I only became vegan because I was seeing someone who was vegan, and that was two and a half years ago now. At first, I wasn’t really into the idea at all. I used to love red steak, and think a meal was only a meal if it had meat in it - if not, I was like, 'No, this isn’t a proper meal!' But he recommended that I watch documentaries, like Vegucated, and they really changed my mind. I thought to myself, 'how can I continue eating meat?' and within two weeks, I was completely vegan - even though I’d only been seeing him for two months. Crazy, stupid love - me! We were only together for another six months after that.
Since becoming vegan, I’ve been eating more - which is always a bonus. I used to diet a lot, and I struggled for years with that. But with being vegan, I find I make healthier choices. Even though the food you eat is more restricted, you’re not on a diet to lose weight and for me, that’s really helped my relationship with food. It’s been so much better for my mental health. Having a healthy lifestyle is amazing, but dieting is horrible. I became vegan for ethical and environmental reasons, but I definitely realised the health benefits afterwards.
Now I would never want to push anyone towards veganism, so it’s not a big deal when I’m dating. I’m not really fussy and I think each to their own - although I do think I’d struggle to date someone completely against it, but so long as they are open to it in some ways, then that’s fine. Thank goodness, going on dates is a lot easier now too, as most restaurants have a few vegan options - even more so than when I became a vegan a couple of years ago. And chips are always vegan!
Talking about dating, before entering the Love Island villa, I have to admit I was a bit worried about the food. But it was really, really good - I’d even have multiple portions. Everyday was different, too. One night we’d have Mexican food, the other we’d have things like a vegetable curry or a lasagna. They catered for me so well, I didn’t feel excluded. In fact, some of the others enjoyed their food less than I did!
Because it’s cold, at the moment I’m really into homely food, I love cooking things like mac’n’cheese and no chicken pie. Personally, I try not to use meat supplements: I just use more veg, but I think if you’re transitioning into veganism then they’re really good. If you’re cooking something where you would normally use meat, then you can just use Quorn - and that makes it a lot easier.
Food aside, being vegan affects so many things - and at the moment, I’m in the process of changing my make-up bag to become fully vegan. It’s so hard at first because you have so many products that you use for years, and then you realise that you can’t. And so to replace my NARS foundation, I’ve started using Kat Von D foundation and concealer. I also love MUA make-up, which isn’t too expensive.
Day to day, I get quite a few people messaging them, saying they want to try veganism. And some people ask me for advice - about things like training - but it’s hard when everyone is so different!
However, if you didn’t give Veganuary a go, and maybe you’re a bit hesitant because of the cost, I would say that cooking is as expensive as you want it to be. For example, if you’re buying a normal ready meal, and a vegan one, they might not be that different in price. But a tin of beans is cheap, and so is a tin of chickpeas, so you can make it as cheap as you want. Hard pasta is vegan too, and you can make so much with that.
But my biggest piece of advice is that I think you have to have an open mind - I would have never eaten peas or beans before becoming vegan. Look where I am now!
Find India's vegan recipes on Instagram at @recipesfromreyn
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