Our top 10 tips for vegan students

With September just around the corner, it is time to share our top ten tips on vegan student living: 1. Get some practice in early – cooking in front of people you don’t know can be a bit daunting! Why not practice a few staple dishes, for example soup / lasagne / bolognese / stir fry before you set off for university? 2. Invest in some good tupperware and spices – save money by making packed lunches, you can use last night’s leftovers. A great spice selection will come in very handy. Our favourites are cinnamon, chilli, paprika and za’atar. If you are new to cooking, why not take a little bit from home until you have worked out which ones you love? 3. Make your own cookbook using online recipes – instead of spending £ buying shiny new cookbooks, try printing out a selection of recipes and keeping them a ring-binder – that way if it gets a bit dirty or misplaced in your student digs, you can also make another. We highly recommend these websites: Green Kitchen Stories , Vegan Chef Day , Katy Beskow (aka Little Miss Meat Free), Deliciously Ella , and of course the JVS website ! For more complex dishes, try 4. Cook with your flatmates / friends – this means you can share the cooking and washing up, and learn from each other. 5. Meal plan / cook in batches – once you have built up your confidence in the kitchen, the next step is to start planning meals – this means saving time and money. Cooking in batches on a spare evening / afternoon means you can reach for ready made food during the week. Batch cook grains / dips / roasted veggies etc. 6. Shop seasonally – use this handy guide to find out what is in season. It will be cheaper and much tastier. 7. ‘I’m vegan!’ – don’t be afraid to tell people! If you are invited to someone and they are new to it, offer to help them cook / give them ideas of easy dishes. So many are naturally vegan / can be easily adapted. 8. YouTube is your new best friend! – Follow along with videos if cookbooks aren’t your thing 9. See the Vegan Society’s new app VeGuide 10. Get in touch with JVS – need some recipe inspiration / have a question about Jewish veganism / want to share your creations with us – email info@jvs.org.uk See Veganuary’s epic vegan starter kit , packed full of amazing tips.