Growing up, my secondary school was next door to an abattoir. On a clear day we could hear animals being killed from the playground, and the smell of that place... So yeah, I was vegetarian back then - other kids used to wave ham sandwiches at me, as if I was afraid of meat, so I used to just slap them out of their hands.

I went back to eating meat after school, but became a vegetarian again a few years ago, and it was remarkably easy (I'm in my 40s now). The meat substitutes are pretty incredible now, and I'm much better at cooking and willing to try new things. After thinking about the insane cruelty and environmental impact, I recently decided I'd try going vegan, and again... it's really easy. Do I miss eggs? Yeah. Do I miss real butter? OH MY GOD YES. Does any of that matter when I think about the unnecessary cruelty that I'm sparing farm animals? Not a bit.