I've made a shareable gallery post of the ideas in this video, should you like to save them for reference or share them around! instagram.com/p/C1kCKNfNVvZ/
There's a lot of power in it. It emphasises that awareness is more important than excellence. We'd rather have a bunch more people at least try than have only those who can be 100% pure vegan.
I am autistic and the way my autism presents, I can't handle most vegetables textures. Therefore I used to have a very meat heavy diet. In October 2022 I started to try vegan alternatives. I first switched to soy yogurt and then started to try at least one meat alternative every month. I just picked what ever was on sale the first week of the month. Pretty quickly I was buying at least one vegan alternative every other week and in July last year I was at one vegan option every week. Halfway through October I found a brand that didn't just not trigger my autsim, but that I actually really enjoy. My diet is now almost completely plant based. I feel like this could work as a variation of the brand vegan challenge. Try your way through vegan brands. (Unless I missed it and it's already in the video. You offer so many options, I lost track)
Thank you for sharing the 35% reduction recommendation, that is actually very helpful for my perspective. I love the idea of picking one of the 3 daily meals and going vegan for a third of each day, that seems manageable! Sincerely a former low dairy veggie who fell off the low dairy band wagon a bit since having kids and needs a kick up the bum slash some Gumption to get more vegan again in 2024!!😊
I've been vegan for a few years now and love these suggestions. When friends says 'I'd love to be vegan except I love eating out/cheese/bacon erc' I'm always like, no need to be vegan then, just switch out the stuff you don't love when you're able to🎉
I feel the taste pleasure we get from consuming these products isn't necessarily a justification in of itself to do so though. We should be taking responsibility and hold ourselves and each other accountable.
My bf is a meat-eater, not even close to being vegetarian in any way, but he says that Quorn vegan chicken nuggets taste better than actual chicken nuggets, so PLEASE don't be discouraged if you try one meat alternative/vegan ingredient and you don't like it. Try another one, and another one. There are SO MANY vegan options now (especially here in UK) that I'm sure everyone can find something they will love the taste of. :)
That's funny, I don't love the quorn nuggets, I find the texture a bit boring and there isn't a great flavour to them. Recently tried VFC pieces and really like them. They have a range of textures and a decent amount of flavour, caught me a bit off guard when I first had them because I hadn't eaten meat for two years at that point and it was a bit of a shock remembering the variability of textures in a single piece of meat, seriously the closest substitute I have tried. A lot of the best ingredients I eat are not trying to be meat and that actually makes life a bit more interesting. A good example is Jackfruit burgers, they have a texture and flavour all of their own, while still be part of a satisfying meal
This was great! Funny you mention Nigella because my absolute favourite vegan cake recipe that I make every year for Christmas to wow the non-vegans at the gathering is called the vegan lemon tendercake with blueberry compote and its by Nigella. I'd highly recommend it to anyone thats bored of the same exact vegan chocolate cakes every year. I also love the idea of a brand vegan! Great way to show those companies that their vegan option is popular enough to stay and stops some decision fatigue
great advice, i 100% agree that half-arsing is so much more effective than an all-or-nothing approach. 35% is a pretty attainable goal for most people. one thing i do to half-arse my reduction (and has helped me transition into a more plant-based cooking style) is to simply spread my animal products more thinly. i pad out meals with extra plants (eg: a chicken and onion curry vs a chicken, onion, lentil, pumpkin, cauliflower and cashew curry) which not only reduces the amount of meat/dairy per portion, but also means i have to cook less. a win-win!
As a vegan that will eat an omelette in dire situations (travelling Japan was notoriously difficult and expensive for vegans for example), I love all of this. One of my favourite things about being vegan is that the people around me realize that it is not that hard to make good vegan meals once in a while and many of them have included more vegan options on their daily diet. We also love discovering new great vegan restaurants around us. :) Any little bit helps, it's not an all or nothing kind of thing
Vegan here too! Always remember its “as far as practicable and possible” when it comes to avoiding animal products, so don’t beat yourself up in dire situations.
I've been doing "eat in vegan" for a few months now, and it happened gradually and a little by accident. Finding vegan recipes is somehow easier than vegetarian recipes, so I ended up following a lot of vegan food blogs and using their recipes. And then when I eat out I'll eat dairy and eggs. Love all the options you gave here, they're great ways to do something without doing everything.
Something I’d recommend too…check out what veggies are currently in season in your area! (Now I admit January is a hard month for this, sometimes there’s only a few options, so feel free to wait until Spring.) Find a farmers market, check out what is available, and try new things you’ve never cooked with before! Never cooked a leek before? I highly recommend leek potato soup! Spice up your cesar salad with mustard greens and radicchio. Fennel is my favorite! Try sauteeing the bulb like you would an onion (though I prefer eating it raw). There’s so many veggies not available at most grocery stores that could be growing abundantly where you live. (Sidenote, I’m not vegan/vegetarian I just get really excited about local agriculture lmao)
Leeks and fennel are amazing, I also highly encourage everyone to check out parsnips (it's like a mashup of a carrot and a potato) and celeriac/celery root! Never would have thought to try celeriac and now it's my favorite root vegetable. I'm also very into lentils. If you have a regular degular lentil sausage soup, swap the sausage for a nice big spoonful of gochujang (or miso, or soy) and boom. All the savory, none of the meat.
I enjoy meat and animal products but 20-35% is achievable, more like introducing more healthy meals rather than taking away something else. I think the challenging part is realising just how much of my food involves eggs, milk, meat and getting in the habit of substituting or leaving out ingredients. But it's not insurmountable.
Oo, love the options, and how about trying a different one each month throughout the year? That could even bring bonus points! I don't want to be vegan, but I do believe in reducing meat and dairy consumpton, recognising when you're privileged enough to be able to buy from local, ethical and more sustainable sources (and doing so), increasing seasonal veg consumption, and trying new things. So think this gives some great options for exploring vegan food and finding ways of doing better, without pushing people into a diet that might not suit them/ might come with other downsides. This month I shall be an "eat out vegan"!
Love this! I was a strictly eat in vegan for probably 5 years before going fully vegan. We need more people advocating for small steps, as it’s far more realistic for most people
I don’t eat meat that often but unfortunately I unintentionally lost a ton of weight this year & in order to gain it back I was instructed to add some more meat in my diet because it’s denser in calories / protein. Accessibility isn’t perfect for everyone but I’m thankful for everyone who is picking up my slack in this area, I’m doing what I can with what I have! Thank you for your non-judgmental video
For those who want to try cooking more vegan, I recommend "Plant-Based on a Budget" by Toni Okamoto. Her sweet potato sandwich was life-changing for me.
As someone who was raised and still lives in Texas where not eating meat is borderline blasphemous, the idea of going full vegan is so overwhelming to me. I really like this perspective of it not having to be all or nothing. My partner and I already have a resolution to make 1/3 of our meal plan vegetarian this year but maybe we'll try and throw in some vegan recipes as well. I would love to eventually be eating a majority plant based diet but for now we are just taking baby steps so we have the best chance of maintaining the lifestyle change
Fellow American here and this was definitely the right way for me and my household to approach going veggie/vegan! I started out a few years back with 1/4 vegetarian and have now worked my way up to ~90% veggie leaning toward vegan and slow and steady has helped so so much with changing all the weird cultural feelings surrounding meat
This is a great approach to making changes in your life. There are some wonderful vegan options to choose from, especially when you look at international cuisines; Thai, Mexican, Indian , Middle Eastern , etc. I was a strict vegan for 20 years, now my attitude is to do your best and if once and awhile you eat something that isn’t vegan, it isn’t the end of the world. There are going to be situations where you might not be able to eat a vegan meal, rather than beat yourself up about it, give yourself some grace. Good luck with your success, in any changes you choose to make.
As a vegan of almost 11 years, I love these recommendations! Small fun steps are key. It’s much better to make a small change than no change at all. And when you take gradual steps, you can have more fun with exploring all the vegan options (while not feeling restricted). Once you find the vegan foods that you LOVE, it becomes easy.
I decided to do Veganuary again as I did it last year, however I then completely forgot and had an omelette last night! Soo this video has come and the perfect time and I’m going to change my thinking on Veganuary - I haven’t already failed I’m just going to be ‘points win prizes vegan!’ Thanks Leena ! Amazing as always, happy 2024 xx
Leena, you blow my mind with every vid! I will absolutely, whole heartedly, half ass this veganuary to the best of my ability! Can't wait for the prizes, I have my eye on a particularly cool thermos
Due to the milk protein allergy, I started trying out vegan recepies as those were easiest way to find recepies without dairy. 2,5 years of trying out many vegan recepies, I suddenly realized, that at home, I had not eaten redmeat in 2 months and other meat/fish for 1 month. At that time I was single, which made this possible, as I cooked all of my meals, I made my favourite foods, which were mostly vegan at that point. It was slippery slope to begoming mostly-vegan-at-home, because I had already been without meat for 1 month. Why to go back. Now, I have been 6,5 years mostly-vegan-at-home. My partner fully supports this. He eats often meat at restaurant, but at home my cookings always go. 🤩 I often eat vegan also in restaurants, but not always...
I love this approach to veganism because it's hard! It's a difficult nexus of diet and culture and morals etc etc all while you're just getting through life. I'm vegetarian but have recently had some health problems that have made me want to quit dairy, so I'm excited to try as many of these challenges as possible!!!!
Whatever you do, don’t get the laughing cow plant based version. I’ve been dairy free for 15 years and it is one of the worst vegan cheese. I don’t want people to be put off by a bad cheese alternative cause there are some good ones.
Pausing the video to gasp and ask very nicely if you could share the brand of your jacket because it would be *perfect* for Midwest winters and I would love to find one secondhand...👀
Such a great video as always! For me the best thing I found to keep me going was to change my mindset, instead of thinking of what I was missing, I thought of what I was gaining. There are so many delicious vegan foods, and recipes that I would never have tried if I’d have stayed veggie. It made me a much better cook, and I eat much more flavourful and healthy food now! Also just looking at cute reels of pigs running around also helps 😂
love it and I agree. when people say "I could never be vegan because I'm a total foodie", I wish I could show them how many amazing new foods I have found BECAUSE I have to get creative! I can't go to a random American diner and find a reliable variety of vegan stuff when I travel, so I have gotten comfortable ordering at Ethiopian, Thai, Malaysian and Lebanese restaurants. there is so much to be gained. it's an adventure. kudos for following your convictions
As a veg aiming to move towards vegan I love loved these suggestions!! My vegan meal I'm ADDICTED to is the thai coconut chickpea curry from vegancocotte, I use the thai red curry sauce from trader joes and include any extra veggies I have to use and serve with an air fried garlic naan. Amazing and reheats like a mf
Yes! I love the idea of not being perfect 😉 a recipe tip for the Nigella vegan option is cauliflower buffalo wings. I've made several versions and my brother (who basically eats nothing but meat) said it's one of the best things he ever tasted.
this makes sense if you are looking at it through a climate lens only. However, if you think animals are worthy of moral consideration as suffering beings, I don't see how being vegan is anything other than the moral baseline.
I like that you are offering options to those who cannot commit fully. However two things - you can get help from vegan mentors via the veganuary campaign. They provide advice via email etc. also it is easy to go vegan now. I went vegan in mid 90s and that was a whole different ball game where health food stores where your lifeline. Now you can get specialist vegan items in your local supermarket and virtually every product imaginable.
When talking about climate change, it's also important to note the carbon footprint of different foods. Eating meat occasionally, especially those with a low carbon footprint like chicken, might lead to a diet with a lower carbon footprint overall than a vegetarian diet loaded with milk and dairy. For someone who does not want (or can't due to diet restrictions or other health reasons) eat a completely vegan diet, removing beef (and maybe also cow's milk products, but beef alone has a huge impact) from their diet for one month might be a great way to reduce their carbon footprint.
As someone who has been meat free for over a decade, and vegan for almost a decade, all I ever challenge people to is eat less animal products. Veganism doesn’t have to be so extreme as people have made it. I’m not even necessarily against eating meat, just against factory farming.
It is about the use of animals, not just factory farming. "Vegan" can be quite the umbrella for a variety of ideas, so, outside of that, I see where you are coming from
Been a vegan for seven years now and as a formerly trashy American kid who loved beef jerky I feel pretty confident in recommending vegan jerky, the snack fixation is still there, it just matured with me 👍
I also recommend to not eat meat replacements if you can and choose Whole Foods as much as possible. There are many recipes available online. I like the ones from rainbow plant life.
I am plant based for 2 or 3 years now aside from occasional honey for medicinal purposes and indulging in a non-vegan baked good about 2-3 times a year. Nearly everyone I know who has "goes vegan" completely and suddenly gets really passionate about it and doesn't maintain it. Nearly every plant-based person I know that has kept it up for years started with incremental changes. Of course, you don't need to end up completely or nearly plant based, but if you are inclined to head that way, these changes seem a good place to start or end if that is where you want to stop. If you don't like those ideas, eating meat only once a day or meatless Mondays or something else can be a good starting point.
This is such a brilliant list of options! I struggle with full veganism due to health reasons so this is wonderful for me to increase my plant based options while still ensuring I don't have a flare up. Thank you!!!!!
I do like veganuary though. The shops and restaurants make veganism usually more accessible at this time and it makes me try new vegan recipes that I can put into my regular rotation. I honestly just wish that accessibility was all year round.
January is 1/12 months which is 8.3% of your year. Is that really a big ask?? These suggestions are good long term solutions to help people move towards more plants for the rest of their lives. However in this case, they do make an already small ask even smaller. I will say that people are probably more likely to stick to smaller changes (like vegan breakfast) long term. But I don't know, just a hypothesis.
I recommend The Modern Tagine Cookbook: delicious recipes for Moroccan one pot meals by Ghillie Basan. It's not a Vegan cookbook but it has loads of Vegan recipes and vegetarian recipes that become Vegan with an easy swap, like vegan butter or vegan yogurt. It encourages you to put different fruits, nuts, vegetables and pulses together in ways that you might not have thought of if you aren't from the region. It's all very tasty and easy which is what you need if you aren't used to vegan cooking. Who wants to waste a whole evening on something which turns out to be bland?!
As someone who has been a vegetarian since the late 80’s/very early 90’s, it is now so easy to replace items in your diet for non meat based ones that it almost seem incomprehensible that some will find it too difficult to at least reduce their intake of meat and some meat based products. Back when I removed meat from my diet (I’ve never had a great amount of dairy in it,only a little cheese and eggs), cheese wasn’t vegetarian (now we have some really decent vegan ones readily available), McVities digestives and rich tea weren’t vegetarian (they had animal fat in them and own brands weren’t quite as abundant or appealing as they are now) and there weren’t as many meat replacements as there are now (the dried soya that smells a bit like dried dog food was the only thing you could easily find…which for many years hasn’t been particularly easy to get a hold of), as you really had to go to health food shops to find a proper selection of vegetarian and vegan foods such as sausages, hotdogs and not much else if I’m being honest. I remember the first item I ever saw that was made from Quorn was a family size pie that was Tesco own brand and it became available in ‘93/‘94 around the same time as Linda McCartney brought out her Country Pies (which used to be even better than they they are now and fooled my Granda) but even then it’d be a good while before there was an improvement in both variety and availability. It really is so easy now to even partially switch things out, like OXO cubes (both meatless beef and chicken versions are great). Change some of your milk for oat, perfect for anything you put milk into like tea, coffee, cereal, porridge, making a white sauce…or if you don’t fancy using it in a white sauce, you can do half milk (of which ever type you prefer) and half vegetable stock, if becomes more flavourful and can feel a little lighter to consume. Find a vegetarian sausage you really like, there are plenty to choose from (though I think most meat eaters might prefer the Richmond varieties) and if you’re having a fry-up or bangers and mash, do half and half. The same can be done with anything made from mince, switch out half the meat for either a vegetarian mince (though many of the frozen vegetarian minces are practically indistinguishable from beef mince once in a bolognaise, lasagne or cottage pie) or for dark coloured lentils. If you’re topping something with cheese that’s to be melted, do half and half of vegan and dairy. If you do these partial switches for either one meal a day or the equivalent amount of maybe two full days of meals for a couple of days a week, that’d make a massive impact. It’s all about baby steps, in the hope that it’ll make people discover that vegetarian and vegan aren’t actually that scary and that people can still have most of what they love but with little changes that don’t actually make a massive impact on what they are used to.
I LOVE THIS! I really appreciate your effort to make veganism more accessible. My partner has gotten me into the idea of anything worth doing is worth doing even terribly and that has been a game changer for my perfectionist brain! I adore this approach of non-dogmatic climate action!
if anyone is looking for even more options way of reducing animal products has been: everything I buy needs to be either organic (meat only when I cook for other people or on end-of-day sale) or vegan. This helps the environment even where I dont like the vegan options or havent found one yet, and the higher price of organic makes me more concious of how badly I really want the animal product. For eating out, my rule is: only read the vegan option first. If I wont enjoy it, I look at the vegetarian ones. If I wont enjoy these too I look at regular ones and see if I can find sth I can order without the meat.
I am autistic and the way my autism presents, I can't handle most vegetables textures. Therefore I used to have a very meat heavy diet. In October 2022 I started to try vegan alternatives. I first switched to soy yogurt and then started to try at least one meat alternative every month. I just picked what ever was on sale the first week of the month. Pretty quickly I was buying at least one vegan alternative every other week and in July last year I was at one vegan option every week. Halfway through October I found a brand that didn't just not trigger my autsim, but that I actually really enjoy. My diet is now almost completely plant based. I feel like this could work as a variation of the brand vegan challenge. Try your way through vegan brands. (Unless I missed it and it's already in the video. You offer so many options, I lost track)
I highly suspect I am ND and I am an fussy eater (lots of things I won't eat bc texture. Mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes and nuts are my biggest issues.) Which is why I've never gone down the vegan/veggie route because it's so overwhelming to change my diet. I like leena's suggestions. I'm going to *try* a few things here and there, if it's on sale, or maybe I'll try something when I go out for dinner.
Can't believe it but apparently I've been a breakfast vegan for a really long time! Just because I eat the same breakfast every day and it happens to be entirely plant based! *mind blown*
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I have to half ass this because vegan premade food is rarely gluten free and I have to prioritise my dietary necessity. However, I _can_ basically just eat poultry and make a lot of the basic swaps you've suggested do still work - I can swap out the cheese, almost all the food I can make myself is vegan (I'm too disabled to make a lot, which is why I have to rely on the premade stuff) and a lot of the meals my husband makes are also vegan after a lot of little swaps over the years (and a bonus beef allergy necessitating invention). More vegan food needs to stop relying on wheat flour as a thickener!
I’m an accidental vegan a lot of the time as I’m lactose intolerant and live with my sister who is a vegetarian. We never have meat in the house (apart from at Christmas) but I do sometimes choose a meat option at a restaurant or take-away. I really struggle if I tell myself I’m not allowed to eat certain things so half-arsing or being flexible has worked really well for me. Fully support this and would highly recommend- so many accidentally vegan products in the shops now as well!
I have been a vegan for five years but am not a perfectionist. I have made loads of mistakes since becoming vegan. I have bought secondhand leather shoes and a belt, used non vegan creams, eaten foods containing eggs and dairy without knowing it. We need a plant based food system so rather than moping over my mistakes, I volunteer and campaign for plant based universities and councils, helping students at Warwick University to win a campaign for 50% plant based options in campus outlets by Autumn 2024 and 100% by 2027. I want to do the same at Coventry University and one of my other new year's resolutions is to get a straight answer from Coventry City Council to my enquiry surrounding the food strategy (I am a Coventry Student and Resident, which is an advantage).
You make living sustainably so much less scary (and in turn make facing the climate crisis less "we're all going to die!" and more "we're going to change ... but, like, in a fun way!") Thank you for your content. You improve both my day AND my outlook.
You are actually hilarious. So witty i love it. I've been vegan over a year now and found it super easy, in UK shops theres always an alternative meat to eat (dont forget to check the freezer sections). Some people think vegan = salad but this isn't the case I'm defo a junk food vegan! lol
I love that idea, and I've been always preaching that to my friends who told me that they couldn't do it! I've been vegan for quite some time (during my uni times, for about 3 years) and at some point I've realized that it's super hard for me to keep it up. When visiting friends/family, I could see that it was really problematic to accommodate my needs (which I'd never force them to, ofc!), and bringing my own dish (potluck style) wasn't always possible. I'm a foodie and, especially with my friends, we celebrate foods a lot. Going back to being a sloppy vegan/vegetarian was a game changer. At home, I eat mostly vegan (but if some product contains that infamous 0.5% milk powder, I'll still get it); when eating out, I'll always get the vegan option. But when the choice isn't mine, as when I'm visiting someone, or they just want to share their new recipe - as long as it's vegetarian, I'm game. Is it perfect? Prolly not. Could I be doing more? Prolly yup. Is it the best I can do for now? YES. And I think that's exactly the point. Around 1.1% of the population is fully vegan; that means if the other 98.9% just swapped 10% of their diets towards veganism, they'd have almost 10 times bigger impact.
WHYis it a thing to do this in january? There is no fresh produce, all "fresh" veggies taste weird, and in the cold we need more calories to survive... Said as a vegan.
I think it’s because it’s already a “standard” time when people give things up/try new habits at the start of a new year and after the excesses of the holidays. Same idea as Dry January.
The easiest way I've found is to try choosing plant-based ingredients that change practically nothing about the meals you are eating. For example if you are making a recipe that calls for eggs as a binding ingredient you can almost always sub for a flax egg and it won't change the recipe at all. Or try keeping only plant-based milk in the fridge and then anytime a recipe calls for milk you just use that milk. Before I was plant based I used to make regular animal-based boxed mac n cheese a lot but I'd use almond milk instead of cow milk and vegan butter and it tasted exactly the same. Another example is beef crumbles, vegan crumbles pretty reliably mimic the taste and texture of real beef and can be subbed in things like spaghetti or tacos without most meat eaters even noticing the difference.
I was vegan for 12 years and I turned vegetarian a couple of months ago but after going through the holidays and having my body weight in cheese and eggs I can't wait to have many more vegan meals again. Thank you for this video!
I'm 95% plant-based. I do still eat dairy occasionally and don't expect that to change. I didn't even expect to end up this way - during the pandemic lock-downs, we were all stuck at home so I decided to introduce more plant-based meals into my diet and I started watching Derek Sarno, Rainbow Plant Life, etc. on YT. I thought I'd eat plant-based meals maybe 2 or 3 times a week. But over the next three years I just started cooking more and more plant-based because I enjoyed the challenge of learning a new way to cook, the food was really tasty and felt it aligned more with my values. But I never started with the intention of going vegan and, if I had, I probably wouldn't have followed thru because it would have been more of a 'should' rather than just following the process...
I really recommend hummus on toast for breakfast ❤ Also, any suggestions for an alternative to quorn please, tried it a few times and it gave me an allergic reaction. Thanks x
Dehydrated soy chunks! They come in different sizes so you can even find ones that are useable for A bolognese but also ones you can use as a substitute for meat in a stew! :D (Also i found the chunks in an indian and in an asian store before in case your supermarket doesnt have em yet! Or try looking online ^^ ) for pulled pork try unripe canned jackfruit very easy yummy swap!
I’m a eat-in vegeterian. When I eat out, it’s complicated. At restaurants, I choose the vegan or vegetarian option if it’s good (some places have really sh*tty options tbh). My MIL always make a veggie/vegan meal when we visit, but my mom doesn’t care 😅 So I’m vegetarian at home and whatever outside. I’d like to add that I don’t want to buy meat. It’s my priority. But, if I go somewhere where there is meat on my plate, I feel like it would be worse to not eat it. It’s already there. But I will admit that it is becoming more and more difficult to eat meat. It doesn’t taste good like before.
I love these! I consider myself vegan-ish. I'm vegetarian for ethical reasons, veganish for environmental ones. My favorite veganish activity is to find the accidentally vegan options and introduce those to my meat-eating friends and family. If someone isn't expecting meat/dairy/eggs in a dish, they don't notice that it's "missing" and are surprised to find out that they do, in fact, like vegan foods. You don't have to suffer through gross vegan cheeses (or other vegan alternatives) to eat a primarily vegan diet! Also check out Mark Bittman's Vegan before 6. He talks about your breakfast vegan idea and how someone who never intends to ever be fully vegetarian or vegan can reduce their meat/dairy/egg consumption by limiting those products to only dinner, when you can do much more fun and flavorful things with them.
My version of the Nigella holy grail is Ottolenghi's confit tandoori chickpeas. Leave out the yoghurt sauce; it doesnt need it - it is DELICIOUS, and all you need to do is peel garlic and grind cumin seeds, which gives you an excellent reason to use that mortar and pestle you optimistically bought 2 years ago and never unboxed! It's a win all round
Yes! Half-ass it! Half-ass everything! I used to no-ass everything I couldn't full-ass, but since I started half-assing instead in all aspects of my life, my life has improved so much. Great video!
for a delicious vegan dinner, I love molly baz’s lentil smothered greens on fried bread. i’ve been told by multiple meat eaters that it’s one of their favorite meals! highly recommend trying bc it’s so fast
It is definitely something I am trying, it's just a little tricky because I have pretty sensitive IBS and migraines triggered by a whole lot of random foods. Right now I am mostly focusing on what I can eat and how to prepare it in a healthy manner, while also appealing to my younger kiddos. But as you said, it's better to half ass than do no ass at all.
I am not a vegan (or even vegetarian) but one of the most impressive meals I’ve served to family and friends is the BBC good food Burnt Aubergine Veggie Chilli. I would recommend to anyone who might be a bit scared of soy substitutes as it is just lentils and aubergine. (And no, there’s no weird sponge-y aubergine texture, it’s not even detectable!) loved the suggestions x
It's a good first step! After "half-assing" it, veganising the second and third meal a day becomes very straight-forward. We can use these challenges as stepping-stones on our way to becoming 100percent plant-based. Not contributing to slaughter feels great!
(1) We shouldn’t be cruel to animals, that is, we shouldn’t harm animals unnecessarily. (2) The consumption of animal products harms animals. (3) The consumption of animal products is unnecessary. (4) Therefore, we shouldn’t consume animal products.
Love this! I’ve tried to go vegan a couple of times but have fallen off the band wagon and a lot of the vegans I know in real life are “vegan for the animals” vegans and can’t meet me halfway in the same way as I think “vegan for the planet” vegans seem to be (I totally understand why that would be and no shade to the vegans who are vegan for the animals!). This has made it feel much more of a transitional thing and so much more manageable. I love the points mean prizes option and that definitely aligns with how my brain works. I’m from a “meat and 2 veg” background so finding some vegan options that are comforting in the way my nostalgic favourites are is difficult. Any recommendations for creators who are showing vegan meal inspiration that isn’t super adventurous/experimental would be lovely. ☺️
I absolutely love this! I think I'm mostly already a snack vegan, as I'm allergic to dairy anyway but unfortunately can't avoid eating meat for health reasons. But I just love the idea of different kinds of veganism to make it sustainable and fun! I'm pretty sure my partner is an eat out vegan, he tends to give the vegan food a try if it sounds good!
Love the Nigella Vegan option. Two great cookbooks that are mostly vegan are Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Veg Every Day and Ottolenghi's Flavour (the Traybake Ragu is better than a bolognaise, carnivores come back for more).
I don't understand why veganuary is in january?? That might work elsewhere, but in the north this is the coldest month, no one wants a damn salad in the middle of winter! Yes I know you can make any food vegan, but if you live in the actual north, there's a reason why meat eating historically has been common in the north where there's nothing else during the long harsh winter, and why on the other hand warm places like India have been vegetarian through out most of history. Meat is biothermally a sensible food because of it's caloric density. So who on earth had the brilliant idea to challenge meat eaters to try veganim in JANUARY?? Like bruh, you wanna fail? Personally I'm not for challenges like this anyway since for most people it's not gonna have a long term sustainable effect (and might lead to overcompensation in meat eating after the challenge time ends), but I know for some it can be the best way to try something new. So please, can we start something like "Veggie-June" or "Salad-Summer" or "Naugust"(as in No-Meat-August)? It would make so much more sense and probably be more popular. Especially since the barbeque season is still branded as this meat fest, so to get a vegetarian or vegan barbeque challenge would make a bigger dent than veganuary🙄 ps.From this video I really like the "Eat Out Vegan" because it's A) easy B) great promotion and push for restaurants to provide more vegan options!
A couple of days late but I’ll try n half ass it! Points mean prizes sounds right up my alley. I think breakfast might be the hardest for me actually. I’m a creature of habit in the mornings and though I do have oat milk and plant based butter I have a hard time switching out cheese. I don’t want anything sweet and when it comes to cheese I really use just one kind. And also honey in my tea (sourced from friends). Interesting that breakfast is considered to be the least cultural meal of the day. I feel like there are plenty of very specific and sentimental elements to it. Like I usually have cripsbread (the big round ones you crack into pieces) with butter and sliced cheese (not presliced, those usually taste like plastic) and a bowl of oat porridge with lingonberries. Together they form a very comforting constellation.
Good and funny ideas! I try to eat vegan as often as possible. My struggle is cheese. It's hard to find a tasty alternative for "Frischkäse". If any german viewer knows an alternative I would be thankful.
I was about to be annoyed by this because for whatever reason (as an 8 year vegan) youtube has been throwing anti-vegan content my way... but totally here for doing some change badly is better than doing none at all. And will definitely be looking up that Jonathan Safran Foer book, I LOVED Eating Animals
Oop I cannot be a breakfast vegan if all of the options are pure carbs especially refined, I have hormonal and muscular issues and need fat and protein with every meal. I mean PB adds a lil' sure, Maybe avocado on sourdough, I like that. Tofu scramble. Anything less refined carb heavy? I mean I don't have to be conventional, I can eat soup for brekkie. I used to be Vegan and spent a lot of time in Vegan circles that really harped on ppl that weren't 100%. I don't think I ever fully agreed with that, and eventually I did revert because my fatigue was horrible and I couldn't sustain. My brain is full of all that negative rhetoric againt reducing animal products oppossed to going all in. I really hate that because it's stressful and adds so much pressure, but I always had the goal to reduce over time. I just don't get to feel good about it lol I think and I want people to feel proud of any reduction of anything less than good for themselves, others, or the planet.
Love the bit where she describes "No Swap" veganism because there's a branch that makes a pretty arch around her. Plus Nigella makes a great vegan chili that is for real better than most meat versions. Her tricks - lentils in place of ground beef (some ground beef gets real weird if you cook it for too long, so this is one place where the vegan one shines), a bit of cardamom, a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder. I'd still put cheese on it, but it feels good to ditch the beef
For anyone with access, I highly recommend Silk brank Next Milk. I have tried many plant milks over the years, and the one I like best (unsweetened soy) is the one my body likes least. I tried Next Milk and I swear to you that it is uncannily similar to cow's milk. Caveats: it is not as sweet as cow's milk, and although they say you can use it in cooking/baking, it does not have the same properties as any animal milk, so it will not do in all applications. That said, it's a really easy swap if it's available in your area. For meat subs, I also like the whole line of Gardein products. Even their battered 'fish' is really tasty, which is saying something. And I think that at least part of their line is gluten-free, which can be tough to find.
I biggest problem is that I'm allergic or intolerant to a lot of vegan food. Cereals, wheat, oats, rye? NO. Soy, Yeast, Fermented Food? God NO, sick as a dog. Mushrooms, the meat of vegans? Anaphylactic. I was vegetarian for about a year but never felt great on it. One day it just all came to a head. I suddenly couldn't breathe after eating mushrooms, even though I'd eaten them plenty times before. I think my Grandmother was right - balance in all things, including food. So I eat meat, but not every meal, and about half the portion I used to have.
Im aiming to go veggie/vegan where the meat/cheese/dairy options im not a big fan of. I prefer veg most of the time. Its the lazy cheep cheddar im missing, but thats laziness. If ive hummus/veg/beans that wins over in a wrap if irs prepped. This is partly health.... im focused on plant based versus any meat alternatives - i rarely like them. I already have vegan meals as part of my standard rotation. I default go for vegan/veg when eating out. Im just aiming to switch up the ratio. But I'm not throwing out any food, the parmasan cheese in cupboard will be finished, the mayo will be finished. This isnt a January gig, but just to increase the ratio of vegan and/vegetarian to none meals.
I've made a shareable gallery post of the ideas in this video, should you like to save them for reference or share them around! instagram.com/p/C1kCKNfNVvZ/
‘I’m begging you to half-ass it’ is my favourite anti-perfection sentiment I’ve heard so far
I came here to say that😂😂
I am a vegetarian and 1/3 of my meals are vegan. I am half-assing it the whole year long
There's a lot of power in it. It emphasises that awareness is more important than excellence. We'd rather have a bunch more people at least try than have only those who can be 100% pure vegan.
I am autistic and the way my autism presents, I can't handle most vegetables textures. Therefore I used to have a very meat heavy diet. In October 2022 I started to try vegan alternatives. I first switched to soy yogurt and then started to try at least one meat alternative every month. I just picked what ever was on sale the first week of the month. Pretty quickly I was buying at least one vegan alternative every other week and in July last year I was at one vegan option every week. Halfway through October I found a brand that didn't just not trigger my autsim, but that I actually really enjoy. My diet is now almost completely plant based.
I feel like this could work as a variation of the brand vegan challenge. Try your way through vegan brands. (Unless I missed it and it's already in the video. You offer so many options, I lost track)
Thank you for sharing the 35% reduction recommendation, that is actually very helpful for my perspective. I love the idea of picking one of the 3 daily meals and going vegan for a third of each day, that seems manageable! Sincerely a former low dairy veggie who fell off the low dairy band wagon a bit since having kids and needs a kick up the bum slash some Gumption to get more vegan again in 2024!!😊
So relatable!! You got thiiisss 🎉
"more vegan"
I've been vegan for a few years now and love these suggestions. When friends says 'I'd love to be vegan except I love eating out/cheese/bacon erc' I'm always like, no need to be vegan then, just switch out the stuff you don't love when you're able to🎉
I feel the taste pleasure we get from consuming these products isn't necessarily a justification in of itself to do so though. We should be taking responsibility and hold ourselves and each other accountable.
My bf is a meat-eater, not even close to being vegetarian in any way, but he says that Quorn vegan chicken nuggets taste better than actual chicken nuggets, so PLEASE don't be discouraged if you try one meat alternative/vegan ingredient and you don't like it. Try another one, and another one. There are SO MANY vegan options now (especially here in UK) that I'm sure everyone can find something they will love the taste of. :)
For sure; we (1veggie, 1 not) have 3 meat subs lists - those we like, are indifferent about, and dislike. Must be going on 40 different options!
I agree with the Quorn nuggets, they do taste better! Never went back to the original ones :)
That's funny, I don't love the quorn nuggets, I find the texture a bit boring and there isn't a great flavour to them. Recently tried VFC pieces and really like them. They have a range of textures and a decent amount of flavour, caught me a bit off guard when I first had them because I hadn't eaten meat for two years at that point and it was a bit of a shock remembering the variability of textures in a single piece of meat, seriously the closest substitute I have tried.
A lot of the best ingredients I eat are not trying to be meat and that actually makes life a bit more interesting. A good example is Jackfruit burgers, they have a texture and flavour all of their own, while still be part of a satisfying meal
This was great! Funny you mention Nigella because my absolute favourite vegan cake recipe that I make every year for Christmas to wow the non-vegans at the gathering is called the vegan lemon tendercake with blueberry compote and its by Nigella. I'd highly recommend it to anyone thats bored of the same exact vegan chocolate cakes every year.
I also love the idea of a brand vegan! Great way to show those companies that their vegan option is popular enough to stay and stops some decision fatigue
Um that sounds AMAZING! I will definitely be looking it up
great advice, i 100% agree that half-arsing is so much more effective than an all-or-nothing approach. 35% is a pretty attainable goal for most people.
one thing i do to half-arse my reduction (and has helped me transition into a more plant-based cooking style) is to simply spread my animal products more thinly. i pad out meals with extra plants (eg: a chicken and onion curry vs a chicken, onion, lentil, pumpkin, cauliflower and cashew curry) which not only reduces the amount of meat/dairy per portion, but also means i have to cook less. a win-win!
This is my strategy too. I use meat for the seasoning, not the substance.
Avant Garde Vegan, Pick up Limes, Liv B, Mina Rome & Jess Beautician's videos helped me SO much while I was going vegan 🌱💚 rooting for you all!
gaz oakley, rachel ama, and rainbow plant food are great as well!
Pick up Limes also has an app to help with meal prepping and groceries lists etc :D
rachel AMa fantastic
@@Alenajellybeans
As a vegan that will eat an omelette in dire situations (travelling Japan was notoriously difficult and expensive for vegans for example), I love all of this. One of my favourite things about being vegan is that the people around me realize that it is not that hard to make good vegan meals once in a while and many of them have included more vegan options on their daily diet. We also love discovering new great vegan restaurants around us. :) Any little bit helps, it's not an all or nothing kind of thing
Vegan here too! Always remember its “as far as practicable and possible” when it comes to avoiding animal products, so don’t beat yourself up in dire situations.
I've been doing "eat in vegan" for a few months now, and it happened gradually and a little by accident. Finding vegan recipes is somehow easier than vegetarian recipes, so I ended up following a lot of vegan food blogs and using their recipes. And then when I eat out I'll eat dairy and eggs. Love all the options you gave here, they're great ways to do something without doing everything.
Something I’d recommend too…check out what veggies are currently in season in your area! (Now I admit January is a hard month for this, sometimes there’s only a few options, so feel free to wait until Spring.)
Find a farmers market, check out what is available, and try new things you’ve never cooked with before! Never cooked a leek before? I highly recommend leek potato soup! Spice up your cesar salad with mustard greens and radicchio. Fennel is my favorite! Try sauteeing the bulb like you would an onion (though I prefer eating it raw).
There’s so many veggies not available at most grocery stores that could be growing abundantly where you live.
(Sidenote, I’m not vegan/vegetarian I just get really excited about local agriculture lmao)
Leeks and fennel are amazing, I also highly encourage everyone to check out parsnips (it's like a mashup of a carrot and a potato) and celeriac/celery root! Never would have thought to try celeriac and now it's my favorite root vegetable. I'm also very into lentils. If you have a regular degular lentil sausage soup, swap the sausage for a nice big spoonful of gochujang (or miso, or soy) and boom. All the savory, none of the meat.
I enjoy meat and animal products but 20-35% is achievable, more like introducing more healthy meals rather than taking away something else. I think the challenging part is realising just how much of my food involves eggs, milk, meat and getting in the habit of substituting or leaving out ingredients. But it's not insurmountable.
Oo, love the options, and how about trying a different one each month throughout the year? That could even bring bonus points!
I don't want to be vegan, but I do believe in reducing meat and dairy consumpton, recognising when you're privileged enough to be able to buy from local, ethical and more sustainable sources (and doing so), increasing seasonal veg consumption, and trying new things. So think this gives some great options for exploring vegan food and finding ways of doing better, without pushing people into a diet that might not suit them/ might come with other downsides. This month I shall be an "eat out vegan"!
Love this! I was a strictly eat in vegan for probably 5 years before going fully vegan. We need more people advocating for small steps, as it’s far more realistic for most people
Oat milk is the superior plant alternative milk, almond milk sucks, change my mind!
My favorite are the pea protein milks. Oat is probably my next favorite after that though.
I don’t eat meat that often but unfortunately I unintentionally lost a ton of weight this year & in order to gain it back I was instructed to add some more meat in my diet because it’s denser in calories / protein. Accessibility isn’t perfect for everyone but I’m thankful for everyone who is picking up my slack in this area, I’m doing what I can with what I have! Thank you for your non-judgmental video
My roommate pointed out that signing up for Veganuary is still helpful since apparently they send you information and meal plans and recipes.
For those who want to try cooking more vegan, I recommend "Plant-Based on a Budget" by
Toni Okamoto. Her sweet potato sandwich was life-changing for me.
😊 thanks, sounds amazing x
Just found it on my local library 📚 e-reader woo! Thanks again x
@@SophieMcKenzie-ShawThat’s exactly how I found the book! Happy reading and cooking 😊
As someone who was raised and still lives in Texas where not eating meat is borderline blasphemous, the idea of going full vegan is so overwhelming to me. I really like this perspective of it not having to be all or nothing. My partner and I already have a resolution to make 1/3 of our meal plan vegetarian this year but maybe we'll try and throw in some vegan recipes as well. I would love to eventually be eating a majority plant based diet but for now we are just taking baby steps so we have the best chance of maintaining the lifestyle change
Fellow American here and this was definitely the right way for me and my household to approach going veggie/vegan! I started out a few years back with 1/4 vegetarian and have now worked my way up to ~90% veggie leaning toward vegan and slow and steady has helped so so much with changing all the weird cultural feelings surrounding meat
This is a great approach to making changes in your life. There are some wonderful vegan options to choose from, especially when you look at international cuisines; Thai, Mexican, Indian , Middle Eastern , etc.
I was a strict vegan for 20 years, now my attitude is to do your best and if once and awhile you eat something that isn’t vegan, it isn’t the end of the world.
There are going to be situations where you might not be able to eat a vegan meal, rather than beat yourself up about it, give yourself some grace. Good luck with your success, in any changes you choose to make.
As a vegan of almost 11 years, I love these recommendations! Small fun steps are key. It’s much better to make a small change than no change at all. And when you take gradual steps, you can have more fun with exploring all the vegan options (while not feeling restricted). Once you find the vegan foods that you LOVE, it becomes easy.
I decided to do Veganuary again as I did it last year, however I then completely forgot and had an omelette last night! Soo this video has come and the perfect time and I’m going to change my thinking on Veganuary - I haven’t already failed I’m just going to be ‘points win prizes vegan!’ Thanks Leena ! Amazing as always, happy 2024 xx
Fun video! I went vegan 21 years ago. It's not that hard, good youre showing that also.
Leena, you blow my mind with every vid! I will absolutely, whole heartedly, half ass this veganuary to the best of my ability! Can't wait for the prizes, I have my eye on a particularly cool thermos
Due to the milk protein allergy, I started trying out vegan recepies as those were easiest way to find recepies without dairy. 2,5 years of trying out many vegan recepies, I suddenly realized, that at home, I had not eaten redmeat in 2 months and other meat/fish for 1 month. At that time I was single, which made this possible, as I cooked all of my meals, I made my favourite foods, which were mostly vegan at that point. It was slippery slope to begoming mostly-vegan-at-home, because I had already been without meat for 1 month. Why to go back. Now, I have been 6,5 years mostly-vegan-at-home. My partner fully supports this. He eats often meat at restaurant, but at home my cookings always go. 🤩 I often eat vegan also in restaurants, but not always...
I love this approach to veganism because it's hard! It's a difficult nexus of diet and culture and morals etc etc all while you're just getting through life. I'm vegetarian but have recently had some health problems that have made me want to quit dairy, so I'm excited to try as many of these challenges as possible!!!!
Breakfast Vegan? *looks at the double shot espresso: Nailed it!
Whatever you do, don’t get the laughing cow plant based version. I’ve been dairy free for 15 years and it is one of the worst vegan cheese. I don’t want people to be put off by a bad cheese alternative cause there are some good ones.
Pausing the video to gasp and ask very nicely if you could share the brand of your jacket because it would be *perfect* for Midwest winters and I would love to find one secondhand...👀
ASOS! Its called a ‘2 in 1’ coat if that helps :)
Such a great video as always!
For me the best thing I found to keep me going was to change my mindset, instead of thinking of what I was missing, I thought of what I was gaining. There are so many delicious vegan foods, and recipes that I would never have tried if I’d have stayed veggie. It made me a much better cook, and I eat much more flavourful and healthy food now!
Also just looking at cute reels of pigs running around also helps 😂
love it and I agree. when people say "I could never be vegan because I'm a total foodie", I wish I could show them how many amazing new foods I have found BECAUSE I have to get creative! I can't go to a random American diner and find a reliable variety of vegan stuff when I travel, so I have gotten comfortable ordering at Ethiopian, Thai, Malaysian and Lebanese restaurants.
there is so much to be gained. it's an adventure. kudos for following your convictions
As a veg aiming to move towards vegan I love loved these suggestions!! My vegan meal I'm ADDICTED to is the thai coconut chickpea curry from vegancocotte, I use the thai red curry sauce from trader joes and include any extra veggies I have to use and serve with an air fried garlic naan. Amazing and reheats like a mf
Yes! I love the idea of not being perfect 😉 a recipe tip for the Nigella vegan option is cauliflower buffalo wings. I've made several versions and my brother (who basically eats nothing but meat) said it's one of the best things he ever tasted.
this makes sense if you are looking at it through a climate lens only. However, if you think animals are worthy of moral consideration as suffering beings, I don't see how being vegan is anything other than the moral baseline.
I like that you are offering options to those who cannot commit fully. However two things - you can get help from vegan mentors via the veganuary campaign. They provide advice via email etc. also it is easy to go vegan now. I went vegan in mid 90s and that was a whole different ball game where health food stores where your lifeline. Now you can get specialist vegan items in your local supermarket and virtually every product imaginable.
Agreed. I think people imagine that going vegan is a lot harder than it actually is!
When talking about climate change, it's also important to note the carbon footprint of different foods. Eating meat occasionally, especially those with a low carbon footprint like chicken, might lead to a diet with a lower carbon footprint overall than a vegetarian diet loaded with milk and dairy. For someone who does not want (or can't due to diet restrictions or other health reasons) eat a completely vegan diet, removing beef (and maybe also cow's milk products, but beef alone has a huge impact) from their diet for one month might be a great way to reduce their carbon footprint.
As someone who has been meat free for over a decade, and vegan for almost a decade, all I ever challenge people to is eat less animal products. Veganism doesn’t have to be so extreme as people have made it. I’m not even necessarily against eating meat, just against factory farming.
It is about the use of animals, not just factory farming. "Vegan" can be quite the umbrella for a variety of ideas, so, outside of that, I see where you are coming from
Been a vegan for seven years now and as a formerly trashy American kid who loved beef jerky I feel pretty confident in recommending vegan jerky, the snack fixation is still there, it just matured with me 👍
I also recommend to not eat meat replacements if you can and choose Whole Foods as much as possible. There are many recipes available online. I like the ones from rainbow plant life.
I am plant based for 2 or 3 years now aside from occasional honey for medicinal purposes and indulging in a non-vegan baked good about 2-3 times a year.
Nearly everyone I know who has "goes vegan" completely and suddenly gets really passionate about it and doesn't maintain it. Nearly every plant-based person I know that has kept it up for years started with incremental changes.
Of course, you don't need to end up completely or nearly plant based, but if you are inclined to head that way, these changes seem a good place to start or end if that is where you want to stop. If you don't like those ideas, eating meat only once a day or meatless Mondays or something else can be a good starting point.
This is such a brilliant list of options! I struggle with full veganism due to health reasons so this is wonderful for me to increase my plant based options while still ensuring I don't have a flare up. Thank you!!!!!
I do like veganuary though. The shops and restaurants make veganism usually more accessible at this time and it makes me try new vegan recipes that I can put into my regular rotation. I honestly just wish that accessibility was all year round.
January is 1/12 months which is 8.3% of your year. Is that really a big ask??
These suggestions are good long term solutions to help people move towards more plants for the rest of their lives. However in this case, they do make an already small ask even smaller.
I will say that people are probably more likely to stick to smaller changes (like vegan breakfast) long term. But I don't know, just a hypothesis.
I recommend The Modern Tagine Cookbook: delicious recipes for Moroccan one pot meals by Ghillie Basan. It's not a Vegan cookbook but it has loads of Vegan recipes and vegetarian recipes that become Vegan with an easy swap, like vegan butter or vegan yogurt. It encourages you to put different fruits, nuts, vegetables and pulses together in ways that you might not have thought of if you aren't from the region. It's all very tasty and easy which is what you need if you aren't used to vegan cooking. Who wants to waste a whole evening on something which turns out to be bland?!
As someone who has been a vegetarian since the late 80’s/very early 90’s, it is now so easy to replace items in your diet for non meat based ones that it almost seem incomprehensible that some will find it too difficult to at least reduce their intake of meat and some meat based products. Back when I removed meat from my diet (I’ve never had a great amount of dairy in it,only a little cheese and eggs), cheese wasn’t vegetarian (now we have some really decent vegan ones readily available), McVities digestives and rich tea weren’t vegetarian (they had animal fat in them and own brands weren’t quite as abundant or appealing as they are now) and there weren’t as many meat replacements as there are now (the dried soya that smells a bit like dried dog food was the only thing you could easily find…which for many years hasn’t been particularly easy to get a hold of), as you really had to go to health food shops to find a proper selection of vegetarian and vegan foods such as sausages, hotdogs and not much else if I’m being honest. I remember the first item I ever saw that was made from Quorn was a family size pie that was Tesco own brand and it became available in ‘93/‘94 around the same time as Linda McCartney brought out her Country Pies (which used to be even better than they they are now and fooled my Granda) but even then it’d be a good while before there was an improvement in both variety and availability.
It really is so easy now to even partially switch things out, like OXO cubes (both meatless beef and chicken versions are great). Change some of your milk for oat, perfect for anything you put milk into like tea, coffee, cereal, porridge, making a white sauce…or if you don’t fancy using it in a white sauce, you can do half milk (of which ever type you prefer) and half vegetable stock, if becomes more flavourful and can feel a little lighter to consume. Find a vegetarian sausage you really like, there are plenty to choose from (though I think most meat eaters might prefer the Richmond varieties) and if you’re having a fry-up or bangers and mash, do half and half. The same can be done with anything made from mince, switch out half the meat for either a vegetarian mince (though many of the frozen vegetarian minces are practically indistinguishable from beef mince once in a bolognaise, lasagne or cottage pie) or for dark coloured lentils. If you’re topping something with cheese that’s to be melted, do half and half of vegan and dairy.
If you do these partial switches for either one meal a day or the equivalent amount of maybe two full days of meals for a couple of days a week, that’d make a massive impact. It’s all about baby steps, in the hope that it’ll make people discover that vegetarian and vegan aren’t actually that scary and that people can still have most of what they love but with little changes that don’t actually make a massive impact on what they are used to.
I USED TO EAT MY WEETABIX WITH ORANGE JUICE TOO!
I LOVE THIS! I really appreciate your effort to make veganism more accessible. My partner has gotten me into the idea of anything worth doing is worth doing even terribly and that has been a game changer for my perfectionist brain! I adore this approach of non-dogmatic climate action!
I will die on a hill defending putting oj on cereal
bob's your uncle, she's at it again
if anyone is looking for even more options way of reducing animal products has been: everything I buy needs to be either organic (meat only when I cook for other people or on end-of-day sale) or vegan. This helps the environment even where I dont like the vegan options or havent found one yet, and the higher price of organic makes me more concious of how badly I really want the animal product. For eating out, my rule is: only read the vegan option first. If I wont enjoy it, I look at the vegetarian ones. If I wont enjoy these too I look at regular ones and see if I can find sth I can order without the meat.
I am autistic and the way my autism presents, I can't handle most vegetables textures. Therefore I used to have a very meat heavy diet. In October 2022 I started to try vegan alternatives. I first switched to soy yogurt and then started to try at least one meat alternative every month. I just picked what ever was on sale the first week of the month. Pretty quickly I was buying at least one vegan alternative every other week and in July last year I was at one vegan option every week. Halfway through October I found a brand that didn't just not trigger my autsim, but that I actually really enjoy. My diet is now almost completely plant based.
I feel like this could work as a variation of the brand vegan challenge. Try your way through vegan brands. (Unless I missed it and it's already in the video. You offer so many options, I lost track)
I highly suspect I am ND and I am an fussy eater (lots of things I won't eat bc texture. Mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes and nuts are my biggest issues.) Which is why I've never gone down the vegan/veggie route because it's so overwhelming to change my diet. I like leena's suggestions.
I'm going to *try* a few things here and there, if it's on sale, or maybe I'll try something when I go out for dinner.
Can't believe it but apparently I've been a breakfast vegan for a really long time! Just because I eat the same breakfast every day and it happens to be entirely plant based! *mind blown*
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I have to half ass this because vegan premade food is rarely gluten free and I have to prioritise my dietary necessity. However, I _can_ basically just eat poultry and make a lot of the basic swaps you've suggested do still work - I can swap out the cheese, almost all the food I can make myself is vegan (I'm too disabled to make a lot, which is why I have to rely on the premade stuff) and a lot of the meals my husband makes are also vegan after a lot of little swaps over the years (and a bonus beef allergy necessitating invention). More vegan food needs to stop relying on wheat flour as a thickener!
I’m an accidental vegan a lot of the time as I’m lactose intolerant and live with my sister who is a vegetarian. We never have meat in the house (apart from at Christmas) but I do sometimes choose a meat option at a restaurant or take-away.
I really struggle if I tell myself I’m not allowed to eat certain things so half-arsing or being flexible has worked really well for me. Fully support this and would highly recommend- so many accidentally vegan products in the shops now as well!
I have been a vegan for five years but am not a perfectionist. I have made loads of mistakes since becoming vegan. I have bought secondhand leather shoes and a belt, used non vegan creams, eaten foods containing eggs and dairy without knowing it. We need a plant based food system so rather than moping over my mistakes, I volunteer and campaign for plant based universities and councils, helping students at Warwick University to win a campaign for 50% plant based options in campus outlets by Autumn 2024 and 100% by 2027. I want to do the same at Coventry University and one of my other new year's resolutions is to get a straight answer from Coventry City Council to my enquiry surrounding the food strategy (I am a Coventry Student and Resident, which is an advantage).
You make living sustainably so much less scary (and in turn make facing the climate crisis less "we're all going to die!" and more "we're going to change ... but, like, in a fun way!") Thank you for your content. You improve both my day AND my outlook.
You are actually hilarious. So witty i love it.
I've been vegan over a year now and found it super easy, in UK shops theres always an alternative meat to eat (dont forget to check the freezer sections). Some people think vegan = salad but this isn't the case I'm defo a junk food vegan! lol
I love that idea, and I've been always preaching that to my friends who told me that they couldn't do it!
I've been vegan for quite some time (during my uni times, for about 3 years) and at some point I've realized that it's super hard for me to keep it up. When visiting friends/family, I could see that it was really problematic to accommodate my needs (which I'd never force them to, ofc!), and bringing my own dish (potluck style) wasn't always possible. I'm a foodie and, especially with my friends, we celebrate foods a lot. Going back to being a sloppy vegan/vegetarian was a game changer. At home, I eat mostly vegan (but if some product contains that infamous 0.5% milk powder, I'll still get it); when eating out, I'll always get the vegan option. But when the choice isn't mine, as when I'm visiting someone, or they just want to share their new recipe - as long as it's vegetarian, I'm game.
Is it perfect? Prolly not. Could I be doing more? Prolly yup. Is it the best I can do for now? YES. And I think that's exactly the point.
Around 1.1% of the population is fully vegan; that means if the other 98.9% just swapped 10% of their diets towards veganism, they'd have almost 10 times bigger impact.
WHYis it a thing to do this in january? There is no fresh produce, all "fresh" veggies taste weird, and in the cold we need more calories to survive... Said as a vegan.
Fruits and vegetables are shipped around the globe most months of the year anyway. So good for the environment...
I think it’s because it’s already a “standard” time when people give things up/try new habits at the start of a new year and after the excesses of the holidays. Same idea as Dry January.
The easiest way I've found is to try choosing plant-based ingredients that change practically nothing about the meals you are eating. For example if you are making a recipe that calls for eggs as a binding ingredient you can almost always sub for a flax egg and it won't change the recipe at all. Or try keeping only plant-based milk in the fridge and then anytime a recipe calls for milk you just use that milk. Before I was plant based I used to make regular animal-based boxed mac n cheese a lot but I'd use almond milk instead of cow milk and vegan butter and it tasted exactly the same. Another example is beef crumbles, vegan crumbles pretty reliably mimic the taste and texture of real beef and can be subbed in things like spaghetti or tacos without most meat eaters even noticing the difference.
I was vegan for 12 years and I turned vegetarian a couple of months ago but after going through the holidays and having my body weight in cheese and eggs I can't wait to have many more vegan meals again. Thank you for this video!
I'm 95% plant-based. I do still eat dairy occasionally and don't expect that to change. I didn't even expect to end up this way - during the pandemic lock-downs, we were all stuck at home so I decided to introduce more plant-based meals into my diet and I started watching Derek Sarno, Rainbow Plant Life, etc. on YT. I thought I'd eat plant-based meals maybe 2 or 3 times a week. But over the next three years I just started cooking more and more plant-based because I enjoyed the challenge of learning a new way to cook, the food was really tasty and felt it aligned more with my values. But I never started with the intention of going vegan and, if I had, I probably wouldn't have followed thru because it would have been more of a 'should' rather than just following the process...
I really recommend hummus on toast for breakfast ❤
Also, any suggestions for an alternative to quorn please, tried it a few times and it gave me an allergic reaction. Thanks x
Dehydrated soy chunks! They come in different sizes so you can even find ones that are useable for A bolognese but also ones you can use as a substitute for meat in a stew! :D (Also i found the chunks in an indian and in an asian store before in case your supermarket doesnt have em yet! Or try looking online ^^ ) for pulled pork try unripe canned jackfruit very easy yummy swap!
crop EVERYTHING looks great on you! i would love to see you "crop" YOUR self made sweater......
Loved this! Not a vegan but try to make vegan meals and generally eat less meat. Some great suggestions 😉
I’m a eat-in vegeterian. When I eat out, it’s complicated. At restaurants, I choose the vegan or vegetarian option if it’s good (some places have really sh*tty options tbh). My MIL always make a veggie/vegan meal when we visit, but my mom doesn’t care 😅 So I’m vegetarian at home and whatever outside.
I’d like to add that I don’t want to buy meat. It’s my priority. But, if I go somewhere where there is meat on my plate, I feel like it would be worse to not eat it. It’s already there. But I will admit that it is becoming more and more difficult to eat meat. It doesn’t taste good like before.
I love these! I consider myself vegan-ish. I'm vegetarian for ethical reasons, veganish for environmental ones. My favorite veganish activity is to find the accidentally vegan options and introduce those to my meat-eating friends and family. If someone isn't expecting meat/dairy/eggs in a dish, they don't notice that it's "missing" and are surprised to find out that they do, in fact, like vegan foods. You don't have to suffer through gross vegan cheeses (or other vegan alternatives) to eat a primarily vegan diet!
Also check out Mark Bittman's Vegan before 6. He talks about your breakfast vegan idea and how someone who never intends to ever be fully vegetarian or vegan can reduce their meat/dairy/egg consumption by limiting those products to only dinner, when you can do much more fun and flavorful things with them.
My version of the Nigella holy grail is Ottolenghi's confit tandoori chickpeas. Leave out the yoghurt sauce; it doesnt need it - it is DELICIOUS, and all you need to do is peel garlic and grind cumin seeds, which gives you an excellent reason to use that mortar and pestle you optimistically bought 2 years ago and never unboxed! It's a win all round
Yes! Half-ass it! Half-ass everything! I used to no-ass everything I couldn't full-ass, but since I started half-assing instead in all aspects of my life, my life has improved so much. Great video!
for a delicious vegan dinner, I love molly baz’s lentil smothered greens on fried bread. i’ve been told by multiple meat eaters that it’s one of their favorite meals! highly recommend trying bc it’s so fast
Good ideas, I hit the 10-year mark for being vegan on the 1st. Immensely proud of myself.
It is definitely something I am trying, it's just a little tricky because I have pretty sensitive IBS and migraines triggered by a whole lot of random foods. Right now I am mostly focusing on what I can eat and how to prepare it in a healthy manner, while also appealing to my younger kiddos. But as you said, it's better to half ass than do no ass at all.
Leena Norms would make a good Ash Ketchum voice actress
As someone who isn't vegan but eats three meals vegan a week, my fave vegan meal is a tofu/daikon/gochuchang stew I stole from Bon Appetit!
Go more plant based, yes. But I wish people stopped calling things vegan unless they are committed to the political ideology - it’s not a diet.
Noqapas chay yuyani. I think that, too.
I am not a vegan (or even vegetarian) but one of the most impressive meals I’ve served to family and friends is the BBC good food Burnt Aubergine Veggie Chilli. I would recommend to anyone who might be a bit scared of soy substitutes as it is just lentils and aubergine. (And no, there’s no weird sponge-y aubergine texture, it’s not even detectable!) loved the suggestions x
Been plant base for over ten years, I am sitting this one out, best of luck to you all, Happy New Year!
Just a note that if Nadiya is your chef of choice, she makes a lot of vegan meals by default. ❤
I LOVE THIS
Great idea, I try to convince people to do Something for Veganuary because all of us can do something.
It's a good first step! After "half-assing" it, veganising the second and third meal a day becomes very straight-forward. We can use these challenges as stepping-stones on our way to becoming 100percent plant-based. Not contributing to slaughter feels great!
(1) We shouldn’t be cruel to animals, that is, we shouldn’t harm animals unnecessarily. (2) The consumption of animal products harms animals. (3) The consumption of animal products is unnecessary. (4) Therefore, we shouldn’t consume animal products.
Love this! I’ve tried to go vegan a couple of times but have fallen off the band wagon and a lot of the vegans I know in real life are “vegan for the animals” vegans and can’t meet me halfway in the same way as I think “vegan for the planet” vegans seem to be (I totally understand why that would be and no shade to the vegans who are vegan for the animals!).
This has made it feel much more of a transitional thing and so much more manageable. I love the points mean prizes option and that definitely aligns with how my brain works. I’m from a “meat and 2 veg” background so finding some vegan options that are comforting in the way my nostalgic favourites are is difficult. Any recommendations for creators who are showing vegan meal inspiration that isn’t super adventurous/experimental would be lovely. ☺️
I absolutely love this! I think I'm mostly already a snack vegan, as I'm allergic to dairy anyway but unfortunately can't avoid eating meat for health reasons. But I just love the idea of different kinds of veganism to make it sustainable and fun! I'm pretty sure my partner is an eat out vegan, he tends to give the vegan food a try if it sounds good!
Love the Nigella Vegan option. Two great cookbooks that are mostly vegan are Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Veg Every Day and Ottolenghi's Flavour (the Traybake Ragu is better than a bolognaise, carnivores come back for more).
Thanks. It helped me watch Joey Carbstrong, Earthling Ed and Gary Yourofsky's speech to understand veganism.
🥕🥕Happy veganuary everyone 🍄🍄
And to you as well. Noqapas! Allin musoq wata
I don't understand why veganuary is in january?? That might work elsewhere, but in the north this is the coldest month, no one wants a damn salad in the middle of winter! Yes I know you can make any food vegan, but if you live in the actual north, there's a reason why meat eating historically has been common in the north where there's nothing else during the long harsh winter, and why on the other hand warm places like India have been vegetarian through out most of history. Meat is biothermally a sensible food because of it's caloric density. So who on earth had the brilliant idea to challenge meat eaters to try veganim in JANUARY?? Like bruh, you wanna fail?
Personally I'm not for challenges like this anyway since for most people it's not gonna have a long term sustainable effect (and might lead to overcompensation in meat eating after the challenge time ends), but I know for some it can be the best way to try something new. So please, can we start something like "Veggie-June" or "Salad-Summer" or "Naugust"(as in No-Meat-August)? It would make so much more sense and probably be more popular. Especially since the barbeque season is still branded as this meat fest, so to get a vegetarian or vegan barbeque challenge would make a bigger dent than veganuary🙄
ps.From this video I really like the "Eat Out Vegan" because it's A) easy B) great promotion and push for restaurants to provide more vegan options!
A couple of days late but I’ll try n half ass it! Points mean prizes sounds right up my alley. I think breakfast might be the hardest for me actually. I’m a creature of habit in the mornings and though I do have oat milk and plant based butter I have a hard time switching out cheese. I don’t want anything sweet and when it comes to cheese I really use just one kind. And also honey in my tea (sourced from friends). Interesting that breakfast is considered to be the least cultural meal of the day. I feel like there are plenty of very specific and sentimental elements to it. Like I usually have cripsbread (the big round ones you crack into pieces) with butter and sliced cheese (not presliced, those usually taste like plastic) and a bowl of oat porridge with lingonberries. Together they form a very comforting constellation.
Good and funny ideas! I try to eat vegan as often as possible. My struggle is cheese. It's hard to find a tasty alternative for "Frischkäse". If any german viewer knows an alternative I would be thankful.
This is my main struggle as well...
This is so fun! I've been eating vegetarian for years and making some swaps (plant-milk, mayo), but these are fun ideas year round!!
less EMOTIONAL attachments to breakfast? what? this cant be the popular opinion? breakfast is for comfort
I was about to be annoyed by this because for whatever reason (as an 8 year vegan) youtube has been throwing anti-vegan content my way... but totally here for doing some change badly is better than doing none at all. And will definitely be looking up that Jonathan Safran Foer book, I LOVED Eating Animals
Oop I cannot be a breakfast vegan if all of the options are pure carbs especially refined, I have hormonal and muscular issues and need fat and protein with every meal. I mean PB adds a lil' sure, Maybe avocado on sourdough, I like that. Tofu scramble. Anything less refined carb heavy? I mean I don't have to be conventional, I can eat soup for brekkie.
I used to be Vegan and spent a lot of time in Vegan circles that really harped on ppl that weren't 100%. I don't think I ever fully agreed with that, and eventually I did revert because my fatigue was horrible and I couldn't sustain. My brain is full of all that negative rhetoric againt reducing animal products oppossed to going all in. I really hate that because it's stressful and adds so much pressure, but I always had the goal to reduce over time. I just don't get to feel good about it lol I think and I want people to feel proud of any reduction of anything less than good for themselves, others, or the planet.
One of my favourite vegan dishes is salt and pepper chips with tofu instead of chicken.
Love the bit where she describes "No Swap" veganism because there's a branch that makes a pretty arch around her. Plus Nigella makes a great vegan chili that is for real better than most meat versions. Her tricks - lentils in place of ground beef (some ground beef gets real weird if you cook it for too long, so this is one place where the vegan one shines), a bit of cardamom, a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder. I'd still put cheese on it, but it feels good to ditch the beef
For anyone with access, I highly recommend Silk brank Next Milk. I have tried many plant milks over the years, and the one I like best (unsweetened soy) is the one my body likes least. I tried Next Milk and I swear to you that it is uncannily similar to cow's milk. Caveats: it is not as sweet as cow's milk, and although they say you can use it in cooking/baking, it does not have the same properties as any animal milk, so it will not do in all applications. That said, it's a really easy swap if it's available in your area.
For meat subs, I also like the whole line of Gardein products. Even their battered 'fish' is really tasty, which is saying something. And I think that at least part of their line is gluten-free, which can be tough to find.
I biggest problem is that I'm allergic or intolerant to a lot of vegan food.
Cereals, wheat, oats, rye? NO. Soy, Yeast, Fermented Food? God NO, sick as a dog. Mushrooms, the meat of vegans? Anaphylactic.
I was vegetarian for about a year but never felt great on it. One day it just all came to a head. I suddenly couldn't breathe after eating mushrooms, even though I'd eaten them plenty times before. I think my Grandmother was right - balance in all things, including food. So I eat meat, but not every meal, and about half the portion I used to have.
❤️🌱
Im aiming to go veggie/vegan where the meat/cheese/dairy options im not a big fan of. I prefer veg most of the time. Its the lazy cheep cheddar im missing, but thats laziness. If ive hummus/veg/beans that wins over in a wrap if irs prepped.
This is partly health.... im focused on plant based versus any meat alternatives - i rarely like them.
I already have vegan meals as part of my standard rotation. I default go for vegan/veg when eating out. Im just aiming to switch up the ratio.
But I'm not throwing out any food, the parmasan cheese in cupboard will be finished, the mayo will be finished. This isnt a January gig, but just to increase the ratio of vegan and/vegetarian to none meals.
It's true y'all! The vegan mayo is INDISTINGUISHABLE. 🙌