Your Essentials For A Vegan Lifestyle

The vegan lifestyle is becoming more mainstream in 2020. If you’re still finding your way in your vegan journey and experimenting with plant-based recipes and food, you may find it a bit overwhelming trying to determine what’s vegan or not. But fear not: we have you covered with these vegan essentials. From a meat alternative and a sweet treat (because we all need those every now and then!) to ethical supplements and cruelty-free beauty buys, here’s our list of products to try, proving that it really is easy being vegan!

Delicious food

Baked by neelu was started to show the world that gluten-free and vegan food can be flavoursome and delicious. And that’s exactly what they’ve done! We especially love the new chunky pecan chocolate chip cookies, which will satisfy your sweet cravings – they weigh a whopping 140g each! You can try them for yourself; simply enter the discount code “VEGGIEMAG” at the checkout and you’ll receive a FREE cookie with your first online order. Minimum order of £12 applies.

If you’re looking for a satisfying meat replacement, the new Squeaky Bean® Ready-to-Eat Chicken Style Pieces are seriously tasty straight from the pack, or thrown into salads, sandwiches or pasta. Available in Kick of Tikka or Sweet Smokey BBQ flavour. £2.75, Sainsbury’s

Who said vegans can’t enjoy delicious food? Yes, you can have your plant-based cake and eat it, too. And when it comes to vegan cake, Just Love Food has you covered. The free-from baking company has recently launched the most inclusive celebration cake range into retailers across the UK, providing delicious cakes for allergy sufferers and lifestyle shoppers that doesn’t compromise on taste. The Just Love Food cakes took customers by storm back in 2010, being the first to market with a nut-free claim. The company now offers gluten- and milk-free options as well as launching into the vegan market back in April 2019. The Just Love Food vegan chocolate cakes are suitable for any occasion, and will go down a treat with people of any age, vegan or not. They can be found in Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Tesco Ireland. And watch this space, because some exciting developments are underway for the future.

Skincare saviours

When it comes to beauty, cosmetic and skincare products that meet the ‘clean’ criteria, it can be challenging finding products that meet your ethical requirements, and actually work. Friendly products are vegan, cruelty-free and made by people who are paid a living wage, without using plastic, parabens, SLS phthalates or triclosan. These ethical goodies are made using a cold-process method handed down through generations of makers with every bar poured, cut and packed by hand in Yorkshire. The soap is biodegradable too, so it’s better for the planet even once you’ve used it. Each bar is boxed in recycled and recyclable packaging plus postage is plastic-free too.

Skin Sapiens is one vegan brand that certainly lives up to the ‘clean’ concept. The cruelty-free skincare brand uses only natural ingredients, packages its products in recycled packaging, and donates 1% of ever sale to environmental causes. Exclusive to Veggie readers, Skin Sapiens is giving away two skincare sets, for sensitive grown-up or baby skin. The plant-powered formula comes in recycled and recyclable packaging, for better skin and a better planet.

Health heroes

Since 2014, Veganuary has been inspiring meat-eaters to give veganism a go, with the hope that it’ll educate people on the benefits of leading a plant-powered lifestyle. At Grape Tree, you can find the most nutritious and versatile foods that can have a positive impact on health, as they can be rich in essential minerals, are high in antioxidants, and are excellent sources of fibre. Here is your definitive guide to your vegan superfoods highlighted by the Vegan Society, which are available at Grape Tree.

Looking to top-up those all-important omega-3s? Finding a vegan source of these essential fatty acids can prove tricky. Enter Viridian Nutrition’s Vegan EPA and DHA Oil. Sourced from sustainably grown marine algae, the capsules contain natural orange oil for taste, and include South American chia seeds to provide the full spectrum of omegas 3, 6 and 9. Even better, a daily intake of 2ml contributes to the normal function of the heart, eyes and brain.

Everyday essentials

As part of your vegan journey, perhaps you want to try your hand at growing your own produce? The sense of accomplishment when you serve up delicious meals with home-grown veg is something you just can’t beat! Here to help you get started, Opinel’s Gardeners Gift Set includes the essentials you need to get stuck into the garden and grow great produce. Inside, you’ll find a folding saw, pruning knife and garden knife in lovely, vibrant colours. Opinel’s motto, ‘from garden to table’, encourages people to be transported from their own vegetable patches to eating delicious meals on the dining room table, with an Opinel product for every step of the journey.

Many vegans will want to ensure that their purchases are ethical and sustainable. Whether you’re constantly on the go, love to work out, or just love to stay hydrated in the office and at home, Klean Kanteen has a great selection of reusable water bottles that are the ideal alternative to single-use plastic. The Reflect bottle is made of only three materials: sustainably harvested bamboo, stainless steel and food-grade silicone. That means no paint, no plastic, just a well-designed bottle that embodies sustainability. The bottle’s Climate Lock™ double-wall vacuum insulation means it can keep contents cold for up to 20 hours and iced for up to 40. Klean Kanteen is a certified B Corporation, meaning it uses business as a force for good, and is proven to do business ethically and sustainably. That means that by supporting a business like this, you’re helping to create a more sustainable economy for the future.