena, I think if you are having roughly the same amount of processed meat-alternative foods as you would have had with the equivalent meat-based products then it is unlikely to be doing you more harm.

I try and limit processed foods in general but it is impossible to avoid them entirely.

The way bloody Piers Morgan was harping on about Greggs vegan sausage rolls - the normal ones are just as processed and just as foul!
 
People go vegan or vegetarian for many different reasons. For me it was animal cruelty. Not health. If it came down to it I would eat non-animal processed foods over any foods containing animal products. I eat a balanced diet, there’s nothing wrong with some processed foods now and then.
 
I know, first hand how terrible processed (vegan or otherwise) foods are for your gut - and the biodiverse nature of it. Granted, you can't completely avoid them but to think they aren't doing you harm is naive.
 
And it's not just about processed foods but ULTRA processed foods that are the enemy.
 
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