Elli is a 26-year-old London native currently living on the West Coast of Australia near Perth. Elli has been on a journey towards ethical eating since a young age when she witnessed videos taken inside slaughterhouses and made the decision to become a vegetarian at age 10.
From there, she became a passionate vegan after educating herself on the horrors of the dairy and egg industries at age 17. Since then, Elli has dedicated herself to animal rights activism, spreading awareness and educating others on the importance of ethical eating.
She has participated in various vegan outreach events all over the UK and has recently started writing online articles for Vkind, an American-based vegan organization. Elli believes that demonstrating how easy and accessible veganism can be is a crucial step in spreading the vegan message.
Tell us more about yourself, please
My name is Elli, I am 26 years old and I am from London. 3 and a half years ago I got a one way ticket to Australia and I have been travelling and working all over ever since. I am currently living on the West Coast, near Perth.
I became vegetarian at the age of 10 after coming across some videos that were taken inside slaughterhouses. I just remember being so shocked and upset that a living being had to go through so much pain just for me to have something to eat and I didn’t want to contribute to this anymore. I went home and told my parents I wasn’t going to eat animals ever again. I think they thought it was just a phase (although quickly came to realise that this was not the case!).
I was vegetarian up until the age of 17 when I educated myself on the concept of veganism. I watched the talk ‘101 Reasons to go Vegan’ on YouTube and again was so shocked at how horrific the dairy and egg industries were too. I literally went vegan overnight and have been vegan now for the past 9 years. It was the best decision I have ever made!
A few years after turning vegan, I was at University in Leicester and I became really involved with Animal Rights Activism there.
We would be out on the streets almost every weekend educating people on animal agriculture, climate change, the fur industry, the cruelty behind SeaWorld and zoos in general and much more. I think it is so important to not only not contribute to cruelty but to help spread awareness and educate others on what they are contributing to as well. Help them to bridge the gap, so to speak.
I have taken part in all kinds of Vegan outreach all over the UK and became an organiser for Anonymous for the Voiceless in Central London. Since moving to Australia, I have been lucky enough to get involved in activism in both Melbourne and Perth too.
Moving around can sometimes make it hard to ‘find your tribe’ and in recent years I have also turned to writing articles online in order to help build these connections and to continue spreading the vegan message.
Recently I was lucky enough to start an internship with Vkind who are based over in America and am creating some online content for them too. I believe that showing people how easy and accessible veganism is makes a huge difference.
What are some obstacles encountered when seeking out vegan food or dining out with non-veg friends?
The main challenges I have faced since turning vegan, in terms of being able to find vegan food, has mainly been during periods of travelling. Me and my best friend backpacked around Europe at the age of 18 and the lack of local knowledge, as well as the language barriers made this somewhat tricky.
However, apps such as HappyCow made a huge difference and we found some incredible hidden gems on our time there. My best friend actually turned vegan following this trip, along with her little sister (and they haven’t looked back since either!)
What are your thoughts or opinions on adopting a vegan lifestyle?
I am so proud to be a vegan and to know that my diet makes such a minimal impact on the lives of animals as well as the planet. I have enjoyed my journey and have learned so much about my health and nutrition over the past couple of years. That is not to say that it has been all rainbows and sunshine. Being the only person who did not eat meat in my family from the age of 10 had its challenges.
It is definitely hard sometimes when you have such a different worldview to the people you grew up with or are surrounded by. Trying to navigate this space can be really difficult. This is why reaching out to other like-minded people is so important!
What approach would you take to encourage someone who isn’t vegan or vegetarian to try plant-based foods?
I would cook for them! Or recommend some of my favourite vegan places that I know will change their mindset on the matter. We are living in a time where there are more vegan options than there has ever been before!
I always get asked what I eat as a vegan
el’s vegan eats 🌱
There are too many to choose from! London is packed with some unreal vegan places, as is Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. I also believe that Berlin is one of the most underrated cities for vegan food. I honestly don’t even know how I could possibly choose my favourites, sorry!
What are some misunderstandings people have about vegans or vegetarians?
Where do I start! I think the main ones for me are that: ‘we all lack protein’, ‘we only eat salads’ and that we are ‘constantly judging everyone else’. First of all, there are literal vegan body builders out there who are absolutely killing it! There’s protein in so many plant-based foods and you can always sub in with protein powders etc too.
Secondly, we eat a lot more that just lettuce, trust me! I don’t think there is anything that doesn’t have a vegan alternative. I’ve had vegan steaks, vegan mozzarella dippers even vegan battered fish! I promise you, veganism isn’t restrictive- it actually opens you up to an abundance of plant-based options.
Lastly, we are not judging everyone! We are simply trying to educate and raise awareness of the meat, dairy and egg industries and reduce the suffering to other living beings as well as the environmental impacts that our diets have on the planet. I was also raised eating animal products – it’s okay to question the status quo and even go against it sometimes.
We are all capable of educating ourselves and making informed decisions with this new information. If you are feeling judged then maybe it is a reflection on how you are feeling about the choices you make and not on the person giving you the information regarding these choices.
What advice would you offer to someone who is new to the idea of cutting meat out of their diet?
I think the ‘why’ is so important to focus on. watch ‘101 Reasons to go Vegan’, watch ‘Cowspiracy’ and ‘Game Changers’ and be proud of the decisions you are making to better yourself as well as the planet and the lives of billions of animals. But also be kind to yourself, have lots of fun, try new recipes, reach out to people online and most importantly don’t be afraid to ask for help and advice!
el’s vegan eats 🌱
vegan for the animals🐥🐮🐷
plant-based foodie🍔🌱
from the UK, living in Australia 🌏
content creator for @vkindapp🐰
personal account: @ellitrueman 🫶🏼
all images courtesy of el’s vegan eats 🌱