A month in the life of a vegan
Christian Aid’s Content Editor, Louise Skinner, discusses why she’s gone vegan this January and how leading an animal-free diet can have a positive impact on the climate.
While I become mindful of my own habits, committing to spend my money on an ethical diet for a month, we need to think about the bigger picture together.
Further to the inevitable overeating during the festive period, by the end of 2016, I realised I’d got into bad eating habits. I was putting cheddar cheese on top of most dinners, rotating the same couple of cereals in my online shopping basket, and reverting to the classic British lunch of a sandwich far more than I would’ve dreamed of at the beginning of the year.
So, through both my tightened jeans and the power of advertising on the tube, I decided to take on the challenge to go vegan in January: Veganuary. Last year, this initiative was little known to me or my peers, but with an increased number of sign-ups from less than 30,000 in 2016 to 50,000 people this year, and with big supermarkets like Sainsbury’s introducing own-brand vegan cheese, the proof’s in the dairy-free pudding that 2017 is the year for veganism to hit the mainstream.
A new challenge
Having had a meat free diet for 12 years — albeit introducing fish for eight of those — my switch to veganism is perhaps not as drastic as others. However, my reliance on eggs and dairy products is high, and as my colleagues at Christian Aid know, I love a classic cup of tea with semi-skimmed milk, so to me, this is still a big sacrifice.
There are many reasons why going vegan is a positive step, including protecting animals against ill treatment and leading a healthier lifestyle. Furthermore, the meat and dairy industries are key drivers of climate change, an issue that affects us all, but especially the poor and marginalised, who bear the brunt of climate change the most.
So, while I become mindful of my own habits, committing to spend my money on an ethical diet for a month, we need to think about the bigger picture together.
So far, so good
I’m almost a week in, and so far, so good. I’ve had to think about my meals more: carefully reading the backs of tins and packets, planning my lunches in advance, ensuring I’ve got protein alongside the many vegetables and pulses I’ve been consuming, and politely declining offers of chocolate and ordinary tea in the office. Last night I had my first spag bol without cheese on top since, well, forever? And do you know what, it was A-Okay!
Check back soon to hear how I get on as the month goes on.
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