According to UK charity Veganuary, some 80,000 people have chosen to give up all animal foods including meat, fish, dairy and honey in the next month, in favour of a plant-based vegan diet. Whether it's for animal welfare, health or the environment, there are many good reasons to try going vegan. However it can take a while to get to grips with the restrictions of the diet – particularly when it comes to eating out or satisfying cravings. Luckily, help is at hand from vegan bloggers BOSH!, who have shared their top ten hacks for going vegan…
1) Read the label:
Reading labels before buying food might sound like a hassle but it's really not. The ingredients you need to look for on food labels are now printed in bold letters, so a quick glance is normally all you need to find what you're looking for.
Vegan bloggers BOSH! have shared their top hacks with HELLO!
2) Use social media:
Social media is a great way to discover new recipes, learn new things and make new friends. Vegans are a friendly bunch and there are loads of groups online where you can ask questions and get helpful advice.
3) Download HappyCow:
HappyCow is a fantastic app for finding new vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants. You'll be surprised to see how many places have great vegan options on their menus now.
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4) Eat your greens:
It's easy to lead an unhealthy vegan lifestyle, so make sure you eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies. A good piece of simple advice is, "eat the rainbow" (this doesn't include sweeties!)
5) Watch Cowspiracy and What The Health:
These two documentaries were produced by the American filmmaker Kip Anderson, and we can't recommend them enough! Both the films are packed full of really interesting facts, figures and information. Definitely both worth a watch.
6) Satisfy your cheesy cravings:
Most big supermarkets have started selling wide ranges of fantastic vegan cheeses and there are small, artisan vegan cheese producers popping up at food markets all over the country. Our favourite is Kinda Co - their cheeses are amazing!
7) Milk it:
The range of plant-based milks available in big supermarkets now is fantastic. If you like milky coffee we'd recommend you try Oatly's Barista Milk. It's incredibly creamy, just like whole fat dairy milk!
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8) Chickpea water is magic:
The water in cans of chickpeas (also known as 'aquafaba') does amazing things when whipped in a mixer. If you whip it long enough it will turn to a thick, fluffy cream that can be used as a substitute for whipped cream or shaped, baked and turned into crunchy meringues!
9) Overripe bananas turn naughty into nice:
Whizzing up overripe bananas in a blender will leave you with banana cream. If you freeze the cream, you’ll be left with banana ice cream, which is also known as "nice cream". Nice cream is super healthy and a great way to use up bananas that have past their best.
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10) BOSH! it:
Follow BOSH! on social media and grab a copy of our cookbook! We post tasty vegan recipe videos almost every day online and our book is packed full of amazing recipes too.
Follow BOSH! on Facebook or subscribe on YouTube for tasty and easy to make vegan recipes this Veganuary.