Gaz Oakley has made quite the profile for himself online within the vegan world. Gaz made some time to answer some quickfire questions for us all about his lifestyle, and also gave us some fantastic tips on making vegan cooking at home as exciting as possible. Read on to find out what he had to say...
Gaz Oakley chats with Female First all about going vegan
Throughout the course of the last year, the variety of vegan food options has expanded vastly. What do you think has encouraged this movement?
I believe this has a lot to do with the fact that there is more information out there as to why people go vegan - the cruelty to animals, the damage to the planet and the effects that eating meat, fish and dairy has on our body. Social media has really helped spread the vegan message. I myself went vegan three years ago after watching one youtube video.
As more and more people are choosing to live a vegan lifestyle, what inspired you to go vegan?
I started to feel guilty every time I ate meat and just knew it wasn’t right. I heard about a video on YouTube by an activist called Gary Yourofsky. The speech called The Best Speech Ever made me go vegan literally overnight. The points he makes in the video gave me an awaken, and I now know I could only ever be vegan.
How do Linda McCartney's products encourage vegan cooking in a millennial era?
Linda McCartney’s foods has been at the forefront of meat-free foods for decades. The products have helped so many vegans & vegetarians, both new and existing, including myself. When I first went vegan, finding Linda McCartney’s sausages in the supermarket was a blessing - me and my family still eat them now. The great thing is that all of their products are affordable and available for purchase in the millennial era which is extremely important.
Gaz's 7 tips on vegan cooking
- Season at every stage of the cooking process with sea salt & pepper.
- Incorporate dried herbs and spices to add depth of flavour.
- Cook with variety, its important to eat a varied diet whilst vegan.
- Make sure you have a powerful blender.
- Use a griddle pan, to add a lovely smoky charred flavour to vegetables & tofu.
- Never overcook vegetables to retain their flavour and nutrients.
- Experiment with wheat gluten/seitan - its fun making vegan meats! OR if you’re short for time, Linda McCartney’s have a great veggie protein range.