Moraig Lyall, otherwise known as My Basic Vegan Life (@mybasicveganlife), is here today to talk all things vegan! When she isn’t cooking up a vegan storm, she’s watching cheesy Netflix shows or stalking pet pig Instagram accounts!
I'll begin by congratulating you on graduating!! I’m loving the rebranding from The Basic Vegan Student to — mybasicveganlife! In a previous interview you briefly mentioned that you did your final year thesis on Christianity and the environmental ethics of veganism. Can you tell us a bit about what your research lead you to find out?
"Thank you! The new name was well overdue and I’m really happy with it!
My dissertation focused on the devastating effects of climate change on human communities and how animal agriculture is a leading contributor to that environmental damage. It highlighted the Christian imperative of loving and caring for others and challenged Christians to see their contribution to climate change as an ethical issue and suggested adopting veganism as a means of acting on Christ’s call to love others sacrificially.
Through writing that dissertation I learned that a lot of Christians have never really thought to evaluate their environmental impact as an ethical or religious concern, or their eating habits either.  It was really interesting to see people genuinely respond to my ideas and one person who read it even went vegetarian, so it’s nice to know that all of the work that went into it saved some animal lives!"
That sounds like a really awesome piece of work...I would love to give it a read! Presuming you have a little more expendable income after leaving university, have your dietary habits changed since graduating?
"I worked part time during university and had a student loan, so graduating wasn’t actually that much of a change financially, as unfortunately losing your student status means that you have to start paying council tax! But in general, my eating habits haven’t really changed. I still enjoy a lot of basic meals, with the occasional time where I bother to cook something a bit fancier! Leaving uni has also meant that I see some of my friends less, so I probably eat at restaurants more now that I’m arranging to meet people rather than seeing them every day at lectures etc."
"Another good and accessible brand is Original Source: their mango shower gel smells delicious!"
Many people are making the leap to veganism but a lot struggle with changing their make-up and products. Are there any vegan products you swear by and would recommended to the readers?
"I really love the Superdrug own-brand Vitamin E skin care range, it’s really good, affordable and they label their vegan products, so it’s a really easy way to shop for all of your beauty essentials with confidence that they’re vegan-friendly. I particularly love their Vitamin E Gentle Micellar Solution. Another good and accessible brand is Original Source: their mango shower gel smells delicious!"
I too am a fan of Original Source, its the vanilla and raspberry flavour which does it for me! Veganuary is over but I’m sure there are lots of people out there who want to make a change. What tips could you give to someone who wants to cut back on their animal product intake but doesn’t know where to start?
"I think what helped me was to reframe the transition in my mind: I wasn’t ‘giving up’ these foods, I was just no longer eating things that were never mine to take in the first place. Trying to view it as a positive change rather than self-denial or as a sacrifice made it easier.
Practically, I think maybe committing to making one meal a day vegan could help people start, and then you can gradually make more and more of your food vegan as you get more comfortable with the transition. Also be willing to experiment with animal product alternatives. Like with all food, some brands are nice and some are gross, so persevering to find products that you like is important."
I like what you say about persevering to find products that you like, I definitely had to try a few vegan cheeses before I found one I loved! If someone wants to make the change to veganism and owns a non-vegan item such a leather belt or goose down duvet, what is your opinion on keeping these items?
"I don’t see an issue with keeping and using products that you already own.  The harm was done when they were bought and that can’t be undone, so you may as well get as much use out of it as possible. Part of veganism for a lot of people is environmentalism, so minimising waste by not throwing out items that are still functional is important. If an item makes you uncomfortable to own though then giving it to a friend or to charity is a good option, so that it can still be used and doesn’t go to waste."
"Basically anywhere with vegan pizza, I’m there!"
Thats a great answer! More restaurants are providing vegan options if not a whole vegan menu! Are there any restaurants you think have done a good job with this and alternatively are there any that have disappointed you?
"I really like the Zizzi’s vegan menu, as it’s one of the few where I love a starter, main and dessert! I feel like a lot of places skip vegan starters completely and then cop out on dessert by just offering sorbet, so it’s nice that Zizzi’s have made the effort to offer a delicious option for each course. I also like to eat at Pizza Hut, as although their prices have definitely gone up, they offer a free salad bar which they provide a vegan list for on their website, so I like to fill up on free tortilla chips and salsa as a starter and then just split a small pizza with whoever I’m with. Basically anywhere with vegan pizza, I’m there!"
What are your opinions on mock meats and why?
"If they’re tasty, I like them! I don’t see the harm in continuing to enjoy all foods that don’t contain animal products. I stopped eating meat because I think killing animals for food is wrong, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love the taste of meat, so I’m happy when delicious meat substitutes are available. I do think a lot of brands are trying to cash in on the growth of veganism by churning out underdeveloped meat substitutes though, many of which don’t taste good, so I’m still picky about which ones I buy."
As a vegan do you take any dietary supplements and why?
"I have the Holland & Barrett vegan supplement which I take when I remember to! I think it’s possible to get all of the nutrition that you need from a vegan diet, but I’d rather just take a supplement to ensure that I’m covered and then be able to put less effort into meal planning and balancing my diet."
Words of a true basic vegan — i love it. Can you share a few ‘accidentally vegan’ goodies that our readers might not be
aware of.
"The Betty Crocker chocolate icing is always handy for making an indulgent vegan chocolate cake. I also really like Skittles and Fry’s Chocolate Creams, which are easy to get in most shops when you fancy a wee treat. Also everyone knows about Biscoff but it deserves another mention, it’s delicious!"
Didn't know about Betty Crocker, that's Sunday sorted! There is still stigma surrounding veganism, do you experience this in your life and if so, how do you approach this?
"I do get asked about my diet a lot, usually not in a confrontational way, but it can be quite draining having to regularly justify my food choices. My approach is generally just to keep my answers friendly but brief, since people often don’t really listen to the answer anyway, then it’s up to them to ask more questions and keep the conversation going if they’re genuinely interested. Often people just want an opportunity to tell you why they’re not vegan, which is annoying but understandable: it’s human nature to want to be seen as ‘normal’ and part of the status quo."
What food/s do you miss the most from your pre-vegan days and what delicious alternatives have you found for these?
"One of my favourite foods before going vegan was lasagna, but that’s really easy to replicate with soya mince, a free-from white sauce and some vegan cheese. I also really loved chicken fajitas but I still make them the same way, just swapping out the chicken for mushrooms.  One thing I do really miss is gummy sweets, as although there are more and more vegan alternatives appearing, most of them just don’t have the same texture as standard gummies."
Can you recommend any companies that create good vegan alcohol? And importantly what is your favourite hangover food?
"My drink of choice is gin, which is pretty fail safe for vegans (but do still check each brand to be sure). Since wine can be tricky to buy, I tend to stick to the mid-range bottles of supermarkets own wine, as shops like Sainsburys, Tesco and the Co-op label their vegan wines.
I try to avoid hangovers because they affect me really badly, and I generally can’t eat since they make me really nauseous. If I’m more just tired from a late night out though then I love treating myself to a fry up: Linda McCartney sausages, tattie scones, fried mushrooms and baked beans!"
Thanks for talking with me today Moraig! Go and visit @MyBasicVeganLife for more vegan inspiration!
xx