It’s important to remember any sort of reduction in your meat intake will benefit animals and the environment

Georgie is from Manchester. She is a full time nurse, predominately working in oncology and haematology. Meatless Movement recently had a chat with her.

She told Meatless Movement that since turning vegetarian, she has tried a variety of different foods from all over the world and has gained a passion for vegetarian food and cooking.

Please tell us more about yourself

Addicted to eating out
veggieupnorth_

My name is Georgie and I’m a nurse living in Manchester city centre. I am a massive foodie & absolutely love trying different foods especially from different countries and cultures. My absolute fave activity is going out for a meal and a few drinks, much to the detriment of my bank balance!

I have been a vegetarian for 7 years now. I always have cared a lot about animals and tried to buy free range products. But stupidly I used to think “I’d love to be vegetarian but I’d find it too hard / I’d miss meat too much”. Then one day I watched some uncover videos of abattoirs and I went vegetarian that day and I’ve never looked back!

I think it’s really important to remember that all you can do is try your best! For around 3 years of being vegetarian I still ate Parmesan and other cheeses with rennet in because I genuinely wasn’t aware of what rennet was! It’s all a learning curve!

What are some common problems when dining out as a vegetarian?

There’s always something to eat!
veggieupnorth_

I genuinely don’t find it challenging at all to be vegetarian but I do often check the menu at restaurants first before going, or in places where there aren’t a lot of options I tend to book somewhere vegetarian friendly in advance!

Also when travelling options can be more limited but I just try to remember food isn’t the be all and end all of my trip and enjoy myself anyway!

I went travelling for 6 months around NZ, Australia, and SE Asia and managed to remain vegetarian throughout – there’s always something to eat!

I am really proud of being a vegetarian
veggieupnorth_

It makes me feel good about my self and the contribution I make to prevent animal cruelty and also towards the planet. I have made steps towards being vegan such as using vegan makeup, household and washing products and trying to use food alternatives but I’m definitely not there yet!

My boyfriend is still a meat eater and when we first met he still used to want to add meat to most of his meals, but 4 years on he is more or less vegetarian now apart from if we go for food.

I think it’s important to remember any sort of reduction in your meat intake will benefit animals and the environment and for some people slow and steady is an easier change to make! Maybe start by making the same meals with meat alternatives and eventually you’ll realise you don’t miss meat at all!

Meal prep services such as Guosto and Hello Fresh are also a really good place to start for inspiration and they both have great veggie and vegan options!