Launched in 2016, Deanna Troy Travels began as a humble adventure—a two-year backpacking journey that took Deanna and her husband across the vibrant landscapes of Southeast Asia. Over those first transformative years, they immersed themselves in the cultures, traditions, and cuisines of twelve countries, spanning Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, Japan, and Taiwan.
With a love for the unique and a passion for adventure, Deanna has become a lively, engaging travel content creator, blending her enthusiasm for veganism with a knack for finding budget-friendly travel options. Through her videos and stories, she provides a fresh perspective on the places she visits, capturing the beauty of local life and showcasing the cultural diversity of Southeast Asia and beyond.
Meatless Movement recently had the opportunity to chat with her.
Now a trusted voice for conscious travel, Deanna’s mission is simple: inspire others to see the world with open hearts, explore thoughtfully, and embrace the journey.
How has going meatless changed your content?
Since my diet change I have incorporated vegan eating into my content and make it a mission to share vegan meals from around the world!
Hey, I’m Deanna, I’m a New England U.S.A. native that decided to leave home and backpack for two years in Southeast Asia with my then boyfriend, now husband, Cedric. This trip started in 2016 and ever since then my travel bug has never been cured! These adventures inspired me to create a YouTube channel, Instagram and blog called “Deanna Troy Travels” devoted to showcasing culture, food and wildlife around the world! (www.deannatroytravels.com)
Since my diet change I have incorporated vegan eating into my content and make it a mission to share vegan meals from around the world!
So far the videos and blogs I’ve published highlight vegan restaurants in London, Stockholm, Lisbon and Las Vegas! I’m going to continue creating these vegan videos wherever I travel next to help other travelers find plant-based choices while they’re abroad.
Upcoming this year I’ll be publishing videos that show vegan eats in Santorini, Athens and Paris! Feel free to subscribe and check out and save the full video playlist here:
My vegetarianism started in 2019 when I was diagnosed with gout. The gout was ignited by an ankle injury during my Southeast Asia backpacking trip. Gout is a form of arthritis that causes severe pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in joints when the body’s uric acid levels are too high. Foods with purine cause uric acid to crystallize in the affected joints, which causes extreme pain and swelling that can last up to a week!
Before I realized what was going on I went to urgent care many times over that year because I thought my feet and ankles were going to explode! After ultrasounds, X-rays and CAT scans, the doctors finally figured out that I had gout and that certain foods with high purine levels would cause my flare ups.
After this diagnosis I realized I would have to make big changes in my diet in order to walk normally again. The main foods that have the highest purine levels are meats, seafoods, alcohols and some vegetables (including mushrooms and kale). So I said farewell to these high purine foods and drinks and never looked back!
Through this diet change and three rounds of physical therapy, my ankles were back to normal and I haven’t had a major flare-up since!
My diet isn’t fully vegan and isn’t fully vegetarian. My diet is more complicated than the usual vegetarian diet. This means even if a restaurant is fully vegan or vegetarian I still have to review the menu to make sure there are meals with low-purine vegetables and plant-based options for me to eat. I have to be very careful when eating out to not have meals with mushrooms, cauliflower, lentils, oats, kale, spinach and other foods!
Sometimes I make mistakes and get mini flare ups afterwards. When this happens I make sure to have the lowest purine foods the following days and consume cherries and celery to help lower the uric acid levels.
Once I went vegetarian my husband did the same! However, he decided to go all the way and become fully vegan! It was something he had been wanting to do for the environment and for animal ethics.
My diagnosis was his push to make the plunge! So whenever we go out to eat for date night it’s always to a restaurant with vegan options. I’m so proud of him for being fully vegan and so thankful he wanted to go on this meatless journey with me!
After this diagnosis I realized I would have to make big changes in my diet in order to walk normally again
Deanna Troy Travels
It was also hard remembering which foods had high purine levels. However, after about a year or two I got the hang of it and became used to my new diet. I discovered that limiting your diet doesn’t have to make it boring! Meals can still be fun without meat!
Before getting items at the grocery store, I would try plant based proteins (such as tofu, tempeh and bean burgers) in plant-based restaurants. Then you can get a sense for how delicious they are when cooked well. You can even ask the waitress for more details about a dish if you really like it!
Limiting your diet doesn’t have to make it boring! Meals can still be fun without meat!
Deanna Troy Travels
People believe meat is the only source of protein – but this just isn’t true! There are high protein veggies (such as broccoli and chickpeas), beans, quinoa, hemp seeds, seitan; plus, plant-based companies are loading their products with protein levels that rival meat! A little research will show that it is possible to get more than enough protein with a vegetable-based diet!
Listen to your body! I had to really pay attention to which foods my body reacted positively or negatively to because of my gout. However, this applies to all aspiring plant-based eaters. Not one way of being plant-based fits all! If you don’t like salads, then try a different way of eating veggies instead. If brussel sprouts hurt your tummy then forget them! Pick foods that you enjoy, fill you up and make you feel great!
Deanna Troy Travels
Video creator
Vegan & Budget Travel Videos – Based in CT, U.S.A
New Video Vegan Lisbon👇
all images courtesy of Deanna Troy Travels