Meet: Maria Kean | The Scottish Happy Vegan

My wonderful friend at Veganuary introduced me to Maria and I’m so grateful - Maria and I have bonded over a shared love of all things vegan and all things Scotland (especially Skye and the mighty Quiraing Loop). Maria has a wonderful vegan story and the magazines I write for can not get enough of her! She went vegan because she was in a funk and needed a reboot - but the Veganuary challenge turned into a lifelong commitment to plants. And she lost over 6st7lbs along the way!

I’ll share one of Maria’s magazine features at the end of the interview but for now, all you need to know is Maria is glorious and I love her very much.

You can follow Maria’s vegan adventures on Instagram @thescottishhappyvegan

Q ~ Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

A ~ Freddie Mercury, as he was a genius and I think he would have amazing stories to tell. The Dalai Lama for wisdom, guidance and conversation. Rhonda Byrne as I love The Secret and would love to pick her brains about the subject. Also a few of my family and friends to showcase how wonderful vegan food is.

Q ~ What would you serve at this VIP (Vegan Important People) dinner party of dreams?

A ~ To decide on a menu would be a hard task. I might just invite all these cooks and let them decide what to make! Sam Turnbull (It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken), Nora Taylor (Nora Cooks Vegan), the Bosh boys (Bosh TV), Thug Kitchen (now known as Bad Manners) and Pesky Vegan. Plus all the wonderful vegan family I have connected with on Instagram who make and share amazing recipes and meals.

Q ~ What do you wish people knew about veganism?

A ~ That it’s not some weird cult or something to despise and ridicule . It’s the most wonderful thing ever. You learn to love what you eat and why you eat it. It also makes you re-evaluate everything in your life, including what you wear and buy. It makes you want to learn more and do more to save the animals and the world .

Q ~ What does veganism mean to you?

A ~ It means everything to me . When I started this journey I did it to heal myself but it was a journey of self discovery and learning and the more I learned the more I knew I had done the right thing. Sometimes you don’t want to know how the animals are treated when you eat something or use something but knowledge is a wonderful thing and now everything feels in place and it feels so good to be doing my bit for the animals and for the world. I want to do more.

Q ~ Is there anything you dislike about being vegan?

A ~ The stigma. A few of our family and friends say “the vegan’s coming“ like it’s the plague. It hurts. If only they knew how enlightening it can be to learn a little more and not be so closed off.

Q ~ Have you ever questioned your decision?

A ~ Not once. I wish I had taken this journey earlier and I will never go back. I feel I’m a better cook than I was before I went vegan.

Q ~ Are you aware of any others going vegan or eating fewer animal products inspired by you?

A ~ One of my close friends had tried being vegan once but gave up. After I had been vegan for a year and she saw the change in me she wanted to try again. I had set up my Instagram page which she followed. So she began to realise it doesn’t need to be that hard so she asked for tips and help and now she herself has been vegan for well over a year and absolutely loves it. She said she will never go back and it’s so lovely to share things with a fellow vegan.

Q ~ If we should all follow one brilliant vegan Instagram account, who should it be? 

So many to choose from, but I would have to say helens_vegan_kitchen because I save so many of her sweet treats and recipes.

Follow Maria’s vegan adventures on Instagram here. She eats yummy food!
And here’s Maria dazzling the world in Top Sante: