Plants on Our Plates: Lots to Enjoy in 2025!
- climatenewcastle
- Dec 31, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Apr 4
<<We've enjoyed a feast of Veganuary information throughout January 2025! Thanks to all your tips and info, we've now five blogs to help us boost our health, tackle climate breakdown, and discover new tasty plant-based approaches to food and drinks. We'll welcome your additions - places to eat, sources of info, inspirational plant-based pioneers - and will keep adding updates throughout 2025. Email climatenewcastle@gmail.com >>
VEGANUARY LATEST NEWS: our area is above the national average for people choosing vegan or plant-based diets. More details below.
VEGANUARY TREATS:
And looking ahead: Tyneside's 6th Vegan & Music Festival takes place on Saturday 17 May (11am-3.30pm), Northumbria University Students Union - event link here
LATEST STATS ON FOOD CHOICES
A UK survey of 10,194 people found an upward trend in vegan and plant-based diets - and the North East is above the national average! 10% of people are now reducing or eliminating animal products from their diets, and 3% now say they are vegan or following a plant-based diet - with the figure for the North East above that, at 4%. The research was carried out by the educational charity The Vegan Society. More details here.
EATING OUT
Earthlings cafe: great food, lovely room for meetings and events as well
Vegano: "minimalist vibe offering Italian-inspired" cuisine
Super Natural cafe: pioneer of veggie then vegan menus since 1970s - new service and revamped menu for 2025
Veganatomy: opened during Veganuary 2024, CAN supporter Dora's review on Day 1: "It's fab food and friendly"
EATING IN tips: scroll below for life-changing advice!
Meet plant food fans who're changing minds and palates!
? Did you know? Veganuary was started by a couple who live in York: report here.
vegan foodie Yasmin is celebrating completing her Vegan Nutrition Diploma! She is now a Certified Vegan Nutrition Coach! The course deepens understanding of veganismas a path to optimal health and well-being, including how to help people transition to a vegan lifestyle with ease and confidence; adaptations for children, pregnant women, athletes and bodybuilders; and the potential of a healthy vegan diet to reverse certain diseases and improve overall health. Yasmin shares her journey of vegan discovery here, and more info available on Laylas Kitchen.
amazing Anna volunteers to share with schoolkids and shoppers all she's learnt over 40 years since turning away from meat and fish.
Let us know if you'd like to nominate other green foodie heroes helping this win-win-win trend, boosting health, reducing carbon emissions and protecting animal welfare.
EATING IN: supporters and our expert panel share their tips
WHERE TO SHOP
When time or pennies are tight - combining home cooking with supermarket vegan bargains is getting easier all the time
Lidl: growing range of vegan products - check here 🌿 low-cost vegan
Morrisons, Aldi: most supermarkets have Veganuary offers, these two have been mentioned by quite a few people🌿 low-cost vegan
Alternative Stores: switched now to online-only, this former pioneering independent store run by vegan family has a big range, also delivers.
Advice on non-dairy milk options (plus cheese and egg substitutes) is now added to our FAQs. If you plan to experiment away from dairy this Veganuary, here's an initial tip we've been given. Simply:
buy the cheapest non-dairy milk you find - if you like it, you're sorted! But if not keep working through the other lower priced offers first.
try it out with cereals, porridge or hot chocolate (the switch in tea is often the hardest, so stick with dairy where you prefer it)
HOME BAKING
Forget the stereotype that vegan food prep takes more time or costs more.
Batch cooking: Anna estimates it's not hard to make meal portions for about 50p - a few portions for the freezer plus some eaten fresh saves time and money.
"Veganise" your favourite meals: all our "seasoned vegan advisers" stress how easy it is now to adapt previous meaty/fishy favourites - we'll be adding more of their favourites, and welcome your challenges or questions!
Box schemes: here's a great Supporter Tip from Mark.
"I found food box schemes great as a start-off point; they make it easy to switch because they offer convenience and introduce new recipes and ideas without too much effort. They also avoid food waste, which is a bonus, and mostly avoid the ultra-processed foods that are marketed heavily in Veganuary but are mostly unhealthy and filled with artificial and chemical-based foods.
The greatest one I’ve found, wholly focused on plant-based food, is Grubby (pictured). As with most of the box schemes, it can be quite expensive at full price but there are usually introductory offers. I used it for a couple of months; if you're organised, motivated and have the time, you can use the inspiration to then move away from the box scheme, keep some of your fave recipes and do your own shop/food plan.
Gousto: I've used this on and off, they allow you to filter meals to be 'plant based', 'vegetarian' or 'vegan', which can be really useful.
Moving on from the meal box schemes, I then opted to use the convenience of just getting a veg box delivered. These are what I call an 'upgrade' from the meal kits, because they enabled me to get better quality produce (organic), where possible, local. They also cut out all (or most) of the plastic waste and packaging, which is a bonus.
I’ve used Hexhamshire Organics (pictured), which is fab because its also local and you can customise your box with different seasonal fruit and veg.
I do also use Abel & Cole, mainly for the flexibility it offers to add other organic produce to the order (e.g. soya milk), and their app is very easy to use. It delivers on a set day, for me a Friday, which is very convenient.
RECIPE SUGGESTIONS - shared by Climate Action Newcastle supporters (including these delicious ideas from Planet Action Street Arts
Email climatenewcastle@gmail.com if you'd like full recipes where not supplied below.
WILD GARLIC [category - 🌿 lowest-cost vegan dish, 🍄 yummiest snack or recipe]
Money-saver bonus: wild garlic is plentiful in parts of Tyneside and self-propagates well (as long we cut the leaves and ensure the bulb isn't disturbed). This guide has 10 recipes plus pictures so you spot the wild garlic easily. A nutritious scavenging soup uses nettles as well as wild garlic; and the favourite of the supporter who nominated this is pesto made from wild garlic - delicious! Link here.
PUMPKIN RISOTTO [category - 🌿 lowest-cost vegan dish] Good value if you combine a carved pumpkin face with cooking the discarded innards. Veganise this risotto by using vegan parmesan (such as Sainsbury nurishh). Link here.
DELIA'S CARROT AND ARTICHOKE SOUP [category - 🌿 lowest-cost vegan dish]
Money-saver bonus is due to Jerusalem artichokes self-propagating with great enthusiasm! - so after initial planting, they become "free food".
Ingredients (for 4): 1 lb carrot; 1.5 lbs artichokes; 3 celery stalks; oil/vegan butter; stock; (optional garnish) parsley, oat cream/milk
Recipe: here. (Replace creme fraiche, butter with vegan alternatives)
***The same low-cost "free food" bonus adds to the attraction of Pumpkin and Jerusalem Artichoke Soup (with a dash of Clementine Cream - veganise by using oatmeal cream) - link here.
SHEPHERD'S PIE [category - 🍄 yummiest snack or recipe]
Ingredients - topping (for 4): 3 potatoes; handful frozen peas; vegan butter; 2 spring onions. 1fl oz oatmilk; pinch paprika; (optional) 3oz vegan cheddar
Ingredients - filling (for 4): 1 tbsp olive oil; ½ red onion; 1 garlic clove; 2 carrots; 1 celery stalk; 400g/14oz canned plum tomatoes; few drops Tabasco; pinch paprika; 1 fresh bay leaf; 3fl oz red wine (check vegan origin); vegetable stock; 1 sprig fresh rosemary; splash balsamic vinegar; handful fresh flatleaf parsley; 400g/14oz canned Puy lentils; freshly ground
Recipe: here (above ingredients versioned for Veganuary) - supplied by local Sophie Dahl fan
VEGAN SPAG BOL: [category - 🌿 lowest-cost vegan dish]
3 portions 69p each (or 72p with herbs); if stretch to 4 portions, 51p each (54p with herbs).
Ingredients: 1 onion (12p), mixed herbs (maybe 5p, unless need new tub), bay leaf (ditto), 1 tin lentils (60p), 2 tins chopped toms (70p), handful mushrooms (around 40p), spaghetti (25p)
Recipe: Chop onion and dry fry (splash of water, keep close eye on it) or fry in oil. Then gradually (stirring between each) add in chopped mushrooms, tinned toms, drained lentils., a teaspoon of herbs, bay leaf, and leave to cook through. Cook spag according to instructions. Drain, then serve sauce either on top or stirred through (remove bay leaf).
Swaps to add variety: soya mince or plant mince for lentils; add in celery (chopped), or black olives or courgettes; swap herbs for chilli to make it an arrabiata; tinned lentils can be swapped with dried ones (considerably cheaper). This is full of protein, vitamins and antioxidants.
DESSERTS [category - 🌿 lowest-cost vegan dish] Money-saver bonus: grow rhubarb, gooseberries, redcurrants, blackberries for great nutrition and low-cost fruit for breakfast or desserts. Examples: Gooseberry Fool; Rhubarb Meringue (using aquafaba - from a chickpea can - rather than egg white); Mulled Plums with Vegan Custard.
CREATIVE COOKING GONE WILD! - fancy a left-field imaginative blend of surfing vibe and vegan pioneer chef? "Bravocados Vegan Cook Book" is part-biog, 100% inventive! Includes "Fysh and Chips", "Carrot Lox Bagel", "Cauli Steak Dinner", "Tofu Eggs & Brine." Some spicy language on the side. Author: Dave Thielmann. Can be ordered online here.
VEGANUARY BACKGROUND:
Veganuary has helped huge numbers of people learn about the wealth of knowledge and options we now have. We're lucky that it can now be easier and cheaper to reduce the carbon footprint of our meal choices. Lots more background here.
report here on our neighbours just down the road in York who started it!
plus interview here by Anna with the organisation that runs it every year.
MORE USEFUL LINKS
For in-depth nutrition advice: try this Animal Aid website support or the Vegan Society's guide
Info on ultra-processed food: very useful myth-busting guide
How to gradually improve your lower carbon diet successfully: it's one thing to be convinced by the facts; it's quite another to achieve change in practice! Here's several useful ways to plan: Viva's guide and one from the Vegan Society, here.
Science insight into why plant-based protein is healthier for us: a local international athlete recommended this documentary - it transformed his understanding of how the body absorbs protein and totally changed his assumption that meat was the best source - he changed to plant-based sources after watching it. Netflix "The Game Changers"
The Vegan Society's free VeGuide app for anyone wanting to try vegan for 30 days.
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