Image

Ads help us keep this site online

Listen: You are more vegan than you think!

16th January 2021
Posted by Ros Connors

Veganism is often approached in January to kick-start a wider lifestyle change and address moral or ethical ambitions as part of a New Year resolution.

Indeed, 44% of us are more open to becoming vegan in 2021 with the number one reason being to be healthier, and 14% admit their meat free days have already increased in the last year enjoying, on average, 2.6 meat free days per week, according to new research from Co-op.

Veganuary, where people become vegan for January, provides the perfect opportunity for many of us to give the lifestyle a go and see if it can work in the long run. Although many of us have experienced the plant-based diet already without even realising as the rise of the ‘accidental vegan’ is becoming ever the more prevalent as more of our favourite foods are now free from meat and dairy.

About 63% of us rarely check whether a product is vegan or not and 32% have accidentally picked up a vegan product only to now choose that product all the time instead of the animal product alternative. Being accidental vegan makes 30% feel healthier and 28% feel like we have done our bit for the planet and want to do it again.

Toni Vernelli is the daughter of a butcher and gave up meat in her teens when she learned that we can live and be healthy without it. Now vegan for more than 30 years, she believes passionately that we need a mass shift towards plant-based eating and is proud to be part of an organisation fuelling this change.

Kevin Sargent is the Senior Product Developer at Co-op, where he explores new flavours and trends from across the globe to create innovative and delicious food. A keen baker, Kevin is chairman and co-creator of a local LGBTQ+ community baking group called Village Bakers which aims to bring people together.

Ros spoke to Toni and Kevin:

Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash