Doinng veganuary is easier than orginally thought, says Lynn News Reporter Lucy Carter

I had a lot of preconceived ideas about being vegan a few months ago. I thought that it wouldn’t be nutritional enough and that I simply couldn’t live without cheese.

That was until I decided to test myself and join thousands of people across the globe taking part in Veganuary.

This column isn’t to try to persuade you to go vegan, but just to show a meat eater’s point of view on how I’ve found completely changing my eating habits (so far).

I decided to go vegetarian for just under a year as a teenager but then ended up eating meat again.

But this time, I made a pact with myself, and some of my Lynn News colleagues Jeremy Ransome and Jenny Beake, to stick to an entirely vegan diet, and so far, I’m shocked with how much I’ve enjoyed it.

We joined our head of news Rebekah Chilvers who has been vegan for more than a year.

She’s been helping us through and giving us plenty of recommendations of plant-based cheeses, chocolate and more.

Before starting I researched into the ethics behind veganism, and what some animals have to go through just for our pleasure.

Like many, I’m an animal lover, who doesn’t like the thought of anything living to go through suffering.

Also, I personally wanted to reduce my own environmental footprint, and do one month of going totally plant based.

What am I hoping to take away from this? So far, I don’t plan to stay vegan. However, I would like to reduce the amount of meat and dairy that I eat.

So far, it’s made me think about what I eat, I meal plan more and really enjoy meat and dairy alternatives such as tofu and oat milk.

I understand veganism, or Veganuary, isn’t for everyone, but as somebody who would eat animal products everyday, I’ve been shocked by how tasty substitutes are.

I’ve felt a difference in my physical health too which I’m not sure is because of being vegan. I feel less bloated and generally, I’m feeling a lot less sluggish.