On Point of Principle

As the rest of the family sit down to relax with hot chocolate and brownies, fifteen year old Lily enjoys a bowl of weetabix and soya milk. Why you ask? In January vegetarian Lily became a vegan. This means she can't eat meat, eggs, dairy products or any foods with other animal-derived ingredients.

I wanted to find out her thought process behind this. "Well I've always been a vegetarian and there were a lot of reasons for that" she says, "animal compassion, the environment and the 'factory farming' process. Based on all this I felt it would be very hypocritical to continue to eat animal products. Even when you're not directly killing them, for example male calves are killed just because they aren't needed and it's the same with male chicks. By supporting dairy and poultry farms, you are supporting the slaughtering of animals."

Some people might say that she's very young to have such a strong opinion, to this she responded "I think that age is only a number and people underestimate the potential of young people to form opinions and make political decisions."

Being a vegan isn't easy, when you think about it there's so much that isn't suitable. I was interested to know how strict Lily is. "At home and when I have control over what I'm eating I am very strict with myself. When I go to other people's houses and they have cooked me a meal, I will eat it as usually they will have made an effort to accommodate my diet and most of the time people don't realise that things aren't suitable for vegans" she explains. "Quorn actually contains egg but because they don't have to think about it everyday, people don't realise. It's a lot ruder for me to point it out than it is harder for me to stretch my diet once in a while."

Most teenagers act like it would kill them to give up all of their favourite sweets. "I do miss chocolate, ice-cream, cheese, milk...and cake but you soon get used to not have them and it's easier to give things up than you assume, well I think it is anyway." Lily explained to me all of the different substitutes available, "Dairy free chocolate, it's not the same but it fills my cravings. I also have a recipe for chocolate brownies which is made with soya yogurt instead of eggs and butter. They taste so good!"

Without trying to sound negative I asked Lily if she thought she could keep it up as I personally don't think I could. "I really hope I stick with it" she says positively looking ahead, "the only way I can see myself giving up would be for health reasons."

Lily's Vegan Brownie Recipe

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup self-raising flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup melted vegan margarine

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain soya yoghurt

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Method: Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C / Gas Mark 4. Mix all the ingredients together and spread in a greased baking tray. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Leave to cool for around 30 minutes in the tin then remove them and store at room temperature.