A week without meat: Our Vegan Challenge
In recent years, Veganism has transitioned from a niche lifestyle to a mainstream movement, driven by concerns about animal welfare, health and the environment. According to the goodness project website veganism has grown from 126,000 in 2016 to 276,000 in 2019 and the comparison website Finder said that so far in 2024 there are an estimated 2.5 million vegans in the UK alone! But what happens when you to you when you are vegan? For a group of us, bemused, curious and sceptical teenagers – the answer turned about to be different to our expectations.
Lettuce Begin:
In was Saturday morning at Christs Hospital boarding school and the girls from Thorton, were entertaining typical breakfast conversation; tired non committed talk that was common in early hours such as these.
Unbothered discussion around diets, being vegetarian, but particularly veganism pinged around the table with seeming no importance until someone suggested we should try it together over the course of the next week.
Although some of the girls, flat out declined, it was agreed that myself, and four others, would continue the challenge until the following Saturday.
Understandably, the draw to veganism is undeniable, despite the girl’s assertions that it was just for fun. Going vegan is a great opportunity to learn more about nutrition and cooking and improve your diet (which is essential, when managing all your meals within a boarding school setting).
Jemima Jebutu, a year eleven participating in the vegan trial, commented ““I did it to challenge myself, it was a chance to push myself out of my comfort zone and be more appreciative of the food I eat”
In addition to this, veganism is linked to improved gut health, skin health, reduced inflammation and possibly lower levels of stress (due to increased intake of mood-boosting nutrients such as magnesium and folate).
With these thoughts in mind, we began our journey full of optimism; prepared for any difficulties we may encounter.
The first day, to our surprise, was full of shocked discussion and wide-eyed wonder at just how many products contain hidden animal derivates.
Our options became frighteningly small, and so meals became a collaborative effort where each and every girl helped each other to get the most balanced plate.
Laughing over our choices, and the seeming “ease” of veganism, it felt like a promising start.
A Pizza Related Betrayal:
By midweek, the excitement wore off.
On reflection, Betsy Hiltunen, one of the “vegan five”, suggested that “everyone seemed sad”, whilst multiple grumbles of perpetual hunger were made, despite increased snacking on fruit.
As I discovered, this isn’t uncommon; Research from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition notes that adjusting to a high-fibre, plant-based diet can initially cause bloating and fluctuating energy levels as the body adapts.
Furthermore, moon swings became a notable side effect.
A 2018 study from the Nutritional Journal found that while plant-based diets are associated with lower levels of inflammation and improved mental health over time, short-term transitions can lead to irritability due to changes in blood sugar levels or a sudden reduction in calorie intake.
Theresa Chipo Chirenda Kiuth, another fellow vegan reported she felt it was “hard to stay awake” and even as a result of the limited options “hard to adhere to the diet”.
Besty even admitted how she was “constantly starving and ended up giving into Pizza night”; Jemima added, “The vegan options weren’t attractive, there wasn’t enough for me to enjoy to eat”.
Fatigue and unsatisification in this sense began to create tension, and our “communal spirit” as described by Theresa, began to dim.
Still, there were bright spots. One member of our group relayed that they felt “brighter” and “more attentive”, after ditching dairy-rich desserts in favour of varied seeds and dried fruit.
Equally, the overall substitution of carbohydrates for legumes and vegetables, was positively noted, and some members reported feeling “clearer” and “lighter”.
Honey or not honey: That was the Question:
At the week continued, the divisions between our group dynamics began to widen. Due to medical needs, or otherwise, directing some back to their original diet, what had once been
a group united by a common goal, became two factions: the staunch vegans and the more pragmatic crowd who viewed the challenge as an experiment.
Lara Puivermacher, one amongst many who witnessed the meatless mission, said “Accusations flew across the table like a football […] people were much happier once they’d failed to dob each other in”.
Jemima expanded on this, by suggesting “we started to dispute more, especially over honey. The people who failed were projecting”
In this way, it’s clear how the lacking nutrients/energy provided by the vegan diet, led to more distress concerning identity, self-control and relative self-worth attributed by “success”.
Additionally, Ayane Sato, one of the vegan participants, offered her insight on the reasons for the conflict: “Because we started in a group we couldn’t avoid commenting on each other’s meals, it was quite argumentative.
We wanted to work as a team which maybe could have happened if we were vegetarian. I think being vegan is too strict and stressful, it needs more concentration because you are also worried about being considered badly by the rest of the group.”
Christine Richmond supports this view, with a nutritional analysis of veganism that in some cases causes low levels of dopamine and serotonin, for example, leading to depressive or overly aggressive behaviour.
However, this was refuted by Theresa who appealed to the more humorous side of the experiment, arguing “I think the conflicts were just because it was funny to rile the vegans up even more, test their strengths”.
Indeed, vegan week, was an education in balance; both nutritionally, and finding positive ground between us.
Life’s a Peach: Reflecting on the Week:
Ultimately, our vegan experiment was as enlightening as it was challenging. It taught us to think critically about what we consume, sparking meaningful conversations about ethics and sustainability. While the none of us are willing to transition full time just yet, some have expressed an eagerness to revisit. Jemima relayed how she wants to start “being vegan every 3 weeks”, Aswell as Betsy who “would do it again, but not at school because it’s harder to manage”
Overall, a newfound respect for vegans was born, as we discovered that veganism is as much about resilience and compromise as it is about plants.
