1.Fry’s Chicken Nuggets / Quorn Chicken Nuggets
There’s a bit of a battle on the vegan scene between Fry’s vegan chicken nuggets and the newcomer vegan nuggets made by Quorn. A lot of people say they prefer the Fry’s version, but I’m a Quorn gal myself. For me, there’s nothing better than some vegan nuggets, baked beans, and potato smiley faces. But that’s because I’m a child at heart. (NB: Not all Quorn is vegan, only the products with the green vegan strip on the packaging as pictured below. Most Quorn products currently contain egg, unfortunately). You can get the Fry’s nuggets in Holland & Barrett or Morrisons. I have found the Quorn ones in both Tesco and Sainsbury’s. All the vegan nuggets on the market seem to be made with breadcrumbs though, so I’m waiting on some battered ones.
2.Alpro Soy Yoghurt
I’m not really one for yoghurt but I absolutely love Alpro soy yoghurts. The plain version is great but there’s also a vanilla flavoured one too, and it is absolutely fabulous. It kinda tastes like vanilla custard so I usually have it with cake but you can also put this stuff on cereal or in smoothies too. I even cook with mine when making curry. The possibilities are endless… and delicious.
3.Linda McCartney Sausage Rolls
I cannot stress enough how much you need these things in your life. Linda McCartney’s sausage rolls are vegan friendly and are the best thing since sliced bread. Again, this is a fabulous combo with some baked beans, but each to their own. Tesco also do some vegan sausage rolls. You will find these things in the freezer section, just oven bake and enjoy.
4.Jus-Rol Croissants
Since I study French, it’s nice to know I can still enjoy some of the French food culture with Jus-Rol croissants because they are vegan (not the all-butter ones, obvs). Delicious with a bit of vegan cheese and cranberry sauce, oh yes. Their pastry products are also vegan, just give the old ingredients list a once over.
5.Sainsbury’s Free From Greek Style Cheese
Sainsbury’s recently launched Free From range made waves in the media with the whole “Gary” thing, but it’s actually a topic of controversy amongst vegans. Let it be known as marmite Gary. You either love it, or you hate it. I personally LOVE Sainsbury’s vegan cheese because it has a nice creamy texture and it melts really well, but a lot of people are put off by the strong taste and smell. For that reason, I am recommending the Greek style version rather than the cheddar one because it’s slightly less in your face. There’s a Wensleydale style cheese too with cranberries. Yum!
6.Oatly Chocolate Milk
I mean it when I say that this stuff is absolutely worshipped by vegans. I don’t like to refer to plant milks as imitation products, generally, because the purpose of plant milk is not to try and imitate cow’s milk. It’s just a different type of milk. You are making a mistake if you go into plant milk for the first time hoping for it to be like cow’s milk. But, anyways, this stuff is too good so I simply could not leave it off the list. Buy it as a big carton or in packs of little cartons. You won’t be able to stop drinking it.
7.Linda McCartney Shredded Hoisin Duck
Linda’s done it again and this time it’s with her recently released product of shredded hoisin duck. This stuff is absolutely mind blowing and goes great in a stir fry, or you can recreate the duck pancakes from the Chinese. Her pulled chicken is also amazing, the texture is so good it’s almost scary. I tend to put the chicken into pasta dishes. Finally, great news, Linda McCartney pulled “pork” burgers used to be vegan except for the honey… well now the honey has been removed so they’re vegan too. You must try them!
8.Tesco Free From Cheddar with Jalapeños
Another vegan cheese, we have the new Free From range at Tesco. My favourite so far is their cheddar style with jalapenos. It has a similar taste to the Sainsbury’s range but much less strong and the jalapenos add amazing flavour. Tesco’s Free From soft cheese is also great, I tend to spread that onto bagels or stir into my cooking.
9.Quorn Hot & Spicy Burgers
Another gem from the Quorn vegan range is the hot and spicy burger. These are a chicken style treat that I absolutely love serving with avocado and sweet chilli sauce. Or chop them up and put them into a salad. I personally find them very spicy but others have said they don’t find them spicy at all. I guess it’s up to you to decide!
10.Linda McCartney Sausages
Last but certainly not least, Linda McCartney has scored a hat trick with her vegan sausages. I know avid meat eaters that LOVE these sausages and they’re also recommended by a lot of weight loss schemes too. There’s a few different types including chorizo & red pepper, or red onion & rosemary, but I tend to go for the plain ones. They’re great for a fry up or a simple sausage sandwich.
All images are authors own.