Why aren't you vegan?

Fed up talking videogames? Why?
User avatar
Wedgie
Member
Joined in 2008

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by Wedgie » Thu Oct 03, 2019 8:51 pm

I LOVE BURGERS.

That’s why. Sod being Vegan.

Image

Denster wrote:My phone messaged me yesterday after i'd encouraged him to download and play the RESi demo.


Super Intelligent Phones Are Here!!!! We are dooooomed!
User avatar
Pedz
Twitch Team
Joined in 2009
Contact:

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by Pedz » Thu Oct 03, 2019 9:16 pm

Yes.

Image
User avatar
BID0
Member
Joined in 2008
Location: Essex

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by BID0 » Thu Oct 03, 2019 9:17 pm

Pork sausage

These are the best sausages I've ever had: https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/gr ... gs-x6-350g

Sainsbury's brought out a frozen version recently which is currently on offer: https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/gr ... s-x10-500g

I have tried the frozen ones myself but I imagine they're the same as the chilled ones.

If you don't like Cumberland sausages as they're a bit peppery, you can also get a sweeter sausage: https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/gr ... gs-x6-350g



Eggs

I'm not a fan of egg anymore so I don't have many recommendations. There is this powder I have had though which creates vegan yolk if you're a fan of dippy egg. It seems expensive but this stuff will last for a year as you just use a small amount of powder and mix it with water before you microwave/heat it up. It's pretty good in a fake pork sausage sandwich as a sauce.

free book version: https://www.amazon.co.uk/VEGG-Vegan-Yol ... 433&sr=8-2
just the egg powder: https://www.amazon.co.uk/VEGG-VEGAN-EGG ... 538&sr=8-3

I know people recreate scrambled egg with things like tofu (never had tofu) but as I said before I haven't pursued egg alternatives so have no recommendations beyond the above yolk.

When baking you can use a flax "eggs" (you get flax milled like flour and add a teaspoon with some warm water and leave it for 10 minutes to become a gooey egg type replacement - also flax is crazy high protein if you're bodybuilding), or banana or apple sauce as a binder instead of egg

Another crazy sounding one until you try it is chickpea water from a can. This is called "aquafaba". Drain a can of this water in to a bowl (use the chickpeas for a high protein curry or something), use an electric whisk and whisk this water for 5 minutes or so and it'll aerate like egg whites. Once at this stage you can either fold in icing sugar (for a meringue) or melted dark chocolate (leave in a fridge to set overnight for chocolate mousse)



Fish

Probably the easiest thing to fake and the easiest way for you to cut down on your plastic use as it's estimated that 50% of the worlds plastic pollution in the ocean is from fishing equipment while plastic straws are something like less than a tenth or hundredth of a percent.

These fish goujons are probably the best I've had and are on special offer in sainsburys right now: https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/gr ... oujon-252g

As I said though there are so many alternatives to fish now and I haven't tried a bad one yet.



Beef

Impossible burger - arguable not vegan but it is plant based and so it is better for the environment. A lot of restaurants are using these now, if you're ever in a Harvester I'd recommend trying one, it comes with cheese and burger sauce and everything.

Linda McCartney Quarter Pounder Burger has the best frozen ones I have found that replicate a traditional beef burger. Most supermarkets sell these. Whack a slice of Violife Vegan Sliced Cheese on top during the last 5 minutes of cooking for a pretty decent vegan cheese burger

There are obviously many spicy veggie burgers too that don't try to replicate meat.



Chicken Nuggets

Go for Fry's Chicken Style (not the chia version nuggets) in the frozen section of some supermarkets. Really good and not dry like Quorn's ones. Fry's also do a decent Sausage Roll in the chiller section.



Sausage Rolls

Cooked: Greggs
Chilled: Aldi, Fry's
Frozen to bake: Linda McCartney



Pizza:

Papa Johns. They do a vegan hotdog one now too if you're gross and like hotdogs. If you like Marmite get the vegan cheese and marmite bites as a side :wub:
Frozen: Goodfellas falafel, although it's more like a curry than a pizza (It's spicy and doesn't have cheese)



Bacon

Probably only worthwhile if you like crispy bacon, and I've only seen these in Ocado or Holland & Barrett: https://www.ocado.com/products/vegideli ... s-54610011
If you can't shop at either of those places then grab Quorn's smoky ham and fry those: https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/gr ... lices-100g

User avatar
Cumberdanes
Member
Joined in 2011
Location: Sunderland

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by Cumberdanes » Thu Oct 03, 2019 9:21 pm

Those Goodfellas falafel pizzas are pretty nice. Also I recommend Greggs vegan sausage rolls and I’m not even close to being vegan.

Original Source shower gel (which I tend to use) is also vegan as it happens.

Image
User avatar
Pedz
Twitch Team
Joined in 2009
Contact:

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by Pedz » Thu Oct 03, 2019 9:24 pm

Fish is foul.. I didn't mind a tuna steak before though. Every other fish I tried has been awful. AWFUL!

Image
User avatar
That
Dr. Nyaaa~!
Dr. Nyaaa~!
Joined in 2008

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by That » Thu Oct 03, 2019 9:45 pm

Tried Linda McCartney meatballs today, thought they were pretty good!

Image
User avatar
Hesk
Member
Joined in 2008
Location: Blackpool

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by Hesk » Thu Oct 03, 2019 9:47 pm

Karl_ wrote:Tried Linda McCartney meatballs today, thought they were pretty good!


:o me too.

You're not my girlfriend, right?

User avatar
That
Dr. Nyaaa~!
Dr. Nyaaa~!
Joined in 2008

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by That » Thu Oct 03, 2019 9:52 pm

Heskimo wrote:
Karl_ wrote:Tried Linda McCartney meatballs today, thought they were pretty good!


:o me too.

You're not my girlfriend, right?


Not anymore. Pack your things.

(That's a pretty incredible coincidence! :toot: My partner and I both thought they were basically as good as any other store-bought meatballs. Will defs be having them again.)

Image
User avatar
Hesk
Member
Joined in 2008
Location: Blackpool

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by Hesk » Thu Oct 03, 2019 10:14 pm

Karl_ wrote:Not anymore. Pack your things.


:lol:

Karl_ wrote:(That's a pretty incredible coincidence! :toot: My partner and I both thought they were basically as good as any other store-bought meatballs. Will defs be having them again.)


Yeah, we thought so too! We tried some Asda ones a while ago that were a bit soft and strange tasting (/no context), the McCartney ones were much better.

As for the topic title - like many others in here, I've recently been trying to eat much more vegetarian as my girlfriend wants to go full veggie and I gathered I could do with more vegetables in my diet too, so why not. To also echo many others here - at the minute, going full vegan feels like a step too far. I don't necessarily think animals shouldn't be eaten but I do agree that the way the industry currently operates shouldn't be happening. No animal products at all is a huge step and currently more effort than I feel I could manage, but I thought that about eating vegetarian so who knows down the line. I'm currently enjoying a lot of vegetarian food and my palette has certainly become broader. I still eat meat while eating out at the moment as I often find it difficult to find veggie options I will really enjoy at restaurants but I look through them every time and try what I can.

My current favourite veggie sausages are Cauldron Lincolnshire sausages - almost identical to "proper" ones other than just not being greasy. You could easily slip these under the nose of the most ardent meat eater and I believe they wouldn't realise right away.

In fact, I think that's the main thing I've noticed with eating meat replacements or even just full on veggie meals - the lack of grease and heaviness that often comes from eating meat is actually quite a nice feeling :lol: It's easy to accidentally replace all meats with cheese and end up in the same place though, I've had to stop myself on many occasion.

User avatar
BID0
Member
Joined in 2008
Location: Essex

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by BID0 » Thu Oct 03, 2019 10:59 pm

Ah yeh those McCartney meatballs are the bomb. I think they’re currently reduced in Sainsbury’s or tesco too. You’ll find them in the chiller section.

I don’t leave them in the oven for the full recommended 20 minutes though. I do them in the oven for 15, then finish the last 5 minutes by adding them to my sauce (onion, garlic, tinned chopped tomatoes and I add vegetarian gravy granules to taste for a more meaty flavour. Sometime I’ll add a red pepper or something too if I’m not lazy)

Make sure you get pasta without egg ;) most do these days unless you’re making it yourself!

User avatar
Pancake
Member
Joined in 2008

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by Pancake » Fri Oct 04, 2019 8:17 am

Given that I made the thread when drunk and then regretted it immediately, I'm pleasantly surprised by how it's going. :lol:

I had just eaten a Leon vegan burger at the time and it was delicious, it got me thinking how much easier it is than people think.

I have a kid and articles warning about the state of the planet seem to be an almost daily occurrence. It is becoming more and more obvious that massively reducing meat and dairy consumption is one of the easiest ways an individual can help - hence the question, why aren't you vegan? I love the taste of meat and cheese but is that a good enough reason? I don't think so anymore. I get the argument that is the responsibility of governments to legislate but that just feels lazy, what you choose to buy is important in a capitalist system driven by money.

For me I think I don't quite care enough about animal cruelty and the evidence around health is divided. Which means, whilst I do try, I also find it very easy to occasionally cheat when I'm out and have had a few drinks. I would say 85% of my meals are vegan, 12% vegetarian, 2% fish, 1% meat.

There are tons of amazing meat substitutes out there though, if you disagree then you just need to explore! Sainsbury's Shroomdogs, those Linda McCartney meatballs, the Beyond Burger (available at All Bar One), all excellent. Most vegan mince replacements will make an excellent Bolognese, there's no need for beef, and if you have the pizza itch then there are a growing number of excellent options.

Most of the cheese that isn't on a pizza is pretty sorry stuff, in no way does it replace dairy cheese, but sometimes you have to make sacrifices.

User avatar
Winckle
Technician
Joined in 2008
Location: Liverpool

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by Winckle » Fri Oct 04, 2019 8:32 am

Karl_ wrote:Bringing a whole roasted platypus to a vegan cook-off, confidently insisting "scientists said it's not an animal"

twitter.com/dril/status/29500519237


We should migrate GRcade to Flarum. :toot:
User avatar
That
Dr. Nyaaa~!
Dr. Nyaaa~!
Joined in 2008

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by That » Fri Oct 04, 2019 8:37 am

Winckle wrote:
Karl_ wrote:Bringing a whole roasted platypus to a vegan cook-off, confidently insisting "scientists said it's not an animal"

twitter.com/dril/status/29500519237


twitter.com/dril/status/329621669222182912


Image
User avatar
Jenuall
Member
Joined in 2008
AKA: Jenuall
Location: 40 light-years outside of the Exeter nebula
Contact:

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by Jenuall » Fri Oct 04, 2019 9:47 am

I find it interesting that a lot of people's barriers or desires around "going veggie/vegan" are based around a need to find replacements for the things they currently eat - direct meat substitutes, meat free sausages, meatballs (that name is going to need to change in time surely?! :lol: ) etc.

I understand that perspective, and it makes sense to think - "I like the stuff I eat now, how can I eat basically the same stuff but without meat". But for whatever reason I had never really thought of the process in that way. Don't get me wrong if the industry keeps improving like it is then absolutely I will be all over fake burgers and the like, but as I've been cutting meat out of my diet over the last couple of years I've seen it as more of an opportunity to explore entirely new options and dishes, rather than just to keep eating the same stuff but with the meat replaced.

I think in some ways that is one of the reasons why people bounce off the idea or give up quite quickly - you are so used to eating meat in those meals that anything else is going to taste different and to some extent inferior and therefore why bother. But in trying entirely new dishes there is less of a comparison factor and so you just end up realising that there are loads of incredibly tasty meat free meals out there and wonder why it took you so bloody long to find them!

I'd recommend this cook book to anyone looking for some vegan meals, some amazing stuff in here: BOSH!

User avatar
Hesk
Member
Joined in 2008
Location: Blackpool

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by Hesk » Fri Oct 04, 2019 9:57 am

Jenuall wrote:I find it interesting that a lot of people's barriers or desires around "going veggie/vegan" are based around a need to find replacements for the things they currently eat - direct meat substitutes, meat free sausages, meatballs (that name is going to need to change in time surely?! :lol: ) etc.


For me, I know that I currently don't have a large enough grasp on good recipes to make without any kind of meat substitute. I am all up for exploring the landscape of meat free meals and I'm continuing to make headway into that and really enjoying it. I've been quite a fussy eater all of my life and although I've been making a concerted effort to change that for the last 10 years or so, I know it sometimes takes me a while to get used to challenging my tastebuds and things like meat replacements have helped me speed up the process of cutting out meats from most dishes. If I waited until I had enough experience and was happy with vegetarian cooking, I'd still be eating meat for a bunch of meals while I explored - I don't feel I could take a chance on trying something new for practically every single meal of every day. So yeah, I think of it as some kind of transitional tool to help me jump off earlier than I otherwise would, and of course there's certainly a few foods I wouldn't want to entirely let go of so if there's an alternative version knocking about, I'll take it.

My girlfriend is really good at coming up with nice meat free meal ideas without using substitutes and has a few books herself so that's certainly helped.

edit - Oh, but veggie pizzas have been one area where I've been happy to sack off meat replacements - there's enough variety to keep them really tasty without bothering!

User avatar
Jenuall
Member
Joined in 2008
AKA: Jenuall
Location: 40 light-years outside of the Exeter nebula
Contact:

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by Jenuall » Fri Oct 04, 2019 10:29 am

Heskimo wrote:
Jenuall wrote:I find it interesting that a lot of people's barriers or desires around "going veggie/vegan" are based around a need to find replacements for the things they currently eat - direct meat substitutes, meat free sausages, meatballs (that name is going to need to change in time surely?! :lol: ) etc.


For me, I know that I currently don't have a large enough grasp on good recipes to make without any kind of meat substitute. I am all up for exploring the landscape of meat free meals and I'm continuing to make headway into that and really enjoying it. I've been quite a fussy eater all of my life and although I've been making a concerted effort to change that for the last 10 years or so, I know it sometimes takes me a while to get used to challenging my tastebuds and things like meat replacements have helped me speed up the process of cutting out meats from most dishes. If I waited until I had enough experience and was happy with vegetarian cooking, I'd still be eating meat for a bunch of meals while I explored - I don't feel I could take a chance on trying something new for practically every single meal of every day. So yeah, I think of it as some kind of transitional tool to help me jump off earlier than I otherwise would, and of course there's certainly a few foods I wouldn't want to entirely let go of so if there's an alternative version knocking about, I'll take it.

My girlfriend is really good at coming up with nice meat free meal ideas without using substitutes and has a few books herself so that's certainly helped.

edit - Oh, but veggie pizzas have been one area where I've been happy to sack off meat replacements - there's enough variety to keep them really tasty without bothering!

Yeah like I say, it does make sense as a starting point - particularly if you are a picky eater and take time to get used to new flavours. It wasn't meant to be a criticism of anyone! :D

Had a brilliant veggie meal last night - brocolli and cauliflower cannelloni, strawberry floating delicious. :datass:

It was a Jamie Oliver recipe, but I try to ignore that aspect of it! :lol:

User avatar
That
Dr. Nyaaa~!
Dr. Nyaaa~!
Joined in 2008

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by That » Fri Oct 04, 2019 11:15 am

@Jenuall: I agree that variety in food is good and exciting, and you don't necessarily need meat substitutes to cut down on meat as there are clearly a lot of great plant based dishes out there. I would argue that meaty tastes are still a large part of the "taste spectrum" and would probably give the same advice to you but in reverse (i.e. if you aren't trying some of the meaty flavours out there [no matter what they're made of - mushrooms, soy/tofu, beans/lentils!] you're missing out on some cool food!).

Image
User avatar
OrangeRKN
Community Sec.
Joined in 2015
Location: Reading, UK
Contact:

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by OrangeRKN » Fri Oct 04, 2019 11:26 am

The problem with trying out all those different recipes is that you have to spend time cooking. Meat and two veg you just turn on the oven and hob and serve when cooked. The vegetarian equivalent is... I'm not sure? At least pasta and sauce is easy.

Image
Image
orkn.uk - Top 5 Games of 2023 - SW-6533-2461-3235
User avatar
Winckle
Technician
Joined in 2008
Location: Liverpool

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by Winckle » Fri Oct 04, 2019 11:45 am

OrangeRKN wrote:The problem with trying out all those different recipes is that you have to spend time cooking. Meat and two veg you just turn on the oven and hob and serve when cooked. The vegetarian equivalent is... I'm not sure? At least pasta and sauce is easy.

You can make pasta and sauce with mushrooms or other vegetarian equivalents :lol:

We should migrate GRcade to Flarum. :toot:
User avatar
OrangeRKN
Community Sec.
Joined in 2015
Location: Reading, UK
Contact:

PostRe: Why aren't you vegan?
by OrangeRKN » Fri Oct 04, 2019 11:46 am

I know that's why I said it is easy

Image
Image
orkn.uk - Top 5 Games of 2023 - SW-6533-2461-3235

Return to “Stuff”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Fade and 190 guests