As a long-term vegetarian (I stopped eating meat and fish at the age of eight) I'm often called upon to defend my dietary choices. Animal welfare is not the only reason I stopped eating meat, but as I've got older and discovered more about the meat industry it's become a much bigger deal, and that inevitably leads to questions about how to square these concerns with eating dairy products. I'm sure we've all heard the arguments on either side and I don't need to go into detail on them here.
Nevertheless, I'm coming to be far more persuaded by the arguments against dairy as an ethical dietary choice, but I am realistic about my chances of becoming a full-time vegan any time soon: this is mostly because I don't feel the world is really geared up for veganism. I'm a self-confessed foodie who will go a long way for a delicious meal, and while my vegetarian diet in no way impedes a shamelessly gastronomic lifestyle, I'm under no illusions that a vegan one would cause me some problems. Like many people with a diet that in any way veers from the norm, I'm constantly afraid of 'being different' or 'making a fuss', and will admit freely that this is a factor in my diet.
So, the conclusion I've reached is that the best I can do for now is to try and reduce my dairy intake - and that's what this blog is all about. Just as we're seeing a trend towards 'meat reduction' among omnivores who want to cut down on animal products but still get to enjoy that occasional juicy steak, I'll be finding out how many of my favourite meals I can make with non-dairy ingredients, while allowing myself the odd plate of artisan cheese or ice-cream.
In my view, it's all about doing what you can - while recognising that it's hard for an individual to get it right all the time. To me it makes no sense to take an 'all or nothing' stance on issues like this one: doing a little for a longer time can have a much bigger impact in any sphere than doing a lot for a short space of time only to burn out and give up altogether.
The main thing to remember about this project is that it's not a strict or prescriptive regime: it's intended as fun, and as an experiment to see if my preconceptions about ditching the dairy are accurate. I'd love other people to get involved (veggie or otherwise!) and see if you can join me in my 'milk free Mondays' and other weekly features. As a newbie to veganism, I'd also love to receive any great recipes or tips you experts can share. Please contact me if you'd like to be involved in any way!
Over the next few weeks I'll be looking at:
- restaurants offering tasty meat and dairy-free options
- best replacements for milk, cheese, eggs etc
- most tasty and interesting dairy-free recipes (Pinterest will be my friend!)
- the arguments for and against a dairy-free diet
- my health, and how the experiment affects it
- what is easiest to give up; what is hardest to give up
- Milk free Monday - can I eat only vegan foods for one day each week?
Hard!
- Cutting back on cheese. Cheese to me is like bacon to a committed carnivore, and I really can't get enough of the stuff. I've tried the replacements and have yet to find on that even comes close to a slice of rich Cornish Yarg or a ripe and melting brie. However, cutting down on it will do my health no harm. If you know of a good new cheese substitute (to be honest, I gave up years ago) then please do get in touch.
- Dining out. See above: I love my fine dining adventures and hate to cause a fuss. Meals out with colleagues and all but my nearest and dearest may be on hold for a bit. Another advantage here is my bank balance...
- Working lunches. Whether it's my own home-made sandwiches (I usually take cheese or quorn-based sandwiches into work to save money), I can see a dairy-free diet being very limiting. We don't have cooking facilities in the office, so a sandwich is the default option, but I suspect I'll soon tire of humous, peanut butter and salad sarnies. There are, however, some awesome ideas in this list of 50 Vegan Sandwiches from Vegan Soul Power: my only concern will be ensuring I have the ingredients fresh and available in the fridge. I've saved a lot of pocket money with my home-made lunches, and don't want to fall back into expensive habits.
- Hidden Ingredients. While I'm well versed in what 'stealth' ingredients vegetarians must avoid, I am not so highly trained in vegan detective work. Milk goes into an awful lot of foods that seem on the face of it to be dairy-free - including Quorn and pretty much all popular desserts! I'm going to try and approach this one by giving ready meals a miss wherever possible and cooking as much as I can from scratch: my regular order from Abel & Cole will be invaluable in this aim.
- Leather. Full disclosure: I am a professional fashion blogger who mainly writes about shoes! I am somewhat addicted to leather footwear and accessories, and have a deep appreciation of how it wears, and looks. While I can't commit to a full renouncing of leather in this project, I will instead focus on sourcing my leather products from ethical suppliers, and share some brands I love that make non-leather shoes.
- Ditching milk in coffee and tea. Hipsters have been ordering soya lattes for yonks, so there's no reason I can't do the same. At home and in the office it's a no-brainer: I simply need to have a carton of soya or rice milk on tap, and nobody need even know I've switched. Black coffee is often preferable in the summer months
anyway. - Adding milk to cereals. Being a London commuter I'm not really a cereals person - mostly because I don't have time. And if I do fancy some I quite like the way they taste with soya milk. I'll need to check the ingredients on my usual breakfast bars - but am confident that at least some will be kosher!
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