Mike (61) and his wife found themselves going off meat in the early 90s and decided to give vegetarianism a go. They took the plunge into a meat-free diet and lifestyle – and 27 years later they’re still living healthy lives with six of their eleven children in Eccles, North West England.
Mike doesn’t know exactly why he and his partner went off meat. But after a few months of slowly cutting animal products out their diets, they felt that it was right to continue.
Mike has always been a lover of vegetables, and his favourite meal is his partner’s vegetable curry, which he’d happily eat 7 days a week! Having a large family means that Mike is always on the look out for a bargain and likes to shop around to get the best deals.
Becoming vegetarian nearly 30 years ago meant that things were a lot different than they are today. Instead of buying specialty products like Morning Star Bacon Strips from health food shops, Mike can easily do his weekly shop from local supermarkets and greengrocers.
Trying new things doesn’t always go to plan. One Christmas, their specially prepared meal was so bad that it was inedible. However, instead of letting this be a negative, Mike and his family remember fondly that in situations like this you have to make light of a situation.
Like any changes to a diet, Mike had to learn to use new ingredients, but this meant trying dishes and ingredients that he’d never tried before.
At the beginning of his vegetarianism, some food items were expensive and hard to find. But thankfully this isn’t the case any more. Most supermarkets have a range of meat-free options available at reasonable prices.
Mike has encountered problems when medications are involved because they sometimes contain gelatine and animal by-products. He has found that discussing this with a doctor or pharmacy can be helpful for finding alternatives.
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