SUMA (affordable vegan tinned meals)

Despite a modern obsession for cookery shows, the truth is that most people will take a quick tinned meal anyway (like beans on toast). Here are a few other good tinned meals.

They are ideal if you can’t be bothered to make your own seitan or don’t have the time or energy every night, to cook a meal from scratch. If bulk-buying, use

Store half-eaten meals from tins in airtight containers (don’t keep in tins). Always pop the ring-pull back over holes before recycling cans, to avoid wildlife getting trapped.

Before cooking, read up on food safety for people & pets (many human foods are unsafe around animal friends). 

SUMA is a co-operative that sells wholesale to independent health shops. It has its own range of good tinned meals that you can find in health shops, farm shops and some smaller supermarkets (like Co-op or NISA).

These are mostly with protein, so with bread and some vegetables, make balanced meals. They don’t even need can openers. Just open, heat and eat:

• Vegan Ravioli with Mushroom Sauce
• Vegan Mac n Cheeze
• Vegan Cheesy Pasta Pot
• Spicy chorizo stew (chickpeas, peppers)
• Vegan Meatballs
• Vegan Meatball Bolognese
• Saag Aloo (‘curry in a tin’ with potato, spinach and spices)
• Baked Beans with vegan sausages

Tins of Seitan ‘Mock Duck!

Look in health stores for tins of mock duck. This is actually very tasty, a mix of seitan (wheat meat) in gravy. Use it to make stews and casseroles. You could use it to make vegan cottage pie.