Katie’s Veganuary Diaries: A Month of Plant-Based Discoveries
January 2025, by Katie Brown
Here at MM-Eye, we like to live our values, and since Planet is one of our core pillars, I decided to take on a personal challenge—Veganuary! As a business, we’re always looking at ways to be more sustainable, and I wanted to see what it would be like to embrace a plant-based lifestyle for a whole month. Would it be easy? Definitely not. Would it be eye-opening? Absolutely!
What follows is my honest (and sometimes chaotic) journey through a snippet of my 31 days of plant-based living. From family sabotage attempts to unexpected wins, here’s how it all went…
Day 1 – A Rocky Start!
After a fun New Year’s celebration, I stumbled into the kitchen, craving a midnight snack. My go-to ham toastie was halfway to the grill when it hit me: Veganuary had officially begun! Gutted doesn’t even begin to cover it.
The first day was tough. My fridge is still stuffed with leftover chocolates and party food from the holidays—definitely not vegan-friendly. I quickly realised I hadn’t set myself up for success with proper research or a stocked plant-based pantry. Note to self: a shopping trip and some serious meal prep are essential before day two. If I’m going to make it through this month, I’ll need more than a plate of veg on my menu!
Stay tuned as I navigate the ups and downs of Veganuary. It’s going to be a learning curve, but I’m excited to give it my best shot.
Day 2 – Learning as I Go
Who knew honey isn’t vegan? I certainly didn’t! It’s made by living animals, which makes it a no-go for plant-based living. Clearly, I’ve got a lot to learn on this journey!
Day two felt a little more manageable. I ventured beyond just eating plain veg, which felt like a small victory. The real challenge came at dinner when the family had a roast complete with ham and pigs in blankets. Saying no wasn’t easy, but I stuck to my plan and enjoyed everything else alongside a lentil-stuffed pepper.
Surprisingly, apart from the tempting little piggies, I realised my favourite part of the meal might actually be the veggies! This experience is teaching me more than I expected—and I’m starting to see that plant-based living can be both challenging and rewarding.
Day 3 – Family Sabotage Attempt!
It didn’t take long for the family to try and throw a spanner in the works. My Veganuary journey has barely started, and already I’m hearing, “You can have a little bit of meat though, can’t you? No one else will know!” and “What crazy thing are you doing now?”
I have to admit, it was tempting to just give in to avoid the comments, but I stayed strong. I calmly reminded them that my decision to go plant-based isn’t about making their lives difficult—it’s about making a positive change for myself, and it won’t affect their dinners one bit!
This little test of willpower has made me even more determined to prove to myself (and maybe a little to them!) that I can do this. Bring on the rest of the month!
Day 4 – The Big Shop
My first big shopping trip as a vegan was eye-opening, to say the least! I’ve come to realise just how stuck in my ways I’ve been when it comes to cooking. I rarely try new recipes—I just stick to what I know.
As a busy working mum, being the only one in the house going vegan, I knew I needed to keep things simple and manageable. Luckily, healthy eating isn’t a big hurdle in our home—we’re already pretty good about that. To ease myself in, I focused on easy swaps: replacing mince with Quorn or beans, piling on plenty of fresh fruit and veg, stocking up on falafel, and, for those inevitable lazy days, treating myself to some plant-based bean burgers.
It feels like a small step, but I’m already learning how to make this transition work for me without overcomplicating life. Let’s see how these new ingredients hold up in the kitchen!
Day 6 – Missing Eggs
The last couple of days have gone really well! I’m starting to find my feet, and instead of dwelling on what I can’t eat, I’m actually enjoying exploring all the things I can eat. It’s been a refreshing shift in mindset—but there’s one thing I just can’t stop thinking about… EGGS!
Scrambled eggs, poached eggs, omelettes, and even the classic dippy egg with soldiers—oh, how I miss them! I’ve realised that, while I’m embracing so much of this plant-based journey and might even carry some of these habits forward, giving up eggs is going to be a deal-breaker for me.
Still, it’s all part of the experience, and for now, I’m giving it my best shot. Who knows? Maybe I’ll find a plant-based alternative that comes close… though I’m not holding my breath!
Day 8 – Dairy Confession
Time for a little confession: I might be finding this journey slightly easier than most because I’m lactose intolerant and don’t eat dairy. That said, for years I’ve been a bit selective about what I should or shouldn’t eat—often ignoring the consequences (trust me, you do not want to be around me after I’ve eaten cheesecake!).
This past week, I’ve gone all in and completely cut out dairy, even the occasional bit of chocolate (and yes, I do love chocolate). The surprising part…..or is it? I actually feel so much better for it!
What’s made this even easier is discovering how good the plant-based dessert options are. They might not help with the calorie count, but they definitely hit the spot when I’m craving a sweet treat. Life’s for living, after all! 😊
Day 11 – Out, But Not Out Out
It’s Saturday, and while Veganuary is in full swing, let me assure you—Dry January is not on my agenda. There are limits!!! Supposedly, not all alcohol is vegan, but I’ve decided to stay blissfully unaware for now and enjoy myself.
After a few drinks with the family celebrating my uncle’s birthday, the inevitable happened: talk turned to food. I’d been good all day, sticking to a healthy breakfast and avoiding the bar snacks, but now a takeaway was on the cards. Pizza was out (gave that up ages ago, me and cheese do not get on), so it was off to the kebab shop to see what vegan delights they might have on offer.
Spoiler: not much at all! Watching the staff scramble to find the ingredients for their elusive bean burger was both amusing and a little awkward. They even had a laugh at my expense for daring to go meat-free. But to their credit, once we got chatting, they mentioned they were actually thinking of reviewing their menu to include more vegan options! It’s nice to know that even small choices like this can spark a bit of change—and hey, I got my bean burger in the end, which was surprisingly decent.
Who knows? Maybe next time they’ll have more to offer!
Day 15 – Zumba and a New Routine
Halfway there!! Not a food post today, but definitely an achievement! With all this healthy eating and feeling so much better for it, I’ve been inspired to step up my exercise game—from zero to… well, let’s aim for hero!
Exercise and I have never exactly been best friends. I’ve always struggled to find something I genuinely enjoy, and as we all know, consistency is key—you’re never going to stick with it if you don’t love it. But then, something caught my eye on social media: Zumba!
I’ll admit, I thought Zumba was a thing of the past, but after a little digging, I found it’s alive and well, with some fantastic online platforms offering classes. Since I don’t have time for in-person sessions, 6:30 a.m. in my front room is going to have to do! I’ve signed up, and I’m genuinely excited to start my day dancing!
It’s amazing how this way of living has had such a ripple effect on my life. What started as a month of plant-based eating has now inspired me to move more, try new things, and embrace healthier habits overall. Who knows where this journey will take me next?
Day 18 – Cooking Up a Lentil Curry
I guess its about time I actually talk about something I have cooked!! Cooking new dishes isn’t something I do often (I tend to stick to what I know), but this one looked like something I wanted to give a go!
Armed with a recipe I found online and a pile of spices, I set to work. Chopping onions, garlic, and ginger, sautéing spices until the kitchen smelled incredible—it was all a bit of a faff compared to my usual quick dinners, but so worth it. I even managed to sneak in some extra veg—carrots, spinach, and a handful of tomatoes for good measure.
The result? A warm, hearty bowl of comfort food that even the family gave a thumbs-up to (after a bit of initial scepticism, of course). It was satisfying, packed with flavour, and surprisingly filling.
I’m realising that plant-based eating isn’t about sacrifice—it’s about creativity and discovering just how versatile simple ingredients like lentils can be. Now the question is, what do I cook next?
Day 23 – Our fashionably late Christmas Party!
Since December was a whirlwind for MM-Eye, we saved our Christmas party for January—something to look forward to… in theory. But a vegan night out? That felt like a challenge. Or so I thought!
The day kicked off with our AGM, where one of the team had kindly organised snacks—mainly biscuits (cue the envy), but to my delight, she’d also hunted down some vegan salted crackers. Not exactly an easy find, but they were delicious! She wasn’t the only one looking out for me—lunch rolled around, and I was treated to a No Chicken & Chorizo sandwich, a plant-based sausage roll, and even some vegan chocolate. Safe to say, I felt very loved (even if there was some light-hearted teasing along the way).
Next up: Social Darts! If you’ve never tried it, you absolutely should—it’s brilliant fun! And, against all odds, we made it through without any injuries!
Then came dinner—the moment I’d been dreading. Burgers, fish and chips, sausage and mash… animal products everywhere. But to my surprise, my lentil and aubergine curry with flatbread was an absolute winner. So much so that I even skipped dessert (who am I?).
All in all, a cracking night, and I stuck to my vegan journey. Success!
Day 31 – The Final Chapter!
Well, I did it—31 days of Veganuary! It’s been a challenge, but honestly, I’ve enjoyed it far more than I expected. I’ve discovered new foods, tried new recipes, and realised that plant-based eating isn’t as daunting as I once thought.
That said… I need eggs and honey in my life. There are just some things I can’t give up! But I’ll definitely be carrying on with regular vegan days and making more mindful choices going forward.
Beyond the food, this month has left me feeling lighter, more motivated, and with a real appreciation for why so many people choose this lifestyle. In fact, I’ve been so inspired that I’ve signed up for Trek26 with the Alzheimer’s Society—a challenge I probably wouldn’t have considered before!
So, while I won’t be going fully vegan, this journey has changed the way I think about food, health, and even pushing myself outside my comfort zone. Who knows what’s next? But for now—bring on the eggs!
At MM-Eye, our culture isn’t just about what we do—it’s about how we do it, and it’s great to be part of a team that encourages people to live their values in a way that works for them. If you’d like to learn more about our culture and how we put our values into action, get in touch at info@mm-eye.com or use the form below to book a consultation.