The campaign to encourage people to try vegan in January is now in its fifth year, and is all set to be bigger than ever with Veganuary predicting more than 150,000 people will go vegan for the month. Last year, there were 60,000 registered participants from 172 countries, and one of them was Highgate resident, Letizia Ghisletta.
Vegan on Female First
She was motivated to sign up for Veganuary after seeing the documentary Cowspiracy. ‘I just couldn’t ignore the impact that meat and dairy have on climate change, on our lives and on all the other species on earth,’ she says. ‘I felt the urgency to act now, to make a difference in the world. I found Veganuary and I loved it!’
Letizia credits that month with changing her life. ‘I started really paying attention to what I eat in terms of quality - including looking at the labels, reducing sugar - and as a consequence my energy levels have really increased. I went back to an old passion of mine: cooking. And I became a tourist in my own city, finding and trying out new vegan restaurants.’
And with Veganuary just around the corner, Letizia has shared her favourite north London restaurants so anyone else trying vegan for a month will get some insider tips on the best places to eat.
- Mildreds, Camden. ‘The tempeh that they serve as a starter is delicious, and the Sri Lankan curry is just amazing!’
- Manna, Primrose Hill. ‘A really elegant restaurant, serving tasty food’
- Planet Organic, Islington. ‘Easy and very good!’
- The Gate, Hammersmith. ‘The risotto there is so good and the cakes... yummy!’
- Holy Cow, Archway. ‘Indian food that is really super tasty’
- Yak and Yeti, Finsbury Park. ‘There many vegan options here even though it’s not fully vegan’
It is free to take part in Veganuary, and everyone who does so receives daily support emails that offer shopping lists, an eating out guide, nutrition advice, recipes, meal plans, and answers to common questions. They also receive social media support in a closed Facebook group where they can connect with other participants, and a free celebrity e-cookbook. There are competitions with great prizes and special offers throughout the month.
Letizia enjoyed the month so much, she has decided to stay vegan and her message to people thinking about taking part in Veganuary 2018 is to give it a go. ‘It’s really cool. Veganuary really helped with my daily routine, making me feel more confident around my choices, and with other people. You should give it a go!’