I’ve been a vegetarian for about twelve years. The main reason I gave up meat and fish (yes fish. Vegetarians do not eat fish!) was because of ethical reasons. For me, there is no cruelty free way to eat meat or fish. And no, I’m never tempted by a bacon sandwich and I’m certainly not tempted by McDonalds. (Fyi, not even their fries are vegetarian!) It’s easy to be vegetarian now moreso than ever. There are lots of meat substitues about, goodness knows pasta is vegetarian and, thank the lord, so is choclate. But when I became vegetarian, I didn’t prepare myself properly by finding out how to be a healthy vegetarian. For that reason, I find myself wanting to explore a vegan diet.

A plant based diet is one of the healthiest around but as I’m not the most enthusiastic of cooks, I needed some inspiration. Hello Pinterest! I’ve had a Veggie Food board for a while and I occasionally make things from it. Some work, some don’t. Some take forever, some remain just a dream! I’ve recently been adding soups and salads that are easy and quick to make. While I am exploring whether a vegan diet is for me, I’m upping my intake of vegetables and wholefoods. These are some of the bloggers I follow who write incredible recipes.

|| Vegan Bolognese Pasta Bake – Wallflower Girl || Butternut Squash, Put Lentil & Rocket Salad – Tinned Tomatoes || Roasted Tomato & Quinoa Soup – Wholeheartedly Healthy || Green Spring Salad with Asparagus & Cannellini Beans – Be Nourishd ||

[All images via sources.]

As I’ve been counting calories recently, I’ve learnt how few calories vegetables have, which means you can eat loads of them! My favourite vegetable at the moment is butternut squash because it’s easy to prepare and once roasted, it goes with pretty much everything. And, once roasted, it freezes pretty well so makes a perfect lunch with a bit of salad and some chickpeas.

I’ve been really inspired by Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and Vegucated. Both promote eating more veggies for a better diet and healthier lifestyle, which is something we could all benefit from, am I right?!