Is it Easy Being Vegan in 2021?

Is it Easy Being Vegan in 2021? + Vegan Cheese that Melts!

I became a vegan when I was 15 years old after having been a vegetarian for 3 years. I am now 33 years old, so this is a while back. At the time, being vegan was not very easy. I had to do lots of research and cook everything from scratch which is fine but takes a lot of time and planning. I stayed vegan for a few years before becoming a vegetarian again (one that does not eat eggs and does not like milk!). The main thing I missed was cheese, which is common for many, I believe!

In 2021, it is is much easier being a vegan as it’s much more common and there are lots of mainstream restaurants serving vegan food and plenty of vegan alternatives to pretty much any product that would usually contain an animal product. If you walk into Boots or your supermarket, there will be plenty of options to choose from, making it easy being vegan compared to back in the day. The online community really helps too!

In this post, I thought I would share some of my favourite improvements in terms of product selection available for vegans:

• Cheese Alternatives

When I was vegan as a teenager, there was a soft cheese that tasted okay and some burger style cheese slices that you could melt into a toastie (they did not melt very well) but that was it! It was very limited. Today, there are lots of exciting brands that make vegan cheeses and many that do it very successfully. I have recently tried Mexicana Vegan Slices which are available from Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. Just like the regular Mexicana cheese, the vegan version contains the same fiery spice mix and real bell and jalapeño peppers.

“Mexicana Vegan Slices are coconut based, made in an allergen-free factory, are fortified with vitamin B12 and calcium and are Vegan Society approved, so they are perfect for vegan, dairy-free diets and all lovers of spicy food.”

The amazing news is that it melts really well and it tasty too! I think the Mexican flavours work very well with this cheese alternative. We have tried it on nachos and in toasties which were both nice.

In the same range from Norseland, you can also find award-winning Applewood Vegan and Applewood Vegan Slices. Applewood cheese is one of my favourites, so I’m very excited about this range. It’s available in slices, blocks and grated too so suitable for lots of different dishes and recipes. I’ve tried these now and can confirm they have a taste that’s similar to the dairy version and that they melt really well too!

• Eating Out

Dining out as a vegan is another thing that’s become much easier. Whatever cuisine you fancy, most restaurants now offer at least one if not several vegan options. Mainstream restaurants and coffee shops now cater for lots of different diets which is great! When I was a teenager, I had to seek out vegan specific cafés and restaurants or order an overpriced factory made chocolate ball that was vegan and available in many cafés in Sweden where I’m from. Now there’s lots of yummy choice out there whether you’re looking for a big slice of cake or an indulgent pizza!

• Supermarket Shopping

Finding vegan items when doing your supermarket shop is much easier these days too. Most things are available from the big supermarkets now and you don’t need to go to health food shops for vegan specific items (unless you want to of course!). There are so many snacks, plant milks and other products, ready meals and treats available to find in your local supermarket, making it easier and cheaper to be a vegan now than a few years ago. You’ll find all kinds of vegan products from luxury ice cream to to chocolates and meat and cheese alternatives. There’s also a great selection of fruit and veg of different types all year round.

• Online Community

Another thing that makes it easy being a vegan these days is the online community. There are lots of websites, blogs, YouTube channels, Facebook group and Instagram accounts dedicated to all things vegan with recipe ideas and product recommendations to help you find new delicious vegan things to eat. I love @accidentallyveganuk on Instagram for browsing new vegan finds! There are also lots of vegan recipes available online for when you need some new inspiration – like this amazing sounding vegan Strawberry Mojito Sorbet recipe.

This post features gifted samples of Mexicana Vegan Slices and Vegan Applewood. Contains sponsored links.