It sounds pretty difficult, but veganism is on the rise, and if you have concerns about the ethical treatment of animals, or the state of the planet, it might be worth investigating further.
Former Made In Chelsea star Lucy Watson has been vegetarian since she was six and switched to veganism in 2015.
Tips for adopting a vegan diet
Here’s her advice for getting started on your vegan challenge.
1. Educate yourself
Learn all the facts you can about being vegan – every single one. Don’t be shy, you have to be really keen to educate yourself, and watch all the documentaries.
2. Clean out your house
You need to do a fridge/house clean out, but whether you just eat it all and don’t buy it again, or whether you throw it out is up to you, but it’s important to remove all those products from your home, otherwise it’s really hard to stick to being vegan.
3. Do a vegan food shop
Once you’ve cleaned out your fridge and cupboards, you need to go and buy all the dairy and meat free replacements for things, plus a load of veg, pulses, nuts and seeds, and just stock your home up with vegan-friendly foods. Then you need to buy a good vegan cookbook, maybe mine, I don’t know [she says with a wry laugh] it’s up to you – and start cooking.
4. Get your vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is one thing the human body might miss out on – having eaten meat for so many generations, we need B12 – it’s crucial for energy levels, and you have to take it every day – I have a vitamin B12 spray, it’s really good.
5. Be prepared
If you’re travelling somewhere new, going on holiday or eating out, you can struggle to find vegan options. Do your research, call hotels in advance, double check they are able to cater – and sometimes you have to explain what veganism even is, because a lot of people say, ‘Oh, you eat fish?’, ‘No, I don’t eat fish!’
That is quite tricky, but even in the last two years I’ve noticed such an increase in vegan options out there – you just have to find them.
Feed Me Vegan by Lucy Watson, photography Mike English, is published by Sphere.
Food blogger Rita Serano wants people to realise that vegan food can be exciting
Wise Living Magazine may receive a small commission to help support the running of this site from purchases made from links on this page. Affiliate links do not influence our editorial or articles published by Wise Living.
