Hazel Thornicroft

VI Owner, Foodie, Blogger & Planet Enthusiast

Hazel Thornicroft

VI Owner, Foodie, Blogger & Planet Enthusiast

Our Planet

At Vegan Inspire, we know that it’s not always easy to change to a vegan lifestyle. That’s why we we’ve produced simple great tasting recipes, useful information (great vegan tips and tricks) and have online support so you can start living the life you want; for you and your family, the planet and the animals we share it with.

Our Body

Take control of your body. Purify yourself with wholesome foods and banish those toxins.

Our Planet

We live in a beautiful world, but sadly we’re losing control. It’s time to make a difference and save our planet.

Our Friends

Animals are incredible. They come in all shapes and sizes. They are sentient beings and deserve our love and respect.

Meet Hazel

Hi, I’m Hazel, the founder of Vegan Inspire, huge foodie and animal lover (although I prefer to love spiders from afar!) I’ve been vegan for a couple of years now. It’s not always been an easy journey; I’ve had cravings for my old life (particularly fish and eggs) but I’ve kept going because I believe this is the best way for us to all live.

My husband, Keith, first got me thinking about a vegan lifestyle but back then I was totally against it. Eating animal products is a habit we’ve been brought up with from such a young age and that’s difficult to break. But even more than that, I was dealing with lots of intolerances, many of which were vegan protein staples like, beans and pulses (which included soy and tofu) as well as gluten. I just couldn’t see a way round at the time. Plus, I didn’t have a clue what to cook if I did change my diet. Up to that point I had only cooked one vegan dish ever, assuming we don’t count my homemade chips (fries)!

I did eventually overcome these challenges to become vegan and continue to face the challenges that still come along from time to time. One bonus was that many of my intolerances have either lessened or have gone away completely since being vegan #winning!

I started Vegan Inspire as a resource for those of you who want to learn to cook more healthy vegan food as well as new vegans who are starting out on their journey and need some extra support and advice. It may sometimes feel like it, but you’re not alone on this journey. Feel free to contact me personally either through Instagram or Facebook or contact me here. I’d love to chat with you, wherever you are on your journey.

Why We’re Inspired

Everyone is motivated differently to start a plant-based life-style, and whilst veganism focuses on animal welfare, there are other factors that we and many people care about. Here’s our view on why being vegan is the way forward for ourselves, the planet and the animals we share it with.

Our Body

We’ve all heard the phrases, ‘Your body is a temple’ or ‘You are what you eat’ and we all know that we should consume more fruit and vegetables. But I would hazard to guess that most of us don’t truly understand the huge benefits to our bodies that a whole food, plant-based diet could give us, nor the huge impact of animal-based and processed foods. Did you know for example, that processed meats, such as bacon, are classed as Group 1 carcinogens by the World Health Organization? This is the same group as cigarettes. It’s time for us to take back control of our own bodies and live the life we want. I would recommend reading T. Colin Campbell’s China Study or Dr Michael Gregor’s How Not to Die, or check out the documentary, What the Health.

Our Planet

What we do in the next 20 years will determine the future for all life on earth’ Sir David Attenborough, 2019

We have an incredibly beautiful planet. Made up of so many different environments with millions of different animal and plant species on land and sea. It’s our duty perhaps not as Guardians of the Galaxy, but at least Guardians of our Earth. We have the choice now either to take a stand and protect it or live to see the day when our children and children’s children, turn to us to ask us why we didn’t stop this destruction. It sounds extreme, but it’s got to the point where it kind of is. Let’s be the ones who come together to make the difference.

Our Friends

There are few of us who don’t love or admire the animals we share this great planet with, whether as pets or from afar. Modern agricultural methods mean that the majority of animals suffer throughout their entire existence. This goes against the principles of most people, yet because we don’t see it, we often don’t realise it’s going on. But that’s not who we are. When we realise that there are tasty alternatives, to the harm and cruelty, we can change and make a difference. For lots more information check out the following documentary’s: Earthlings and Land of Hope and Glory.

Vegan Food is Boring, Expensive and Takes Ages to Cook

Huh? Okay, so when I first started out, I didn’t really have an opinion or know much about the diet. But, since conducting a survey to see people’s opinions of a vegan diet, this was what most people said. Let’s explore these ideas.

Vegan food is boring

Vegan food can be boring, like anything can be if not treated with a bit of TLC. No one wants a boring salad with flavourless lettuce, a bit of cucumber and tomato (back to the 90s!). I’d much rather have a Japanese bowl filled with quinoa, crispy tofu, avocado, edamame beans, butternut squash, greens and a maple-soy dressing.

The strange thing I found, which took me completely by surprise, was that I was enjoying vegan food more than I had at any time in my life, and I’ve always loved food!

Maybe it was because I was using more flavours, or following tried and tested recipes, I don’t know, but I soon discovered vegan food is tasty, like, really tasty!

It’s Expensive

I’ve heard so many people say this, and I haven’t quite found the basis for this idea. Even when I go to buy tofu, I’m still spending less money than I would have done buying the equivalent portions of meat. The only thing I would say could hit your purse more would be the fake meats, mostly these are still cheaper, but there are some expensive alternatives out there, so have those as treats if you want them. Nuts and seeds can also set you back a bit, but with all these extra things that I bought in abundance, I was still spending 30% less a week and I know people who spend 75% less since they’ve been vegan. Don’t forget, beans, lentils and grains are really cheap ways to get your protein and nutrients. Plus, eating out is usually cheaper…although do watch out, because it’s not always the case.

Vegan food takes ages to prepare and cook

This can be true but it doesn’t have to be. When I first started, I spent a lot of time researching recipes and changing them to suit my dietary requirements! Everything took much longer than normal. But there are ways to get around this so that it doesn’t impact your life.

Consider cooking in bulk. It doesn’t take much longer to make one lasagne as it does to make two. So, make two and freeze the second one. Same for lunches, sauces and curries. Making your life easier for yourself.

But at Vegan Inspire, we provide you with a stock of go-to recipes which are quick, easy and tasty and suitable for the whole family. Because, life is hard enough, being vegan doesn’t need to add to your daily burden. You can discover these in the recipe section here.