Vegan Uni Essentials

Going vegan while at uni maybe a bit of a challenge, but it shouldn't be an unwelcome one. Some people prefer to cut out everything all at once, whereas others may cut down gradually. When I went from vegetarian to vegan after a month of my first year at uni, I did the latter (mainly because I didn't want to waste the non-vegan food I already had), and it worked well.
Whether you're already at uni and looking to reduce your animal product intake, or you're thinking about going vegan once you get to uni or even while at home, hopefully this list will be of some use!

• Proteins: A lot of meat-eaters bang on about protein, but it is important. There are so many sources to choose from too! Some good staples are:
• Lentils: can have a meat-like flavour, good in spag bol, shepards pie, curries - pretty much anything! Either buy tins and add them straight to what you're cooking, or if you have time and want to save some money bulk buy them dried and cook them as you need them!
• Chickpeas/Beans: there's a massive variety of these to choose from, and again you can buy them tinned or dried. Use them to bulk up your meals and add some different textures.

Chickpeas are a good source of protein and great for a quick meal!

• Quorn/Other meat substitutes: These are pricier than the above, but still a good thing to keep in the freezer. Quorn now do vegan pieces and sausages, as well as fillets and slices, but make sure you triple check the packaging as they are near identical to their vegetarian counterparts! Some other brands to investigate are Tofurky, Sainsbury's, Linda McCartney, Tesco, and Vbites (sold in Holland and Barrett)
• Tofu: Tofu can be a bit intimidating at first, but it's incredible versatile once you get the hang of it. If you're a bit weary, you can buy pre-flavoured and pre-pared tofu, such as the marinated Cauldron tofu or one of tofoo's flavoured ones. 
• Nutritional Yeast: If you've ever ventured to vegan instagram, you've probably heard about this to death but if not, nutritional yeast is tiny yellow flakes that add flavour to savoury dishes. It's very useful for making things taste similar to cheese, so if you intend on making your own macaroni cheese this is a must! It's not cheap, but is full of nutrients and will last you a long time. You can buy it on amazon or pop into your local Holland and Barrett and pick it up cheaper.

A brand of nutritional yeast; this one was from Holland and Barrett

• Spices: It doesn't have to be extravagant, but a small collection of spices can make cooking a lot easier. Paprika is good for making things have a smokey taste and chilli powder (hot or mild) is also good if you want to make chilli from scratch. You can also get ready made spice mixes, either in packets (which are good for bulk cooking healthy meals for the week) or in jars, which are good to adding to some stir fried veg to turn it into whatever meal you want. 
• Milk: There are now an extraordinary amount of different types of plant milk available, so it can be overwhelming knowing which one to buy. It comes down to personal preference to type and brand, but in my experience this is what the following work well for:
• Soya Milk: The most readily available and probably most well known one. I drink this in tea, though I know people who can't stand it in drinks. It can curdle in coffee if it's not heated very well before hand. It's also good on cereal and for cooking.
• Coconut Milk: Very creamy, is really good in coffee and can usually be added straight to a mug! Can also be used in cooking, especially in curries to make them more mild. 
• Oat Milk: I've found that the brand you choose really affects how well this works in drinks, Oatly appears to curdle (though the barista version may be better!) but alpro long life works well in tea. Again, this is good on cereal, and contains a source of iodine, which is increasingly being discussed as being harder to get on a vegan diet.
• Hazlenut Milk: A lot of people I know prefer this to soya milk in tea. It's more watery than soya milk but does keep its hazlenut taste.
• Cashew Milk: I have never drunk this myself, but it appears to be quite thick compared to hazlenut, and the internet appears to confirm it can curdle in hot drinks. It appears to be good for cooking, though!
• Frozen Fruit: These are good as regular fruit has to be eaten quickly, so this can keep you going until your next shop. These especially work well with yogurt or on porridge! Just be wary as some supermarkets sell frozen fruit as "smoothie packs", which occasionally contain milk (how??). 
• Bulk cooking meals: This isn't an essential thing per say, but it's definitely a good habit to get into that'll save you a lot of time. There are lots of options here; either make your own sauce or use a jar (curry, pasta sauce, chilli, stir fry sauce etc), or even a spice packet (fajita, paella, chilli, jambalaya etc), add your favourite veggies and protein and make enough to last around the whole week! 

A curry I made using a jar of sauce and lots of veggies - this made enough to last a whole week!