Vegan food choices and recommendations

[Gloster]

Morrisons are selling bags of frozen vegetables (‘Country Mix’, Cauliflower, Broccoli and a third vegetable, etc.) that are marked on the packet as vegan. How do vegan vegetables differ from non-vegan ones?

 

[yorksrob]

I saw an advert for "plant based coffee" recently. It's made of beans for goodness sake !

 

[hexagon789]

Morrisons are selling bags of frozen vegetables (‘Country Mix’, Cauliflower, Broccoli and a third vegetable, etc.) that are marked on the packet as vegan. How do vegan vegetables differ from non-vegan ones?

They don't, they just mark them as vegan because then they can say they sell such and such a % of vegan products!

Nevertheless, its useful on certain products where its more ambiguous.

I saw an advert for "plant based coffee" recently. It's made of beans for goodness sake !

Just plain coffee or one of those pre-mixed chilled coffee drinks (milk+coffee+sugar/sweetener)?

 

[yorksrob]

They don't, they just mark them as vegan because then they can say they sell such and such a % of vegan products!

Nevertheless, its useful on certain products where its more ambiguous.


Just plain coffee or one of those pre-mixed chilled coffee drinks (milk+coffee+sugar/sweetener)?

It was on a blackboard in front of a cafe.

 

[hexagon789]

It was on a blackboard in front of a cafe.

Coffee with plant milk perhaps?

 

[yorksrob]

Coffee with plant milk perhaps?

Indeed, but you'd just say plant milk available surely !

 

[hexagon789]

Indeed, but you'd just say plant milk available surely !

Well, I probably would and you yourself would - lesser mortals may not perhaps

 

[Techniquest]

It was on a blackboard in front of a cafe.

Ah, well it could have been something to do with the plant based milks available? Not everyone seems to know you can have a perfectly reasonable latte etc with oat/almond/coconut milk for example.

I've tried various vegan foods recently, and as I type this I'm enjoying Sainsburys' Taste The Difference Vegan Classic Chocolate. It's actually pretty good, at the moment it's selling for £1.45 for a 100g bar. For vegan chocolate, that's a mighty fine price and I would recommend it!

I have a vegan rice pot I got from Aldi in my fridge, I can't remember the flavour right now but as I haven't had it yet, I will save that for when I have to make comment here. Also waiting for me to try are M&S Plant Kitchen double chocolate cookies. They're new in my local store, £1.65 for 8, and they will get tried very soon!

I also don't recall doing so before, but I *LOVE* Mrs Crimble's vegan chocolate coconut macaroons. Currently on offer in Sainsburys for £1, an absolute bargain and so recommended it is nuts!

Good news for me, as I sample more exciting food today, is that I clearly don't have the dreaded virus (so far so good, I've managed to not yet catch it) as I can taste my food It must just be a cold, which I've already had cold relief meds for, phew!

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Indeed, but you'd just say plant milk available surely !

Well, I probably would and you yourself would - lesser mortals may not perhaps

Likewise, perhaps said cafe is new to the marketing game and just didn't really know what to put! Either way, if it catches the eye of someone who has considered veganism and has been put off by not having their daily latte, then perhaps it doesn't matter if the sign makes sense to us or not. Its message is what is important!

 

[yorksrob]

Ah, well it could have been something to do with the plant based milks available? Not everyone seems to know you can have a perfectly reasonable latte etc with oat/almond/coconut milk for example.

I've tried various vegan foods recently, and as I type this I'm enjoying Sainsburys' Taste The Difference Vegan Classic Chocolate. It's actually pretty good, at the moment it's selling for £1.45 for a 100g bar. For vegan chocolate, that's a mighty fine price and I would recommend it!

I have a vegan rice pot I got from Aldi in my fridge, I can't remember the flavour right now but as I haven't had it yet, I will save that for when I have to make comment here. Also waiting for me to try are M&S Plant Kitchen double chocolate cookies. They're new in my local store, £1.65 for 8, and they will get tried very soon!

I also don't recall doing so before, but I *LOVE* Mrs Crimble's vegan chocolate coconut macaroons. Currently on offer in Sainsburys for £1, an absolute bargain and so recommended it is nuts!

Good news for me, as I sample more exciting food today, is that I clearly don't have the dreaded virus (so far so good, I've managed to not yet catch it) as I can taste my food It must just be a cold, which I've already had cold relief meds for, phew!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Apr 2022 ==





Likewise, perhaps said cafe is new to the marketing game and just didn't really know what to put! Either way, if it catches the eye of someone who has considered veganism and has been put off by not having their daily latte, then perhaps it doesn't matter if the sign makes sense to us or not. Its message is what is important!

Indeed, I suppose a marketing wheeze isn't out of the question !

 

[hexagon789]

I also don't recall doing so before, but I *LOVE* Mrs Crimble's vegan chocolate coconut macaroons. Currently on offer in Sainsburys for £1, an absolute bargain and so recommended it is nuts!

Now those I do like, B&Ms do them for 99p all the time BTW!

Likewise, perhaps said cafe is new to the marketing game and just didn't really know what to put! Either way, if it catches the eye of someone who has considered veganism and has been put off by not having their daily latte, then perhaps it doesn't matter if the sign makes sense to us or not. Its message is what is important!

True, that's a very possible reason. Nevertheless, I still feel that simply stating "plant based alternative available" is simpler and perhaps less ambiguous. Also I feel as though almost everywhere does plant alternatives now, even 'Spoons do Soya or Coconut milk to have with tea/filter coffee!

 

[Techniquest]

Indeed, I suppose a marketing wheeze isn't out of the question !

We can all have a 'blonde moment' after all!

Still better than having to mark fruit and vegetables as vegan though! Which in some cases is fair, as frozen battered onion rings in Morrisons say they're vegan but those in Sainsburys don't. I stopped buying the Sainsburys ones partly for that reason, although also because they've gone up to £1.75 and I cannot justify such a purchase now. When I can spend that £1.75 on something with even better flavour, then that makes sense to me.

Now those I do like, B&Ms do them for 99p all the time BTW!



True, that's a very possible reason. Nevertheless, I still feel that simply stating "plant based alternative available" is simpler and perhaps less ambiguous. Also I feel as though almost everywhere does plant alternatives now, even 'Spoons do Soya or Coconut milk to have with tea/filter coffee!

Thanks for the tip, I predict a trip to B&M tomorrow! I think most places do indeed offer plant based alternatives, I almost never take advantage of them though. I had too many poor quality coconut milk mochas (and oat milk ones, for that matter, or was that almond? It's been too long to remember) from Costa and it has put me off somewhat. At the price coffee shops charge for such drinks, enduring substandard drinks is not the way forward!

That and I genuinely prefer coffee as it comes. Sometimes with sugar, granted, but a black coffee is what I prefer. Perhaps I ought to try a *decent* coffee shop and get a mocha or something again, so I can get the calcium intake. Mind you, for the price of just one of those I can get a 10 day supply of calcium, Vitamin D and Vitamin K from Boots (£3.50) and cover that need, plus of course I wouldn't have all the extra fats etc out of the mocha drinks!

I am a very fussy vegan aren't I?

 

[hexagon789]

I think most places do indeed offer plant based alternatives, I almost never take advantage of them though. I had too many poor quality coconut milk mochas (and oat milk ones, for that matter, or was that almond? It's been too long to remember) from Costa and it has put me off somewhat. At the price coffee shops charge for such drinks, enduring substandard drinks is not the way forward!

I can't argue with that. I do drink cows milk but my mother usually prefers soya milk and I can say from experience how variable certain brands are. Whichever brand Wetherspoons used vefote switching to Alpro was utterly vile to be quite frank.

I am a very fussy vegan aren't I?

Better to be fussy and get all the nutrition your body needs than make do and suffer the consequences.

 

[Techniquest]

I can't argue with that. I do drink cows milk but my mother usually prefers soya milk and I can say from experience how variable certain brands are. Whichever brand Wetherspoons used vefote switching to Alpro was utterly vile to be quite frank.


Better to be fussy and get all the nutrition your body needs than make do and suffer the consequences.

Oh my yes, there's a significant difference between, for example, Aldi almond milk and Alpro almond milk. There are some good brands out there, Oatly and their chocolate flavour milk, that stuff on Weetabix (or more accurately in my case, a supermarket brand of it) is amazing. Jord is a decent enough branded oat milk, I wouldn't pay full price for though.

Agreed that being fussy is the way to be. You'd be amazed how much being fussy is looked down upon though! For example, I despise mushrooms and it's so annoying when people seem to think that it's a good ingredient to use. Asking for it to not be included in a restaurant, when ordering something, can result in surprise that vegans are not big mushroom fans. I know some people love them, but I really can't be dealing with them.

Asda sell a vegan pizza in the chilled range, which looks nice, but the mushrooms on it look rancid and it puts me off buying one. Yes I could probably peel them off, but the pizza will still have residual mushroom taste left behind. I stopped buying the vegan sausage rolls from the fresh counters in Morrisons for similar reasons, the recipe has changed and now includes mushrooms. No thank you! I found this out by chance, almost after finishing them, and now I have even less need to go to Morrisons!

The Morrisons in Hereford do sell Ma Baker flapjacks though, which are incredible!

 

[Magdalia]

I saw an advert for "plant based coffee" recently. It's made of beans for goodness sake !

I don't drink coffee, but for as long as I can remember I've drunk industrial quantities of Workman's Tea: supermarket blend with milk and sugar.

I'm almost a proper vegetarian (I eat fish about once a week) but I couldn't go vegan because of milk in tea. Over 90% of the carton milk I buy is for making tea, and I've yet to find a plant based milk that does not result in tea that tastes disgusting.

And, taking a broader ethical view, I'm not a fan of plant based milk because I understand that production of such milks uses very environmentally unfriendly levels of energy and water.

But, to make me feel a bit ethical, I do use unrefined sugar and goats milk. Supermarket cows milk can only be that cheap by screwing both the cows and the farmers.

 

[hexagon789]

Agreed that being fussy is the way to be. You'd be amazed how much being fussy is looked down upon though! For example, I despise mushrooms and it's so annoying when people seem to think that it's a good ingredient to use. Asking for it to not be included in a restaurant, when ordering something, can result in surprise that vegans are not big mushroom fans. I know some people love them, but I really can't be dealing with them.

You are not alone, I loathe mushrooms too!

Asda sell a vegan pizza in the chilled range, which looks nice, but the mushrooms on it look rancid and it puts me off buying one. Yes I could probably peel them off, but the pizza will still have residual mushroom taste left behind.

Yep, same here - I can't do with just peeling them off, the taste is still there!

Thanks for the tip, I predict a trip to B&M tomorrow!

BTW, I checked the cupboard because i suddenly remembered that there were two kinds of the vegan versions and it's only the plain vegan coconut ones, not the chocolate and coconut vegan ones. Don't want to waste a trip if you're after the chocolate ones!

(Other B&M stores may do both, but 3 different stores in Glasgow have only ever had plain vegan ones or chocolate non-vegan ones - because that arrangement makes sense? .)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Apr 2022 ==

I don't drink coffee, but for as long as I can remember I've drunk industrial quantities of Workman's Tea: supermarket blend with milk and sugar.

I'm almost a proper vegetarian (I eat fish about once a week) but I couldn't go vegan because of milk in tea. Over 90% of the carton milk I buy is for making tea, and I've yet to find a plant based milk that does not result in tea that tastes disgusting.

And, taking a broader ethical view, I'm not a fan of plant based milk because I understand that production of such milks uses very environmentally unfriendly levels of energy and water.

But, to make me feel a bit ethical, I do use unrefined sugar and goats milk. Supermarket cows milk can only be that cheap by screwing both the cows and the farmers.

The price of milk has definitely gone up though, pre-pamdemic I was paying 89p for 4 pints, now the exact same is £1.25 - that's a 40% increase in about 25-26 months.

 

[yorksrob]

I don't drink coffee, but for as long as I can remember I've drunk industrial quantities of Workman's Tea: supermarket blend with milk and sugar.

I'm almost a proper vegetarian (I eat fish about once a week) but I couldn't go vegan because of milk in tea. Over 90% of the carton milk I buy is for making tea, and I've yet to find a plant based milk that does not result in tea that tastes disgusting.

And, taking a broader ethical view, I'm not a fan of plant based milk because I understand that production of such milks uses very environmentally unfriendly levels of energy and water.

But, to make me feel a bit ethical, I do use unrefined sugar and goats milk. Supermarket cows milk can only be that cheap by screwing both the cows and the farmers.

I must admit, while I don't like eating meat, my dietary choices are also partly aesthetic. I'd hate to think of the English landscape without cows !

 

[Magdalia]

I must admit, while I don't like eating meat, my dietary choices are also partly aesthetic. I'd hate to think of the English landscape without cows !

I have a similar concern about the English landscape. There's a discussion, elsewhere on the forum, about Wensleydale, which would not look the same without cows and sheep. I hope that, at some time in the not too distant future, Wensleydale sheep milk is on the supermarket shelves.

 

[yorksrob]

I have a similar concern about the English landscape. There's a discussion, elsewhere on the forum, about Wensleydale, which would not look the same without cows and sheep. I hope that, at some time in the not too distant future, Wensleydale sheep milk is on the supermarket shelves.

I have friends who would rather the landscape was repopulated with trees and wolves !

 

[Gloster]

I have friends who would rather the landscape was repopulated with trees and wolves !

I am afraid that I do not find the idea of the country being populated with 1970s prog rock bands particularly attractive.

EDIT: Ah, it has been corrected.

 

[yorksrob]

I am afraid that I do not find the idea of the country being populated with 1970s prog rock bands particularly attractive.

EDIT: Ah, it has been corrected.

Apologies - I've forgotten what I've had to correct due to this silly automatic word function.

That said, it would be exciting to be out wandering the countryside and discover the likes of Genesis, Jethro Tull, Yes etc lurking !

 

[Magdalia]

That said, it would be exciting to be out wandering the countryside and discover the likes of Genesis, Jethro Tull, Yes etc lurking !

I think I'll take my chances with the wolves.

 

[yorksrob]

I think I'll take my chances with the wolves.

Classic Rock !

 

[Techniquest]

You are not alone, I loathe mushrooms too!


Yep, same here - I can't do with just peeling them off, the taste is still there!



BTW, I checked the cupboard because i suddenly remembered that there were two kinds of the vegan versions and it's only the plain vegan coconut ones, not the chocolate and coconut vegan ones. Don't want to waste a trip if you're after the chocolate ones!

(Other B&M stores may do both, but 3 different stores in Glasgow have only ever had plain vegan ones or chocolate non-vegan ones - because that arrangement makes sense? .)

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The price of milk has definitely gone up though, pre-pamdemic I was paying 89p for 4 pints, now the exact same is £1.25 - that's a 40% increase in about 25-26 months.

Thanks for coming back and updating that about B&M, I will have a look anyway as it's less than a mile from here and I'd like to know for sure. Never try and understand supermarket logic, by the way, it falls foul of any normal and rational person's thinking. In my place at least, we simply describe as 'something that makes sense to us makes no sense to bosses, and vice versa'.

I cannot tell you how pleased I am to read of someone else who feels the same as me about mushrooms! It certainly gives me hope for humanity! I wonder if you're also not a fan of broccoli, which incidentally I would much rather have on a pizza than mushrooms!

Oh this all reminds me, I ended up having a meal with my Mum in the local Spoons (the venue is an entirely different topic!) and I had the same curry I had in Wisbech in the autumn of 2021. Bangalorean cauliflower and red pepper curry I think it's listed as, I honestly can't remember right now, but it is absolutely amazing. In it is also spinach and potato, and it could be spinach instead of red pepper in the name. Either way, 6 months or so after I last tried it, I loved it again and I would absolutely recommend it!

 

[hexagon789]

Thanks for coming back and updating that about B&M, I will have a look anyway as it's less than a mile from here and I'd like to know for sure.

No problem, I just suddenly got a sense of guilt over potentially sending you on a wasted journey to goodness knows where and felt I'd better clarify!

In my place at least, we simply describe as 'something that makes sense to us makes no sense to bosses, and vice versa'.

I know exactly what you mean, we have the same saying in my place as well!

I cannot tell you how pleased I am to read of someone else who feels the same as me about mushrooms! It certainly gives me hope for humanity! I wonder if you're also not a fan of broccoli, which incidentally I would much rather have on a pizza than mushrooms!

I love broccoli!

Oh this all reminds me, I ended up having a meal with my Mum in the local Spoons (the venue is an entirely different topic!) and I had the same curry I had in Wisbech in the autumn of 2021. Bangalorean cauliflower and red pepper curry I think it's listed as, I honestly can't remember right now, but it is absolutely amazing. In it is also spinach and potato, and it could be spinach instead of red pepper in the name. Either way, 6 months or so after I last tried it, I loved it again and I would absolutely recommend it!

My mum often has that and I've tried it myself and fully agree - it's one of the best veggie curries I've had.

Indeed I would actually rate it higher than the meat-containing curries at 'Spoons; having tried all those bar the Vindaloo and the intriguingly named "Flaming Dragon" one which was removed from the menu before i had a chance to sample it !

One of the vegan curries I would particularly rate is Yo! Sushi's Vegan Pumpkin Katsu, was a great deal when they used to do Vegan Wednesdays and all the Vegan items were £2.30 including the unlimited refill Miso soup. Pity it hasn't returned as yet.

 

[Techniquest]

No problem, I just suddenly got a sense of guilt over potentially sending you on a wasted journey to goodness knows where and felt I'd better clarify!

I really do appreciate that! I've not tried the non-chocolate vegan macaroons yet, primarily because I didn't even know they existed! I rarely shop in B&M, truth be told, it's not really my sort of shop. My local one certainly used to be less than pleasant to shop in, others aren't too bad, but there's just a weird vibe in my local B&M.

Somehow the forum software is having a hissy fit at replying to reply to you properly, the above bit is of course my reply. It won't let me edit it to take the quote bit off there

I know exactly what you mean, we have the same saying in my place as well!


I love broccoli!

So you are not quite a long-lost twin brother then Next you'll be telling me you enjoy the delights of sprouts multiple times a week

Good to see it's not just our place that does stupid things then!

My mum often has that and I've tried it myself and fully agree - it's one of the best veggie curries I've had.

Indeed I would actually rate it higher than the meat-containing curries at 'Spoons; having tried all those bar the Vindaloo and the intriguingly named "Flaming Dragon" one which was removed from the menu before i had a chance to sample it !

One of the vegan curries I would particularly rate is Yo! Sushi's Vegan Pumpkin Katsu, was a great deal when they used to do Vegan Wednesdays and all the Vegan items were £2.30 including the unlimited refill Miso soup. Pity it hasn't returned as yet.

I'd have to say it is a great curry from Spoons, although I used to love the korma and the ticket masala. Not for the meat content, but the flavour was awesome. Talking of, Morrisons were at least recently selling their own brand of korma sauce in jars for just £1. I found it in Nantwich on a recent adventure, and even my meat-eating sister enjoyed that. Highly recommended stuff and I need to find out if my local Morrisons does it.

I haven't tried many of the curries in Spoons, for obvious reasons, but many years back I tried the phaal on a Curry Club night. That was an absolute monster, it sounds like the Flaming Dragon one would have been similar. I don't think you've missed too much there, if the Dragon and the phaal were indeed more or less the same then there was too much heat to properly enjoy the meal anyway. I appreciate a lot of people like their spicy curries, but there gets a point when you'd be better off just eating a jar of spice with a spoon, washed down with a glass of chilli juice!

I've never eaten at Yo! as of yet, it's on my list to try. I was going to get food from there when at Heathrow recently, but Wagamama was also there and that immediately had my attention. Yo! has to wait until I get to try it on the High Street. That curry does sound amazing, hopefully it will soon return! Vegan Wednesdays sounds like my sort of deal day, I will have to look at making a visit next time I'm in Worcester.

 

[hexagon789]

Somehow the forum software is having a hissy fit at replying to reply to you properly, the above bit is of course my reply. It won't let me edit it to take the quote bit off there

I get that sometimes as well, drives me half-mad trying to sort it to no avail!

Talking of, Morrisons were at least recently selling their own brand of korma sauce in jars for just £1. I found it in Nantwich on a recent adventure, and even my meat-eating sister enjoyed that. Highly recommended stuff and I need to find out if my local Morrisons does it

Ooh, now you're talking - must try some with some spare veg I've got kicking around. Thanks for the recommendation.

That was an absolute monster, it sounds like the Flaming Dragon one would have been similar. I don't think you've missed too much there, if the Dragon and the phaal were indeed more or less the same then there was too much heat to properly enjoy the meal anyway. I appreciate a lot of people like their spicy curries, but there gets a point when you'd be better off just eating a jar of spice with a spoon, washed down with a glass of chilli juice

I know exactly what you mean - all heat but no real flavour, none that's properly discernible at least - the heat masks it.

That curry does sound amazing, hopefully it will soon return! Vegan Wednesdays sounds like my sort of deal day, I will have to look at making a visit next time I'm in Worcester.

The Pumpkin Kastu curry itself is still available, it's just the Vegan Green Wednesday offer that isn't currently.

 

[Techniquest]

Ah nice, well I will definitely remember that

Now tried the M&S Plant Kitchen Double Chocolate Cookies, they're not too bad. I couldn't eat them too often, but I'd buy them again. Tonight I have a need for a good recovery meal, following a good cardio session (finally the legs are more or less back to normal! ) and as a result I have sweet potato, carrot batons and peas cooking but I also have some curry flavoured tempeh pieces.

They look really good, on offer for £2.25 currently in Sainsburys. When I opened the packet, the smell was beautiful so I'm excited to try them in a little over 10 minutes Well loaded with protein, granted they've a fair amount of fat in them too by the looks of it but there's only one way to find out if they're any good!

A review of them, and confirmation of the actual product name, will come along before too long!