Embracing veganism has given me a sense of purpose and belonging

Narmeen Nweisser is a 28-year-old from Ontario, Canada, who goes by the alias “The Geeky Vegan.”

When she’s not indulging in her love for indie games on her PC or embarking on Pokemon-catching walks, you’ll find her basking in the warm embrace of the sun with a captivating book in hand. Narmeen proudly wears the label of a “junk food vegan,” striking a delightful balance between healthy plant-based choices and indulgent treats.

Her passion for animal welfare and environmental preservation has been a driving force since her early years, prompting her to become a vegetarian for 8 years before making the life-changing decision to embrace a vegan lifestyle at the age of 22. Narmeen’s journey is a testament to her unwavering commitment to compassion and her constant quest to learn and grow on her path as The Geeky Vegan.

Meatless Movement had the opportunity to chat with her recently.

Tell us more about yourself, please

I will forever be grateful for her (my mom) in that moment
narmeen

My name is Narmeen Nweisser. I’m 28 years old from Ontario, Canada. In my free time I like to play indie games on my PC, go for walks to catch Pokemon and lay out in the sun reading. I am The Geeky Vegan! I like to think of myself as a good balance of healthy vegan and junk food vegan but let’s be real, just look at my page, what I eat and where I go that I am proudly a junk food vegan. Ha!

I’ve always had a passion for the care of animals and the environment ever since I could remember and I would recall always telling my mom at a very young age that I felt this overwhelming sadness every time I ate meat. I was a vegetarian for 8 years and at the age of 22 became vegan. I knew it was where I would eventually end up, it just took me some time to learn and let go.

Vegan menu items should have always been easily accessible, not just within the last decade!
narmeen

I will never forget the moment that I decided that day was going to be the day I stopped eating meat.

My mom and I went on our weekly grocery store runs and we were filling up the cart with the usual. I started seeing meatless items in the freezer which was new in our area at the time. She started helping me take out stuff in the cart and replacing it with new items I can try as a vegetarian.

It took her a long time before this moment to get on board because we were not educated on this at all. All it took was me finally being able to make that decision for myself and she supported that immediately and I will forever be grateful for her in that moment. Another story that will always stay with me is with my mom, again! She was my number one supporter for sure.

A few years before I went vegetarian, for Lent every year she went vegetarian and for forty days we were on this journey together and for forty days we would come up with meals together every night and when I officially went vegetarian she would still join me for a couple more years.

To this day, if she’s the one making dinner she always makes me the vegan version of what she makes for my family so that I can join them which I am thankful for always.

I feel physically, mentally and emotionally better about my transition
narmeen

As a vegetarian, from what I can try to remember it was definitely easier. Whether a menu already had a vegetarian option or them accommodating to just have egg or dairy and take out the meat.

When I first became vegan, going out was extremely difficult. There were hardly any options or a lot of accommodations had to be made and I felt like a nuisance but in hindsight it should have always been easily accessible not just within the last decade! It’s honestly crazy to me that it took this long to have more than one option on menus wherever you went.

My friends and immediate family have always been accommodating since the beginning and would always make sure there was at least something I could eat. It was the extended family gatherings that would be hard at the beginning for a long time because they didn’t understand it or didn’t want to understand it and would give me lectures so I had to start bringing my own food to events which is totally fine. Still got lectures but at least I got to eat!

The impact I have made by going vegan helps me to embrace this life I live even more
narmeen

I feel great about my transition from vegetarian to vegan. I used to put myself down a lot that it took me so long to transition (8 years) but I have to remind myself I was still very young when I became a vegetarian and I wasn’t as active online and social media to learn about veganism.

I kind of just did it on my own for a long time and once I created my vegan page (@itsthegeekyvegan) and made vegan friends online and learned more about the meat, dairy and farming industry it was the most easiest decision I have ever made in my life and the transition was made literally overnight. It’s now been almost 6 years and I will never look back.

Physically I feel better, I remember not enjoying most meats anyway so that was the easy part. Cheese and dairy was also pretty easy because I was severely lactose intolerant and when I first became vegetarian, a lot of lactose free products were coming out so it made that transition easier for me. It was the eggs that I had such a hard time parting with. A huge part of it was the convenience. I’m a super lazy person so I loved waking up and making a veggie omelette etc. But once I learned more about the egg industry by seeing videos, reading articles and being more active online is when I immediately transitioned.

I obviously knew the industry was horrific but a big part of me was scared to fully cut everything out so internally I think I told myself to not watch or listen to that stuff to prolong the transition. But I knew it was wrong which is why I decided one day after seeing it all that it was time. Mentally I feel even greater because I know the impact I have made by making this decision and that the passion I had for the animals and the environment as a child now means something.

I eat the same thing as you, just without the harm and cruelty!
narmeen

If someone is interested in trying vegan food I think the first thing you should do is go to a vegan festival. I look forward to them every single year! With hundreds of vendors, there’s so many different and unique types of food to try.

And if you are someone who’s interested in trying meatless food I don’t think there’s any other opportunity more perfect. You also get to mingle with other vegans and talk to the owners of these brands and restaurants and try foods you never thought you could have as a vegan. I’m still amazed at the new foods I constantly get to try every single year when I go to these festivals.

Social media has been a great tool for me on this vegan journey
narmeen

I think the biggest misconception about veganism in my own personal experience is that our meals can’t be like anyone else’s. It’s a hard thing for some reason for people to grasp. I would get alot of the times, “don’t you miss eating pizza, lasagna, nachos etc (just to name a few of my favourite things) and I would look at them with a puzzled face and say, “I still eat those things, what do you mean?” I love that quote “anything you can make, I can make vegan”.

It’s a misconception that all we eat are fruits and veggies and blocks of tofu for every meal but it’s so far from that especially for me who suffers with severe IBS symptoms and unfortunately can’t have a lot of the fruits and vegetables in most of my meals. I eat the same thing as you, just without the harm and cruelty!

No one’s journey is the same, the fact that you made the choice is what matters.
narmeen

The first thing I would say to someone is what I wish someone had told me when I first started, that everyone’s journey is different. Not one is better than the others, the fact that you made it here is the most important thing. I say this because as mentioned before I did put myself down for a long time by taking so long to go vegan.

Go at your own pace, what feels right for you. If you’re doing it for the animals and you’ve been eating meat your whole life, you can start cutting things out slowly. Near the end I found myself eating less and less and woke up one day and decided that was the last time.

Now that we’re in a time where everyone is online, sharing things, having discussions, it’s been a great tool for me to learn from and see others’ journeys too.

The things I have learned, the people I have met, the opportunities that I’ve had on this journey, I could have never imagined.
narmeen

Being a vegan has opened up my eyes and mind so much more than I could have ever thought. The things I have learned, the people I have met, the opportunities that I’ve had being on this journey, I could have never imagined. It feels great to know that I made this decision for myself and the impact being vegan could make for the animals and our planet. I’m not a very passionate person because I feel like I don’t have anything that’s “my own” but this is very special to me and it IS who I am and will always be. I will always keep fighting and trying my hardest to make even the slightest changes every day.

Let’s be friends! Follow me on instagram & Tiktok @itsthegeekyvegan