Niamh McGuigan is a 20-year-old vegan living in Armagh, Ireland. Niamh has been a vegetarian for many years before transitioning to a vegan lifestyle two years ago for health reasons. Since then, she has been enjoying the benefits of a fully plant-based diet and has no plans of going back.
Niamh found it surprisingly easy to switch to veganism, and she loves how it has sparked interesting conversations and introduced her to a wonderful community of like-minded individuals. Through her vegan blog on Instagram, Niamh has met amazing people and is grateful for the opportunities it has brought her. Join us in getting to know Niamh, her journey towards veganism, and how she’s thriving in her fully plant-based lifestyle.
Meatless Movement recently had a chance ot chat with her.
Please tell us more about yourself
My name is Niamh McGuigan, I am 20 years old and I live in a town in Ireland called Armagh.
You don’t have to give up the things you like just because you’ve gone vegan… 💗
niamh’s vegan diary
I have been a vegan fully for around 2 years or so, however I have been vegetarian for many years before this. I decided to become a vegan initially for health reasons, as I thoroughly enjoyed the benefits of being vegetarian. I love that I have now been able to eliminate all animal products from my diet now since becoming a vegan, and would never go back.
I don’t have many exciting stories, however…
niamh’s vegan diary
I found it quite interesting how easy it was to switch to a fully vegan lifestyle, particularly because I was vegetarian anyway I found it extremely easy to adopt an entirely plant-based diet. In addition, I found that becoming a vegan brought around a lot of talking points, and I have met so many amazing people since setting up my vegan blog on Instagram. It really is a wonderful community of like-minded people, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities it has brought me.
There are inevitably some challenges that come about from following a vegan/plant-based lifestyle. I have never found it difficult to find vegan food when shopping, as all my recipes typically use mainly whole foods which are readily available to me. However, when going out for food, I do find it quite limiting at times, especially in more traditional pubs/restaurants, etc. Luckily most of my friends/family are either vegetarian or are very open to trying out plant-based restaurants and cafes, so I am able to choose from a more inclusive menu when eating out. In terms of overcoming these challenges, I would simply recommend consulting menus before going out, so you can be assured that there are some options available to you beforehand. I also follow lots and lots of vegan restaurants and cafes on Instagram, so I have a variety of places to visit when I’m out and about, who I know will have great plant-based options on offer.
A lot of people (myself included at one stage) have this belief that following a plant based lifestyle is difficult and a hassle… it’s not! 🌿
niamh’s vegan diary
I absolutely love being a vegan, and for the most part I never find it to be an issue. In terms of health, I feel significantly better in myself since eliminating animal products from my diet. I have noticed a significant decrease in some of the acne I used to suffer with when I was just vegetarian, but since eliminating dairy completely, I’ve found I now have practically no skin concerns, which is amazing.
I actually find it helps my mental health too, not sure if it’s coincidence, but I definitely think it contributes towards a healthier lifestyle in every sense. Following a vegan diet has really opened my mind up to trying lots of new foods, and I’ve really gotten into cooking and baking a lot more, as I really do genuinely enjoy it now having been opened up to lots of new and exciting plant-based recipes.
My advice would be to just keep it simple
niamh’s vegan diary
I would tell them to simply try it. That’s the best way to start in my opinion. In a lot of cases, you will find that you find very minimal difference, or may even prefer it. For example, my boyfriend isn’t a vegetarian or vegan, however when we’re together I cook us both vegan that we can both eat, and he loves it. He loves a lot of the meat free options I eat, such as vegan sausages, burgers and tofu, etc. That’s coming from a big meat-eater, so that’s all I would say. Just give it ago, it can’t hurt to try, and you would be making such a difference by just eliminating at least just meat from your diet.
In terms of food, I have a lot of favourites. Anything from the Linda McCartney and Quorn vegan ranges are always excellent. The Happy Pear is also amazing, their vegan chorizo sausages are amazing. The Denny vegan sausages are literally so similar to real sausages it is scary, would highly recommend those, particularly for current meat-eaters, there is practically no difference whatsoever. For places to eat, the one place I would recommend any vegans to go to is Glas Restaurant in Dublin – it is absolutely amazing!
Over the years of being a vegetarian and vegan, I’ve found people have lots of misconceptions haha, and it can be very difficult to explain to people your reasoning, especially when they also have strong opposing opinions. The first thing I find is that people immediately think you’re some sort of “eco warrior” if you say you’re a vegan, they think that you will fight them if they were to say that they eat meat.
To be honest, I don’t really care all that much about other people’s lifestyle choices, it’s not any of my business. I just know that I like being a vegan, I like vegan foods, so that’s why I’m a vegan, and it’s better for the planet too so that’s my reasoning. I also find that people who aren’t vegan or vegetarian get confused about meat-free products branding themselves as meat.
For example, like ‘Vegan Sausages’ or ‘Meat-Free Ham Slices’. I understand the confusion, why would you want to eat something marketed as meat if you’re so against real meat products. But… I explain by saying that this is simply to encourage meat-eaters to try vegan foods. It provides an exact alternative to the products they normally have, thus making it more accessible to everyone to follow a meat-free diet. It can be frustrating to have to explain all the time, but the more there is an open conversation about vegetarianism and veganism the better, in my opinion.
It doesn’t have to be complicated 🥝
niamh’s vegan diary
Take your time. You don’t have to label yourself as being vegetarian or vegan immediately, or at all for that matter. Take it at your own pace, begin by incorporating meat free products into your diet, before completely removing and switching from animal products.
That way you’re not restricting yourself from products that you’re used to. Just experiment and try out new recipes, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much choice and other options are out there, and have fun while doing it.
niamhsvegandiary
vegan | mindset | lifestyle
all images courtesy of niamhsvegandiary