Abi's World

If you’ve been following my blog/vlog/podcast/socials, you will know that I have been a vegetarian for a while, and options used to be VERY limited. In fact, for many years, vegetarians and vegans have had to settle for salad or chips when eating out, but now most popular restaurants, in the UK and across the world, have vegan dishes available, with some even having dedicated vegan menus.

Things are really getting better for vegans and vegetarians with so many new delicious product launches, not just in restaurants, but also throughout supermarkets.

Here are some of my favourites:

Fast Food Restaurants

KFC vegan burger
The vegan burger at KFC made its debut in 2019, and was the restaurant’s first vegan item. It was a huge change for the famous chicken shop, but due to its popularity, it is now part of the restaurant’s permanent menu. The meatless substitute is coated with KFC’s 11 herbs and spices, so should taste just as good as the real thing.

McDonald’s McPlant
McDonald’s has finally launched a vegan burger, and as of this month, it is available in every UK branch. It includes a plant-based patty, co-developed with Beyond Meat, coupled with a bespoke vegan cheese and vegan sandwich sauce. Despite it being a completely vegan substitute, it tastes practically the same as the original. Check out me trying it here.

Burger King vegan nuggets
Burger King’s new vegan nuggets have arrived. The fast food giant state that these nuggets taste the same as the original, but are made of soy and plant proteins. This is another step to the company’s goal of having a menu that is 50 percent meat-free by 2030. The popular chain is even launching a vegan store in London’s Leicester Square this month.

Subway vegan subs and cookie
Last year Subway debuted its Meatless Marinara, a sub consisting of plant-based meatballs, suitable for vegetarians. This year, the famous sandwich shop has gone one up by launching, not one, but two vegan sandwiches and a vegan cookie.

Restaurants

Wagamama menu
Wagamama doesn’t just have a couple of vegan dishes, but has a whole menu dedicated to delicious vegan food. The menu has starters, sides, main courses and desserts that are completely suitable for a vegan diet.

Zizzi lasagne
The popular Italian restaurant chain has added a brand new vegan rainbow lasagne to its menu this month. It is made up of six layers of pasta with butternut squash, beetroot and red onion, and spinach.

Supermarkets

Morrisons vegan range
Morrisons is making headlines this week with its use by date initiative (link). As well as this newsworthy move, Morrisons has also released a new plant-based food range called ‘Plant Revolution’. Items in this range include Thai green curry, paella and even vegan mayo.

Aldi vegan range
The affordable vegan range at Aldi entitled, Plant Menu, features No Fish Fillets, No Chicken Pie and more.

Lidl vegan range
The supermarket has announced a whole host of new vegan food, including a vegan salami pizza and vegan fish fingers. In addition to this, Lidl also has vegan cold cuts and sausage slices on offer too.

M&S vegan range
M&S has just released over 100 plant-based food products to its range, including a plethora of vegan pizzas, sandwiches and desserts. This is not just any vegan food, this is M&S vegan food.

Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s have a wide range of vegetarian and vegan products on their shelves, including their own brand, Plant Pioneers. Plant Pioneers has a lot of innovative products such as meatless samosas and spring rolls, as well as vegan steaks.

Cafes

Café Nero’s dishes
Caffé Nero has partnered up with plant-based meat brand This to expand its vegan offering. The coffee house now has a vegan chicken arrabbiata panini and a vegan sausage ciabatta; both of which launched last week.

Krispy Kreme doughnuts
The brand launched its inaugural vegan doughnut last year and has now added three new vegan doughnuts to its menu. The treats on offer are the original glazed doughnut, Fudge Brownie Bliss, Caramel Choc Delight and its apple crumble flavour.

Costa range
Costa Coffee already has a few vegan items on its menu, but this has been expanded recently. The coffee chain has teamed up with vegan brand Bosh! to release an exclusive dairy-free chocolate and pecan slice. The popular coffee shop has also released a vegan macaroni ‘cheeze’ for those who refer a savoury option.

Starbucks oat lattes
Starbucks also has a number of vegan items on its menu, but has launched a range of new oat milk-based drinks too.

Products

Babybel’s new vegan cheese
Cheese-lovers will be glad to know that Babybel has launched a new vegan cheese. Instead of being wrapped in its signature red case, this dairy-alternative will have a green packet, but the same great taste.

Richmond sausages and bacon
Richmond, once only known for its range of meat products, now has great plant-based alternatives. These include meat-free sausages and meat-free bacon rashers.

Lindt chocolates
Lindt has released a range of vegan chocolate bars, including a remake of the classic smooth bar, and its hazelnut bar. The famous gold bunny is also available in dark chocolate; perfect for vegans.

Philadelphia cream cheese
Philadephia has launched a vegan version of its famous soft cheese. The recipe combines oats and almonds into a creamy spread for all your cream cheese cravings.

Always Vegan

Linda McCartney
Linda McCartney Foods specialises in vegetarian and vegan food and milk. The company’s delectable vegan range includes burgers, chicken pieces and sausages, as well as plant-based milks.

Vivera
Vivera’s slogan is ‘life is better when you eat less meat’, and they certainly make life easier for people looking for meat substitutes. Their wide range includes plant-based kebabs and mince.

THIS
THIS is a new vegan food brand of plant-based meat alternatives, featuring a range of ‘chicken’ pieces, meatless meatballs and more. All products are even fortified with vitamin B12 and iron, so no one misses out.

Beyond Meat
Beyond Meat, founded in LA, recently found its way to the UK. The company has already helped create dishes like McDonald’s McPlant, and are currently in the process of releasing their products in UK supermarkets.

Meatless Farm
This is another great company for those looking to add more vegan food to their diet. All products are made primarily from pea protein, and attempt to replicate the look, texture and taste of real meat.

Quorn
Vegetarians, vegans and even many meat-eaters are likely to have tried Quorn products already as the brand is well-known and loved for producing great meat substitutes. The meat-free company has now launched five brand new products to celebrate 2022 in meatless style.

Let me know which ones are your favourite, and if there’s any others I need to try!

With Love, Abi X