British Soldier - Attempting to go Vegan

Rifle_Athlete

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Evening all,

I apologise now, literature isn't my strong point but I will however do my best!

I'm a 27 year old male who's looking to transition into becoming vegan, I am currently a meat eater but after watching a documentary on Netflix 'Game Changer' I have decided to give veganism a go.

I main problem I have is, Practicality and the tools to be able to cook a meal.

I'm a serving member of HM Forces and restricted to the type of cooking I can do in my accommodation. Sadly the food hall doesn't provide vegan options unless I just want a salad and that's only at lunch.

My breakfasts will mainly consist of oats of some form, almond milk and some blueberries etc dashed on top.

But my main issue is cooking lunch / dinner options.

I only have access to a microwave and a kettle.




Why am I doing this?

The fittest bloke In my regiment is a Vegetarian and eats veggie meals from the food hall daily I have considered my lifestyle choices and want that little extra edge and more clean option so have decided to look into Veganism.

I'm soon to become a full time athlete and looking to have that extra edge and know my diet is in good hands and taken care of before the journey starts.

If anyone has any advice with regards to cooking with limited access to things that would be much appreciated.

Thank you.
 
welcome to the forum @Rifle_Athlete and congrats on your decision to change your lifestyle

There's nothing that this forum loves more than a good challenge and I, for one, can't wait to see what everyone comes up with.

Things that can be cooked in a microwave - potatoes, rice, grains - canned beans and lentils can be reheated as can canned breakfast beans, vegetables can be cooked.... so many options.

I took a moment to google "microwave cooking vegan" and you may be surprised but there is lots of help available in the form of videos and website and blogs, most done for students in university.

Please take us along on this journey with you, we love to live vicariously, and tell us about your meals and your progress.

Thank you for your service to the country of my foremothers and fathers.

Emma JC
 
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I only have access to a microwave and a kettle.

I'm pretty sure it can be done and I've seen stuff written for vegan college students that have similar limitations in their dorm room. But before i give you those suggestions or directions to more resources I'm going to ask for some clarification.

Do you have a frig? or could you get an ice chest and get ice on an almost daily basis?
Are appliances out of the question? Like some places have rules against burners. Or perhaps you don't have counter space or electrical outlets.

The reason I am asking these questions is that if you just have a microwave and a kettle cooking vegan meals becomes difficult, expensive and lacking variety.

Adding some small appliances will make it much easier, cheaper and provide a lot more choices.
 
I agree with the above.If you are not allowed any other electrical appliance and access to a fridge, it will prove difficult to make
yourself substantial and healthy meals.

If you could somehow get the necessary authorisation to use an electrical appliance, a multi cooker would be ideal :

 
Can you get or use an electric hot plate to boil water and cook with? Just throwing that out there as a possibility if that is an option.

If you have access to canned beans, they are almost always cooked, so it's usually just a matter of reheating them. Microwave will suffice.

If you can access hard beans, then I don't know if microwave alone will suit at all. I wouldn't risk it. However, if you soak them for a good 8 hours or so (like, overnight), then some legumes like lentils can actually be eaten raw or lightly cooked. I have eaten raw lentils after having soaked them for at least 8 hours with no difficulties.

Brown rice could prove very difficult, or need long microwaving time. I don't know, I've never tried it. However, again, if you soak for 8 hours or more it becomes much easier to work with. Unlike lentils, even properly soaked brown rice will still need some cooking, but the cooking time is greatly reduced if it is soaked for at least 8 hours.

Access to whole wheat bread?

I've heard of people cooking potatoes in the microwave, although I don't remember doing it myself.

Access to nut and seed butters? These often have a higher fat content and thus provide more calories you may need after exertion. Peanut butter with banana on whole wheat, yum!
 
I've heard of people cooking potatoes in the microwave, although I don't remember doing it myself.
Yes, you can make baked potatoes in the microwave - we do that frequently as it's one of my daugther's favourites. Wash and scrub the potato thoroughly, but leave the skin on. Put the potato in a bowl, pierce the skin multiple times, pour some rapeseed oil on it and roll it around, then add some salt. Then cook on full for roughly 5 to 7 minutes depending on the size. When it's done, beware of the heat, cut it open and add vegan margarine and/or vegan cheese. Serve with e.g. canned baked beans if you like that - these can obviously also be heated in the microwave.
 
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Welcome to the forum, RifleAthlete!

Seeing that your appliance situation is somehow limited, you might research a Raw Vegan diet ... not something I follow, but there should be lots of recipes out there.

I second Shivas' suggestion that a hot pot might be a helpful addition, if possible.
 
You can successfully cook most foods including rice, lentils, potatoes in a microwave.
However, for convenience you can also find these
ingredients in either tins, pouches or cartons which would make life much easier for someone who is working and has few cooking facilites. :)

As you are based in the UK and if you're near a major supermarket, they all have ready meals for vegans which are quite good value.
Both Sainsbury's and Tesco have their own vegan range and the meals all look mouthwatering. :)
 
Hi Rifle, Im new to all this too and find it a struggle at times. Theres some good vegan only online supermarkets around that can make it alot easier.
 
I have been a vegan for a long time, and I havent given meat a thought simply because of my diet. When it comes down to being a vegan, it all depends on which diet you are on. Do you have a well balanced and healthy diet that has variation then you dont even give meat or any other unhealthy food a thought. If you are constantly thinking about meat, then its because of your diet. A good diet makes you stay away from meat. I got my professionally made from here, which I can really recommend:" because of that have I now been a vegan for 6 six years, and still going strong.