Did you make the leap this January to living a vegan lifestyle? First of all, we’d like to congratulate you on making such an exciting and powerful change that’s not only great for animals, but also the planet. If you’ve made the switch during January and want to know more about how you can carry on making a change for good, we’ve got a few vegan tips that can help make shopping simpler, with handy links to vegan products you might want to try.
1. Look for The Vegan Trademark
Speaking of making shopping simpler, the Vegan Trademark is a product labelling scheme set up by The Vegan Society. Since 1990, its trusted sunflower mark is a sign that the product has been through our rigorous checking process by our team of experts to ensure they meet our standards. This means we work closely with the brand, as well as their suppliers, to ensure that all ingredients and manufacturing processes contain no animal ingredients, no animal testing (at the initiative of the company or on its behalf, or by parties over whom the company has effective control), and that cross-contamination is as minimal as it can be.
If you’ve found yourself spending a lot of extra time checking ingredients labels on your favourite products to see if they’re vegan, you can rest assured that if you spot the Vegan Trademark on their packaging, we’ve done the hard work for you. With over 65,000 products registered and counting, sticking with a vegan lifestyle after Veganuary has never been easier.
2. Stock Up on Basic Essentials
You'll have probably noticed that there are lots of exciting new vegan food products available during Veganuary that can help make switching to a vegan diet and lifestyle a lot simpler and tastier. However, when it comes to accessibility and affordability, switching out your basic household ingredients to vegan alternatives can also help you when you want to whip up a home-cooked meal that's free from animal products.
- For example, you can stock up on tinned items like soup, lentils and beans, such as those from Mr Organic, to help you switch to plant based sources of protein.
- Make sure to switch your sauces and condiments, such as ketchup and vegan mayonnaise from ASDA.
- For more sources of plant based protein, you can try keeping a block of Tofu (like this one from The Tofoo Co.) to hand or even this Silken Tofu from Clearspring (did you know you can blend this to make a creamy pasta sauce?).
- And, of course, you can also swap to your choice of plant milk and vegan butter or margarine, such as Flora's Salted Pl+nt Butter or Pure Dairy Free Buttery Spread. Why not check out our latest guide to plant milk?
3. Make Easy Vegan Swaps
Got a favourite product you think you’d miss if you carried on being vegan? With more and more vegan alternatives hitting the shelves, there are plenty of ways you can make an easy vegan swap to an animal-free alternative for your favourite foods, clothes and cosmetics the next time you stock up.
- Try swapping ready meals for vegan alternatives, such as the Sweet Potato Katsu Curry from Morrisons or Plant Based by ASDA's Smoky Tofu Burrito for a quick, convenient lunch or dinner fix.
- If you're a cheese lover, there are plenty of vegan cheese products for you to try, and yes - it can melt! Why not try Applewood's Smoky Vegan Cheese or ASDA's Free From Grated Cheddar Alternative?
- Next time you're looking for new shoes, bags or clothing, you can make an easy swap to a vegan alternative. Try New Look’s range of products to get you started, or Superdry's range of vegan trainers.
4. Don’t Forget to Treat Yourself
Staying vegan can be just as exciting as starting for the first time. With tonnes of treats and luxury items to try, you can keep making new vegan food discoveries that will get your taste buds tingling. Why not try some of the following ideas to help you switch out your old favourites?
- For the chocolate fans among us, there are plenty of vegan products out there that are suitable for the whole family. For example, Love Raw's Vegan Cre&m Filled Wafer Bars, Terry's Chocolate Orange Plant Based Bar, Raw Halo Mylk and Vanilla Organic Raw Chocolate and Cadbury's Plant Chocolate Bar.
- Got a sweet tooth? Free From Fellows have a huge range of sweets and marshmallows that are certified with the Vegan Trademark, and Booja Booja have a range of vegan luxury ice creams, including their Caramel Pecan Praline flavour. For snack bars, you could try Squirrel Sisters' Cacao Brownie Raw Energy Bar.
4. Look Out For Vegan Options in Restaurants
Long gone are the days when vegans would have to settle for a plate of chips or salad at a restaurant! Staying vegan all year round no longer means you have to miss out on a meal out with friends or family.
Why not check out some of the Vegan Trademark certified options at Wagamama, Frankie & Benny’s, Chiquito or Pieminister?
5. It's Not Just About Vegan Food!
Living a vegan lifestyle is so much more than simply changing your diet. Animal products are found across so many of the products we use every day, from the dye in your nail polish to even animal fats in fabric conditioner. If you’re looking to stay vegan and keep it that way, make sure to check cleaning products, toiletries and even candles before buying.
- Bio-D is one of our oldest Trademark Holders and has a range of Vegan Trademark certified products, such as this Lavender Fabric Conditioner.
- Did you know not all candles are vegan? For a luxury gift idea, Floral Street offer a range of vegan candles, including this Midnight Tulip one.
- Astonish also have a huge range of products that are registered with the Vegan Trademark.
- You might be surprised to know that even nappies might not be vegan! Cheeky Panda offers a range of nappies made from bamboo, which comes in recyclable packaging.
6. Make Sure to Check Skincare, Toiletries and Cosmetics
Not only can cleaning products contain animal ingredients or use animal testing, but skincare and cosmetics may do the same. Luckily, cosmetics is our biggest category, with over 30,000 products registered and counting. Look out for the Vegan Trademark on products such as:
- Herbalism cleanser from LUSH
- Hourglass Cosmetics Airbrush Vanish Concealer
- Goodness Bath and Body range from Baylis and Harding
Visit our blog on plastic-free vegan cosmetics for more ideas about making your skincare routine more sustainable.
7. Vitamins are Essential
It goes without saying that everyone requires essential vitamins and minerals to thrive, and those eating a vegan diet are no exception. VEG 1 is the nutritional supplement developed by The Vegan Society. It provides an affordable, reliable source of vitamin B12, vitamin D, iodine and selenium.
If you’re looking for a vegan supplement for your little ones, VEG 1 Baby and Toddler has been developed for young vegans with the expert support of a paediatric dietitian. Suitable for children aged six months to four years, VEG 1 Baby and Toddler conveniently combines vitamins recommended for this age group by the UK government with those recommended for a vegan diet.
You can shop VEG 1 on our website, Etsy or eBay.
We hope you’ve found some new products to try as part of your vegan journey! If you’ve enjoyed this blog and want to share your new vegan discoveries or vegan recipes with us, make sure to tag @vegantrademark on Instagram or Twitter to join in the conversation, and follow us on TikTok. We’d love to see your ideas!
By Jo Cassin, Brand Marketing Officer
The views expressed by our bloggers are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.
