Top five tips for going vegan

Vic Grimshaw

Head of digital Vic grew up on a farm in Lancashire. She's worked in food website creation for over 20 years. In the kitchen she's happiest when baking, and "making something from nothing" when the shelves look bare.

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Thinking about ‘going vegan’ or reducing the amount of meat you eat? You’re not the only one.

Gaz Oakley, the Avant-Garde Vegan, was a weight-lifting, rugby-playing 20-something when he went vegan, overnight. You can hear more about his story on our podcast.

Here are Gaz’s top five tips on going vegan.

Meal preparation – it’s key. Make sure your fridge is stocked up with healthy meals which you pre-make every few days. Take them to work, school or when you’re out and about. It means you know you’ll always have something vegan to eat, if there’s nothing vegan on a menu.
Eat the rainbow. It’s an easy, and creative, way to remember to include as many different fruits and vegetables into your diet as you can.
Have a hearty breakfast. I go for porridge made with almond milk, then top it with frozen berries, nuts and seeds.
Get spicy. Invest in a good collection of dried herbs and spices to add some powerful flavours to your dishes. I go for punchy flavours: smoked paprika, cayenne, garam masala, cumin, black pepper, turmeric and herbs de provence. The image at the top of this page is my Satay tofu bowl.
And of course, watch my Avant-Garde Vegan YouTube channel for new and exciting vegan recipes!