The Vegan Society’s Andrea Rymer chats to the charity’s new dietician, Emily McKee, about her journey and how she stays in great health
This year I’m thrilled to announce that we have hired a second dietitian to support the work of The Vegan Society. Emily McKee has already brought so much to the organisation since starting in January 2024, taking a deep dive into the evidence surrounding ultra-processed foods and vegan diets, responding to media enquiries and answering some pretty complex nutrition queries.
Why did you decide to train to be a dietitian?
“I always wanted to work in healthcare, and when I was at university studying biology I realised the topics that most excited me were human health, biochemistry and nutrition. Being a dietitian sounded like the perfect job – one where I could use my knowledge in these areas to support and empower other people to make decisions about their food and health, so I went on to study dietetics as a postgraduate student.”
How did you get started on your vegan journey?
“I had previously been vegetarian, but at university I met my friend Sam who had been vegan for several years and I started asking questions. Once I really learned about the ways in which we exploit and harm non-human animals (not just for food including in the egg and dairy industry, but also in other areas), I just couldn’t unlearn it. It was a lightbulb moment and there was no going back: I couldn’t align my personal ethics with anything other than going vegan.”
What do you enjoy about supporting the work of The Vegan Society?
“Working at The Vegan Society allows me to combine my skills and expertise as a dietitian with my hope for a future in which nonhuman animals are no longer seen or treated as commodities, because a key part of effecting this change is helping people to healthily go and stay vegan. It has been great to be involved in the range of ways that our service provides evidence-based nutrition information – as part of campaigns, through education and webinars, resources available to the public and more. It’s also amazing to work within a team of passionate people who share a common goal.”
What are some of your top tips for getting the most out of a vegan diet?
“Perhaps the most important thing is just to enjoy yourself! A vegan diet offers all of us the opportunity to experiment with the huge diversity of plant foods out there, incorporating different tastes and textures and learning new cooking
