What's in The Vegan Kind Box? May 2018

It's National Vegetarian Week!! So what better time to take a rummage through this month's The Vegan Kind Box? Here's a peep at everything inside TVK55...
 

Following on from my last post, I'm sticking with a veggie theme - not least because it happens to be National Vegetarian Week in the UK this week. I've been sitting on my hands on this one ever since I received my The Vegan Kind May box because I don't want to be that person doling out spoilers and ruining it for other subscribers. So I've been patient. But I'm done being patient....

It seems like forever since I reviewed a TVK box! I haven't yet been able to bring myself to explain my absence fully here, but I'm sure it'll come with time. The important thing is, I'm back now, so I'm raring to go on this month's box. 

For those of you who might be new to TVK subscription box, or have had your curiosity peaked with all the veggie chat going on this week, The Vegan Kind were the first in the UK to offer a 100% Vegan lifestyle subscription box. Each month, TVK subscribers receive a yummy parcel of vegan treats, food items, and other household products or toiletries through their door. What could be better, right? They even branched out into doing cruelty free beauty boxes! 

It really is a fantastic way to introduce yourself to new vegan products each month, and a great way to ease yourself into a more plant-based way of living.

So, what's in the Box?!

Herby GEOSticks

Crispy, herby little multigrain sticks made from rice, lentils and quinoa. These were the first item to fall prey to my office munchies (I tend to stash the contents of each box in my desk drawer each month) and contain some gorgeous Fairtrade ingredients from Japan and Peru.

Belvas Flaked Belgian Chocolate Truffles

Oh, my goodness! Very decadent, flakey-soft truffles made using 73% Peruvian cocoa. You'd never in a million years assume these were plant-based - they're so morish and indulgent!

BetterYou Daily Vitamin B12 Oral Spray

"Where do you get your B12?"... RIGHT HERE! 

I've always favoured oral and sublingual B12 supplements and I'm looking forward to trying this one. It has the added bonus of chromium and green tea extract to keep you awake and alert. Just 4 sprays per day delivers 48,000% of your RDA(!!) and with a pleasant apricot flavour. 

I Love Snacks Californian Smoked Almonds

Are you a nutter like me? If you're partial to a tasty hit of healthy fats, these will be right up your alley. And if portion control is an issue then the handy little mini-packs mean you can't get too carried away. These are great for a quick afternoon pick me up. 

YumEarth Organic Fruit Snacks

SWEETS!! I love a good veggie jelly sweet and these are particularly tasty. They are flavoured using natural, organic fruit juices with no syrups or artificial colours/flavours. The icing on the cake is that they're also packing a hit of Vitamin C! 

Montezuma's Dark Chocolate Chilli Mini-Bar

There is no bad kind of mini-bar, and this little slab of pure joy packs quite a punch! You might have noticed Montezuma's creations in supermarkets, and this chilli variety was one of their original 5 products and inspired by a traditional Mexican recipe.

Turmerlicious Choco Latte

I'm really looking forward to trying this! I've heard amazing things about 'golden milk' turmeric lattes. This one is blended with coconut milk, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper and... well... turmeric (obvs). All you need to do is add hot water!

My Thoughts... 

To be honest, I've yet to receive a TVK box I didn't like! This one, however, is particularly wonderful! I love everything in it! As always, it's super value for money, containing 7 good-sized products worth over £23. It's a great combo of sweet, savoury and functional too. I think if I had to pick a favourite product of the bunch, it would have to be the Belvas truffles. They are spectacular, and really didn't last long. I could have done with another box! 

As always, there was a delicious recipe card included with the products for a yummy green veggie curry. 10p from each TVK55 box sold was also donated to Well Small Animal Rescue, which is a small cat rescue charity based in Lincolnshire. 

To subscribe to The Vegan  Kind, head over to thevegankind.com, pick your box, pick your subscription, and you're all set! The Lifestyle Box Subscription (which is what I have) starts from just £8 per month. Or, if you're a cruelty-free beauty lover, you might also love their bi-monthly Beauty Box.

The Vegan Kind also operates an online vegan supermarket - probably the biggest in the UK - where they offer a HUGE range of cruelty-free, plant based products for home delivery anywhere in the UK! 

What Veggie/Vegan Treats have you been enjoying for National Vegetarian Week?

My Vegan Life (In Pictures)

I've been vegan for over two years now. It's not a secret. I've completely embraced it in every aspect of my life and it's been the most positive thing I've ever done for myself - although I didn't actually do it for myself to begin with - but I don't talk about it much. Sure, I'll wax lyrical about cruelty-free beauty products or what I had for dinner and I think I've used all of the vegan hashtags at some point in the last two years, but I don't really get deep and ethical about it online. To be honest, I'm a little self-conscious because I don't really fancy being stereotyped, and I don't want it to overshadow other aspects of my identity. Today, however, I really feel like giving a bit of insight into my day-to-day life as a vegan...

Vegans are some of the most food-obsessed people I've ever come across, and I'm right in there with them. It's not because we have trouble finding food either; it's more to do with the fact that a whole new world of food options opens up to you when you ditch old habits. Hand on heart, I can honestly say I don't miss anything that I used to eat - mainly because I've been veggie for most of my life, and because, a lot of the time, the meals I cook now are just plant-based versions of the meals I used to make.  I may experience the odd feels when I see someone with blue cheese or a poached egg, but I definitely don't want to eat those things now. They don't register as food with me any more. Those feels are pure nostalgia and have been relegated to the 'been there, done that' folder in my brain. 

Pizza Express Pianta Pizza

Nowadays, you'll find me getting ridiculously overexcited about artichokes, guacamole and sweet potatoes (although not on the same plate). Yesterday I baked a swede in the oven and devoured it whole, sprinkled with salt, pepper and nutritional yeast. I never enjoyed steak or bacon as much I enjoyed that swede yesterday. I'd describe my current diet as high-carb-low-fat, with mostly whole foods, although that may not be reflected in some of the photos in this post. We're all allowed treats once in a while, and vegan treats are positively saintly compared to their meat, dairy and egg laden counterparts. I shop in regular supermarkets and eat out at regular chain restaurants. 

Beauty has been more of a challenge. I'm still using up the dregs of my pre-vegan makeup stash because I'm not in a position to be able to afford to throw away expensive makeup. Non-vegan ingredients are harder to identify on beauty products and animal testing is a minefield thanks to various legal loopholes. Thanks to sites like Logical Harmony though, I'm able to make more informed choices now and, although there are occasional slip ups - I bought myself a new Barry M eyeshadow palette recently and the primer included with it turned out to contain beeswax - you live and learn) - I now know which brands to avoid and which brands offer amazing cruelty-free products for vegans. 

I wouldn't say that being vegan has changed anything about my personality or who I am as a person, although I'm definitely more mindful now in my day to day life. I've learned that it's okay to ask questions and not to be scared to say no to something because it conflicts with what you feel is right, because people who belong in your life, and deserve your time, will always understand and respect your choices. The most powerful thing I've learned is that it's okay to change your opinion based on new information. One of the most humble things we can do in our lives is to be constantly in search of knowledge and to grow and shape our lives around the things we experience. Some things we see along the way may be shocking and unpleasant, but sometimes they make us better people. I'm definitely a happier, healthier person today because of those things. 

Now that I'm starting to ease myself back into regular blogging again, I'm going to try and share more vegan lifestyle related content, some amazing resources, and maybe even dabble in the odd plant-based recipe post (although don't get too excited about that - I'm a 'fly by the seat of my pants' kinda cook and very rarely use precise measurements or keep track of what ingredients I'm throwing in my pot). 

For more snippets of my vegan lifestyle, feel free to stalk me over on Instagram and Pinterest. I'd love to see you all there!