The Vegan Society’s top tips for self-isolating vegans – recipes, documentaries, books and more!
With the constantly evolving situation surrounding COVID-19, we wanted to let all of our members and supporters know that we are still working on our mission to support people to go and stay vegan. We appreciate that in these unprecedented, uncertain times, vegans will be facing a range of challenges.
In line with this, we have compiled some easy recipes, engaging documentaries and self-isolation top tips for vegans. If you’re struggling for inspiration or motivation while you’re self-isolating or working from home – look no further.
Keep your recipes simple
This is great for anyone trying to cut back on processed foods – and as you would expect from the title, is incredibly quick and easy to make. You’ll be bursting with energy after this healthy brekkie, ready to take on another day of working from home or your daily exercise.
This is an incredibly versatile recipe. While it’s delicious as a soup, you could also try it as a curry sauce by making it a bit thicker and adding some fresh veggies. Soup is perfect for these tough times: light on ingredients, but easy to batch cook and freeze for the coming weeks.
A simple shepherd’s pie recipe for anybody who wants hearty home comforts during self-isolation. A perfect dish for the whole family, or to share with your housemates.
Quick raspberry, thyme and lime syllabub
A light, summery dessert that only needs a few ingredients and a few minutes of your time from vegan blogger The Juggling Chef. Just because we’re all self-isolating doesn’t mean we can’t treat ourselves, after all!
Keep yourself entertained
As we’ve essentially been asked to fill our spare time with television indoors for the next few weeks, now is the perfect opportunity to watch some documentaries and films on veganism Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret for example, seeks to highlight the shocking impact that animal agriculture has on the environment. Meanwhile, Live and Let Live follows six people who have become vegan, including a former factory farmer who started their own animal sanctuary. For anyone interested in veganism and health, The Game Changers highlights how plant-based diets fuel some of the best athletes in the world.
Don’t spend all of your time in front of a screen, though. There are so many books on veganism to fill your evenings with. Allowed to Grow Old, by Isa Leshko, is a truly moving collection of portraits and stories of elderly animals from sanctuaries. Vegan in 7 by Rita Serano provides more efficient plant-based recipes in seven ingredients or fewer, while The Vegan Society’s own Vegan Passport could be very useful for post-isolation planning. Available in print or to download, it provides translations of phrases globe-trotting vegans might find useful when travelling abroad. It might even help you plan your next adventure when we can all finally leave our homes and go back to normal – whenever that may be.
Most importantly, keep yourself safe
During this tough time, it’s important that you keep yourself as safe and healthy as you possibly can. Self-isolation can be draining both mentally and physically, which is why it’s important to continue exercising in line with government guidance. Online yoga sessions, exercise classes and free meditation videos are also widely available should you need them.
Don’t forget to keep on top of your nutrition. You can use our VNutrition app to make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need. Our healthy-eating guidance – which will help you maintain good nutrition and a balanced diet in the coming weeks and months – is also a fantastic resource.
Even though you’re in isolation, it does not mean you have to be alone. Check in with your friends, family and even fellow vegan activists by using programmes such as Skype or Zoom. The more we support each other, the easier the coming weeks and months will be. A Google Chrome extension called Netflix Party even gives you the opportunity to watch vegan documentaries as a group and discuss along the way.
Never be afraid to ask for help if you need it and take every precaution necessary to ensure your safety and the safety of others. It is imperative that we all follow government guidance in this time and take care of one another as best as we can. If you are a vegan who needs advice or assistance in these tough times, we want you to know that The Vegan Society is happy to support you in any way we can. You can contact us via email (info[at]vegansociety[dot]com) or landline on 01215 231730.
The views expressed by our bloggers are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.
