Aldi and Lidl vegan products.

RHJ

Firstly I'm sorry if this has been asked before.

Anyway, I recently turned vegan partly because I wanted to give it a try and secondly with all the recent news about climate change I want to lower my carbon footprint. So I decided I'll give it a try for this month and see if it's something I can stick to long-term I find using eatthismuch helps take all the hassle out of planning meals and arranging a shopping list as well as making sure I get adequate nutrition.

Anyway, I've never really shopped at Lidl or Aldi I preferred Tesco due to being able to use the automated checkout. But lately maybe it's just me but some of their prices seems to have increased especially with vegan suitable options.

Sorry, I tend to go on a bit too much just curious how do you find the selection of vegan-friendly Foods at the two German supermarkets?

Finally where is the cheapest place to buy tofu?

Tar.Aldarion

Well done on the effort! The cheapest place to buy tofu depends on if there is an Asian supermarket or shop anywhere near you. Dunnes also have a great one for €1.99 called super-tahoe, it's really firm which is much nicer in my opinion.

Lidl and aldi tend to have vegan specials that come and go. Recently there was pizza and now there is icecream. In general they are really cheap for veg and legumes but don't have too much ready made meals, there is one quinoa jambalaya with soya strips in Lidl that is really good. I think Lidl have a list of everything vegan on their site. They'd have soy milk, vegan butter, hummous, jars and tins and all that.


If you want more ready made stuff Tesco tends to be best, just depends on what you want to get. I'm not in Aldi that often to tell you much about them. They have a vegan guide here though! https://www.aldi.ie/intolerance/vegan

RHJ

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Well done on the effort! The cheapest place to buy tofu depends on if there is an Asian supermarket or shop anywhere near you. Dunnes also have a great one for €1.99 called super-Tahoe, it's really firm which is much nicer in my opinion.

Lidl and Aldi tend to have vegan specials that come and go. Recently there was pizza and now there is ice cream. In general, they are really cheap for veg and legumes but don't have too many ready-made meals, there is one quinoa jambalaya with soya strips in Lidl that is really good. I think Lidl have a list of everything vegan on their site. They'd have soy milk, vegan butter, hummus, jars and tins and all that.


If you want more ready made stuff Tesco tends to be best, just depends on what you want to get. I'm not in Aldi that often to tell you much about them. They have a vegan guide here though! https://www.aldi.ie/intolerance/vegan

Thank you, Tar I say it will take me a while to get used to this new Diet is it just me or is packing in 2000 calories from plant-based foods really hard I'm finding it difficult but anyway today I learnt how to not make a kale and apple smoothie. I'm sure next time I'll get it right.

davidjtaylor

Getting the calories shouldn't be a problem - my advice is just eat when you're hungry and make sure you have as wide a variety of food as you can.

There are overweight vegans, trust me!

I see you're in Mayo - a bit thin on vegan options there but there's a huge Galway vegan crowd (on FB), if that's not too far for the occasional jaunt. Maybe get some ideas from them. I travel up there from Ennis when they have meet-ups.

Have a look on happycow.net too.

JTMan

Aldi recently started selling some nice vegan ready meals.

RHJ

davidjtaylor wrote: »

Getting the calories shouldn't be a problem - my advice is just to eat when you're hungry and make sure you have as wide a variety of food as you can.

There are overweight vegans, trust me!

I see you're in Mayo - a bit thin on vegan options there but there's a huge Galway vegan crowd (on FB), if that's not too far for the occasional jaunt. Maybe get some ideas from them. I travel up there from Ennis when they have meet-ups.

Have a look on happycow.net too.

It's not too bad where I am thankfully here in Castlebar we are quite lucky in that we have all 5 of the major supermarkets. And three of them are very close together. I'd imagine being a vegan would be a damn sight harder in somewhere like Belmullet.

Thank you for the link it's useful to know where are good places to eat are.

davidjtaylor

RHJ wrote: »

I'd imagine being a vegan would be a damn sight harder in somewhere like Belmullet.

It's a lot to do with attitude and support - there's a whole vegan Irish-speaking family on Inisheer, for instance. They've been vegan for yonks and have just started the pop-up vegan café there.

Also, being part of a group (Meet-Up or Facebook) can help.

Being able from scratch is useful to anyone - but especially for a vegan. And it's so cheap!

Tar.Aldarion

RHJ wrote: »

Thank you, Tar I say it will take me a while to get used to this new Diet is it just me or is packing in 2000 calories from plant-based foods really hard I'm finding it difficult but anyway today I learnt how to not make a kale and apple smoothie. I'm sure next time I'll get it right.

I wish I found it hard, I am the opposite, trying to keep them down. A tub of hummous is like 600 calories and I'd eat that in one go 100g of muesli is nearly 400 calories, I could easily eat twice at once. Nuts, seeds etc too
Also would eat a lot of legumes.

What kinda food would you eat during a day?

RHJ

RHJ wrote: »

Thank you, Tar I say it will take me a while to get used to this new Diet is it just me or is packing in 2000 calories from plant-based foods really hard I'm finding it difficult but anyway today I learnt how to not make a kale and apple smoothie. I'm sure next time I'll get it right.

Smoothie -

2-3 leafs ( its leaves isn’t it ?) of kale

Half an apple

Small banana

1- sticks of celery

Half a lemon. I’ve bought a fantastic little fruit squeezer for this

100-120ml of coconut water, or any plant based milk

A tablespoon of cacao nibs, chia seeds, flaxseed,

Into a Nutri bullet for about 35-50 seconds

If you find it not too palatable you could add a date

I have one almost every morning.

Because I’m a forgetful fellow I’ve named it a ‘black’ so I don’t forget any ingredient

Banana
Lemon
Apple
Celery
Kale

Put in as much kale as you like.

You can obviously play with the quantities and especially with the liquid. You might like it thicker or less so

This is the tool I use for juicing small citrus fruits

http://www.victoriasbasement.com.au/Product/Details/92666/samsam-lemon-squeezer

Tar.Aldarion

Here is some stuff currently available in Lidl and Aldi




Most of my smoothies consist of a plant based protein powder (as I weight lift), a banana, peanut butter, cocoa powder and soy milk.

Tilikum17

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Here is some stuff currently available in Lidl and Aldi




Most of my smoothies consist of a plant based protein powder (as I weight lift), a banana, peanut butter, cocoa powder and soy milk.

What’s the pizza like I wonder.

Tar.Aldarion

Will give it a go and let you know! For science. Stick some pesto on there too.

I have a small (700 ml) cuisinart food processor that is very handy for making sauces or dips.

For those that like pesto or hummus -

A lovey creamy non greasy pesto -

2 cups of basil (or one cup of rocket & 1 basil)

1 clove of garlic

Juice of half a lemon

1/4 cup of a soft nut like - pine or raw cashew or walnut (best to soak the cashew or walnut in boiling water for 15 minutes before using)

2 heavy tablespoons of nutritional yeast

1-4 teaspoon of salt

3-5 tablespoons of water

Fire all into a food processor and blend.

Alterations - if you’re using ALL the pesto on the same day you make it you can add more garlic. If it’s going to be sitting in your fridge to use over 2-5 days then only use one clove of garlic as it’s flavour intensifies.

You can add more nutritional yeast to make it a bit more cheesey.

You can add more water if you like it less thick or you could add some soft silken tofu (about 150g) to make it extra creamy but don’t use any water.

Obviously you can alter all ratios to get your own preferred taste but the above recipe is the one I use.

The thought of shop bought pesto is now pretty off putting to me.

This homemade pesto is great with some good quality lentil or chickpea pasta and a tin of your favourite beans all mixed together. You can garnish with crushed nutritional yeast too.

Also, rather than the 1-2 tablespoons spoons of shop bought pesto you can easily add half this recipe in with some pasta and it’s not overpowering.

Hummus -

1 drained tin of chick peas

1 clove of garlic

1/3 cup of tahini

1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon of salt

Juice of half a lemon

All into the small food processor and blend

You can add in some nutritional yeast if you like

Again, only use 1 garlic clove if you’re going to use it over 2-5 days as the garlic flavour will really intensify but if you’re using all the hummus on the day you make it you can use 2-3 cloves

Again, you can play with ratios to get your favoured consistency.

For the minimal effort involved in these two recipes I would guess you will never buy pesto or hummus again.

The flavour is nothing like the bought version.

davidjtaylor

Deleted User wrote: »

Hummus -

1 drained tin of chick peas

1 clove of garlic

1/3 cup of tahini

1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon of salt

Juice of half a lemon

All into the small food processor and blend

You can add in some nutritional yeast if you like

Again, only use 1 garlic clove if you’re going to use it over 2-5 days as the garlic flavour will really intensify but if you’re using all the hummus on the day you make it you can use 2-3 cloves

Again, you can play with ratios to get your favoured consistency.

For the minimal effort involved in these two recipes I would guess you will never buy pesto or hummus again.

The flavour is nothing like the bought version.

Nice - I like the addition of cumin.

I sprout chick peas first, so the hummus is 'raw' - extra nutritional benefits. You need a fairly good blender though.

Space Dog

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Here is some stuff currently available in Lidl and Aldi

Is that peanut and hazelnut ice cream any good? I'm tempted...

Tar.Aldarion

Yeah I really liked it. They are all nice. I loved the cherry one!

Space Dog

Thanks, I'll try them, I saw that they're back in Lidl this week...

RHJ

Unfortunately the tofu they had on offer in Leadville is gone, at least here in Castlebar. I had to settle for going to Tesco and getting the soft type of tofu for €2.50 for 359 g tomorrow if I have time there is a Afro-Asian shop. Hopefully they might have a better selection and hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on a few sheets of nori.

Are there better stores in Galway or even a place in Dublin I could go to for a day next weekend and stock up?

davidjtaylor

RHJ wrote: »

Are there better stores in Galway or even a place in Dublin I could go to for a day next weekend and stock up?

If you're into organic, Meanwell in Ennis is the place to go. You can have a meal in Peckish, the vegan/organic café opposite, while you're there!

Obviously it's a bit further than Galway but not as far as Dublin, plus there's no motorway tolls.

Tar.Aldarion

If going to Dublin you can buy whatever you can think of. I don't know about Galway, they have Evergreen health stores at least.

davidjtaylor

Just to clarify for those who don't know about Meanwell in Ennis - I've no connection with them, other than being a regular shopper there - they've two shops in Merchant's Square in that town.

Much on sale is organic and they've recently gone totally vegan.

One shop sells an enormous range of packaged goods, plus a frozen and chilled section, plus the usual herbal products.

The other has a wide range of organic veggies, both local and imported. Best of all, they stock loose goods - beans, grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, muesli, pasta, snacks, Engervita, rice etc - so you can bring your own containers, saving on packaging.

I don't mean to advertise them - if I'm breaking a rule, feel free to edit the post mods. - it's just that they're way better than anywhere else in the mid-west (including Galway) when so few options are available for local vegans.

Jjjjjjjbarry

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Here is some stuff currently available in Lidl and Aldi




Most of my smoothies consist of a plant based protein powder (as I weight lift), a banana, peanut butter, cocoa powder and soy milk.

I've never seen vegan pizza in aldi or lidl. Were they weekly specials?

Tar.Aldarion

Yeah they have them as special now and again. They sell out fairly instantly too

RHJ

Hopefully, they bring them back full time. The only Vegan product I saw was the soy ice cream

Jjjjjjjbarry

Would be great to get them in full time. I was delighted to see Linda Mac vegan sausages in Lidl recently. Seem to be full time. Pity all the Quorn stuff in aldi/lidl get is not the vegan stuff.

fat bloke

Quick Q.

What's nutritional yeast, why & how would you eat it and where would you get it?

duridian

fat bloke wrote: »

Quick Q.

What's nutritional yeast, why & how would you eat it and where would you get it?

It's fairly easy to get in health stores, though I haven't spotted it in supermarkets near me at least. Think Holland & Barrett sell it as well.

It is not as strange a food as you might think. I think the word yeast is a bit associated with brewing and baking, and of course Marmite, to such a degree that people expect this stuff to be very strong and weird tasting, but honestly it really is quite mild in my opinion.

The type I use is a fairly common brand. It's called Marigold Engevita that costs 4 or 5 euro in my local shop. Some people say they prefer other brands, but I find it okay.


Basically it comes in the form of dry flakes, which are approximately the same size as most oatmeals. (Though not as big the "jumbo" type of oats you sometimes find in brands like Lidl's "Oatilicious".)
They are quite soluble.

They are mostly used to give a "chessy" vibe to vegan food.

Personally, one of my favourite and most simple ways to use it is to sprinkle some onto a mashed potato, along with some chopped raw (or fried) onion and mix them all together with a blob of vegan margarine.

adelcrowsmel

fat bloke wrote: »

Quick Q.

What's nutritional yeast, why & how would you eat it and where would you get it?

I love it sprinkled on toast and also over pasta dishes! I use it as an ingredient in lots of recipes also, also in making homemade cheese alternatives! I love the taste of it but use it mainly for the B12!

davidjtaylor

fat bloke wrote: »

Quick Q.

What's nutritional yeast, why & how would you eat it and where would you get it?

Engervita do three kinds: original, organic and a B12-added. It's full of other B vitamins too. It doesn't like being boiled.

It can slightly thicken some gravies, too, in addition to above-mentioned uses. White sauce is enhanced by stirring some in off the heat.

I also use it to make a fake parmesan, which I wrote about here.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Nutritional yeast on popcorn will change your ****ing life

duridian

davidjtaylor wrote: »

I also use it to make a fake parmesan, which I wrote about here.

I reckon I’d love this, but I wonder would it work without salt or a very minute amount of salt?

I have to be careful with my salt intake, as I used to be very obese and had very high blood pressure which I have now brought down to normal levels via lifestyle and dietary changes. (I was 10st heavier 4 or 5 years ago.)

davidjtaylor

duridian wrote: »

I reckon I’d love this, but I wonder would it work without salt or a very minute amount of salt?

I have to be careful with my salt intake, as I used to be very obese and had very high blood pressure which I have now brought down to normal levels via lifestyle and dietary changes. (I was 10st heavier 4 or 5 years ago.)

10 stone, yikes. Well done.

Yes, lose the salt, Engervita is kind-of salty anyway, just up the ratio of yeast flakes to nuts. I find it's best to make in very small amounts, the smallest your chopping machine can manage, so you can experiment with ratios.

Or, as I say, use some black salt, which is divine in the tiniest amounts.

Tar.Aldarion

No harm trying it with no salt or very little, and adding something else if you don't like the taste as much. With black salt you can only have a small amount in most food anyway as it is very strong and not at all like normal salt.

Eating nutritional yeast on everything or just from the tub changed my life

duridian

I think that I have seen packets of Himalayan salt down at my local Slice of Life health store.

I simply never knew what it was. I might get adventurous and try a tiny bit. I guess I can get away with a little as long as I don’t go too far with it.
Thanks for the idea David.

davidjtaylor

duridian wrote: »

I think that I have seen packets of Himalayan salt down at my local Slice of Life health store.

That might be the pink stuff, which is odourless. The real black salt is dirty pink and whiffs!

duridian

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

No harm trying it with no salt or very little, and adding something else if you don't like the taste as much. With black salt you can only have a small amount in most food anyway as it is very strong and not at all like normal salt.

Eating nutritional yeast on everything or just from the tub changed my life

True. I may just test it that way first. Although I like a somewhat salty taste in things, I have very much adjusted quite well to minimal usage.

The most common salty thing I encounter now is a bit of another Marigold product, their reduced salt vegetable bouillon. (Despite the name, it is still very salty.)

Though I have recently been using Kollø brand organic vegetable stock cubes more than the reduced salt bouillon, simply because it is a good bit less salty, and tastes really well when added to a really simple mix of boiled veggies.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

It's not as much hassle as you might think to make veggie stock if you've a freezer. I just throw all ends and skins etc from veg into a freezer bag for a week or two (keep them frozen), then when there's enough boil them and simmer and strain, you can add very little or no salt. When it's cooled you can even pour into an ice cube tray and you've got little stock cubes!

duridian

I have thought of trying homemade stock, I’ve just never got round to the habit of organising enough spare bits and leftovers unfortunately.

By the way, just to get back to Lidl and Aldi vegan products, here is one which I love. I was very surprised to discover was vegan when I was looking around the freezer at Lidl a few months ago.

Alpen Fest Apple Strudel

It’s really nice.
I don’t think it is a regular, but comes in a special from time to time. I had ignored it before as I assumed it wasn’t vegan. Grabbed about 6 for the freezer when I realised, and have it as a treat every 5 or 6 weeks. Still have a couple left.

davidjtaylor

(See attached) I got this as a backup from Aldi some months ago and decided to try it just now. It's very good, it's got a great bite to it, though it needs seasoning a little. I used some spicy Herbamare and black pepper.

It says 5 minutes in a medium hot pan but it needed 7 from frozen.

It also says, 'contains 6 servings'. What? Two is nearer the mark, one serving if you want it to be a main meal and even then, I'd add stuff.

ElKavo

Erick Mammoth Bum wrote: »

It's not as much hassle as you might think to make veggie stock if you've a freezer. I just throw all ends and skins etc from veg into a freezer bag for a week or two (keep them frozen), then when there's enough boil them and simmer and strain, you can add very little or no salt. When it's cooled you can even pour into an ice cube tray and you've got little stock cubes!

That is a fantastic idea! Plus you can just compost the sludge afterwards too. Cheers

duridian

Just wanted to say that today I tried one of Lidl’s Vemondo Soya Ice Desserts in Cherry flavour and give it a big thumbs up.

It’s practically indistinguishable from ice cream. Really delicious.

Strange how some of the tubs are called “ice dessert” and some others like the “peanut & pistachio” are called “ice cream”.

Then again, all the plant milks say xxxx drink on the label as well.
Perhaps the peanut is immune to this attention from lobbyists, as peanut “butter” is so long established, they feel they couldn’t win over the general public’s use of the term?

davidjtaylor

duridian wrote: »

Then again, all the plant milks say xxxx drink on the label as well.
Perhaps the peanut is immune to this attention from lobbyists, as peanut “butter” is so long established, they feel they couldn’t win over the general public’s use of the term?

I personally don't use 'milks' from any source but my wife uses almonds and cashews to make what she calls 'nectar'.

Tar.Aldarion

That cherry ice cream, I need it again!

duridian

davidjtaylor wrote: »

I personally don't use 'milks' from any source but my wife uses almonds and cashews to make what she calls 'nectar'.

Since I went vegan, I eat a selection of various seeds and nuts every morning for my breakfast.
Porridge with a spoon of linseed or chia seeds, mixed in along with some oat drink, followed by a mix of almonds, cashews, walnuts, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, and pecans, and the occasional peanut if they came in a mixed pack.
I find them so much a part of my nutritional intake for the day, that now I don't think I could get by without eating them.

Are there any sources for raw almonds or cashews that are more affordable than the likes of the 200g packets in Lidl?

Making a homemade almond drink is definitely something I've been meaning to try. I can't deny the long dates on commercially available plants drinks are a bit worrisome.

From what I've gathered, it's a matter of soaking the almonds overnight or longer. Drain and rinse to remove any phytic acid. Blend with a ratio of two cups of water to one cup of almonds. Strain and drink. Use remaining solids in porridge, bread etc.

Seems straightforward enough hopefully.

duridian

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

That cherry ice cream, I need it again!

Between the ice cream and the Linda McCartney sausages, it took me nearly half an hour to find them in my local today - BUT oh wow, so worth the effort!

Tar.Aldarion

How much are 200g of cashews in ludl? Theyre like 2e in Tesco I think, you can get 10kg bags from Asia market, you'd have to ask them for price as they don't sell to normal consumers usually, but to restaurants.

duridian

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

How much are 200g of cashews in ludl? Theyre like 2e in Tesco I think, you can get 10kg bags from Asia market, you'd have to ask them for price as they don't sell to normal consumers usually, but to restaurants.

Lidl 200g cashews are I think €2.19 and 200g almonds are €2.99. Wouldn’t you need about a pack and half of those to make a litre?

davidjtaylor

duridian wrote: »

Making a homemade almond drink is definitely something I've been meaning to try. I can't deny the long dates on commercially available plants drinks are a bit worrisome.

Seems like everything's pasteurised these days!

duridian wrote: »

From what I've gathered, it's a matter of soaking the almonds overnight or longer. Drain and rinse to remove any phytic acid. Blend with a ratio of two cups of water to one cup of almonds. Strain and drink. Use remaining solids in porridge, bread etc.

Seems straightforward enough hopefully.

My wife's usual one is cashew nectar. We buy organic cashew pieces (they're cheaper than whole nuts so it'd be silly not to use them) and don't soak, neither strain the liquid, though some people might want to.

This is because we use a Vitamix mixer, which is 2.2HP, enough to homogenise the liquidise and pour straight into a bottle. It may need a shake if it's been stood for a while.

The blade spins so fast that there are recipes for soup in the manual - just add the ingredients and blend for 6 or 7 minutes: it comes out piping hot. :eek:

She sometimes soaks and peels almonds for her nectar but I've made it without soaking the almonds - it's just got tiny bits of fibre floating around, almost too tiny to see.

Again, no sludge, you eat/drink the whole lot.

Tar.Aldarion

duridian wrote: »

Lidl 200g cashews are I think €2.19 and 200g almonds are €2.99. Wouldn’t you need about a pack and half of those to make a litre?

I'm not sure of the amounts but the one from a shop is much weaker than that, maybe 2% almonds. To quote Napolean Dynamite: "I see you’re drinking 1%. Is that ’cause you think you’re fat? ‘Cause you’re not. You could totally be drinking whole if you wanted to"

Your's would be very calorific but would taste better and creamier. 300g would probably make like 2 litres of strong stuff.
Cashew milk is amazing btw.