Being vegan teaches you not only about the immense world of legumes, fruits, pulses, and nuts, but also about tolerance.

Let’s Meet: Hazal Yılmaz

I consider myself one of the lucky ones because, since childhood, I’ve practically removed meat from my dishes and never liked yogurt on top of my spinach. Aside from a period spent in Paris, where cheese plates and omelettes were part of my daily routine, I was never particularly interested in consuming animal products. I’ve been vegetarian for long stretches of my life but returned to a non-vegan diet after some doctors recommended meat as necessary for nutrition. Just before moving to London from Istanbul, the city where I was born and raised, in 2017, I began researching alternative sources of vitamin D and iron. which I had been lacking, as well as protein and B12, which I wasn’t lacking but wanted to be on the safe side. London, as one of the most diverse and vegan-friendly cities in the world, opened up a new perspective and way of thinking for me. Here, I’m not judged for what I eat, I can easily find information, proudly say I’m vegan, and don’t have to ask in detail about butter, honey, or possible traces of egg in a soup. As shown in my routine blood tests, I can be healthy—and even healthier, I believe—on a wholesome vegan diet. By choosing to be vegan, I also choose to learn about what, how, and why I eat.

At t work, while creating the first issue of The Vegan Gazette

I believe being vegan teaches you not only about the immense world of legumes, fruits, pulses, and nuts, but also about tolerance. Once you learn to be patient with pre-existing ideas, you begin to listen more and express yourself more clearly. This ability to communicate and understand others strengthens all forms of relationships over time. This is the community I create—a group of people coming together, trying to understand each other, who, in time, will become "us."

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The idea that vegans are condemnatory. I believe this is a misconception, as vegans, like all humans, have diverse values and interests. Being vegan is a way of living, believing, and acting upon what we perceive as injustice.

Veganism is a way of life where we give up pre-learned tastes and habits based on the belief that animals have as much right to live as humans do, in a world where we strive to reduce our carbon footprint for the future of all living beings. It is a stance, and I believe that in the coming decades, it will evolve into a political movement that unites empowered individuals.

I live in London, a boundless city where you can find a vegan version of almost any dish from faraway countries. Discovering cultures through taste feels like a sustainable learning practice to me. It reinforces my belief that veganism is about constant exploration—of new dishes, ideas, and perspectives throughout life.

Discover more of Hazal’s journey here

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