Dorset Cereals

When in the supermarket last they didn't have my usual go-to breakfast cereal Oatibix (probably because no-one else seems to like the stuff but me) so I had a browse for cereals I could eat as an easy breakfast in the New Year when I start my experiment/challenge.

Unfortunately most granolas have honey in them, instead I need to find one with pure sugar molasses or agave nectar, which I think I did if I remember correctly, however instead I was more attracted to their simply fruity muesli with pineapple, papaya and sultanas.

I tried it this morning, with Alpro soya as I'm slowly adjusting to soya milk, and it was delicious. It was only 151 calories per 45g of cereal however, which is quite low therefore when I am having active days unless I have a banana and something else to bulk up my breakfast I would have a double portion to hit around the 300 calorie mark for a decent breakfast. However, if you're trying to lose weight, then this would be a great choice although a 45g serving is rather small, it is satisfying.

And I quite like the little motto when I opened the box. I thought to myself, "Hell yeah I'm most qualified at being myself" which was a nice morning thought on a morning recovering from the flu still.

Tips on Starting My Vegan Diet

I’ve been looking up tips and ordering starter packs from the likes of The Vegan Society in order to help me prepare for my journey.

I’ve found some interesting stuff that I think I will take on board:
 - Plan food and meal diary (This gives me the excuse to order more stationary from Kikki K)
 - Always have vegan snacks on you on the road because eating on the go is pretty challenging.
 - Don’t have rules about nutrition other than following a vegan diet, so no calorie counting or carbohydrate counting. (I don’t do this anyway.)
 - Give myself extra time to cook and explore food.
 - Keep a full kitchen stocked with foods to eat and cook.
 - Avoid convenience foods.
 - Go into it with an open mind.

I think these seem like pretty sound piece of advice for going vegan so I will plan to follow these in my journey. For now, I’m feeling pretty excited to start trying new foods so I’m going to go shopping and try out some snacks – in addition to finding out which snacks I can and can’t have. Finally, I need to hunt out a vegan protein shake – the best of them taste like crap so let’s see. This can be the challenge of the day.

What is The Veganism Experiment?

This is my own experiment with food, for 3 months, to see and explore what veganism is like. I’m going to document my journey into exploring what natural and wholesome food is about, including exploring new recipes and new foods.

I’ve set the date for 3 months because I am currently a meat eater so I think there is going to be an adjustment phase and that 3 months is long enough for the experiment to yield results such as knowing what foods are good for which health benefits, experimenting with new recipes and adjusting to new foods in my diet.

I want to be a Dietitian and will be studying nutrition as of September, so this experiment will also let me gain insight into what my vegan clients will be eating, in addition to allowing me to recommend foods from my own research and experience.

Until I start on 1st January 2016, I’m going to start researching things I would like to try and making lists of foods and recipes to try in addition to looking up about how to maintain and keep a balanced and well varied diet whilst being vegan.