I was raised vegetarian from birth by my mum, yet ironically my dad is a farmer, breeding sheep and cows for the meat industry. I grew up with dogs, cows, cats, sheep, horses, plus a few chickens and two goats. I loved playing with all the animals, and from a young age I knew I didn’t eat meat because I didn’t want to hurt them.
When I went to university in 2012, my mum worried I might start eating meat as an act of rebellion. Instead, I joined the university’s Veg Soc and I made some vegan friends who told me about the horrors of the dairy and egg industries. After more research I knew I couldn’t continue to support those practices. It took a few months, I cut out eggs and milk easily, but I struggled with cheese, until one day I decided that that I needed to fully align my actions with my morals. Every time I wanted something non-vegan I pictured the suffering of the animals and the decision to eat something else became easy. When I went home for the holidays, I convinced my mum to go vegan too. We haven’t looked back.
Having close contact with farm animals growing up made it easy for me to make the connection and seeing first-hand the cruelty of standard farming practices, (even on free-range, grass-fed farms) it isn’t an industry I will ever support. When I visit my dad’s farm it’s a little strange as I love spending time with the animals, they’re so trusting and it’s heartbreaking knowing their fate. I always post pictures of them online to show that they’re just as sweet and loving as our companion animals like cats and dogs.
I also share pictures of delicious food. I always loved cooking, but as a vegetarian I relied heavily on cheese and eggs. After going vegan I experimented more with different ingredients, and I’ve discovered many delicious foods I’d never tried before. Far from being restrictive, cooking (and eating!) has become even more of a passion. Recently more convenience products are being released, which is always exciting - in 2013 I had to go to health food shops for vegan cheese and chocolate, whereas Veganuary 2022 is blowing us away with new vegan treats readily available in supermarkets – plus, more brands than ever before are using the Vegan Trademark!
I have met the most wonderful, kind people in the vegan community through events and social media groups. I have found comfort and support in knowing there are lots of other like-minded, passionate people out there which is important as feeling alone in a non-vegan world is probably the most difficult part. The more people who join the movement, the easier it will be.
My tips for going vegan:
- Keep reminding yourself of your reason why – maybe it’s for the animals, the environment, or for your own health. Whatever it is, watching a documentary can help if you need a motivation boost.
- Veganise your favourite meals and have fun finding new ones - if you don’t like one chicken substitute then try another, they’re all different. Or maybe try tofu or nuts instead. If you want to save money then beans, lentils, frozen veg, potatoes, rice, and pasta are cheap and there are endless meal possibilities.
- Learn basic nutrition and think about taking a supplement so you don’t have to worry – The Vegan Society’s VEG 1 makes it easy.
- Find a community – it’s hard if you feel like you’re alone. Social media groups are great for connecting, meeting people, and sharing tips.
- Progress not perfection – do what’s possible and practicable, it’s about doing the least harm and the most good. The first few months can be challenging, as it is when developing any new habit, but things will become normal. Most vegans say their only regret is not starting sooner.
For more information, visit www.vegansociety.com
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