Recipe: Hot chocolate with something extra, which will make all the difference!

I am not sure what made me do this but I got a bit creative the other day and the result was a delicious hot chocolate which was bursting with flavour and texture. This recipe serves 1.

Ingredients for vegan hot chocolate

• 1 cup of Oatly
• 4 teaspoons of Swiss Twinings Hot Chocolate
• 1 piece of vegan chocolate

How to make vegan hot chocolate

1. Put the Oatly in a pan and heat it up
2. Add 4 teaspoons of hot
3. Give it a stir
4. When it's almost ready to drink add the piece of chocolate to the pan and mix a little - the one I used is shown below
5. Pour after about 30 seconds

The result will be yummy.

Don't forget to scoop up any remaining chocolate at the bottom of the cup.

What does the National Health Service say about vegan diets?

This post is connected to the previous one. It felt like everyone became a health expert when I told them that I was going to follow a vegan diet. It's not their fault because the media is riddled with information about how much our health depends on dairy and that it is our main source of Calcium etc. Of course this is not true, but at the time, I felt attacked, defensive, insulted and irritated. This was compounded by the fact that I hadn't researched the pros and cons of a plant-based diet, so the seed of doubt was planted and I was speechless and cross with myself at the same time. Not a good combination!

I didn't want to feel like that again, so I did some research to make the decision fact-based, rather than, the solely emotional. I felt better and more certain that this was the right shift for me.

Here's what the National Health Service (NHS) says:-

One can get most of the nutrients that are needed from eating a varied and balanced vegan diet.

The website states that a healthy vegan diet contains:

• plenty of fruit and vegetables

• plenty of starchy foods

• some non-dairy sources of protein such as beans and pulses

• some dairy alternatives such as fortified soya drink

• just a small amount of fatty and sugary foods

Do you have to convince others that your choices are right for you?
When others want to explore the choices you've made, do you have to answer?
It took me a long time to come to the decision that I don't always need to give a reply.

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"You don’t always have to say something. Let your life be your message "
- Rev Run