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Please tell us more about yourself
๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐
Charlotte Jane Holland
I am 27, originally from a little village in the Costwolds, UK. I grew up in the countryside and surrounded by farms, this definitely made me very aware of where my food came from growing up. I have a BA in Environment and Business Studies after I pursued my passion for sustainability and especially veganism – I even wrote my dissertation all about the vegan movement. I love nature, animals and I am hugely passionate about living ethically and sustainably.
What inspired you to become vegetarian or vegan, and how long have you been following this lifestyle?
๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐ง, ๐โ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ!!
Charlotte Jane Holland
I have recently celebrated 10 years of vegan living! I made the decision to change my lifestyle after reading the book โEating Animalsโ by Jonathan Safran Foer. A truly inspiring book which sheds light on the abuse animals suffer at the hands of humans, the bizarre societal norms we have around our food, what animals we eat and what we don’t and so much more. It’s a must read; everyone should know the information within these pages. After reading this book I couldn’t look back. I had to be a voice for the animals and I refused to contribute to the environmental destruction our western diet causes to the planet.
What are some common challenges in finding vegan or vegetarian options, especially when eating out with friends, and how do you overcome them?
๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ญ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐. ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐.
Charlotte Jane Holland
When I turned vegan 10 years ago it was virtually impossible to find a restaurant which catered to my diet easily. Today the world is a different place and I believe veganism is so much more accessible. However, suffering with my nut allergy has made my lifestyle particularly challenging and so checking menus for restaurants and offering to organise dinners out with my friends often helps me overcome any issues with food options.
How would you encourage someone who’s not yet vegan or vegetarian to give meatless food a try?
๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ.
Charlotte Jane Holland
I believe the best way to encourage others to engage in veganism and try new dishes is to focus on the taste of the dish rather than any ethical arguments as to why it may be the better option. Those who are less interested or ‘scared off’ by vegan/veggie labels are less likely to be inclined to try something they associate with negative conations – make it feel as normal as possible and remind them its still food, like their own food at the end of the day!
What are some of your favorite places or dishes for vegan or vegetarian food?
๐๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฅ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐๐.
Charlotte Jane Holland
Some of my top restaurants are Mildreds in Soho, London. Kibou in Clifton, Bristol. Muse, Central Bristol.
For home cooked food – a tofu curry, bean burger, meatless pie or lentil lasagna are always winners!
What are the biggest misconceptions about vegan and vegetarian diets?
๐๐ง๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐๐
Charlotte Jane Holland
You can get more than enough protein on a vegan diet. Many vegetables and pulses also contain protein not just tofu and tempeh! A vegan diet is very healthy, it encourages you to cook from scratch and consume a wide variety of vegetables and legumes. Doing your own research and understanding all the nutrients you can gain from each plant is essential to help you maximise your health benefits!
What advice would you give to someone who’s just starting their journey into a meatless lifestyle?
๐๐ง๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐๐
Charlotte Jane Holland
Educate yourself, understand why you have made the choice that you have. Changing your lifestyle and going against the trends is hard and only your passion for what you believe in will help you through the tough times.
ย ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ.
Charlotte Jane Holland
Veganism is a lifestyle not a diet, I have seen so many people change back to eating meat. Don’t underestimate how important it is to invest the time in learning about yoir food, how to cook and most importantly, never forget those animals you are standing up for.
Thanks,
Charlotte
Charlotte Jane Holland
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๐๐๐๐ โข ๐ฑ๐๐๐๐๐๐ โข ๐๐๐๐๐๐ โข ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฃ๐
๐ผ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ป
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐โฌ๏ธ
๐ ๐ช๐๐๐ฃ๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฑ
all images courtesy of Charlotte Jane Holland