Ashleigh tried vegan!

This blog is completely dedicated to my vegan journey. I decided to turn vegan from the 11th January 2023 and this came to a close on the 14th July 2023. I managed to lose just over 11kg in six months which is huge, however now I'm looking to build muscle. Protein on a vegan diet is definitely harder, but the purpose for starting this journey was for weight loss. Now that I'm looking to build muscle, I'm now back onto a more varied diet.

I alternated between milks depending on what is on offer so I haven't listed these, but I buy barista style oat milk for hot based drinks. My absolute favourite for coffee was the Alpro oat barista though. All reviews are below, and I hope you enjoy my blog! Anything with a ? is frozen.

Aldi:

1. Plant Menu: Onion and rosemary sausages ? - I have loved these for absolutely ages. They cook really well, even if you overcook them they don't go dry. And at the moment they're only ￡1.15 for a pack of six, so extremely good with the cost of living.
2. Plant Menu: Battered sausages ? - These were a great alternative to a chippy take away! I really enjoyed. Obviously a fresh battered sausage would have been superior but this was a great alternative.
3. Plant Menu: Meat-free mince ? - This is an absolute steal! ￡1.15 for 400g, sold. Really nice, breaks up well and not too spongey.
4. Plant Menu: Spiced chicken kebab pieces ? - I am OBSESSED with gyros, and these are absolutely fantastic. Great macros. Can't fault. Get to Aldi before they decide to discontinue!
5. Plant Menu: Barbeque pulled pork pieces ? - These are pretty nice, would be good in a wrap and a great alternative to pulled pork.
6. Plant Menu: Spicy chicken burgers ? - These were okay. Not very spicy and a bit bland in the middle, but a great way to get some protein in and convenient. I'll definitely try more of these.
7. Plant Menu: Indian spiced chicken style strips ? - These were okay, but not something I'd have again.
8. Plant Menu: Mini filled nan breads ? - These have both jalfrezi and rogan josh. I'm not entirely sure but they were slightly reduced which is a sign they may have been discontinued. These are amazing, a nice alternative to your beige buffet. I'd definitely re-create them if they aren't in stock anymore!
9. Plant Menu: Jackfruit chilli ? - I used to buy this years ago when I couldn't be bothered cooking. It's pretty low in calories and the jackfruit is similar to a pulled meat. Brilliant buy, definitely recommend.
10. Plant Menu: Mozzarella - I had this in a toastie, it was fab. It had a similar strength to what brie has, and it was so gooey and melty. Couldn't tell it had coconut in at all!
11. Plant Menu: Cheddar - This wasn't as nice as the mozzarella, bit bland but I like how the consistency on a jacket potato matched what melted cheddar would.
12. Plant Menu: Potato salad - This is really simple. It just tastes like potato salad, and very light compared to some! Delish.
13. Plant Menu: No beef lasagne - This was absolutely stunning. The use of black lentils with the ragu sauce and plant based cheese sauce. Amazing!
14. Plant Menu: Coronation chickpea curry - This was mild, and it was pretty basic. Nice for a quick meal but not one I'd jump to buy again.
15. Plant Menu: No duck pancakes - I actually really liked these. I accidently added the sauce to the 'duck', served with thinly sliced cucumber and spring onion. Mmmm.
16. Plant Menu: Organic firm tofu - 99p for one?! That's amazing in itself. I did press this so it was even more firm (100% investing in a tofu press). Used it for piri piri skewers and also in a thai green curry. Really enjoyed it and such a great price.
17. Plant Menu: Peri peri 'chicken' - These didn't have too much flavour, not really a kick. They're okay to add to a sandwich but not as tasty as other alternatives I've had.
18. Plant Menu: Teriyaki 'beef' strips - Similarly to the peri peri chicken, but you can taste a bit more of the flavouring.
19. Plant Menu: No pork streaky bacon rashers - I really enjoyed these! I am a bacon lover, and this is a good alternative.
20. Plant Menu: No lamb roasting joint - This was really tasty! Had it for Easter. You can tell it isn't lamb but the flavours are quite similar to lamb. Would recommend but I do think it's been discontinued.
21. The Deli: Sweet potato pakora - These are really really tasty! I was expecting them to be quite dry as I had a different brand over Christmas that was, but no these are a really nice snack!
22. Plant Menu: Strawberry and vanilla cones ? - These are basically a cornetto replacement, and you know what? You can't actually tell these aren't dairy. I've bought three boxes of four so far, and sadly the second two have had slightly soggy cones so I'll be looking for an alternative.
23. Gourmet strawberry sweets - Don't walk, run to Aldi! These are an unbranded version of the Candy Kittens, and they were in fact a bit tastier! Also only 99p, absolute steal.

Morrisons :

1. Hummus chips: Sweet chilli flavour - These have a very similar taste to Sunbites but are a different shape. These are really flavourful and the shape is not one I've seen any other 'crisp' product. Really nice and only 97kcal.
2. Plant Revolution: Thai red jackfruit curry - This was quite tasty, not too strong and I absolutely love jackfruit. One I'd buy again? Probably not. I got these reduced but they're quite expensive if buying full price.
3. Plant Revolution: No chicken tikka masala - This. Was. Phenominal. It tasted just like your normal ready meal one. Loved it. And I am not a huge fan of creamy dishes. This is one to have stocked in the freezer if you need something quick and easy.
4. Plant Revolution: Mighty balls - These aren't good. I have tried them with two different sauces and neither helped. They've got an off-cardboard taste but the weird flavour sticks. Wouldn't recommend these.

Asda :

1. Smoky tofu burrito - This was okay, but I felt it lacked in spice. I'd prefer to make my own but a half decent meal for convenience.
2. Sweet potato katsu curry - The sweet potato element was fab, the sauce was okay and the rice was really stodgy.
3. Plant based spaghetti and veggie balls - This was actually much nicer then expected! Basic, but nice. Probably one of the nicer pre-made meatballs I've had.
4. Vegetable lasagne ? - This was delicious! I cooked this in the air fryer rather than the oven but it turned out perfectly. Very similar to the fresh Aldi one.
5. Roasted veg and houmous pizza - This was only ￡1.75 so my expectations were't very high, however this was amazing!! I added some vegan cheese as what is a pizza without cheese, but yeah really good.

Lidl:

1. Parmesan style cheese alternative - I added this to a toastie, and the smell is very similar to parmesan! I also had it on a bolognese recently and it worked really well. The smell is much stronger than the taste.

Sainsbury's :

1. Plant Pioneers: Chorizo shroomdogs - I've had these twice. First time I used them in a paella, second in a basic wrap. They were much nicer the second time, and I think not feeling sick helped. Not ones I'd buy again anytime soon though.
2. Plant Pioneers: Mushroom and red onion shroomdogs - These were definitely not as nice as others I've had, but I might have undercooked them so I'll see what they are like when I over cook them. Not much flavour.
3. Plant Pioneers: Meat free roasting joint - This was okay, not a massive load of flavour but it was a decent rolled meat alternative.
4. Plant Pioneers: Tofu burrito - This isn't too great macro wise. It tastes pretty nice and really convenient, but I love spicy and this was more on the barbequey side.
5. Plant Pioneers: No chicken tikka - This was absolutely perfect. The soy pieces were kind of like mimicking chicken thigh, but without any gristley bits. Plant Pioneers: Tirimasu - This had great flavour, but it was missing the light cream layer that I absolutely love in a tirimasu.
6. Plant Pipmeers: No chicken korma - This was very bland and boring. Didn't enjoy.
7. Plant Pioneers: Salted caramel chocolate pot - This was really nice. Slight but of coconut, very sweet. Quite heavy though so have a light dinner then one of these!

特易购公司 :

1. Wicked Kitchen: Spicy pepper-no-ni pizza - This was such a great Friday treat! I added more jalapenos, mushroom and some of the squeaky bean chargrilled fillets and cooked it in my electric pizza oven. This was insane. It was high in calories but I didn't eat much all day, walked Durin twice and gymmed so that made it fine.

1. Plant Chef: Meat-free smoky rashers - These were similar to Aldi but most of them fell apart which wasn't ideal. Nice taste but I'd choose Aldi ones over these.
2. Plant Chef: Minted no-lamb koftas - Not like lamb, but a really good alternative! I'd definitely have these again and again.
3. Plant Chef: Garic kiev - I really liked this! Couldn't tell it was chicken, seeing as it's normally breaded anyway. The garlic inside was delightful too.

allplants :

1. Brown rice and 'chorizo' paella ? - This had the exact taste to what a paella has, but you don't get the texture that the meat/fish provides. I was really happy with it, I also added some sweetcorn to give it texture and fresh chilli to spice it up.
2. Piri piri rice bowl ? - This wasn't great. I had all of the meat substitute and cooked Sam paprika pepper prawns. The whole dish didn't have much flavour even though it was a 'spicy' dish, even after adding seasoning, chilli and spring onion. Not one I'd order again.

1. Miso + tamari tofu bowl ? - This was delicious! Loads of grains, nice bit of spice then a lovely cooling side. Aesthetically it doesn't look as good at the photo of it but hey, it was lush for a cold winters day!
2. Black bean udon noodles ? - I was really looking forward to these, but I felt they were a bit bland for my taste.
3. Green 'ricotta' lasagne ? - I didn't like this. I found the cashew sauce was a little odd and there was a lot of water at the bottom from the spinach. I don't like wasting food but I didn't finish this and I didn't eat the second portion.
4. Tex mex bowl ? - This one was decent. I liked the different grains and the mince texture was like extra lean beef mince.

Misfits :

1. Dark chocolate raspberry bar - I absolutely loved this. The dark chocolate made sure this wasn't too sweet in comparison to the raspberry. Sadly they've stopped producing these, Misfits.. fancy bringing these back please?!
2. Chocolate brownie bar - This one was a bit too stodgy and I didn't get that classic 'brownie' taste.

3. Strawberries and cream bar - This was so sweet. I don't like synthetic strawberry protein products overall though.

1. Smores bar - This was okay but very biscuit based. I do however love the fact it's got marshmallows on top!
2. Chocolate speculoos - I was so excited to try this one as reviews said it tasted like the flavour we all know and love, but it was very similar to the smores.
3. Chocolate banoffee - There is a slight twang to this, however I managed to finish the bar. I really enjoyed the slightly caramel-mostly banana flavour and it wasn't too sweet. This definitely has second place.
4. White chocolate cookies 'n' cream - This has a similar biscuit taste like the smores and speculoos, however the white chocolate actually neutrilised this a lot and made it a lot tastier.
5. Milk chocolate wafer - Really tasty. These are less dense and easier to eat than the normal bars.
6. White chocolate wafer - Same as above but this felt a little heavier.
7. Chocolate cereal - First time I tried this I wasn't well and didn't like it. I've actually started to enjoy having it as a little snack rather than as a cereal. Great little thing to have to help that sweet tooth but get some protein in.

Trek:

1. Chocolate topped flapjacks - These are pretty nice, good amount of chocolate to flapjack.
2. White chocolate and raspberry flapjacks - I wasn't sure if these would be too sweet when I bought these, however I prefer them to the chocolate topped. So tasty and moreish!
3. Salted caramel flapjacks - These were nice, but a little on the sickly side.

Grubby :

1. Butternut squash risotto, crispy kale and toasted pumpkin seeds - This was absolutely amazing. Pureeing some of the squash and adding to the risotto last minute was such a shout and I love crispy kale. I added chicken chunks (marinated in smoked paprika and granulated garlic for Sam).
2. Miso aubergine, sticky coconut rice, lime and chilli avocado - Sadly the avocado was already ready for the bin so I wasn't able to make this, but the other side was steamed kale. Not as good as crispy but I liked it. There was too much rice. The miso glaze was amazing, but even after cooking the aubergine for an extra five minutes according to the instructions it was still a bit hard. I swapped the aubergine for chicken for Sams.
3. 'Shepherds pie' with parsnip and butter bean mash with green beans - This was genuinely amazing! This was basically like having a vegan spagbol but without the spaghetti topped with a really nice earthy mash. I added some caramalised onion sausage to Sams.
4. New potato, lentil and sprouting broccoli tray bake. This was really delightful and super colourful! I added some tofu to it but honestly it was huge and so filling, I don't think I really needed it!

Myvegan :

1. Clear vegan diet protein: Strawberry - This is a fab drink and makes it so much easier to drink than heavy milk shakes. This does leave bits in the shaker but that doesn't bother me.
2. Clear vegan protein: Watermelon - This was nice but a bit too sweet for me.
3. Clear vegan protein: Blood orange - Avoid. It was horrible.
4. Clear vegan protein: Pineapple & grapefruit - I was a bit dubious about the pineapple and grapefruit as I can't stand the taste of pink grapefruit squash but woah, this is super pineapply and tastes wonderful. Really refreshing!
5. Clear vegan protein: Raspberry mojito - This was great! It is refreshing, subtle and leaves the shaker clean.
6. Clear soy protein: Grape - This was sickly sweet, so if you like sweet things you'll probably like this and the watermelon one. This one also gives flower/perfume after taste. I wouldn't buy it again. It is however a very clean shake, doesn't leave any bits.
7. Protein plus immunity: Mango & lime - This takes a few goes to enjoy, but I'm sad it's ran out now it has! Love that it's got a bit more protein and caffeine.
8. Protein plus immunity: Black elderberry - Why isn't there a big tub of this?! It tastes a bit like mixing the red and blue slush puppies together. Absolutely fab.
9. Sparkling energy drink: Lemon & lime - This was really nice and refreshing.
10. Sparkling energy drink: Mixed berry - A little on the sweet side, but still refreshing.
11. Protein blend V3: Chocolate salted caramel - I mixed this with 125ml almond milk and 125ml water. The taste was nice but I did find it was a little grainy and left an after taste. I'd try it again.
12. Soy protein isolate: Iced latte - Initially I mixed this with 125ml almond milk and 125ml water. It was sooo thick, so I added a bit more water. This did make the shake less tasty, but it loosened it. I'd definitely try again but just with water. The shake itself had a really smooth consistency, but I found there were lumps and I didn't then want to shake it again to make it even more thick. 26g protein is amazing for a shake!
13. Pea protein isolate: Chocolate - This got worse the more I had it, so I wouldn't buy again. I tried it with a mix of water and almond/oat milk.

13. Protein pancake mix: Golden syrup - I have never had protein pancakes before, so I really wanted to give these a go. I got the golden syrup flavour. These are genuinely an absolute game changer! I tried the batter which was absolutely stunning. I cooked them (badly, they were half cooked half not), but they were still so tasty. I had them with strawberries, raspberries and melted biscoff. 100% buying a big packet if they're available in my next order.

14. Vegan filled protein cookie: Double chocolate & caramel - This was delightful! You could have this as a dessert instead of a normal unhealthy one. Recommend microwaving for 30 seconds so the center is gooey!

15. Double dough brownie: Chocolate orange - This was nice but a little too stodgy for my liking. Great that is has 13g protein and 9g fibre. Might have been nicer if it was warmed up.

15. Popped protein crisps: Thai sweet chilli - These were okay, but they didn't taste of Thai sweet chilli and were a little gluey in your mouth by the end of the packet.

Quorn Foods :

1. Vegan chicken slices - I put two in a toastie and it was really tasty. It doesn't taste of chicken as such, but it's got a slight smokiness to it.
2. Vegan ham slices - I did the same as the above. Definitely less flavorful than the chicken but still worked well in the toastie.
3. 'Chicken nuggets' ? - Nuggs as I like to call them are a great little snack. These don't really taste much, if any different to actual chicken ones.
4. Mince ? - The texture of this is a bit spongey, however the protein for 150g is 21g and a great easy alternative to normal mince!

Cauldron:

1. Organic marinated tofu - Not going to lie, I have no idea what the marinade is supposed to be however it definitely gives a nice bit of flavour to the tofu. The texture on these pieces are great! Can enjoy as part of a meal or use as a sandwich filler replacement. The main issue is the fat and protein contact are the same.
2. Falafel - I'm not a big fan of falafels. I made some once and they were horrible! These actually taste quite nice but they are dry so adding some vegan mayo makes them better.

Linda McCartney:

1. Katsu chicken bites - These were just okay. Not very katsu-ey and a little on the dry side.
2. Lincolnshire sausages ? - These are pretty nice, but I think I overcooked mine and they went a little dry.
3. Vegetarian sausages ? - These are pretty nice. I find they need cooking for longer then the pack suggests personally but I do like there to be a bit of crisp on the outside.
4. Mince ? - This is fab! It's less bouncy than Quorn and comes in little pellet/balls. Tastes nice, can't complain. Packed full of protein too.
5. Chicken pieces ? - These worked really well in both a curry and ramen I made! Not masses of taste, but it does have some. Really hard to explain but it makes a great chicken alternative.
6. Tomato and basil meat style balls ? - Not much flavour, you get a hint of tomato and basil but it isn't very strong.

Pukka:

1. Vegan chicken and mushroom pie - I really enjoyed this pie. It is a lot more mushroomy and peppery than a creamy chicken one, but I'd 100% eat it again!

Squeaky Bean :

1. Chargrilled piri piri mini fillets - Oh wow, these are incredible. Texture is similar to chicken and the chargrilled flavour was amazing. 100% want to get more of these!
2. Chargrilled steak - These. Are. Amazing. Get them, they are so similar to actual beef!
3. Tikka style pieces - I love the shape of these, they're rounded so super easy to snack on. I wouldn't say they gave off massive tikka flavouring but it was nice.
4. Tandoori pieces - These are really nice, slightly curried pieces of 'chicken'. I'd love to try this on a pizza!
5. Pepperoni - This is okay, not pepperoni how I remember it but it's a decent alternative on a pizza covered in vegan cheese.
6. Spanish style chorizo - This tasted really good, very peppery!

Viv Era:

1. Plant spicy chicken kebab style - The texture of this is pretty good. Taste wise, I'd just say okay. Not very spicy. I feel having it in a kebab with some vegan garlic sauce would be delicious though.

1. Plant Greek style kebab - This was amazing! Highly recommend as an alternative to a kebab with pita and salad. Super quick and easy to prepare too.
2. Plant shawarma kebab - This is very similar to the Greek style. Really tasty!
3. Plant salmon fillet - This didn't taste anything like salmon, but it was a half decent alternative.

Meatless Farm :

1. Chicken breast - These are a nice alternative to actual chicken. I had them in rice based dishes but these would work well with sauce, skewers etc too.
2. Mince - This isn't the best if I'm honest, but if you add a seasoning packet (I used an ultimate burger seasoning pack) then it was pretty decent.
3. Plant based quarter pounders - Wasn't a fan of these. Not a lot of flavour and they weren't very healthy!

Richmond:

1. Chicken style pieces - I really liked these. Very similar to the nice part of a chicken thigh but without the gristle. Taste is really good. Had it with peri peri sauce and I also used it in a curry as a chicken substitute.

V Bites:

1. Sage and onion slices - These are soo tasty, bit like having chicken with sage and onion stuffing mixed into one log. Really nice.
2. Vamm slices - This doesn't taste of ham, but it's an okay alternative.

THIS? :

1. Isn't pork meatballs and spaghetti - The sauce was nice but the meatballs were flavourless. Wouldn't recommend.

Beyond Meat :

1. Plant based sausages - The worst thing I've ever tried. I've heard such great things about their burgers, but these were not good at all.

Cathedral City:

1. This cheese has been rated one of the nicest cheddar alternatives, and that's because it is. You know it's not real cheese, but it's strong in flavour and really tasty.

Sheese:

1. Vegan grated mozzerella style - This is really good in a toastie! Melts really well, but only at a fairly high heat.

Hellmann's:

1. Vegan mayonnaise - I love this. It tastes just like classic mayo, superb alternative! You can use it the same way you use the classic version.

Heinz:

1. Vegan garlic aioli - This is stunning, an absolutely delicious alternative to garlic mayo. Highly recommend.

Violife :

1. Cocospread - Well, I thought this was the normal cheese spread when I bought it, whoops. It's quite nice, kind of like the chocolate pots I get but big. It'd be a nice alternative to chocolate spread for a cake.

Vitalite:

1. This is a great margarine alternative! I used to use clover and flora buttery, this works just the same.

Flora:

1. Really like this, slightly fattier than vitalite but great margarine alternative.

Boursin:

1. Garlic and herb 'soft cheese' - You can tell this isn't a full fat soft cheese by looking at it, however it tastes like the smell you get from an uncooked garlic bread baguette. I've used it in a toastie and just on toast. I bet this would make a really nice pasta sauce.

The Collective:

1. Raspberry - I absolutely loved the mango (dairy) yoghurt, and couldn't help but buy this when I saw it in Aldi. There's a slight earthy taste to the yoghurt which I really like. The consistency is identical to the dairy version. Highly impressed!

Ben & Jerry's :

1. Cookies on cookie dough - The ice cream element was pretty boring but the chocolate and cookie pieces were to die for.
2. Phish food - Stunning! You know it's not the dairy version, but wow this is absolutely fantastic. I had to use some self control to not eat it all.

The Coconut Collaborative:

1. Salted caramel chocolate pots - The first time I tried the company I had the non-vegan. Very morish and chocolaty. The pots aren't very big but they pack a punch, and these didn't fail to impress. I've bought these twice and I loved them even more the second time as you get the caramel more. Maybe that's because my taste buds are changing. 122kcal, yes please!
2. Chocolate pots - Wow. Just, wow. These are soo tasty! These are so incredibly smooth and honestly I couldn't taste any coconut. And only 100kcal!
3. Chocolate and cream pots - If you don't like coconut you probably won't like these as you can taste that from the 'cream' side, but a really nice take on a chocolate cream dessert. I definitely enjoyed this one!

We Love Cake:

1. Salted caramel and chocolate tarts - Pretty nice, but 413kcal per tart.. not something I'd buy again unfortunately.

Candy Kittens :

1. Wild strawberry - I bought these for the cinema and they didn't disappoint. The sour sugar crumb gives a lovely texture and then you've got a sweet but subtle soft strawberry center. You'd never know these were specifically vegan. Looking forward to trying the rest (they are on the more expensive side though).
2. Sour - These are sour apple and sour strawberry. The coating is sour but inside soft. Really nice! Hurt my tongue from sucking on too many, oops!

Moo Free:

1. Choccy eggsplosion Easter egg - This tastes pretty good and I love how it's got marshmallows and a mix of vegan milk and white chocolate!