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Muscovite Victoria Svyatkina, a vegan with four years of experience, advises on how to build a vegan diet, and at the same time debunks myths about veganism.
Vegans are people who do not eat animal products (meat, fish, eggs and dairy products) for ethical reasons. But there may be other reasons – the Christmas / Easter fast, the desire to lose weight and improve health, an allergy to milk.
About going vegan
When I lived with my parents, I ate everything – good, my mother cooks amazingly. Then she moved out, lived alone for six months and ate mostly yogurt and sandwiches. When I met my future husband, he was already a vegan, and I didn’t even know who they were. After some time, we began to live together, I began to slowly master his cuisine.
Oleg never put pressure on me and did not insist on my transition to veganism, but he said that he would be pleased if I shared his views. I especially did not like meat and fish, I am also indifferent to dairy products, so for me this step did not become a victim, parting with something, without which life is not sweet.
With the transition to veganism, the extra five kilograms left me smoothly and imperceptibly
Once, on Oleg’s birthday, I told him: “That’s it, I’m a vegan.” Since that day, all animal products have disappeared from my diet. I never wore fur, only old sneakers remained from leather shoes, and replacing cosmetics and household chemicals with ethical ones turned out to be a matter of one trip to the store. It couldn’t have been easier – I still don’t understand why I didn’t do it sooner. By the way, with the transition to veganism, the extra five kilograms left me smoothly and imperceptibly.
On the difficulties of explaining with others
The most difficult thing is to answer provocative and, as a rule, the same type of questions, to endure the stupid reaction of others. “You eat one herb … you can be a vegan only by living in a warm country and doing nothing … children all grow up sick, unhappy and die after one …” At first it annoyed, then made me laugh, but now I don’t care at all. Dogs bark – the caravan moves on.
About favorite food
Now I can fill a grocery cart in five minutes without looking, and at first I had to study the composition of each product. In Moscow, I buy a lot from the BiS brand – sour cream, cheese paste, phytogurts, tofu. I buy at Soyka, Jagannat and Happy Vegan Shop, I order a lot at the German online store veganbasics – several dozen types of pates, tofu (smoked, with hazelnuts, with sprouts), burgers, sausages, cheese alternatives, chocolate and the most the main thing is vegan whipped cream!
I replace eggs in sweet pastries with a banana, it perfectly binds the components
I buy most of the food in ordinary stores – cereals, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, greens, nuts, sweets (chocolate, sweets, marmalade, waffles, jams), adorable hummus and tahina, ready-made cooking (lean pancakes, spring rolls, beet , cabbage pancakes), soy/rice/oat milk, soy meat.
About Lenten Baking
I cook cupcakes and cakes regularly. I replace eggs in sweet pastries with a banana, it perfectly binds the components, and in savory dishes with flaxseed flour, I cook squash pancakes and falafel with it, fastens everything as it should. It is logical to replace milk with soy or any other vegetable milk, and butter with vegetable margarine or spread.
About plant milk
I drink it all the time – chocolate, banana, berry, vanilla, coffee … I love rice from the Italian brand Scotti (rice-soy mix and rice enriched with calcium), nut (almond, hazelnut). Many people make their own nut milk from any kind of nuts – almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, even from sunflower seeds. It’s not hard at all and it’s cheaper.
I also drink oatmeal and coconut milk, I add all types of vegetable milk to coffee, soups, pastries, milkshakes, tea. I like the vegan version of the Indian may masala – black with spices and milk, it goes very well in winter and warms.
Three days of a vegan diet
Day 1
12:30 Soy milk oatmeal with cinnamon and coconut flakes, chamomile tea
18:30 Spaghetti with homemade vegan pesto (basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, salt). In the original composition of pesto, cheese is required. You can exclude it – the sauce will not get worse from this, or you can try adding nut cheese (from almonds or cashews), which is easy to make yourself or buy from volko molko.
22:00 2 apples with peanut butter. I just cut apples into slices and dip them in peanut butter.
23:40 3 tangerines
Day 2
12:30 Corn porridge, mint tea. I cook porridge with ghee and always salty, I usually eat it with vegetables. You can add vegan cheese.
15:30 Pickle with chickpeas and pearl barley, 2 toasts with hame vegetable pate on whole grain bread
19:00 Dried dates (100 g), a glass of almond milk
21:15 2 tangerines, an apple, 2 glasses of dry white wine (they turned off the water, left without dinner)
Day 3
12:30 Millet porridge with pumpkin in soy milk, green tea with mint.
19:00 Red lentil stew with spices and herbs
21:00 Two slices of lean waffle cake, black bergamot tea with rice milk.
23:10 Vegetable plate (bell pepper, broccoli, radish, cucumber) and a glass of red dry wine half with water
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