My Vegan Week (part 1)
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To celebrate Veganuary three members of the Ecotricity team are challenging themselves to go vegan for a week and we'll be sharing how they get on. Here’s how Rachel, our Head of Partnerships, found it:
Why have you decided to give Veganuary a try?
I’m pretty much 90% vegan already, I don’t eat meat and I only have soya milk at home. I wanted to see how much of a challenge it would be to go vegan 100%.
How have you found your week?
I’ve been surprised by how easy it’s been, the only meals I’ve really struggled with have been dinners because I’m usually lazy and end up eating a lot of cheese for protein. But I’ve learnt loads of new options like veggie sausages, burgers, stir frys etc…
What was your diet like before your week of being vegan?
My diet was pretty good, I rarely drink dairy milk, eat eggs or cheese. I’m very heath conscious so I try to make every meal a balance of carbs and protein but I don’t eat meat so I’m pretty savvy on high protein alternatives.
What’s been the best and worst thing about going vegan for a week?
The best has been that I do feel heathier, my skin is a lot clearer and I feel like I have more energy in the mornings. The worst is I can’t have my usual coffee and cream in the mornings – it’s my favourite thing and one of the few times I do enjoy dairy, however, I recently learnt about Oatly cream which is the perfect vegan alternative!
Have you found that you’ve felt any different?
I feel like I have more energy and generally feel more positive. I’m lifting heavier weights in the gym and I’ve lost weight too.
What was your favourite meal?
To be honest I’ve been lazy with experimenting with new dishes, which should improve as the month goes on (I'm doing Veganuary for the whole month). But my favourite dish has been veggie lasagne with lentils, beans and chick peas and I love these vegan pancakes too.
What have you learned?
Even though there’s a bigger awareness of veganism, there’s still so many products which have animals products in which I wasn’t aware of, e.g. vegetarian sausages and burgers usually have milk or cheese in them.
Would you now consider going vegan, or cutting animal products out of your diet?
I already don’t eat meat or fish, but I won’t be committing to veganism fully as eating out, or having food cooked for me would become awkward, but I will cut dairy out of my diet as much as possible.
Watch the video about Rachel's vegan week here:
If this has encouraged you to give a plant-based lifestyle a try, even if it’s just for a week, then check out veganuary.com.
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