12th: Grocery store tips and tricks
I live in Brisbane, more specifically on the south side of Brisbane. We are lucky to have two completely vegan shops here - The Cruelty Free Shop opened a Brisbane branch in West End (close to heaps of vegan-friendly food places) a bit over a year ago, and of course we have the Brisbane institution, The Green Edge, which is in Windsor. While CFS is technically closer to my house, I tend to go to The Green Edge a bit more often (they are both not too far from work). They have bulk nooch there! Also they have a pretty great cafe. New owners took over at the end of last year, and they have done wonders with the place!
Of course, shopping at specialty vegan places does tend to come with a bit of a price tag. I can drop a lot of money at The Green Edge or CFS. No complaints, they have an amazing range of local and imported vegan goodness, but I do have to be a little mindful. There are also some health food/organic shops that sell vegan foods (like Flannery's and Wrays), but they can be quite pricey too. There is a health food shop very close to my work called Fundies, and twice a month they have a members day where you get 15% off, so that is a good tip if you are near! Though it doesn't include fridge or freezer vegan foods.
Next step down, a lot of SupaIGA stores have quite a good vegan range these days. Including Tofurky, Field Roast, Gardein, Daiya, FYH, green box Frys, and more, as well as lots of vegan or 'health food' staples. They tend to cost a bit less, though it still can get pricey. However I've gotten some great deals on close to expiry Field Roast there before, so it always pays to check it out! Just stick it in your freezer and it will keep forever.
Australia has two huge supermarket corporations - Coles and Woolworths, and you will almost always find yourself close to one of these. The good news is that they have been expanding their vegan ranges as well. As well as a range of tofu, they also have quite a few plant-based meat and dairy options now. Though not everything is vegan, so always check the labels. Oh, and don't get anything from the Alternative Meat Company because it tastes awful. Also of note, there is an Australian brand called Vegie Delights, that makes mock meat. They have recently started rolling out their new completely vegan range, but their old range is a mix of vegetarian and vegan, so be sure to check the label for the vegan tick (at a glance the vegetarian tick looks similar). Here are some things I found in some local ones lately!
I am lucky enough to live in an area that has a lot of Asian grocery shops, and this is my final suggestion to everyone. Hit up your Asian grocery stores, they are a treasure trove of awesome vegan things! And often much cheaper than you would find elsewhere. Mock meats, tinned jackfruit, taro cookies and more!
On a final, final note, if you are peckish and find yourself near a Baker's Delight, they have several vegan options beyond the usual rolls and loaves. Most of the savoury snacks are not vegan, but many of the sweet ones are, you can ask and they will print off a thing that tells you if it is vegan or not. My favourite is the un-iced apple scroll.
Cute Kitty Photo of the Post - Month of Sahara
Sahara loved to be picked up in a bear hug, and walked around. This is how she ended up with her nickname Bear.
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Great finds! Sweet kitty, too! Happy Vegan MoFo! YAY!
ReplyDeleteHappy MoFo to you. :)
DeleteSahara looks so happy being held. I wish my cat would be like that XD
ReplyDeleteFunny you mention going to Asian food markets for deals. I did that one day thinking I would make a killing- I didn't! I was surprised at how matched their prices were to normal grocery stores! Well, I make a killing on the tofu- I get baked tofu and seitan for $2 when they are normally $4 (and the Asian brand is actually local!) But frozen and tinned seitan/meats not that great of a steal.
Sahara would demand to be picked up and cuddled and walked around like that. She purred so much would rub her face against yours.
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