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My Plant-Based Journey: Q&A with @vancouverwithlove
We’re so excited to chat with you! Tell our audience a bit about yourself:
My name is Elizabeth (Lizi to those who know me well) and I’m a vegan food blogger and recipe developer. I’ve lived in Vancouver BC for almost 8 years, but am originally from the south coast of the UK. 8 years ago - bored with our jobs - my man and I decided we wanted an adventure, so on a whim applied for work permits to Canada, and we’ve never looked back!
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You’ve been plant-based for quite some time now. When and why did you make the swap?
My plant-based story has a slightly unusual beginning. I turned vegetarian at the age of 4, when I went to the butcher with my mum one day. Until then, I hadn’t understood the connection between meat and animals. Then and there I decided I didn’t want to eat meat or fish anymore, and to my parents’ credit neither of them tried to dissuade me. In fact, they both turned vegetarian shortly after!
It wasn’t until my mid-twenties however that I really started to understand what went on in the dairy and egg industries. Up until then, I’d blindly assumed that animals who produced those foods got to live out their natural lives in good conditions, not realising that in fact they too were sent to slaughter as soon as their producing days were over. I really struggled with this, particularly as my main reason for turning vegetarian in the first place had been to prevent animal suffering. As soon as I realised this, I knew I couldn’t ignore it any longer and decided to go fully plant-based. That was back in 2012 and I can honestly say it’s the best thing I could have done!
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Plant-based eating has come SUCH a long way in the last handful of years. What obstacles did you face in the beginning of your plant-based journey?
Things were pretty different back then. We didn’t have the same range of food options and restaurants as we do today, and I can vividly remember searching UK health stores like Holland & Barrett in desperation trying to find vegan-friendly cheeses (they WEREN’T good back then!) Things have gotten SO much easier over time, and I’m always delighted to see new vegan products coming to market. It feels like a privilege to see brands such as Beyond Meat and JUST Egg taking off – the marketplace looks very different today to 9 years ago!
How have you continued to embrace your plant-based lifestyle on a day to day level? Any passion projects?
After realising how much more vibrant and varied my diet had become as a vegan I began blogging my whole food recipes as a hobby, and at the end of 2018 took the leap and made it my career! Nowadays, I contribute recipes to a vegan cookbook app Seeds Plant-based Recipes, work with clients on sponsored content and recipe development and host my own weekly podcast (Eat Your Veg), as well as continuing to share recipes and inspiration with my community on the blog and Instagram. I’m hoping to write a cookbook one day and couldn’t be more passionate about what I do!
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What’s your favorite part about being part of the plant-based foodie community?
I love sharing with people the range and variety to be had in a plant-based diet and tips for making it more abundant. For example, I wish I’d known when I first went vegan that whipped coconut milk is an amazing substitute for dairy cream!
It’s always so great to hear the different ways plant-based eating has changed peoples lives, and even all the different reasons why they decided to make the switch! No path is the same, but we’re definitely loving seeing all of you on your journey. Any last tips & tricks for our audience?
My top tip for anyone adopting a plant-based or vegan diet is to GO SLOW. Be kind to yourself and (unless you have insane willpower) make small, sustainable changes each day rather than changing everything at once. This way, you’re more likely to stick to your new lifestyle rather than feeling overwhelmed by it. Oh, and remember that your tastebuds will change over time. I thought there’d never be a day where I didn’t miss dairy cheese, but these days I find all the vegan alternatives are more than enough to keep me happy! I promise, if I can do it so can you.
