Every vegan once said “I could never go vegan”

Cheryl is a passionate advocate for animal welfare whose commitment to the cause has been unwavering throughout her entire life. Her journey towards a plant-based lifestyle was no easy feat, especially coming from a Puerto Rican family in the heart of New York, where meat was a staple on the dinner table. Cheryl’s determination to make a difference led her on a transformative path.

In 2012, Cheryl embarked on her plant-based journey while in India, taking her first step towards a vegetarian lifestyle. Over the next eight years, she steadily progressed towards becoming 100% plant-based. During this time, Cheryl faced the challenges of this transition without the support or resources that would have made the process smoother. It was precisely these obstacles that ignited her inspiration to create something that could help others on their own plant-based journeys.

In 2020, Cheryl founded her blog, recognizing it as a platform through which she could have the most significant impact, not only for the welfare of animals but also for those just beginning their vegan journey, whom she lovingly refers to as “veginners.” Cheryl’s daily mission is to inspire and guide people as they transform their lives and embark on their personal wellness journeys.

Her overarching goal is clear: to inspire health and compassion around the world. Cheryl’s invitation to join her community as a Veginner or Mentor resonates with her deep desire to save even more animals and create a more compassionate world, one person at a time. With heartfelt dedication, Cheryl invites you to become part of her mission and make a difference together. ♥

Please tell us more about yourself

Invite spirituality into your life. 💫 Practice gratitude. 🙏 Meditate. 🧘‍♀️ Spend time in nature. 🌳 Eat more plants.💚
𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙡 | Veginner Cooking

I am from New York where I currently reside, but I’ve also lived in Florida, Puerto Rico, Spain, and India… which is where I first began my plant-forward journey.

𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙡 | 𝘝𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘉𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 Ⓥ — 𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙡 | Veginner Cooking

I stopped eating meat in 2012, and I went fully plant-based in January 2020. Of course I wish I did it sooner;)

There is nothing I am more proud of. As a true animal lover, I can’t imagine it any other way. Plus I saw so many health benefits, for example my acne cleared up along with my congestion and a lot of my digestive issues.

Sometimes, the easiest recipes leave the most lasting impressions:)
𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙡 | Veginner Cooking

All of the recipes on my blog are super delicious and easy to make! Some of my favorites are my tofu scramble, giant s’more cookie, watermelon pizza, and cherry chocolate protein smoothie. Here are the links:

How might you encourage someone who hasn’t embraced a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle to give meatless cuisine a try?

Start with meatless mondays, or try my free 30-day vegan challenge at VeginnerCooking.com – There is no right or wong way to start adding more plants to your lifestyle!

I use HappyCow.com which shows you all the vegan food near you! They also have a mobile app. This app has helped me so much when I am traveling around the world!

A lot of people don’t understand what vegans eat. They think we have a lack of choices, but there is sooo much amazing vegan food (and vegan alternatives for almost everything today) so I don’t feel like I am giving up anything! Instead, I am just switching to the kinder, healthier alternatives.

I wish I had a resource and community like Veginner Cooking to help make my transition process easier. That was the inspiration for my blog!
𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙡 | Veginner Cooking

My passion for animal welfare has been a driving force throughout my entire life. I’ve contributed to and raised money for various sanctuaries, but always wanted to do more. Coming from a Puerto Rican family in New York that loves to eat meat, my plant-forward journey was not easy.

In 2012, I began my journey in India, then after 8 years as a Vegetarian I finally went 100% Plant-Based. I did not have the resources or community like Veginner Cooking to help make my transition process easier, and this was my inspiration. In 2020, I started my blog knowing this was how I could make the biggest possible impact, for both animals and veginners (vegan beginners).

Every day I inspire more people to transform their lives, while guiding them on their personal wellness journey. This is my mission… to inspire health and compassion around the world. I humbly invite you to join my community as a Veginner or Mentor so we can save even more animals together.

Together we can create a kinder, healthier, more sustainable world. Get started with my easy recipes and free cooking classes at VeginnerCooking.com