At the start of 2021, both Mel and I decided to embark on the challenge of ‘Veganary’ and now that the month is over, we wanted to share our thoughts, recipes and the lessons that we will be taking with us into the future.
Both Mel and I have been conscious about making sustainable choices in our diets for the last five years, and almost always opt for plant-based dishes. Making the switch to veganism certainly felt quite daunting, but this year, with more time on our hands to dedicate to cooking, we decided to make the jump.
Facts that helped persuade us make the journey:
Worldwide, around 38% of habitable land is used for industrial animal agriculture, this is equivalent to the size of the United States, Russia, China and India combined.
Currently 16% of freshwater is used for animal agriculture every single year, this is enough water for everyone in the state of New York for FIVE YEARS14% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from industrial animal agriculture.
And YET, according to researchers, if just 10% of the population switched to a plant-based diet it could save 176 million tonnes of CO2 every single year.
Therefore, switching to a plant based diet is the single biggest thing you can do to reduce your environmental impact.
Here’s is what a day in the life in ‘Veganuary’ looks like for us both…
~ PIPPA’s Recipes ~
Breakfast:
Sourdough toast with marmalade / jam. Cup of boiling water with lemon juice and glass of grapefruit juice
11AM:
Coffee with oat milk made frothy in the milk frother machine (best purchase ever)
Lunch:
Homemade soup, current favourite – butternut squash and lime.
Recipe: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/roastedbutternutsqua_82587
Just replace the milk and butter with dairy free alternatives. Served with a piece of toast with plant-based butter.
Dinner:
Green thai curry served with rice
This was the recipe I used: https://www.lazycatkitchen.com/vegan-thai-green-curry/
~ MEL’s Recipes ~
Morning:
Sourdough toast with vegan butter and apricot jam, sometimes with vegan cheese. Or, honey nut cornflakes with oat milk.
11am coffee and homemade vegan flapjacks…
Flapjack recipe:
- 350g rolled oats
- 300g dairy free butter
- 300g light soft brown sugar
- 3 tbsp honey or golden syrup
- 75g chopped nuts
- 75 dried fruits
Lunch:
Mum’s couscous recipe with falafels
Ingredients – Chopped avocado, pepper, apple, raw onion, cucumber, dried apricots/ pomegranate seeds, tomatoes… And of course, couscous!
You could also add squash or sweet potato for a more wintry dish/ to bulk it out. I also added falafel and vegan cheese, but usually we put feta or halloumi with it.
The couscous dressing is the important part… mix together: juice of one lime, olive oil, lots of ground pepper and finely chopped coriander (or parsley if you prefer).
Dinner:
Vegetable and tomato-y risotto
Lessons from ‘Veganuary’
”I think I was surprised at how easy I actually found it, once I had bought oat milk, vegan butter and coconut yogurt instead of my dairy alternatives it was very easy to switch out these things and I hardly noticed any difference! I also made sure to take some vegan supplements to make sure I was keeping my energy levels up and getting the nutrients I needed.
Pippa'Veganuary Lessons'
”Alongwith Pippa, I found it relatively simple to make the switch. I’ve always had a sweet tooth so I knew I would miss chocolate, but I satisfied my cravings with home-made vegan flapjacks. To be honest, being vegan felt nice and healthy, and I also didn’t feel hungry loads - I made sure to get protein from extra nuts or by adding peanut butter to my smoothies.
Mel'Veganuary Lessons'
~ Vegan treat ~ GALETTES ~
Galettes are generally made with buckwheat flour. Really simply, I mixed…
- 200g buckwheat flour
- 400ml oat milk
- 100ml water
- a knob of veg butter/ oil in the pan for frying
I chopped up various ingredients to put on top, traditionally the French fry an egg on top, but as it was ‘Veganuary’, I put instead: hummus, rocket, spring onion, sun dried and fresh tomatoes, avocado and vegan feta-style cheese
