The only thing you will regret about going vegan, is that you didn’t do it sooner

Originally from Bogota, Colombia, Mariana’s life has taken her across continents. In 1998, she made the move to the United States, and after a few years, she returned to Colombia for a five-year period. However, her heart found its way back to Los Angeles in 2011, where she’s been settled ever since.

But Mariana’s story is more than just her geographical adventures. She’s a dedicated vegan who has been on this compassionate path for an impressive 15 years. Before embracing veganism, she spent a decade as a vegetarian, making her meatless for a remarkable 25 years. What’s truly remarkable is that Mariana’s journey towards a cruelty-free lifestyle began when she was just 11 years old.

Her awakening came courtesy of a Disney classic, “Pocahontas.” This beloved film about the connection between nature and humanity’s impact on it deeply resonated with her. It opened her eyes to the profound interconnectedness of all life on this planet, and she made a life-altering decision at a tender age – to stop eating animals. Mariana’s love for nature and animals has driven her choices, and she passionately believes that every living being deserves happiness and respect.

Meatless Movement recently had the opportunity to chat with her.

With her decades of experience as a vegan and her unique journey of self-discovery, Mariana brings a compelling perspective to the conversation about compassion, sustainability, and ethical living.

Tell us more about yourself, please

Hello, my name is Mariana, I am 36 years old and I was born in Bogota, Colombia.

I initially moved to the US in ’98 and moved back to Colombia for about 5 years before settling back in LA in 2011. And I have a 10 year old daughter who is also vegan.

I’ve been vegan 15 years, vegetarian 10 years before that, so meatless for 25 years now. I was 11 years old when I decided to stop eating animals. What made me open my eyes was the movie Pocahontas.

I’ve always loved nature and animals and that movie made me realize how everything in nature has a soul and a life and deserves happiness. I never ate meat again.

Someone horrifically suffered for “your meat”!
They feared for their life!
They struggled to get away!
They screamed for mercy!
Veganly Ever After

It wasn’t until 10 years later that I discovered the horrible life of dairy and egg victims. So, when I was 21, I went fully vegan. I don’t remember what it was exactly, but I watched a video somewhere about dairy cows and how they were treated. I was so shocked, I researched about other animal-based products and realized I couldn’t support any of it! It took me another 8 years to get involved in activism.

I’d seen activists with PETA do amazing things over the years, but it never occurred to me that I could be one of them. One day I heard about a pig vigil by LA Animal Save at a slaughterhouse nearby and I decided to go. I met incredible, likeminded, compassionate people who loved and wanted to save animals as much as I did, and that became my “church” for the next couple of years; every Sunday, I bore witness to pigs being dropped off at the slaughterhouse, gave them water and love for a few minutes.

I really found my tribe there and started doing a lot more activism with PETA, Direct Accion Everywhere, Anonymous for the Voiceless, and other organizations after that. I truly wish I started earlier, but every little thing we do, be it a big demo in public for people to see or as small as resharing posts about animal cruelty, it all helps plant seeds and open minds about a more compassionate lifestyle.

I was so young when I made the decision to not eat meat that my mom took it as a phase. She put meat on my plate for years, and I left it there. Eventually, she realized I was serious and started looking for recipes she could make me. I got made fun of a lot by my extended family, too, since I wouldn’t eat what they made for family reunions and thought I was missing out. I was already viewed as the “black sheep” of the family for other reasons, so I didn’t care much about what they said about this.

At 16, I moved back to Colombia for about 5 years. At that time (2003-2008) there were no vegan options around, really. There was tofu and that was it.

I was lucky that in Colombia there are plenty of fruits, veggies, and legumes to choose from, so I never felt a need to replace meat with anything. Going out with friends was always funny because I’d be the weird one getting cheese-less pizza or some arrangement like that. But my friends always supported me.

Nowadays I don’t find it challenging to find vegan options, especially in the US every restaurant now has some sort of plant-based option on their menu, and even those that don’t you can usually make a small meal out of side dishes. In those situations, I usually get questions from whoever I’m with about my reasons for not eating meat.

Many vegans get annoyed by these questions because, yes, we get them very often, but I actually love when someone asks me because it’s an opportunity to educate them about the cruelty of animal agriculture and how if I can live without harming anyone, human or animal, why wouldn’t I.

I love it! Not only am I healthy, I know I’m not the reason for millions of living beings’ suffering. I am living proof that you do not “need” meat to live or thrive! My 10 year old daughter is living proof, too. She’s been vegan since conception and she is one of the most active, healthiest children I’ve known (I know I’m biased, but it’s true.

She rarely gets sick and when she does she gets over it very fast). I love that I am raising a compassionate human being who already fights for animal rights and is an example of cruelty-free living to her peers.

How can I encourage someone who isn’t a vegan or vegetarian to try meatless food options?

If you think about it, eating a plant based diet is the cheapest
Veganly Ever After

The way I approach it is just giving them food. I use events like birthday parties or potlucks to make yummy vegan food and bring it for everybody. There’s always someone who is surprised that the cake, or whatever I made is completely vegan. I think the best way to get someone to try vegan food is by example: let them see your food, try some of it, or bring some for them when you can. I also like to tell people about good options that I think they would like at their favorite restaurants and hope they feel inclined to try them at some point. But definitely, when they see me eating a hamburger or pizza that looks amazing, they feel more open-minded about trying it, for sure.

Wet Burrito from Grain Cafe: Veganly Ever After

One of my favorite places is Julie Goes Green in Mar Vista. Their pastas, pizza, salads, appetizers, everything there is amazing, and I love supporting a small business!

Au Lac in downtown LA is also a favorite! Oh man, everything is amazing there, it’s a must-try for sure! Grain Cafe and Sage Plant Based Bistro are also some of my favorites.

At home I love making tofu in many ways, it’s so versatile. Tofu scramble is my fave for sure! I also love chickpea tuna salad! (mashed chickpeas with veganaise, mustard, lime juice, celery, and whatever else you like to add). This is such an easy plate to make and it’s so good! you can also add it to pasta, eat as a sandwich or just as is with some saltines. It’s one of my daughter’s favorites as well.

Buffalo Cauliflower Pizza, Bowl of Soul from Sage: Veganly Ever After

Chicken Parmigiana, Fettucine Alfredo with Ceasar Salad and Fried Mushrooms Julie Goes Green: Veganly Ever After

Chicken Parmigiana, Fettucine Alfredo and Ceasar Salad from Julie Goes Green: Veganly Ever After

California Sunshine Pizza from Julie Goes Green: Veganly Ever After

What are common misconceptions about vegans or vegetarians, and how can these misconceptions be explained or addressed through education?

if you stick to natural, whole grain, plant food, there’s no reason why you should be spending more as a vegan
Veganly Ever After

I think a huge misconception is that vegans are weak. Or that you need meat to be active and have energy. The way I prove them wrong is just by showing them. I’m a dancer and I definitely need a lot of energy for all the classes I take.

A few years ago, I was part of a dance company and rehearsed 6 hours a day. Now that I’m getting back to dancing again, at my age (36) they see that I have no problem keeping up with the 20-year-olds in class.

It’s funny how I hear many people after 30 start saying how old they feel and that everything hurts or they can’t do things they used to when younger, and I’m just getting started with what I want to do as a dancer!

Also, as a mom, people are always curious about my daughter being vegan. Ever since I was pregnant, I’ve had people commenting on my diet. But she’s just another example that kids can definitely grow strong and healthy on a plant-based diet.

She’s super active: plays soccer, dances, and loves running with her friends. In her words, “I’d rather play with boys because they run and play hard and the girls I know just want to sit around, I need to move!” I’d like to say to people who think going vegan would make them weaker, that it’s not the plant-based diet that makes someone weak, it’s the choices they make. Vegan or not, being healthy is up to each person, and if they want to be a bodybuilder or athlete as a vegan it’s totally possible. I love seeing skeptics’ faces when they find out my daughter has never had animal products and she’s just a typical, healthy, active child. Being the example is definitely the best way to prove misconceptions wrong.

Be compassionate with yourself. Some people are able to stop eating meat cold turkey, but some need more time, and that’s ok. The most important thing is finding food you like.

It may take a while and a lot of trial and error, going through different brands and styles of food to finally find what your new faves will be. Don’t give up if you hate the first plant-based meat you try, there are tons of brands for every product possible out there, and you WILL find something you like. Also, don’t beat yourself up if you “cheat” sometimes during your transition, just remind yourself of why you are making this lifestyle change and that will get you back on track. The “WHY” is what will make you stick to it! Thinking about the victims for me made it completely clear and kept me motivated, even when I couldn’t find good vegan food around me. Remember there’s no timeline, just keep going and before you know it it’ll be your norm. You’re also not alone, there’s a huge community out there, reach out! You got this!

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