How (and Why) Blogger Áine Carlin Went From Meat-Eater to Vegan Overnight
Áine Carlin making her Indian tacos. Photo: Ali Allen
You may be wondering how a full-blown omnivore suddenly went vegan overnight… and it was quite literally overnight. To be honest, it came as a surprise even to me, as I’d never even entertained the idea of becoming vegetarian, let alone immersing myself in a lifestyle that I’d believed to be restrictive and boring. I was (and still am) a total foodie, the kind of person whose thoughts turn to dinner immediately after finishing lunch.
When my husband and I moved to Chicago for two years, I was in foodie heaven. I spent hours scouring the supermarket, cheering at the reasonable prices—especially when it came to the meat and dairy products. Not only were we eating well (or so we thought), our budget was healthier than ever. But about a year into our new lifestyle, you could say we were starting to feel the burn. Even though we had convinced ourselves we were eating a healthy, balanced diet, our bodies were starting to tell a very different story. We were both feeling lethargic, had gained a little weight and physically felt the worst we had in years—and we were only in our 20s. It soon became clear the source of the problem was food.
At the time there was a lot of discussion about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a hideous laboratory-born sweetener that should be avoided at all costs. However, I soon discovered it was in everything, and I do mean everything… bread, cookies, drinks, and a whole host of other foods that you would never dream contain such a thing. Aha, I thought! This is it. And so I started cleaning up our diet. Even though I rarely bought typical processed foods, this was still a difficult task, given the fact that HFCS manages to find its way into the least likely products. But once you’re on that path, it can be hard to turn back and so I began to look into farm practices and specifically the meat we had been consuming daily—and to say I was horrified would be an understatement.
My only option was to remove myself from the situation and forge a new way for myself and my husband (who was on board from the beginning). Ultimately that decision led me to veganism. It really was a case of going to bed an omnivore and waking up vegan—once I’d equipped myself with the relevant info, there was no looking back. While I’m sure my friends and family didn’t fully “get it” to begin with, they have since become my biggest supporters. You will always encounter people who question your lifestyle choices, and they won’t always be pleasant or simply “curious.” Vegans are often accused of being angry or consumed with an overriding animal-rights agenda, so I feel it’s my duty to show a different side to a lifestyle that can be off-putting to many. Positive actions are the order of the day; keep your cool and you’ll find it much easier to keep it vegan.
Although my health led me to consider veganism, let me be clear it was ultimately the plight of the animals that made my mind up—it was that simple. The most important thing to me was reducing any further suffering by my own hands. Veganism gave me the confidence to become the person I always thought I could be… compassionate, caring, and open-hearted, and it also gave me the strength of my convictions to do other things that were nothing to do with my diet—writing being just one of them. And because I feel it gave me the voice I knew I’d been lacking all these years, I realized the perfect way to return the favor was to write this book and help others discover the many virtues of veganism.
It’s not about lending another “holier than thou” attitude to the mix. I’d much rather make you smile with a slice of chocolate cake or fill your belly with a wholesome stew. The truth is in the eating, and there couldn’t be a more relevant saying when it comes to eating vegan. And remember, if a meat and potatoes Irish chick can do it, anybody can.
Interested in trying some vegan dishes? Here are some recipes:
