'Accidentally Vegan'

Heyo!

I am so sorry it's been a while since my last post, I have been so busy moving house and getting bogged down with budgeting and finance and sorting out stuff for my final year of university!

In case you haven't heard me say it, or have to explain myself to every person that I've ever met, I'm a vegan. Yep, that's right, I'm one of them. I'm not really offended when people call me fussy, because I know they probably live a life where they happily consume loads of products I choose not to. A key example of this would be when I went to visit my auntie a few days ago, and whilst planning when I could visit she realised that I couldn't eat what she ate (even though she's veggie) and we spent a while planning what to get and what I needed to bring. I'm very aware that loads of people probably freak out when a vegan or some with an egg/dairy intolerance comes over to visit or stay because trying to feed them can be tricky. That's where I'm going to interject, and, as you can tell by the title, I am going to share with you all some great things I have found in the last sixteen months in order to help you cater for us 'awkward' ones, or for fellow vegans/intolerant folk to eat among others, often without having to label it differently or buy us 'special' things!

This post is based on some of the things I was easily able to find on the shelves of my local Tesco. I know these products may not be available in other stores, or in local areas, but I like to think the majority of stores will do something similar which you may be able to eat! I find Tesco to be the best supermarket for finding sneaky things that are vegan and/or dairy/egg free, and just because their version of a popular food is vegan, please don't think they all are. I was caught out by Lidl changing their bourbon biscuit recipe in June and I was so sad I almost cried as biscuits are so important to me!

If these turn out to be helpful then sound off in the comments or let me know via social media (or even face-to-face, no need to be shy!) and maybe I can do a set of these and go through lots of shops and their own products, as well as the bigger-known branded products we all love

(I'm looking at you Alpro, you vegan geniuses!)

*Disclaimer: not sponsored, accurate as of June 2017*

Chilled foods

The majority of the dairy-free section in the supermarkets will be vegan so check the labels, these are the main ones I found to be good:

Alpro products - all soya/plant/nut milks, their yogurts, protein yogurts, chilled puddings, cream

Rebel Kitchen range - the 'mylks', cold coffees etc. seemed fine, but check the labels in case they change any of the ingredients

Vegan spreads - Flora dairy-free, Vitalite etc. these all seemed to be vegan and located with the normal spreads too, making them easy to find!

Tesco own - selection of vegan cheeses, a cheese spread (like Philadelphia), yogurts, soya/plant/nut milks (cheaper than Alpro often too!), puddings such as creme caramels and chocolate puddings!

Different stores have different products, so look around local ones and online if you're really eager!

Vegan cheese is a bit hit and miss, but the Violife range is probably your best bet, and they even do vegan halloumi and parmesan now - what a time to be alive! 

For everyone watching Wimbledon, you can have cream with your strawberries, rejoice! 

At the top you can see vegan puddings - give these a go they are very good and aren't too expensive either!

Most of the Jus-Rol range (frozen and chilled) is actually vegan, my favourites are the croissants!

Most own-brand ones (like the Tesco pasty) are also vegan, check the label just in case!

This is an obvious one, but is a staple for the majority of vegans! There are now many variations too

Falafels in general, but all of the Cauldron ones (as of June) are vegan and brilliant

Tofu, another obvious one, but cauldron do pre-marinated ones, perfect for stir frys!

 Food Cupboard

It's always worth stocking up food cupboards with stuff you know you or vegan-pals can have, and more often than not the food is not that different to what you'd have, you might even already have it in! Here are some basic examples of some vegan thing you can keep for ages in case someone pops over unexpectedly

Bisto is actually vegan, and makes a Sunday roast that bit easier!

These three are for sure vegan, I do not think the others are, Tesco do not stock a vegan gravy of their own

Most fajita kits (Smoky BBQ at least) are vegan, but if buying others check the label!

Most vegetable soups are vegan, Heinz only do two vegan soups (honey is never in bold, so check again!)

Tesco own-brand vegetable soups are often vegan too

This is my favourite soup at the moment, but there might be other Baxters soups too!

If you're a lazy student like me, things like this can be stashed away for when the loan doesn't arrive!

Buying long-life soya milk has become normal for me, as I find these are less likely to curdle in my tea and coffee, and also when they are cheaper I stock up and save them, meaning that I can have spares so if I run out at 2am mid-essay I can just grab more from my cupboard! They are often cheaper, and their life-span is far longer than the fresher ones without compromising the taste!

Cereals 

Tesco offer a few cereals that are vegan, both branded and own-brand versions (honey, beware honey!)

All of these variations of Weetabix minis are vegan, so are Weetabix (normal and golden syrup) and Tesco's version

Other cereals include:

Tesco choco-nut pillows (vegan)

Tesco's range of porridge oat sachets (without honey, these all seemed to be vegan)

 Cranberry and almond granola, and many more!

 There are so many cereals that are sneakily vegan too, like Curiously Cinnamon and also Cookie Crisp, so please don't be afraid to check!

Spreads

I love having toast, toasties and sweet dips to go with fruit and biscuits depending on how healthy or unhealthy I'm feeling (if you know me, biscuits and chocolate spreads are the one!)  Finding some good spreads and jams was going to be a big deal to me, so I did research before going vegan and to my knowledge all of these are still incredible! (I say my knowledge, the fact I eat them maybe a tad too regularly might be another reason...)

Both the crunchy and the smooth are incredible, and the biscuits and the spread are all vegan!!

The majority of all nut butters are egg and dairy free but check the label

I never thought this was, but it really is!

99% of jams on the shelves are totally vegan too!

If you haven't already had this, go and get some!! It's a less sweet, more nutty nutella and it's way better for you!
(well, as 'good' as chocolate hazelnut spread can be! - works great in baking too!)

Lunchy/Brunchy foods

Crumpets are a staple - check labels as brand may differ but own-brand and Warburtons are good!
(avoid buttermilk ones - these are not vegan!)

Fruit loaf  is amazing - check labels but Tesco had loads of brands that were good!

Tea cakes were a childhood favourite for me, and these are amazing

All the New York Bakery Co. bagels are marked very well as to whether or not they are vegan, very refreshing!

Easy Baking

If you're not into doing your own home baking, then you will be thrilled to know you can still buy packet mixes that you can have! They usually require you to use a vegan butter alternative, and some oil/flax-seed/egg replacer for the egg and a bit of water. They're really simple and come out great every time, here was what I could find in the way of easy baking in my local Tesco, but specialist shops have so many options!

(Note: I found egg replacer in the free from aisle for about £2 with their separate baking section!)

I included chocolate cake because it's my favourite, but they do a Victoria sponge mix, and a brownie mix too that at the time were totally vegan! (most are, just add vegan alternatives to the egg and butter or milk and you will be fine!)

I made one of these and it was incredible!

The Betty Crocker range is, for the most part, vegan friendly! This includes some of their mixes, and their frostings, which uses soya lecithin instead of milk or milk powder. I know this because my old housemate Trey discovered it and told me, and we added the vanilla frosting to my brownies!

(We also just ate some from the tub - no judgement please)

Check the labels as the company are known for updating recipes, but they should be fine!

Alcohol

This is a tricky one, because a lot of companies actually filter the alcohol in ways which make it not vegan, and often not even vegetarian! Check the labels and look online at the FAQ's as this is often where someone has already asked and they provide a long and detailed answer

Wine - most wine should tell you if it is vegan friendly, but check because I recently found that Echo Falls actually contains milk which confused me because why add milk to wine? I don't drink wine so I cannot recommend much, but check labels and if you find a vegan one you like - stick to it!

Cider - I love cider, and constantly check the labels, but unless they say how it is filtered it is very tricky to determine what is vegan and what is not. I often just go for Old Mout, as I know that I can have it and it comes in a variety of flavours! Koppaberg is not vegan due to the filtration process, neither is much beer! Be very cautious around ciders and wines!

Spirits - as a general rule of thumb, spirits SHOULD be okay, but if in doubt check online or ask!

Snacks/Junk-food/Good-food

Crisps are usually okay, obviously do not go for any cheese, sour cream, or other dairy-sounding flavours as these will all contain milk powder! Here are some of my favourite picks!

Pringles are very well-labelled, with the one tick for vegetarian, and the second for vegan!
Surprisingly, meat-flavoured ones are often okay? So strange!

 Frozen foods

When it comes to veggie and vegan food, the majority of people frantically head to the frozen section, and rightfully so! With brands such as Quorn, Linda McCartney and Cauldron all offering frozen goods at reasonable prices (even better when on sale!) it's obvious why my mum grabs me a few bits when I come back - they keep for ages and taste great! Tesco and other supermarkets do their own brand of meat-free and free-from foods, Sainsbusys and Tesco in particular do very good ranges, with a lot being vegan too! The only thing to check is the ingredients, as a lot of things in Tesco were vegan, but had not been labelled that way! (This is probably because of the factory issue and risk of cross-contamination, but products contain no dairy or egg more often that not!)

Quorn - The vegetarian giants have released their own vegan range which can be found in all good supermarkets and many online services such as Ocado. The range spans across most of the already well-known veggie range, but does not yet have a mince substitute. The vegan products are marked 'Vegan' with a huge green background, so are hard to miss!

Linda McCartney - This brand know how to make their products known. They are clearly marked if they are vegan or not on the front of the boxes, making it even easier to find those rosemary and sage sausages you've been wanting for a roast! Like Quorn, not all of their range is vegan, but the vegan products can be easily spotted (sausage, country pies and sausage plaits etc.)

Cauldron - I only used to get their falafels and sausages, and when I transitioned to veganism I didn't think I'd have them again. Oh boy was I wrong! They have been developing a frozen vegan range, clearly labelled and often located with the often veggie and vegan ranges available

Own Brand - Supermarkets do amazing own-brand products, Tesco have the widest selection, from sausage rolls and mince to vegan ice cream cones like Cornettos (these are the only ones I have found and are AMAZING!) It is worth reading the ingredients, and usually anything that isn't vegan or could be an allergen is in bold, making it easy to check! ALWAYS READ THE LABEL FOR CHANGES TO RECIPES - supermarkets like to change recipes and suddenly there's egg again!

These have changed my LIFE!

Alpro's new vegan range of ice cream is amazing - I have tried them all now and the hazelnut chocolate is my favourite by far (I just love hazelnuts, and it was creamy and now overpowering like others I've sampled!)

Most fruit ice lollies are vegan, and so are the freeze pops - enjoy the summer!

Biscuits and Cereal Bars

Many biscuits are not vegan, here is a sneaky peek as to my favourites that i could find on the day, but always check the labels, like I said before, bourbons betrayed me in Lidl and it broke my heart

Oreos - all of the Oreos sold in Tesco except the peanut butter ones are vegan, and I assume it is the same everywhere, but triple check the labels (they say they might contain milk due to factories, but if you don't have a milk allergy then yes, they are technically vegan!)

Nakd bars - these are all vegan, all their products are and they are so amazing!

Biscuits - most own-brand ones seem to be fine, I have found that the majority of ginger nuts/snaps, bourbons, rich teas, digestives and oaties (hobnobs) are fine, but it depends on the store, what I've shown here is what Tesco had at the time

Free From aisle - check out the aisle, it is all very well labelled, they do cookies that are vegan, chocolate bars, puddings and other delightful products! it all depends on the stores so check labels

 

These are the only vegan ones I could find in the range, but they do actually taste like Jaffa cakes!

I haven't included everything, because I didn't feel the need to explain that fruit and veg was vegan, or some of the very obvious options. If you want a fully comprehensive list then there are some great sites that already do that, such as these! So if you think I missed anything, or think there's not enough here, check these out:

https://realfood.tesco.com/media/docs/Ingredients-Suitable-for-Vegan-List-March-2017-f2b478da-5089-41d3-9321-1e155b9a66be-0.pdf

 http://www.veganwomble.co.uk/wordpress/

(This one is very good, I am constantly using it to find things I want to try!)

I know this is a very long post, so if you didn't read it all but you are interested come back again or bookmark it! If you think I should do more, like I said let me know!

Thanks for reading,

B x