Jenny from HappyFood here. I’ve been working in HappyFood since February 2015. I am currently in my final year studying BSc Culinary Entrepreneurship. I’ve been working in kitchens for four years now, but became so disillusioned with the food industry when I always had to work with animal products, and the menus were always heavily based on meat, fish and dairy with little or no healthy or plant based options. So naturally when I heard about a vegan restaurant in Dublin I got in contact with HappyFood straight away, and have been part of the team since!

 
Since I was a young child of about 8 or 9 I developed a heightened awareness of where my food was coming from, I have always been an animal lover, spending my summer holidays visiting petting farms in Ireland, climbing into the pig pens and keeping the sows company. I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to eat these gentle creatures. I announced to my parents I was renouncing eating animals, and they supported me by buying all the veggie products and vegetables I laid my eyes on. From working in the culinary industry I have been classically trained, but my approach is very different. Working in HappyFood means I work with the food I love, delicious whole plant foods. We are sharing the love and food to show everyone that vegan food is delicious, nutritious and a great option for lunch time! (and every meal)

6 Simple Reasons To Go Vegan Or Plant Based

1. For The Animals

This one doesn’t need much explaining. In today’s world we have become so disconnected from the food chain and understanding where our food comes from that it is all too easy to forget where the meat and dairy on your plate came from. Thinking about where your food came from and making informed choices is the simplest way to save animals suffering.

2. Meat Carcinogenic

There are no health benefits to eating meat that cannot be sourced from plant foods. Vegans have been campaigning to spread awareness of for years and the WHO have released that meat is a carcinogen so why would you choose to put it into your body!

3. Energy And Weight Loss

Eating a plant based diet, means cutting out fatty animal foods that lead to weight gain, sluggish digestion and fatigue. Eating foods high in fibre, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals will keep you slim and regular, no bloating or awkward gas from heavy protein and fat laden animal products. Choosing to eat whole foods will mean you get maximum nutrition from the plants we are intended to eat. The statistics speak for themselves. Eating a plant based diet reduces your risk of cancer, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. Getting your nutrition from plant foods also means cutting out saturated fat and cholesterol.

4. Vegan Food Is Top

Here at HappyFood we know how tasty plant based food really is. A vegan diet does not mean relying on salad! There is no limit to the dishes you can make – burgers and burritos are definitely on the menu! If you are just starting off there are hundreds of plant based substitutes for animal products to help you transition, but soon you won’t even need to rely on them as there are thousands of recipes for pasta dishes, pizzas, soups, salads, available online. And of course if you are feeling lazy, pop into us for some breakfast or lunch!

5. World Hunger

The huge amount of grain and water used to farm animals have a seriously detrimental effect on the earth’s resources. If we look at how we are using plant foods we can see that instead of using grains and plant foods to feed all the hungry people in the world we are wasting it to intensively farm animals.

6. Global Warming

Farming animals is the number one cause of global warming and pollution. Farming animals wastes enormous amounts of grains and water that could be better spent on human lives. Eating a vegan diet and reducing the amount of animals being farmed is saving the planet! Watch Cowspiracy if you haven’t yet!