Sustainable living is a quest and I am only too happy to do that together with you!

Fanny is a 25-year-old from the Netherlands who is a dedicated member of a university’s sustainability team in Utrecht. Fanny’s passion revolves around inspiring individuals, especially students, as well as promoting a more sustainable lifestyle for everyone. She extends her influence beyond her workplace through her platform, “Duurzaam de Vries,” where she shares her personal journey and insights.

Throughout her life, Fanny has demonstrated a deep concern for the welfare of animals and the environment. While she once consumed a small amount of meat during her younger years, she was always uncomfortable with the idea. As she gained independence in the kitchen and began cooking her own meals, her meat consumption gradually ceased. It was during this time that she came to realize the broader implications of her food choices, particularly regarding dairy products like cheese and yogurt.

The revelation that dairy farming also contributed to animal suffering was a turning point for Fanny. Understanding the cycle where mother cows are kept in a continuous cycle of pregnancy to produce milk, only to have their calves separated from them shortly after birth, deeply affected her. This realization led Fanny to embrace a vegan lifestyle nearly two years ago.

Meatless Movement recently had the opportunity to chat with her.

Fanny’s commitment to her ethical principles and dedication to a sustainable existence is truly admirable. She believes that every choice, no matter how small, contributes to positive change in our world. Through her platform and everyday actions, Fanny strives to create awareness and inspire others to make compassionate and environmentally conscious choices.

Tell us more about yourself, please

I am Fanny, 25 years old, from the Netherlands. I work in the sustainability team of a University in Utrecht.

Sustainable De Vries - Fanny Leah de Vries — Sustainable De Vries – Fanny Leah de Vries

I love to inspire students and all humans on our planete. I also share my journey on Duurzaam de Vries.

When I was younger I ate a little bit of meat, but I never liked the idea of eating animals. When I started cooking my own meals I stopped eating meat at all. Then I realised that eating Cheese and Yoghurt have the same effect horrible effect on animals.

Mother cows need to be pregnant to give milk: so farmers try to keep them pregnant all the time. After a few weeks the veals need to leave there mommy. When I realised this I became vegan. That was almost 2 years ago.

What difficulties do you encounter when seeking vegan/vegetarian food or dining out with friends? How do you effectively address these challenges?

Not every restaurant offers vegan food, so nowadays, I make it a point to plan my restaurant visits ahead of time. Moreover, the process of searching for a suitable restaurant and browsing through its menu brings me joy.

Therefore, I don’t perceive this as an issue. There aren’t many individuals in my circle who follow a fully vegan lifestyle, but when we dine together, I either prepare vegan meals for them or we opt for a vegan restaurant. Their response varies – sometimes they enjoy it, while other times they might not. This is similar to non-vegan food, where preferences can differ from one occasion to another.

@noordertuinutrechtin garden center@steckutrecht. This sandwich was so delicious! The vegetables and fruit come from their own vegetable garden. Gageldijk 3

@botaniautrecht(unfortunately their vegan offer has become less) stadhuisbrug 5

@moestuin_utrecht_(super fresh and directly from our own vegetable garden) Laan van Maarschalkerweerd 2

@soupbrosofficial(100% vegan and from our own vegetable garden) Potterstraat 6

It feels good to choose not to buy any food that harms animals. I love my food more then before
Duurzaam De Vries – Fanny Leah de Vries

Sit back, relax and enjoy a day full of Vegan food🌱✨
Duurzaam De Vries – Fanny Leah de Vries

I love to experience in the kitchen. The vegan kitchen is still a bit new and supermarkets are selling
more and more Vegan products.

Fanny in@fennawalravenmade Flammkuchen@tantefannydegen🌱✨
Delicious recipe for the warm weather! 🌞

I love making Flammkuchen, originally it’s a German recipe with cheese, union and pork. But it’s so
easy to make it Vegan with all kind of toppings. I Will give you a list with the best ones:

Pumpkin, dried fig, Vegan feta (van@violife_foods) and rosemary

Sweet potato, beetroot, Vegan feta, parsley and hummus/Vegan herb butter

Oat fraîche, pumpkin, walnuts and spinach

Grilled eggplant+pumpkin, rosemary, walnuts, red onion and oat fraîche

Vegan Salmon (from@vivera_nl), courgette, oatmeal, green asparagus and red onion

Pumpkin, dried fig, vegan feta and rosemary.
Sweet potato, beetroot, vegan feta, parsley and hummus/vegan herb butter.
Oat fraîche, pumpkin, walnuts and spinach.
Grilled eggplant + pumpkin, rosemary, walnuts, red onion and oat fraîche.
Vegan salmon, zucchini, oat fraîche, green asparagus and red onion.

People think often that eating vega(n) is more expensive. But there is a lot of research that fake meat is cheaper then real meat. Besides that: nuts, lentils and seeds are not expensive at all
Duurzaam De Vries – Fanny Leah de Vries

For someone who’s just beginning to go vegan, I have some advice:

Don’t go from 0 to 100. Start with letting go of the meat. Start with the things that you already don’t like.
Don’t be to harsh on yourself. If you are in a situation where there is, for example already cheese in the food, don’t starve yourself.
Tell people about it. Let the people in your surroundings know that you made this life changing choice. You can talk about it with them and maybe you meet unexpectly other vegans!
Dive into vegan cookbooks. You are exploring this new world so surprise yourself and friends/families with new recipes. Explore the vegan kitchen!

Let’s appreciate our earth together 🙏🏼✨
Duurzaam De Vries – Fanny Leah de Vries

On Duurzaam de Vries on Instagram I share my personal story as a vegan. Besides that I also share my sustainable lifestyle because I think it is important we make this world a better place!