Embracing Veganism: Claudia Schraa’s Journey to Health and Compassion

Claudia Schraa is a passionate advocate for veganism and healthy plant-based living. Hailing from Germany, Claudia’s journey into veganism began in 2014 when her daughter’s battle with an eating disorder led them to explore a vegan diet as part of her recovery.

What initially started as a way to support her daughter’s well-being soon turned into a personal transformation for Claudia herself. Embracing the vegan lifestyle wholeheartedly, Claudia not only discovered a newfound joy in cooking but also witnessed the positive impact it had on her own physical and mental well-being.

Meatless Movement recently had the opportunity to chat with her.

Today, Claudia is a certified vegan nutrition consultant, dedicated to helping others navigate the transition to a plant-based lifestyle and optimize their health. With her extensive knowledge and personal experiences, Claudia is committed to making a difference and inspiring others to live a compassionate, sustainable, and fulfilling life.

Please tell us more about yourself, please

Hello, my name is Claudia Schraa, and I live in Germany, in a small town near Bad Hersfeld (Hessen).

I first encountered veganism in 2014. My daughter was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (an eating disorder) and had to undergo inpatient therapy at a clinic near Berlin. There, she discovered the vegan diet, tried it out, and eventually asked to continue following this dietary form at home.

As a mother, my main focus at that time was “the most important thing is that my child eats again,” so I fulfilled her wish, and at the same time, I began to regain my (vibrant) daughter. To start off, we received our first vegan cookbook as a gift from a friend – jokingly, I always say, “Attila Hildmann moved in with us.”

From one cookbook, we acquired many more, and other authors like Bianca Zapatka, Alexander Flohr, Nicole Just, and many others became part of our “household.” Initially, vegan cuisine was the only focus for us. At that time, we were a family of four, and not everyone wanted to eat vegan, which was sometimes a great challenge for me. I must admit that I myself did not eat completely vegan at that time.

Over time, in addition to the cookbooks, I added specialized books on “veganism” to my collection. With every book I read, my perspective changed. I could list a variety of books and authors, but I want to focus on the ones that have had the greatest impact on me.

The China Study showed me the alarming effects of consuming animal products on our health. The book “Vegan – Why Vegan Nutrition Heals Us and the World” made me think, and the final bit of uncertainty was dispelled by the book “Eating Animals” by Jonathan Safran Foer.

After that, it was clear to me: “I want to live vegan; I don’t want to be ‘FOR’ this.” This process, or rather my journey, actually took almost three years. Since 2016, I have been living a vegan lifestyle, and I don’t regret it for a minute. For me, it doesn’t mean any deprivation; I now live by the motto “Enjoying Life Vegan,” for the well-being of our animals, to protect our environment, and of course, for the health benefits.

Living vegan and nourishing myself with a whole-food plant-based diet means enjoyment, pleasure in eating, and it has personally reignited my passion for cooking. I even got a tattoo behind my ear as a symbol – a heart with a leaf.

Of course, initially, there were not only long faces within the family but also among friends. However, almost everyone saw it as a positive challenge. Nowadays, vegan dishes are not only cooked for me at gatherings because there is also a keen interest from others to try them. In addition to cooking evenings with friends, my husband and I always choose a restaurant that has at least one vegan dish on the menu.

Our local inn (in Schenklengsfeld) “Gasthof zur Linde” was open to change and introduced a vegan burger on the menu – mind you, we live in a village with 2,500 inhabitants. The burger patty is not made from a meat substitute; the owner made the effort and challenge to create his own celery patty (PHOTO2).

There is also a restaurant in Bad Hersfeld that has been offering more and more vegan dishes over the years. My absolute favorite is the pizzeria “La Favola”! – They offer a wide selection of vegan pasta and pizza dishes (PHOTO3) (my favorite pizza is the Spinach Pizza with extra garlic).

In a few cases, I have experienced restaurants that don’t offer any vegan dishes. My personal life hack: I ask for a customized vegetable plate that can be made from the available vegetable side dishes, and if I’m really hungry, I ask for an EXTRA portion of fries on top! Don’t be afraid to ask!

There have been significant developments in the vegan world in recent years. There is a variety of substitute products that can make the transition to veganism easier, along with many great and simple recipes. One of my favorite recipes is the Fitness Salad. It can be prepared in just a few minutes using a food processor and is excellent for meal prep. It can also be modified, for example, by using quinoa one day and lentil pasta the next.

I value a healthy, whole-food plant-based diet, but occasionally, it’s okay to indulge.
Claudia Schraa

Fitness Salad

250g broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper
1 apple
2 carrots
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard
1 teaspoon herbal salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Roughly chop everything and pulse for 11 seconds in the Prep&Cook food processor.

Toast 30g pine nuts and sprinkle them over the salad.

Today, I had The Wonder Grill skewer with it.

Usually, I fry tofu for an extra portion of protein 😋

Per serving:

196 kcal
24g carbs
2g protein
11g fat

The tofu adds an additional 14g protein per 100g.

For me, living vegan and eating a wholesome diet means enjoyment, the joy of eating and it awakened my passion for cooking again for me personally
Claudia Schraa

In 2022, I fulfilled a dream and started studying at Ecodemy to become a vegan nutrition consultant, which I successfully completed in April 2023. Currently, I am in the process of establishing myself as a self-employed vegan nutrition consultant. Based on my experiences as a trained nurse and the knowledge I have gained, I know the impact our diet has on many lifestyle diseases and how important it is to eat healthily and wholesomely.

In the future, I want to help others as a vegan nutrition consultant to facilitate and optimize their entry into the vegan world because we only have this one life.

Since I have been living vegan, I feel much better physically and mentally. I feel more energetic, alert, and balanced. Sports have always been an integral part of my life.

My husband and I danced in tournaments for many years, but due to a herniated disc, we had to give up our favorite sport. I looked for new challenges and now focus on muscle building and endurance sports. Every year, I participate with friends in the Muddy Angel Run in support of the German Breast Cancer Aid, and we also don’t shy away from other mud runs. For me, it is important to engage socially in other areas as well (Photo).

We have two dogs, both of whom come from animal shelters. Our dog Rex, a Pekingese mix, is from the local animal shelter, and our Fietje, a mega mutt (a mixed breed), is from Romania through the organization “Wir retten Hunde e.V.,” for which I also volunteer to maintain their YouTube page. We consciously chose to rescue dogs from animal shelters instead of supporting breeders/puppy mills.

By taking numerous small steps, significant accomplishments can be achieved collectively.
Claudia Schraa

Especially at the beginning, don’t be too hard on yourself. Change takes time, and each individual step in the right direction brings you closer to your goal. You don’t have to implement everything perfectly right away, take your time, and experiment! Just get started!