Anna is a 26-year-old media student and a vegan since 2014. Meatless Movement recently had a chance to chat with her about her journey to veganism.

Tell us more about yourself, please

Hi, I am Anna from South Tyrol, a region in the very North of Italy bordering Austria. I am 26 years old and I study Media at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. Currently, I am working on my master’s thesis. In my free time I enjoy hiking and going on long walks with friends or family, reading, cooking and baking. I also love travelling and going on city trips and explore the vegan options each place has to offer.

It all started with a challenge
@annaveganbanana

I went vegan in October 2014, so I have been vegan for seven years now. It all started with a challenge. I wanted to change something in my life and work on my well-being. I also wondered whether I would be able to stick with it. In the first weeks of being vegan, I started to read books and watch documentaries on the topic and became more and more convinced about veganism being the right decision both for the well-being of animals as well as for the environment. I also started noticing improvements of my health, like having more energy and better skin.

We rather lead by example and show them how great and beneficial a vegan lifestyle can be
@annaveganbanana

@annaveganbanana – Seiser Alm/ Alpe di Siusi

The best part during my transition to veganism was that my mum joined me. On the first day of our vegan journey, we went for a huge grocery run, to get all the essentials and we got rid of all the non-vegan food we still had at home by giving them to our friends and family. It was amazing, having my mum by my side and going through this experience with her. We encouraged each other and have both been vegan since then. We love cooking together and trying out different vegan dishes. We also like bringing vegan food or baked goods to family gatherings or other events to show that vegan food can be just as good (if not even more delicious) as the non-vegan options. We try not to criticize people for their non-vegan eating habits and rather lead by example and show them how great and beneficial a vegan lifestyle can be. After seeing my mum and me thriving on a vegan diet and watching some documentaries, my sister also turned vegan a few years ago and our family is slowly but surely turning more and more plantbased.

My first years of being vegan were probably the most difficult. I live in a small village in the countryside and the options for substitute products, such as meat or dairy alternatives, both in supermarkets and restaurants have been nearly non-existent. Especially in the beginning of turning vegan, I was still sometimes craving dishes I had been eating before, but I struggled to veganize them. Thanks to these struggles I started experimenting more and more in the kitchen, which sparked my love for cooking and baking. I found recipes that were much more delicious than the food I was eating before turning vegan and I also started to incorporate many food items into my diet that I thought I didn’t like before. Being vegan, I am now very open to trying new and unknown foods, as long as they are vegan of course.

I also love that with the vegan movement getting bigger and bigger, there are also many more options available in supermarkets and restaurants. Even if some omnivores like to criticize meat, dairy and egg replacements, I think it is great to have these options when I crave them once in a while. Additionally, I believe that such products attract many vegan-curious people and every person choosing a substitute product over a non-vegan alternative is a step in the right direction.

Tofu scramble with homemade fries and tomato salad

Eating out can still sometimes be a struggle. There are no fully vegan restaurants where I live. Nevertheless, it is almost always possible to find at least one dish on the menu that is accidentally vegan or that you can turn vegan by asking to remove one or two ingredients. My go-to restaurants are usually pizza places and I just ask for veggie pizzas without the cheese. My friends are always very accepting and think about me when choosing a place to eat. Often, we also cook together instead of eating out and if the dishes are not vegan altogether, there will always be a vegan option for me as well.

I love being a vegan because it made me more open as a person. Turning vegan, I discovered so many delicious dishes and I found my love for cooking and baking. I also feel like my well-being has improved a lot. I feel much more energized. I enjoy my meals much more, knowing that I am not harming animals with my eating habits. I also really care about the environment and with me being vegan I can lead a more sustainable lifestyle.

I try not to force anyone to eat vegan food or tell them that they shouldn’t eat meat because I have noticed that most people feel critized by that and get very defensive. I rather try to lead by example and bring vegan options to events so that everyone can try them if they want to. I also like inviting friends and family members over to cook for them and let them discover the deliciousness of vegan food. Bringing someone a slice of vegan cake or other baked goods is also always a great idea because usually people don’t notice any difference and are really surprised about how yummy vegan treats are.

What are some of your favorites vegan meals?

One dish that has become a staple of mine since turning vegan is porridge because it is such a nourishing and easy breakfast and by adding different toppings you can bring so much variation into your porridge game. For my chocolate porridge, I just mix 45g of oats with about twice the amount of water, 1 tablespoon cacao powder, 1 tablespoon flax seeds, cinnamon and any kind of sweetener and then I bring the oatmeal to a boil and let it simmer until it has the texture I desire. One of my favorite variations right now is regular porridge (same recipe, just without the cacao powder) topped with peanut butter and chocolate chips.

Another favorite sweet recipe of mine are vegan snickers bars.

When it comes to savory dishes, I really enjoy Mediterranean inspired foods, such as all sorts of pasta or pizza.

One of my favorite pasta recipes is oyster mushroom and sundried tomato pasta. For this recipe, you just fry onion and garlic with olive oil in a pan. Then you add some chopped oyster mushrooms. Meanwhile, cook your pasta. In a pan roast some sunflower seeds (without oil). When the oyster mushrooms turn brown you add some chopped sundried tomatoes, basil and salt and pepper. Then, add the cooked pasta and the sunflower seeds and mix everything well before serving your delicious oyster mushroom and sundried tomato pasta.

Every step you take, is a step in the right direction
@annaveganbanana

What I also really enjoy are picnics with various vegan options.

For anyone thinking about turning vegan or incorporating vegan options into your diet, don’t be too hard on yourself. Every step you take, is a step in the right direction. Just try experimenting in the kitchen and slowly adding new (vegan) recipes to your go-to-meals.