Why I’d liked to sign up for Veganuary, but I can’t – Hayley Matthewes

Hayley Matthews was vegan for three years, until she met a Teuchter who eats anything with a pulse.

KFC’s new vegan burger, launched for January. Picture: PA

I’m not the kind to make resolutions, mainly because I don’t like to feel pressured into things.

So I wasn’t much use to BBC Scotland during the week when they wanted me to join them to talk about New Year fad diets. Was I giving up meat for Veganuary (which I think is a great thing for people to do)? But no, as I tend not to do fads at New Year or make resolutions. I feel it’s a set-up for failure and an additional pressure that’s not needed. Let’s focus on what we’re good at instead of restricting something we enjoy – it’s all about the balance and all that. I was vegan for three years then met Teuchter Kenny who eats anything with a pulse and so my progression to a little fish then a little meat has been a slippery slope and one of which I’m ashamed. I also apologise for offending any fellow Teuchters on the sweeping meat-eating, kilt-wearing, whisky-drinking portrayal of Kenny, but he’d genuinely be happy eating meat and living in a cave if he could get away with it – as long as there was wifi to check his fantasy football every now and then.

Living in a household with three meat-loving boys and four cats with a prawn fetish, it can be really hard to have it your way. So I compromise and educate about where food comes from and do my best to source cruelty free.

I don’t like calling Veganuary a fad. It’s a lifestyle choice, an ethical choice and mainly comes from the heart to do better for sentient beings and the planet that we’re slowly destroying. There is plenty support from the organisation Veganuary to encourage you to go vegan for the month of January as a way to promote and educate about a vegan lifestyle.

It’s been a massive movement since beginning in 2014 with participation doubling each year so clearly it’s not a fad. If you do it, good on you I hope you last longer than one month and longer than my three years.