The Bown family from Bournemouth – mum, dad and all three daughters – were all vegetarian when mum, Lorna, decided to go vegan.
She had read some disturbing information about how animals are treated on farms and began to incorporate more vegan foods into her diet. Seven years ago, she became fully vegan but, as the main cook for the family, that meant navigating the provision of meals that would suit everyone.
“Mostly, I cook vegan and the veggies can just add cheese or eggs if they want,” she explained. “But sometimes I make multiple dishes or just variations on the same dish.”
This is a common challenge when one family member becomes vegan, but it seems that Lorna navigated it with calm aplomb. And while veganism meant so much to her, she never tried to persuade the rest of her family to join her. “They know why I went vegan,” she said. “What they eat is their choice, but there is always a lot of good vegan food in the fridge and cupboards!“
In 2020, her daughter Lana turned 16. She already knew something of the suffering within the dairy industry from her mum but around that time she also took a Virtual Reality tour of a pig farm and that brought home the horrors of farming in a big way. She took part in Veganuary 2020 and never looked back.
Lana recognises that it was an easier transition for her than it may be for lots of people. “My family are all vegetarian and that was how I was raised so it wasn’t a large jump for me. Plus my mother made most of my meals as I still lived at home, so for me it wasn’t difficult as I was provided with all the materials.”
If only we all had a Lorna!
With Veganuary’s supportive emails and Lorna’s inside knowledge and cooking skills, Lana really took to veganism, and she noticed plenty of positive changes.
“As someone young who is constantly active I felt much more energised, and also clearer minded and more refreshed. On top of this my skin massively improved with having little to no acne across my face and body despite all the hormonal changes through my younger years. I also would say I am much more conscious about what I am eating so I experiment more, have an increased flavour palate and have improved my culinary skills by making a larger range of baked goods and meals.”
But one of the loveliest impacts of their shared veganism was the change that it brought to their relationship. “Through finding new restaurants together, travelling and cooking vegan recipes for each other, it has strengthened our relationship,” says Lana. “It’s been lovely to go on this journey together.”
“We share so many photos of vegan food from social media with each other!” adds Lorna. “Holidays are planned around vegan restaurants we want to try, for example Wroclaw is surprisingly good for vegans and we decided to go there after confirming how many vegan restaurants there are.”
But the pair can be just as happy out for a day closer to home. “A great day for us would consist of getting a matcha, getting outside, eating out – especially at an all-vegan restaurant – and coming home to a baked treat and a rom com!” says Lana.
And there was one final nugget of wisdom from Lorna. When we asked Lana what the best bit of advice her mother had ever given her about veganism was, she told us: “Add nutritional yeast to everything.”
Amen to that.
Read how other families have navigated trying vegan together! Feeling inspired? Try Veganuary for yourself and see where it takes you. You’ll get 31 days of support, as well as a Celebrity e-Cookbook, Plant Protein Cookbook, meal plans, shopping tips and much more – all for free!
