You can know your way around anything without questioning it. But are you making it easy for you to enjoy your lifestyle? A smart vegan knows how to tweak their choices, so they are both cruelty-free and fun! Read on and find out what you can do to become a smart vegan too!
Wherever you are on your journey, veganism can be a lot to deal with: changing your food choices, reading all labels, re-evaluating clothing, and other aspects of life. On top of that, your environment might not take kindly to what you want to achieve. I get it! We all do. There are however many ways you can improve upon certain aspects. You can even try to be healthier (as I’ve elaborated more on here). Even if that’s not your goal though, veganism has a strong positive aspect on your mood, and energy levels, when you do it the right way. What is the secret though? How is it possible to live without cheese and bacon, and find more and more joy every day? Read on and see what a smart vegan does every week!
Below you’ll find a couple of ideas that rocked my world on veganism. Have fun with any of them.
Find stores that expand your horizon
Ethnic stores? Exotic boutiques? How about visiting health-focused shops that could interest you in something you knew from your omni days, such as sausage, mayonnaise, or parmesan? Here are a couple of places I wholeheartedly recommend to check out. Click on their names to go to their shops, straight away!
Holland & Barrett
One of my favorite go-tos. This is the best place to get your nuts, seeds, and basic vitamins in bulk, such as a vegan multivitamin complex, or Choline (not mandatory, but it’s a good reminder to get your levels checked). They even have mushroom-based vegan vitamin D. Here are a couple of interesting products you might just love to try out as well:
- Tuno – tuna fish alternative, made of plants. They’ve also released new premade meal products recently, and H&B is stocking all of it!
- Coconut water
- Vego, and other high quality vegan chocolates
- Soy chunks for any stew or curry, as a meat alternative
- Sausages, deli slices, nut butters and chocolate of huge variety
- Amazing variety of chocolate spreads and nut butters
Nourish
Nourish is always one of those places that feels a bit like a store from Harry Potter. Every time I call around, they have something new, interesting, and rare you may never find again. A smart vegan frequents this store often. Besides their normal range of vitamins, here are some products I regularly buy to satiate my thirst for adventure:
- Super cool, soy based yoghurt
- Five spice, or Hazelnut flavored dried tofu (looks and behaves like ham, perfect for sandwiches)
- Marinated tofu, seitan, and similar faux meat alternatives
- Some good vegan cheeses
- Artisan chocolate
The Health Store
On Henry Street, you can find a store that feels like you entered a pharmacy. They offer similar productss to Holland & Barrett, but the options are more high-end varieties, and sometimes specialized. Here are some of the great options you can look for, when you get there:
- They sell one of the oldest, vegan brands out there: Tofurky! Around Christmas you can even get the Tofurky pot roast!
- Best vegan (packaged) cookies in town so far
- Really good vegan protein sources (if the natural ones don’t seem to fit your preference)
- Some great varieties of vegan cheese, such as Violife
Veganic
Veganic is simply a delight in our vegan world. Their name is a marriage between the words vegan and organic. You cannot buy anything from them that isn’t both of those things. Isn’t that amazing?
Despite being a rather small shop, the savvy vegan staff pack the place with all kinds of wonderful options. Some might be brand new to you as well, so make sure to check their options out. Also, don’t be afraid to ask, they know all about their products. Here are just a couple that you can choose from:
- Bulk purchase on a lot of stuff, without packaging, such as dried foods (soy chunks, grains, legumes, popcorn kernels), and washing up liquid
- Biodegradable cleaning / bathroom products and natural scrubs
- Amazing options on faux meats: sausages, bacon (!), mince meat, deli slices, chorizo, steaks, burgers, and anything in between. They can be bought both chilled and frozen.
- Cheese of any consistency: grated parmesan or cheddar for pizzas, and even soft mozzarella cheese spread ( made with cashews)
- Additional types of spreads, sauces and products you didn’t know existed (did you know there’s such a thing as vegan gravy?)
- Hard to choose from the chocolates. I don’t even recognize most of the brands!
- Pro tip: Veganz and Rebel Kitchen products. You can thank me later.
Go to certain restaurants to challenge your knowledge of the v-world!
There are many options in Dublin you can explore. Every year we have more and more opportunities that are worth looking out for. If you have a craving for vegan fish and chips, or would just rather dabble in a foreign cuisine while still keeping your v-face on, check out what I’ve found.
I gathered all the vegan(ish) places here.
Also, the places which smart vegan people can visit with omni friends here.
Get a Vegicity card!
You might have been using similar options with other companies: Starbucks is offering free goodies to regular cardholders, Tesco Loyalty Cards give some cash and features back, etc. The concept is not foreign to any of us. So why not try and have a vegan card as well?
For a small fee of €20 you can order a card that will last the whole year. After it arrives, you’ll get a brochure with all participating places that can give you a discount on your favorite treats, meals, and the like. Honestly, this is one of the best deals and features you can get as a new plant-based individual. So, what are you waiting for? Here are some of the benefits you can enjoy, when you unlock your Vegicity card:
- Great discounts to most of the places above, and many more
- Savings and great long term deals with the restaurants you frequently visit, and the stores you buy stuff from
- You’ll help a vegan cause with it! This might not be obvious to some, but every time you put your money where a vegan business is, you upcycle your income into something helpful and supportive. This is exactly how our happy community can thrive. Also, the more subscribers/customers Vegicity can get, the more brands will join the options. This is a win win situation for everyone!
If you’re interested in getting a card, check out Vegicity here.
I hope I could pique your interest on how to tweak an interest into our world. A smart vegan always chooses ways to better themselves. Is there anything you can do that makes your life easier? Or more fun? Post it in the comments below!
Would you like to know more about vegan protein? Click here!
Would you like to learn to eat healthier on a vegan diet? Click here!
Would you be interested to know which foods are easy and worthwhile to stock during trying times? Click here!
