Whether you committed yourself to Veganuary, or just said you’d make a healthy start to 2019, our resident vegan Rachael Lindsay is here to bring us her top replacement buys to get you through the month.

Replace Dairy Milk With Oat Milk

I have spoken to lots of people about what they would miss most if they were to become vegan or try Veganuary. One of the most common responses is MILK. Especially with the Brits, we all seem to love our whole, semi-skimmed or skinny milk in a big ole cup of joe. As well as on cereal, in a glass with a plate of cookies, the list goes on…

To the rescue is one of my personal favourite brands out there right now: Oatly. They have just released the very first whole, semi and skinny oat milks so you can make an easy replacement from whatever your preferred dairy milk was. Having put all three to the taste taste, I think their whole milk is luxuriously delicious and creamy, so that’s my recommendation if you want something indulgent. Skinny is for the health-conscious with no added fat (a little too healthy for me but perfect for those with healthy 2019 resolutions) whilst semi is probably what I would go for every day as it goes well in a hearty winter porridge and makes a nice addition to coffee.

Replace Snack Bars with Rhythm108 Bars and Biscuits

Yet another concern for would-be vegans is the lack of sweet treats. I completely get this one – I have a sweet tooth and did not want to avoid my chocolate chip biscuits and Cadbury bars. Especially on the go, a sugary snack is exactly what is needed to get through a long winter month…

To the rescue is Rhythm108 serving up choc bars and tea biscuits that you will never believe are vegan. Plus all their products are gluten-free and organic with a heart-warming philosophy behind their production. I have tried pretty much every flavour of biscuit and bar they have on offer and would highly recommend the odd-sounding but fab-tasting lemon ginger and chia biscuits with Sicilian lemon zest as well as their super coconut chocolate bar – you need this in your life if you are a Bounty fan. Other flavours include sweet and salty almond bars, double chocolate hazelnut biscuits, almond biscotti, hazelnut praline bars…*goes off to eat one as writing about this is getting too much*

Replace Nuts & Seeds with Boundless Nuts & Seeds

One of the best things I have learnt in my first year as a vegan is that vegan does not have to mean boring. It is a horrible misconception that all vegans spend their time eating lettuce and seeds – I am actually still searching for a vegan who does this so please reach out if that is you. That being said, we have all heard the health benefits of having more healthy nuts and seeds in our life and, as a vegan, they are full of much-needed protein, vitamins and other good stuff. So how to get round the fact that seeds and nuts can get very boring unless they are smothered in salt…

To the rescue is Boundless, a quirky little brand that makes activated nuts and seeds including almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Instead of dry roasting or salting these little ‘uns, Boundless soaks them in water then bakes them and spices them to bring out some seriously big flavours. The flavours are so punchy that I was reminded of pork scratchings or Bombay mix. You can choose from turmeric and smoked paprika (my favourite!), cayenne and rosemary, tamari and Aleppo or orange, ginger and maple. And for those on a health kick, they are packed with fibre and all the nutritional goodness of nuts (walnuts, for example, are vital for vegans as a source of essential fatty acid omega-3). Another perfect afternoon snack which is both kinder and healthier than a bag of crisps.

To find out more about any of these products, visit oatly.com, rhythm108.com and weareboundless.co.uk.

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