Holly’s road to health

Holly White has had many guises; you may remember her as Becks from the surprise hit Dan and Becks back in 2007. Since then, she’s made a name as a fashion and lifestyle blogger and in recent times she’s moved into the world of food writing, focusing on vegan recipes with her bestselling cookbook Vegan-ish. Holly turned to a plantbased diet five years ago when it was weighing on her mind that she wanted to do her bit for the planet. It wasn’t an easy transition for her and here she shares the struggles she had when she decided to live a vegan lifestyle but also why it’s all been worth it.

You’re involved with the Thrive lifestyle and wellness Festival in February – what are you hoping to do there?

I’ve been vegan for five years now so I think my key message is to elevate people’s perception of vegan food. For me, it’s a win-win choice to make, whether people decide to dip a toe into it with a meat-free Monday or if they want to embrace it a little bit more, I think people worry, practically, if they are going to be starving. I love trying to break it down for people as much as possible so at Thrive I’ll be demonstrating things that are really simple, like 15-minute dinners that you can then take in your tupperware the next day. I keep it as simple as possible but equally full of flavour.

What made you decide to be vegan?

It was for environmental reasons. I loved the idea of being able to make a change daily that over the course of a lifetime would make a significant difference. For me, it’s really about everyone doing a few simple, small changes rather than expecting people to live these perfect lifestyles. I got really excited about doing simple things like using a keep cup or a bamboo toothbrush instead of a plastic one. They’re simple swaps that are easy to make.

Have you always been health conscious?

I was always interested in food and eating well but I ate a typical Irish diet. On a Sunday, I might have had a fry and as a family we would have had a lot of Sunday roasts. Going out to dinner, I would have had a steak or a burger. So I come at this with the perspective of 30 years of knowing what non-vegan food is like and its flavours. For the first six months, I ate fish only, especially in social circumstances and then gave that up.

Did you find it hard to adopt a vegan diet? Honestly, it was, there’s no denying it. It’s socially very difficult and it can feel very awkward when you’re out for a meal with friends. You worry about not being included in things. You have to learn to manage when you’re travelling or when you’re going to a dinner party at a friend’s house. These are the things that, through my book and my blog, I try and address for people. You’re better off going into it thinking it’s going to be hard because if you think you can just pop into any corner shop or bakery and get something, you’re going to be disappointed.

What is the key thing with cooking vegan meals?

The key thing is to focus on flavour. We all enjoy really tasty food. No one in my family or circle of friends would identify as vegan, but I’ve cooked meals for them countless times and they think it’s delicious because the flavours are there.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking of becoming vegan?

I would say that you have to take responsibility for it – you have to learn to cook the food yourself, especially in a family scenario if one child decides to be vegan, they can’t expect their parents to cook separate meals so I would say to them to try and cook their own recipes. If it’s your decision, then take responsibility for it, do your own shopping and have two or three recipes that you can do easily.

Holly White will be appearing at Thrive Festival, Ireland’s dynamic fitness & well-being event, in the Convention Centre Dublin on February 29 & March 1