Veganuary update: over half way!

So, if you read my previous post, you'll know that this month I'm challenging myself to take part in Veganuary. I'm usually the kind of person that sees other people setting themselves exciting challenges and gets all inspired but when it actually comes down to it, I never end up doing anything and the motivation quickly gets forgotten; however this time around, I'm determined to stick to my word. I feel like if anything's ever going to motivate me in life, it's gonna be food and it's definitely working so far - I'm now 19 days into Veganuary (over half way!) and I've surprised myself so much with how smooth the transition has been. I genuinely haven't missed cheese anywhere near as much as I thought I would - I was sure this would be the one thing that was going to crack me but, so far, I'm yet to have any serious cheese withdrawal symptoms.

Over this last two and a bit weeks, there's been a few unexpected things I've learned about being vegan. The first (and the most disappointing) is that a vegan diet doesn't automatically result in drastic weight loss - it turns out that sugar is still vegan, as are potatoes and there's also a vast array of unhealthy treats vegans can indulge in, much to dispel the wide misconceptions that vegan food = rabbit food. I've also learned that carbs are a vegan's best friend, whether it's in the form of pasta, rice, potatoes, or, even better, sweet potatoes, carbs are an absolute staple in the vegan diet and with so many different options to choose from, you're spoiled for choice.

Creamy carbonara (recipe by Deliciously Ella) and garlic bread a.k.a. all the carbs

Another item I've discovered to be a must have in any vegan's cupboard is nutritional yeast, or 'nooch' as it is affectionately nicknamed amongst the vegan community. Not gonna lie, the first time I bought a tub of nutritional yeast, I was a bit put off by its striking resemblance to fish food; however, despite first impressions, this stuff is wondrous! Its unique cheesy, nutty taste is used lots in vegan cooking to add flavour to anything from sauces to beans on toast whilst also providing lots of vitamin B12.

Fish food or nutritional yeast? (picture from Holland & Barrett)

I've also been pleasantly surprised about how easy it is to veganise non-vegan meals. There are so many great substitutes you can use in place of things like butter, milk and eggs which makes veganising recipes a whole lot easier. There's also loads of meals that can be veganised by simply swapping the meat for lentils or beans depending on what you're making - I've found lentils to be a great substitute for mince beef in bolognese and chilli, and beans to work fabulously in just about anything Mexican.

Red lentil chilli made by Adam using Minimalist Baker's recipe along with some homemade nachos

I think the transition to vegan has been far easier because I was already vegetarian and was therefore used to cooking with pulses in place of meats; however I definitely didn't anticipate how many things contain milk or eggs - even things you wouldn't expect it in like vegetable bouillon powder or crisps. I've definitely turned into a label-reading fanatic over the past few weeks but I've also discovered a few surprising accidentally vegan delights such as Tesco Everyday Value Garlic Bread and Ginger Nut biscuits.

Overall, I'm loving the Veganuary experience so far. I feel like I have a lot more energy and it's been really enjoyable trying lots of different vegan recipes (any excuse to buy new cookbooks, eh). It's also been fun documenting my experience on Instagram, although I can't help but feel my dishes are somewhat 'rustic' in comparison to some of the works of art I see other people posting but hey, it still taste good.

Mixed pepper and bean enchiladas 

Weekend brunch testing out Linda McCartney's vegan sausages

If anyone's interested in seeing more badly presented plates of food, feel free to check my Veganuary Instagram page out here. Thanks for reading!