Going vegan is easier than you think!

Jessica is a hungry girl who monches on plants. She enjoys veganising meals from around the world. Meatless Movement recently had a chat with her.

Please tell us more about yourself

Hello. My name is Jessica and I am currently 25 years old. I was born and raised in the UK. I originate from Goa, India. I studied Psychology and completed my Masters in Mental Health a few years ago. Ever since, I have been working within the Mental Health Sector. I also live, breathe, and, eat vegan, haha!

I predominantly became vegan for the animals, but, now, I’m also vegan for the environment and for my mental and physical health
Jess | London Vegan Foodie

I became vegan for the animals. I grew up with animals all around me including pigs, dogs, budgies, rabbits, and, many more so I always had a love for animals from day one.

Although I had been cooking with meat from a young age, it was only when I moved out to study for my Masters in 2017 that I noticed I disliked preparing meat. I started to feel guilty eating meat as I became conscious of what I was putting into my mouth. I, then, began watching videos on YouTube and Instagram about how horrific and cruel the meat industry was. I noticed that I can’t say I love animals and still eat them. I saw that some people became vegan for health reasons and I watched documentaries such as What The Health and Forks Over Knives which stressed how meat was bad for our health. It was then that I decided to make the change to turn vegetarian.

When I started becoming vegetarian, I ate a lot of cheese and I noticed after a while it started to make me feel groggy and my acne worsened. I continued watching videos of how terribly animals were treated in not only the meat industry but also the dairy industry. I came across Earthling Ed’s videos who really inspired me to become vegan. Late-December in 2017, I started slowly cutting out dairy products and finding replacements for milk and cheese. With the help of Veganuary in 2018, I can proudly say that I have been vegan for 3 years.

I hate how humans treat animals and our planet and I think we all should be more conscious of what we put in our mouths
Jess | London Vegan Foodie

I actually found the transition from eating meat to veggie more difficult than vegetarian to vegan. A few days after I first became vegetarian, on a night out I went and ate McDonald’s chicken nuggets. The following day, I became vegetarian and never looked back!

I found my old workplace extremely difficult as everyone ate meat and I didn’t. We would receive free meals there as we would work long hours but the chefs were unaware of what vegan food was. In the beginning I would always eat the side dishes such as plain rice and pasta and from time to time I would bring in my own food but at times this was not possible so I decided to contact the Human Resources at my workplace and I was very fortunate that the Human Resources lady was vegan too! We both advised the chefs to make vegan food. I was very grateful that they started to make vegan food for me!

What are the challenges of maintaining a vegan lifestyle?

Family – My family were a bit sceptical at first and ever so often my parents will still ask whether I am getting the right nutrients. My brother turned vegan a few months after I did and my sister is pescatarian but eats a lot of vegan food, which really helped when eating out with the family.

Friends – I think I am very lucky in terms of my friends; they were all very supportive of my decision and one of my friends even bought me some vegan recipe books when I was transitioning from veggie to vegan, which I really appreciated. In the beginning, however, I used to feel bad when deciding places to eat out with my friends as I would have to decline going out to some places as they did not serve vegan options. I’m very grateful that today there are lots of places in and around London that do serve vegan options. It helps to do your research and look at restaurant menus beforehand!

I can honestly say turning vegan was the best decision I’ve ever made – to be a voice for the voiceless
Jess | London Vegan Foodie

Turning vegan was the best thing I have done in my life. I love being vegan and the only regret I have is I just wish I had become vegan sooner!

How would you tell someone who’s not yet vegan/vegetarian to try meatless food?

I would tell them not to have any expectations as to whether it tastes like meat or not but to try it as they were experiencing new food. To my non-vegan friends, I usually send them recommendations on Instagram or suggest new products/alternatives for them to try. If I am dining out with friends, I usually get my friends to try vegan foods when I am eating them.

I’m so happy to share my journey with you and all the delicious vegan food I eat and hopefully help some of you on your way to becoming vegan
Jess | London Vegan Foodie

I really enjoy eating at Amrutha Lounge (great service and hearty comfort food), Dishoom, En Root, and, Govinda’s (authentic Indian vegan options), Mildred’s (great vegan food), The Lounge (separate vegan menu and great interior), Sazzy and Fran (amazing vegan café), Unity Diner (Earthling Ed’s wonderful vegan restaurant), Wulf and Lamb (fully vegan restaurant with amazing vegan food), Ve Cupcakes (best vegan cakes), Neat Burger (my favourite vegan burgers), and, last but not least The Spread Eagle (100% vegan pub).

Great food from one of my favourite restaurants & the service is always amazing too. £24 for the unlimited buffet. 😍

How DELICIOUS does this Sharing Platter look? It consists of Grain, Vegan Curry, Daily Dhal, Saag Aloo, Rainbow Salad, Avocado, Pani Puri & Paratha. (£25.00; £12.50pp). 🍛🥑🥔
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This was my favourite dish from @enrootldn. 😍
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YUM!!!!

These cupcakes BAKE me crazy. 😍 🧁🍰
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So glad I came across this amazing 100% Vegan Cupcake Company @vecupcake run by Alex. She started the company as she was unfortunately diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder so she embraced a vegan diet which has been a game changer for her symptoms; which I find absolutely incredible. 🥰
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I was sent:
🍇 Raspberry & Chocolate
🍯 Biscoff
🍫 Double Chocolate
🥜 Peanut Butter & Chocolate
🍪 Jammie Dodger
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@vecupcake also do gluten free options and deliver to some parts of London, Kent & Surrey.
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🧁🧁🧁🧁🧁
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(P.S. I didn’t even have to edit these photos as they looked amazing as they are!)

📱: @wulfandlamb
📍: Marylebone, London (there is another in Chelsea)
🍽️: Dinner
💸: Decent pricing
🤝🏽: The staff were friendly
👍🏾/👎🏾: 👍🏾
❓: Been a few times and I will definitely be returning
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Wulf and Lamb is one of my favourite restaurants to go to when I’m near Sloane Square. It’s a fully vegan restaurant with brilliant vegan food and an all-round great vibe. I went with @tanaka_leanne for her birthday.
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🧀 For starters we ordered mac’n’cheese, what they’re best known for, so I couldn’t wait to try it. It really lived up to my expectations, it was super creamy and flavoursome. Definitely was the best vegan mac’n’cheese I’ve ever tasted (£8.50).
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🥟 We also ordered the gyoza dumplings which were excellent and crispy. It is stuffed with smoked tofu, kimchi and king oyster mushrooms with a soya dipping sauce. They were Faultless (£7.95).
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🍠 I ordered the steamed Bao bun with fried pumpkin, sweet potato, lettuce and vegan mayo for my main. This dish was mediocre, it was lacking flavour and the filling was a little too runny which altered the texture. I wouldn’t order the bao buns again (£8.50).
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🍝 Leanne ordered the creamy mushroom pasta which was divine. The portion size was really good also (£14.50).
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For drinks Leanne ordered the cloudy lemonade and I got the peach bellini. Both were amazing. 🍋🍸🍹

📱: @thespreadeaglelondon
📍: East London
🍽️: Lunch
💸: Good pricing
🤝🏽: The staff were super friendly
👍🏾/👎🏾: 👍🏾
❓: I loved the place. Will definitely return for a Sunday roast next time!
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The Spread Eagle (@thespreadeaglelondon) is London’s first 100% vegan pub! They run a seasonal, minimal waste kitchen, working directly with foragers and local producers to bring us the best British pub food.
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For starters we ordered:
🦅 Mini squashage rolls
🥞 Spiced pea fritters
🥟 Mushroom empanadas
🥞 Chickpea pancakes
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The mains we ordered were:
🥧 Pie, mash, liquor
🥕 Poached carrot, black rice, tahini and herbs
🍆 Aubergine, romesco, green sauce, crispy chickpeas
🍔 Korean cripsy chicken burger
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P.S. I’ve just posted a reel of all the amaze food, go check it out! 🥵

from the restaurant Tell Your Friends in Parson’s Green but it closed down

I might be being biased but my Instagram @thelondonveganist has some good vegan food suggestions haha!

Some misconceptions are that going vegan is expensive but I don’t think this is the case. I always found meat products rather expensive when I used to cook with meat. Grains and pulses for example are generally inexpensive. If you’re buying processed products or alternatives some can be pricey but I wouldn’t say being vegan is expensive as a whole.

Being vegan is unhealthy – It doesn’t have to be! I take supplements such as Vitamin B12, Iron, and Vegums (Vegan Omega 3 gummies) and try to make sure that I am getting the right vitamins in my diet.

How to Ease Into Meatless Eating?

I would suggest slowly reducing your meat and dairy intake as opposed to completely cutting everything out in one go. I found it so helpful becoming vegetarian first then vegan. I would really have struggled if I hadn’t done that as it would have been unrealistic. I also found that it really helps to decide why you’re going meatless whether it be for the animals, environment, or health. My reasons to becoming vegan was for the animals but it then I cared about the environment and my health. My passion to help animals drove me to stay vegan all this time. Further to this, I would suggest to do your research and make sure you’re getting the right nutrients. Lastly, it’s good not to put too much pressure on yourself, you’ll make mistakes along the way, but, just stay positive!