Hannah's Veggie Lifestyle

Over the years, I've made meat, vegetarian, and vegan versions of sloppy joes and I have to say I've enjoyed them all. The vegan version uses green lentils instead of mince, and I love the fact that they still give a meaty texture, but without using real mince or a processed plant-based mince. Using tinned green lentils takes out all the fuss of having to soak and boil the lentils, so if you have the option, I'd use these! The arrival of delicious vegan mayonnaises and cheeses on the market means that it's easy to top the mince with some tasty toppings, but you can also use dairy versions if you prefer.  I like to make the coleslaw from scratch because it's not difficult to make, but I don't normally bother making the rolls from scratch. If you do want to, I'd recommend putting a tray of boiling water in the bottom of the oven to keep the crusts soft. If I fancy a different filling, I like to swap out the sloppy joe mix with pulled barbeque jackfruit too (pi...

My final product reviews article for Veganuary is here, and I tried out some really tasty new products that I hope you'll give a try! Enjoy x Pukka Pie Vegan Chicken and Mushroom Pie (£1 for one pie) I've been getting a bit bored of not having many veggie/ vegan options when having fish  and chips, so when I saw this for sale in Sainsbury's I knew I had to pick one up ready to go in the freezer. The pastry was just as good as a meaty Pukka Pie, and the sauce inside was really tasty. Considering how many great chicken style pieces you can get nowadays, I was a little disappointed in the ones in here. They were quite soft and chewy rather than meaty- quite similar to the mushroom pieces. This meant I couldn't really differentiate between the chicken and mushroom. However, it was still very tasty, and even better once doused in gravy. ASDA Plant Based Wraps (£2.50 each) We've started going food shopping in the evenings so it's quiet, and this means there's ofte...

Another week means lots more vegan products to try, and I found some really tasty new foods to add to my vegan journey this week. Enjoy! ASDA Roasted Veg and Houmous Pizza (£1.75) Don't grate directly onto the baking sheet if you don't want difficult washing up later Perhaps I should have read the description more carefully, but I was very surprised when I went to cook this and found it didn't have any cheese on it. Pizza without cheese is pizza not worth having at all in my mind, so I topped it with some Violife mature cheddar before baking. This worked well and I enjoyed eating this. The houmous didn't really add much, but nonetheless it made for a very tasty, easy to prepare dinner. ALDI Double Chocolate Cookies (£0.99 for 8) Already took a bite sorry xo When the only vegan biscuits on the market are often Oreos and bourbons, snacks can get a bit boring. So when I found these in ALDI, I knew I had to try them. They reminded me of Maryland cookies, as they're more...

Completely vegan chocolate cake - who would know? We are all aware that reducing our meat and dairy intake is a great way to reduce our individual impact on the environment, as well as holding large companies accountable for the damage they do too, of course. So, I've decided to share some of my favourite meat/ dairy replacements for when you want a taste of the original, with a much smaller environmental impact! I'd love to say I'm a vegan, but if I can't find a good enough alternative for some dairy items, I do still eat the original (although in much smaller quantities than I used to). As veganism continues to grow, so does the incredible alternatives available, which means it's getting easier and easier to swap out meat and dairy products in our diets. It's still important to incorporate lots of unprocessed foods like fruit and veggies into your diet, so I do try and only eat these when I truly want an alternative. But, if it's helping us eat less dairy ...

As lockdown measures start to ease and we begin to return to some form of 'normal' life, it felt right to bring the Lockdown Baking Series to a close. But I wanted to end it on a (sugar) high, and what better way to do that than with cinnamon rolls? For years I've been using the excuse that recipes that use enriched dough (a classic bread dough with ingredients such as butter added) can't be made vegan and be just as good, because they wouldn't have the same richness that dairy and eggs bring. However, when I discovered these cinnamon rolls, I was proven wrong.    I first discovered this recipe when I had a craving for cinnamon rolls during Veganuary, and I haven't looked back since. They're just as soft and light, and even with plant-based margarine, they still taste surprisingly buttery. Now I know that a lot of people think the only suitably topping for cinnamon rolls is cream cheese frosting, which of course makes them more difficult to make vegan. Howev...

I know that just because something is vegan doesn't make it healthy, but the lack of icing means I can (almost) convince myself that these are, which is a good enough reason for  them to become a regular bake in our house. This is the first vegan banana muffin recipe I've found that are just as good as banana muffins with eggs and butter- they're fluffy, moist and very moreish. If you want to make them healthier, then swap the chocolate chips for chopped nuts, or leave them out completely. I found this recipe on a Vegan Baking page on Facebook, but adjusted it slightly. I swapped some of the peanut butter for coconut oil for added moistness, and took out the vanilla extract because I found it didn't add much. You can add in a tsp of good quality vanilla extract and take out the cinnamon if you prefer- or use both.   Makes 12 muffins, but the recipe is easy to scale up or down as needed.  Ingredients- 1 1/2 cups self raising flour 1 tsp baking powder pinch salt 1 tsp...

Lots of people are using extra free time to have a spring clean and redecorate the house (or just watch Netflix- which is totally fine too). But if you're feeling extra motivated to changes things up around the house, why not make some changes for the good of the planet too? Here are 5 easy ways to make your home more eco-friendly...  1. Get serious about food waste. Via Unsplash It's become pretty common to have a food waste bin now, but we should still be trying to put as little in it as possible. When you chuck out food, you're not only wasting money, but also wasting all the energy and resources used to produce and transport it. Even if you're pretty good at not letting the edible parts of food go to waste, there are lots of ways to reuse food scraps. Potato peelings can be baked with a little oil, salt and pepper for some zero-waste crisps, coffee grounds are a great fertiliser for your plants, and you can regrow loads of fruits and vegetables from scraps (...

Is its versatility speeding up deforestation? I gave up counting years ago how many times I'm asked 'what about the environmental impact of soya?' when people find out I'm a vegetarian. I understand why they ask- it's a hugely argued topic that just seems to cause more and more concern as we're encouraged to eat less and less meat. But if it's true that 90% of soya is used for animal production, then why are veggies and vegans always the first to get the blame? It's true- soybean production is on the rise. Since the 1950s, it has increased 15 times over. Even if you don't think you're eating it, you probably are. It's in the obvious like soy sauce, tofu and some veggie burgers. But it's also in a lot of everyday foods that we consume without even realising. Around 27% of vegetable oil is made from soya, and it's also commonly found in many household staple like bread, ice cream and cereal. According to WWF , soya production is t...

Is your morning coffee costing the lives of billions of bees? There's no denying it- plant-based milk is everywhere. In 2018, there was uproar in the US as a shortage of the popular oat milk brand 'Oatly' broke out, due to sales growing faster than even the company expected.  Demand for cow's milk is falling as people begin to choose alternative milks such as coconut, soya and even pea. However, this isn't without causing some controversy, of course. One plant milk in particular has come under fire recently, due to claims that its production is causing the deaths of billions of honey bees. Now, I'm not saying that we should just give up and switch back to drinking cow's milk. The 2018 University of Oxford study shows that dairy milk produces almost three times more greenhouse gasses than any milk alternative available.   So whichever plant milk you choose, it's still so much better for the environment than dairy. But if you're an almond milk lo...

As veganism continues to rise in popularity, so does the amount of backlash claiming that going vegan isn't as good for the planet as people think. From avocados to coconuts, foods popular in vegan diets are now claimed to be causing serious harm to the environment. But what really is the truth?  Vegans eat more than just salad, right? So you've seen the news. Climate change is happening, and unless we start to significantly reduce carbon emissions, it's only going to get worse. More and more people are changing their lifestyles to reduce their individual carbon footprint, whether that's ditching flying, cutting down on plastic. One of the biggest ways people are doing their bit for the environment is by reducing meat and dairy intake. A University of Oxford study found that if everybody followed a plant-based diet, greenhouse gas emissions from food production would be reduced by 49%, and there would be a whopping 76% reduction in land use.   Early Bird...