As a vegan, Christmas can be a daunting event. Be it because your family is not completely on board with your dietary decisions or the thought of missing out on your favourite Christmas foods, it can be hard being vegan during the holidays. But I'm here to help you!
Having spent most of my years as a vegan in UK, I have been amazed at the amount of vegan options you can now find at most of the supermarkets. This article wants to give a shoutout to a few vegan products you will be easily able to find in your local grocery store.
Tesco
Tesco’s Free From aisle has widely grown in the past year. You can now find chocolate chip cookies, all kinds of chocolates and even mayonnaise, all made vegan! Unfortunately, most of their typical Christmas products are not actually vegan, and the ones you can find in the Free From aisle are definitely more expensive than your average Mr Kipling’s mince pies. Also, not everything that’s ‘free from’ is vegan, as it could simply free from wheat, milk and/or soy. But don’t lose hope! You can still find amazing products, like this selection box of Christmassy chocolates!
Sainsbury’s
I have to admit it, Sainsbury’s is a bit behind is main competitors in terms of vegan options. My local — a very small one — has a very limited selection and even our photographer, Eliane, has had a hard time finding specific vegan Christmas products. But again, it’s not impossible. This box of vegan mince pies was not as celebrated as their ‘normal’ mince pies, and it was a bit more expensive — but nonetheless it was there!
M&S
If you feel a bit more fancy, you will be happy to hear that Marks and Spencer is — slowly, but surely — stepping up its game regarding vegan options. There’s been a lot of talk about their new vegan sandwiches and they're not letting us down this Christmas. Pret A Manger is not your only option if you’re looking for a quick Christmassy lunch, as M&S offers the above Chestnut Roast wrap — and they even have a Christmassy drink!
Waitrose
Truth be told, I sometimes prefer getting my groceries at Waitrose than at my local Tesco’s. Maybe it’s the feeling of treating myself, or maybe it's simply because I like pretending to have enough money to even afford shopping at Waitrose. Whatever the reason, I’ve always found myself pretty happy with the vegan options they offered. And as part of their Christmas line, they have wisely provided us with a Christmas wrap and drink — maybe a bit less exciting than M&S’s though.
Asda
Finally, the true star of this vegan Christmas is — believe it or not — Asda. If you haven’t noticed, Asda made numerous headlines lately thanks to their box of 6 mince pies. Because they are not part of their Free From products — like the Sainsbury’s ones are — these delicious pastries are reasonably priced as all of your normal Christmas treats.
So… Have a Merry Vegan Christmas!
I hope this article will encourage you to look at your local grocery store for your favourite vegan Christmas treats! And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can always ask a member of staff if they will be stocking it soon. Nobody should be left without mince pies, no matter their diet!