have you created any ripple effects during this challenge? last night my family finally had a meatless meal with me. I would like to think my challenge has impacted them – even if it is only once. it will take time to change their habits and beliefs.

throughout my challenge I don’t feel like I’ve created much of an impact on the people around me, this is partially my fault as I didn’t think cutting out meat was that exciting or unheard of so I didn’t mention it to everyone I talked to. I’m not naturally a very argumentative person so getting Into debates about my reasons for going vegetarian didn’t seem very appealing. Looking back over the past month I think I will have to go out of my comfort zone sometimes if I’m going to influence people.

have you learned something new about how change happens?
As cliche as it sounds change takes time. It’s more sustainable in the long term if you build up small habits and actions instead of trying to dramatically alter your lifestyle. Change also takes effort – you need to be consistent for habits to stick and become part of your everyday life.
Different upbringings and cultural identities play a big part in our opinions and habits, for example, my grandparents come from a traditional rural background, and going a day without meat and dairy is unheard-of for them.

This week I wanted to explore what vegan options there were in local cafes.
I have a massive sweet tooth but some of the vegan desserts I’ve tried in the past have tasted slightly off as I could tell it was missing certain ingredients.
I decided to visit Bear Lemon in Drumcondra as they are an all-vegan cafe and only a short walk from the college. It was nice knowing I could have anything in the display case and wasn’t limited to a small section of the menu. One thing that intrigued me was their vegan croissants. I didn’t think croissants could be made vegan due to the large amount of butter needed but this one was actually one of the nicest croissants I’ve had. I promise this isn’t an ad! It was really flakey and soft like a normal croissant and there was no weird texture or after taste. Also pictured is a vegan carrot cake that was equally delicious but unfortunately didn’t quite survive the trip back in my bag.
I think supporting local businesses that align with my beliefs and goals is important. not only does it support the local economy and people who are trying to make a difference to the planet, but it will also make eating plant based more accessible to people in the area. People who might not have ever thought about cutting out dairy could change their minds about how good vegan food can taste. It could also make people consider going vegetarian or vegan even if they don’t know about the benefits for the environment. The success of plant based cafes and restaurants will prove that there is a demand for vegan options and this will force more traditional restaurants to add more than just one or two veggie options to the menu, creating a ripple of change.

This week has definitely felt more natural than last week. By creating a list of what I wanted to cook during the week I felt more prepared and didn’t dread the though of cooking so much. After last weeks slip up I’ve been taking the time to read the ingredient list in convenience foods. So far I haven’t been caught out. 

Some of the highlights from the week have been a Roasted veg and hummus wrap that was honestly more filling than I thought it would be and a chickpea sandwich for lunch. I can’t say that I feel any healthier than before but my energy levels haven’t gone down so I can’t complain. Ive also started taking b12 supplements on days I eat vegan as this vitamin can only be found in animal products. I want to work on reducing my dairy consumption as this is something I definitely rely on a lot.

During this challenge my family and friends have been supportive and haven’t had anything too negative to say about me cutting out meat. When I told a coworker that I was going vegetarian she seemed interested. However I don’t think going vegetarian has influenced anyone I’ve talked to  to change their own eating habits. While they’re supportive they aren’t that keen to try it themselves. I haven’t been pushing people for reasons  as I don’t want to come off as forceful or annoying but over the next few weeks I think I should make more of an effort to talk about why I’m doing this challenge and see if they would ever try it themselves.

So far on my challenge I’ve been doing pretty good. Despite giving myself the leeway to eat meat once or twice a week I haven’t yet had the urge to eat any. I thought I would crave it- especially chicken. This might just be that the novelty of the challenge hasn’t worn off yet. It will take time to tell.

One of the biggest challenges this week has been getting the motivation to actually cook my own meals. Living at home I’m definitely used to the luxury of coming home to hot dinners. Cooking isn’t something I have a particular passion for and I can’t say it’s something I have great skills at. I didn’t get the chance to go food shopping before I started this challenge so I was limited to what I could find buried in the press and down the bottom of the fridge. At the start of the week, I batch cooked a kidney bean and chickpea chili that I reheated for dinner a couple of times. I think meal prepping for the week will definitely help me feel more excited about this challenge and not feel like such a chore.

During the week I did have one accidental slip up. While in the shops I bought a packet of jellies without even thinking about what I was buying. It wasn’t until I was about halfway through the packet that I realised I was eating gelatine. This showed me that my brain is definitely still on autopilot and in the future I’ll have to be more careful about hidden animal products.

For my sustainability challenge, I’ve decided to reduce my meat consumption to once or twice a week while also including as many vegetarian and vegan substitutes as possible.

Cutting out meat is something I’ve thought about doing and tried a couple of times over the past few years but have never fully committed to. I’m hoping this challenge will give me the push I need. I’m interested in going vegetarian/ vegan for the health benefits as well as the sustainability aspects.

Some of the challenges I expect to face are finding good options while eating out and also ensuring I make the time to cook healthy meals at home. 

By the end of the challenge, I would like to be in a position to go fully vegetarian and eventually go vegan in the future.