My vegan week (part 3)

We’ve reached about 1.5 million with our own vegan stories – and Veganuary has itself become a bit of a phenomenon really. As Matthew Glover, co-founder of Veganuary told us, ‘this year Veganuary’s become ‘a thing’’. The message is definitely getting out there, and loads more people are getting involved. There were 59,500 participants in 2017. This year? 165,000! That’s a 177% increase!   

We’re also seeing Veganuary hitting the mainstream – on TV, radio and newspapers, in supermarkets and restaurants. Ah, we remember when it was cool and only we knew about it…!

It’s such an important campaign. Along with energy and transport, food is one of ‘the big three’ – together, they make up for 80% of our carbon emissions. So by changing how we eat, how we power our homes, and how we get around, we can make a massive difference to our environment. And that’s not even taking into account the huge health and animal welfare benefits of embracing the vegan lifestyle. 

So thank you for everyone who took part at Ecotricity this year, and to everyone else around the country who’ve got involved.

We'd also like to give a special shout out to The Vegan Kind, who supported all three of our Veganuary participants with their amazing Vegan Experience Box – they were really helpful and delicious.

To sign us off, here’s Becky Macleod telling us about her week of eating vegan.      

Why have you decided to give Veganuary a try?

As someone who eats a lot of meat and dairy, I really wanted to give Veganuary a go – as a challenge to myself.  Also, since starting work at Ecotricity, I’ve become a lot more conscious of the environmental impact of eating meat and dairy, so this was also a big factor for me. 

How have you found your week?

I’ve been surprised at how easy it has been – although I’ve had to prepare a lot more meals than I usually would, it has actually been really enjoyable. 

What was your diet like before going vegan?

It was pretty bad, to be honest! I would eat a lot of fast food/ready meals,because I’m not a great cook! I’d also eat a lot of dairy and meat, so it was definitely a big change for me. 

What’s been the best and worst thing about going vegan for a week?

I’d say the worst part is not being able to eat cheese (because I love it), and the best part has been the way I’ve felt from eating more home-cooked, fresh meals.

How do you feel after going vegan?

I would definitely say I feel better in myself! I’ve felt really energised and I’ve felt less hungry than I normally would.

What was your favourite meal?

I’ve not cooked that many meals but the chickpea curry I made was really nice, and also the vegan sausage and mash was amazing. 

What have you learned?

I’ve become a lot more educated in what ingredients are in different foods and also I know a lot more about cooking. 

Would you now consider going vegan, or cutting animal products out of your diet?

Although I probably couldn’t go fully-vegan, I’ll definitely be trying to consciously cut out as much meat and dairy from my diet going forward.