Hi Dave
It can be daunting, I went to a Viva Roadshow last August and that helped me to realise that I could do it, I went a veggie and came home a vegan.
If you can go to Holland and Barrett you can get a variety of vegan sandwich fillings. Look in the refrigerated and frozen cabinets and you can get vegan stuff that looks like turkey rashers, or vegan cheese or scotch 'eggs', 'pork' pies, etc. Just to get you going for your lunch. Or you can buy peanut butter, or have Marmite sandwiches. Try to use bread like a seeded one for extra energy. As for cooking at home, Linda McCartney's veggiemince is a good standby, a good selection of vegetables, potatoes, carrots, courgettes, onions, leeks, and tins of tomatoes and mixed beans are great for all kinds of stews, chillis, curries, etc. You can keep some or freeze it, I haven't got the hang of freezing yet, but I put half in a dish in the fridge and heat it up the next night. Mixed herbs, green Oxo cubes, French mustard, cumin, paprika, mild chilli powder, tomato puree, garlic, salt and pepper, basalmic and cider vinegar, Tamari soy sauce, olive oil and Bisto gravy granules are my storecupboard basics at the moment. I have quinoa sometimes too. The other day I bought a salad from the Co-op which came with a very nice beetroot dressing. I had that with half a tin of mixed salad beans, some more salady things like more beetroot, spring onions and some peanuts on top. It was lovely, and so quick. I start the day with a bowl of Fruit and Fibre and oat milk, sometimes I crush up a calcium tablet and put that in it to make sure I'm getting enough since I don't drink cows milk anymore. I am the only vegan in the family, it's harder catering for one. Then I have to cater for the carnivores. Do get a cookbook, the Viva one has been really helpful for me, but there are others. I hope this helps.
I'm 59, better late than never.
