23 things that shocked me when I went vegan for a month

From getsurrey.co.uk

Here are some of the things that surprised SurreyLive reporter Laura Nightingale when she did Veganuary

Vegan this, vegan that, it has certainly become a topic of conversation in both the newsroom and among my circle of friends.
With some of the UK's biggest chains launching new vegan-friendly products this year and some of my favourite Surrey restaurants bringing out plant-based alternatives, I was keen to see what all the fuss was about.

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So I pledged to give up animal products for one month and join the thousands of others taking part in Veganuary.

The first few days of going vegan was exciting, fun and pretty easy.
But halfway through, I hit a wall, struggled to fight off peer pressure and I had a really strange craving for eggs.
Here are some of the things that shocked me when I went vegan for 31 days.

              Laura Nightingale tests out the vegan menu at Harvester in Frimley Green

1. Eating at chain restaurants is easy

Whether they are competing against each other or simply more mindful of people with dietary requirements these days, eating out at chain restaurants was effortless.
There were plenty of options on the menu allowing me to try dishes I would never order normally such as "fish-less" fish and chips and pulled roasted jackfruit.
Wagamam, Pho and Las Iguanas were among my favourite high street chains for trying vegan food.

                                            Fiesta Ensalada at Las Iguanas in Woking

2. Eating at your local pub was not easy

However, in stark contrast finding a vegan dish on the menu down my local pub was much trickier.
You'd find one or two vegetarian dishes, normally a risotto or a brie tart, but vegan-friendly options not so much.
To get round this predicament, I would order a side of chips and a salad.
But with that said, many of the pubs I did go to were happy to adapt dishes to suit me which was fantastic.
Asking the waiter in front of other people in the pub was embarrassing though and I felt like I was being difficult.

3. There seems to be milk in everything

I learnt to read the ingredients on everything I picked up from the supermarket and I was shocked to find that milk powder was sneaked into so many foods.
Salad dressings, bread, cereal, and even ready salted crisps — why did they contain milk?!
I was pleasantly surprised, however, that some everyday foods, which I definitely thought were off the cards, were actually vegan, such as bourbon biscuits and jam doughnuts from the Co-op.

4. You feel like the odd one out

Like I said, there were occasions that I felt embarrassed when dining out.
I felt awkward asking if there was a vegan alternative or if a dish could be tweaked.
None of my friends or family joined me in the Veganuary challenge which made me feel a bit isolated.
However, I ploughed on through.

5. It's hard eating at other people's houses

This was the biggest challenge I faced.
On one occasion I went round a friend's house and she was cooking spaghetti bolognese for everyone.
She freaked out when I said I wasn't eating meat and said she had no idea what to cook me.
I was happy to make up a little bolognese for me at home using tinned lentils, chickpeas and chopped tomatoes and bring it with me, so she could serve it alongside the pasta.
Tupperware has become my new best friend.

6. My dad can't get his head around it

I don't know whether it's an age thing or if it's just because he is the biggest steak lover I know, but my dad couldn't get to grips with me doing Veganuary.
He like many others I know think vegan food tastes disgusting and consists only of lettuce leaves.
While so many more people are adopting a vegan lifestyle nowadays, it's still going to take a long time to convince the majority.

7. I don't like quinoa

I tried it about half a dozen times at restaurants over January but I just don't like it.
It may be packed full of protein, fibre and other nutrients, but for me, it just tasted bitter, grainy and nutty.

8. I now love tofu

On the other hand, I have become obsessed with tofu.
It took me a good couple of weeks experimenting with the soya product to know what to do with it, but once I knew what I was doing, I was hooked.
For a speedy supper, I threw cubes of it in a wok and stir-fried it with noodles, lots of veggies and soy sauce.
I have also discovered the amazing dish that is tofu scramble (see below).

9. I really missed eggs

I didn't think I was that fussed about eggs until I had to cut them out of my diet.
Not only is egg listed on the labels of so many foods including some breads, poachies on toast were one of our weekend staples being so quick and easy (plus cheap) to rustle up.
In a bid to cater for my odd egg craving I learnt the art of cooking tofu scramble and it has changed my life.

All you need to do it is throw some firm tofu in a frying pan, mash it up, add a pinch of black salt if you have it or just normal table salt if you don't, a pinch of black pepper, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, a splash of soya milk and 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast (available in most major supermarkets).

10. You can bake a vegan cake

I love baking and when it comes to birthdays in my family, they all call on me to make the cake.
With eight birthdays among us in January, it was a great opportunity to tweak my classic Victoria sponge recipe and make it vegan-friendly.
Now feeling smug that it can be done, I also experimented with my new favourite ingredient (tofu) and conjured up a vanilla tofu cheesecake.
You can find the recipe on Instagram @cakeontherun.

            Very healthy vanilla cheesecake by CakeOnTheRun (Image: @cakeontherun)

11. Food labelled 'vegan' is expensive

This became a bug bear of mine.
Just because it is labelled as vegan it doesn't need to be double the price.
I learnt to look out for everyday products that were naturally vegan to save me so many pennies.
Plus I kept an eye out for buy one get one free offers and 50% off deals to stock up.
After all, my wallet was pretty battered from Christmas.

12. Vegan shampoo and conditioner is lush

I attempted where I could to expand my vegan habit to my lifestyle as well as my diet.
I switched my shower gel, shampoo and conditioner to a vegan-friendly brand and I discovered Faith in Nature.

I first came across it in Holland and Barrett and later realised Oxfam in Guildford stocked it too.

It is more expensive than the other brands I used to buy, but it smells divine, lasted all month and I will be continuing to only use this from now on.
Friends, please take note for my birthday.

13. Food shopping has become fun

I don't tend to nip into Tesco Express on my way home from work as much anymore as I can't always get everything I need, plus as I plan ahead now I don't run out of things as often.
I've started shopping at some specialised shops and testing out some excitingly new (to me) products.
I've also discovered the amazing Free From aisle at my local supermarket.

14. Vegan cheese doesn't taste the same as non-vegan cheese

While there are many plant-based alternatives that taste very similar to the real thing, I am not convinced with cheese just yet.
Melting it seems to be the biggest challenge as it doesn't drip the way it normally does.
However, that said, I've never been a huge cheese fan anyway, shock horror, so I can't say I missed it in all four weeks of going vegan.

15. There is an amazing vegan-friendly café in Guildford

Tucked away behind Guildford train station is a fantastic café which is 100% vegan.
Not the easiest place to find, with it being a 15-minute walk from the town centre and The Friary, Brasil Vegano Café is inspired by Brazil and the Amazon Rainforest.
It opened at the end of last year, just in time for my vegan journey.

16. It took me a month to like soya milk

Soya milk does not taste anything like dairy milk.
I can't start my day without a hot brew at my desk so I needed to find a suitable alternative.
After a month of persisting with soya milk, I've now become acclimatised to it.
I tried rice milk and almond milk in tea but it was too weak, however, I have found oat milk to be very lovely.

17. I now like dark chocolate

Once a month I do get a monstrous craving for chocolate.
I needed to satisfy that craving.
As a huge bar of Dairy Milk was off-limits, I picked up a bar of dark chocolate instead.
Again, after a bit of persisting, I am now a big fan.
Lindt Excellence Caramel With Touch Of Sea Salt is a dream.
Plus I need far less of it to please my appetite as it is richer than the milk variety.

18. I'm now a huge fan of meal prepping

Making a vegan dish at home requires a bit of planning as it requires a bit more effort than just throwing a chicken breast in the oven and some spuds on the stove.
So on a Sunday and a Wednesday I would spend a few hours in the kitchen and get my batch cooking on.

Being that it's winter, coming home to a hearty veggie stew or cosy lentil (Shepherd's) pie that only needed heating up was the best.
I need to get myself a slow cooker.

19. There is so much support on social media

I am an Instagram addict, so naturally I started following other people who were in the same boat as me.
I learnt that thousands of others shared the same solitary feelings at a restaurant and difficulties at other people's houses.
Social media has become a place for me to share concerns, pick up recipe ideas and ask silly questions.
It made me feel connected and united with other vegans out there, so thank you, guys.

20. Linda McCartney sausages are incredible

I first found a pack of these lurking down the freezer aisle of Sainsbury's.
As they were on offer I thought I would give them a go. Wow.

The texture is nothing like a normal pork sausage, it's better.
They are soft, juicy, flavoursome and taste wonderful with a big dollop of mash, peas and a jug of gravy on the side.
They also taste awesome in a butty with ketchup.

I now always keep a couple of boxes in my freezer at home - ideal for when I want a quick dinner and need to find something to shove in the oven.
They normally cost £2 for a pack of six.

21. Being vegan doesn't mean healthy

Many people I know, my father included, assume vegan means healthy.
While it does encourage you to eat a lot more vegetables and pulses, there are plenty of vegan foods out there which are junk food.
If you only eat the vegan convenience foods on the shelf, you'll end up putting on weight.
Just because a pizza or chocolate cake is vegan doesn't mean it hasn't got any calories.

22. You won't be able to touch office snacks

No one in the SurreyLive office is vegan, so when it came to birthday snacks I had to resist the cupcakes.
Thankfully, at the start of the month, I filled my desk draw up with some sweets so I didn't get withdrawal symptoms.
It's all about planning.

23. I want to give up more animal products from now on

I had one slip up during the 31 days, after all, I'm only human.
But the little hiccup did not stop me from continuing the challenge.

I fell in love with plenty of new products - tofu, Linda's sausages and Faith in Nature toiletries to name a few - and I will be putting them in my shopping basket from now on.

I really enjoyed taking part in Veganuary and it has inspired me to consume far less animal products in future, both in my diet and lifestyle.

Now to convince the husband.

https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/lifestyle/lifestyle-opinion/23-things-shocked-went-vegan-17655795