Going Vegan was easy for me.

I haven't been blogging much lately so I just thought that I would make a post about how and why I'm motivated to remain a vegan since I often get asked why I am one.

I initially began a vegan diet due to health problems which inevitably lead me into learning more about the other reasons for the lifestyle. I think since going vegetarian and seeing videos online on the food industry I knew that I would go vegan eventually. It just has been and still is a very gradual process for me. A lot of people may find it hard to understand why someone may even think of giving up meat because it must be so difficult and be 'sacrificing' some pleasures in your life. Some say that even though they think it is cruel for the animals, you just get past it by not thinking about it when you eat meat. This is how I got by eating burgers and chicken after being convinced for many years that I had to, despite being repulsed by the idea that I was eating dead muscle.

The main reason why I have decided to stay vegan in the end is because I know to me, it is logically the right thing to do. Denying the fact that animals have feelings would be denying that look of curiosity and excitement that a puppy gives when seeing a cat and the fear in that same cats eyes when they see that same puppy. If it's clear that these animals have feelings, what makes any other different? They all feel fear, pain, grieve...

Some people have the capacity to not think about where the food comes from or how it was made. Some have the capacity to even kill animals themselves for their own meat. I still have respect for these people because we're all different but I can't eat meat or dairy anymore and 'just don't think about it'. That would be repressing my conscience which I have learnt the hard way before is not good for me mentally. This is why I don't see it as a 'sacrifice' but more as something that makes me happier.

I've chosen to be vegan because I can.

What Vegans Eat

Since I'm visiting my friends and family in Bristol again later on this year, I keep getting asked about what I actually eat now that I'm a herbivore. A lot of people aren't really sure or confident when it comes to feeding their vegan friends so I've composed a list of simple things to encourage and motivate you guys. A vegan diet consists of food that is free of ANY animal products. This includes egg, dairy and things such as honey and bees wax that may linger in some products. Some of these products are also labelled as E numbers. Some vegans also only buy from brands that are environmentally friendly. This information can be overwhelming but keep in mind that no one is 100% vegan. This is really hard to achieve so if you mess up don't beat yourself up over it. It's best to talk to them beforehand to find out how strict a vegan they are and what reasons they are for it but I'm sure your friend will really appreciate the effort and the consideration.

A tip for looking through the ingredients list is to skip straight to the allergy list or skim for ingredients shown in bold. This is where milk and egg is often listed and will save you lots of time. I will list some food examples based on what you can find at the local supermarket. (In this case Tesco.)

For breakfast, get some vegan butter (sunflower/soya) or jam (most are free from gelatine) and you can put these with any of the following:

• Toast (if getting fresh bread make sure it isn't glazed) 
• Crumpets
• Baked beans (Preferably with toast...)
• Bagels

For other meals and snacks:

• Lots of people make the wrong assumption of Quorn being vegan. For meat replacement go for something like from the Linda McCartney range instead e.g. sausages. Serve with chips and vegetables and you have a meal! 
• Vegetable samosas
• Most pasta
• Rice/soba noodles (have to be free of egg and milk)
• Some crisp flavours e.g. heat chilli wave Doritos, salt and vinegar. (This is where you have to look out for milk powder in the ingredients list.)
• Any fruit or vegetable! 

For dessert ideas I recommend Swedish Glace ice cream. (If you buy this for someone it will instantly make them fall in love with you, regardless of gender.) It tastes even better with Oreos or strawberries or mixed with sugar free peanut butter. Alpro also do a very good range of substitutes for dairy products.

As you can see, there is a lot of food that is vegan that you would not even have guessed to be so it's not that bad! If you want to be precise and extra sure there are some apps available that can help you identify common ingredients and E numbers to be aware of. To go the extra mile, health stores have many vegan alternatives that aren't sold at most supermarkets such as cheese and chocolate. Holland & Barrett for instance do a lot of vegan stuff but there is the most variety for this in their bigger chain stores.

Being vegan is actually very easy as long as you transition nicely. Have the right amount of motivation for this kind of lifestyle and it isn't a 'torture' or 'sacrifice'. A lot of people say that I'm missing out on all this 'amazing' food but really they're only looking at it as if the 'glass is half empty'. There's still a lot of amazing vegan food out there and it's all down to the mind and how we perceive things.

Happy shopping :) xoxox