I’m Alexa and I really love animals as you can tell from these photos

Alexa is 21-year-old originally from Romania but now calling The Hague, Netherlands her home – a place she affectionately dubs a “vegan heaven.”

From an early age, Alexa showcased a distinct aversion to meat, causing her to meticulously avoid it in all culinary endeavors, much to her family’s bemusement. Driven by an inherent belief in the ethics of consumption, she harbored a deep-rooted conviction that the consumption of animal products was not only unnecessary but also unkind.

Despite this ethical compass, Alexa initially regarded full-fledged veganism as a distant aspiration, believing that it would entail relinquishing too many beloved food groups. However, as she matured, so did her curiosity and her drive to comprehend the intricate interplay between dietary choices and their environmental consequences.

Meatless Movement had the opportunity to chat with her recently.

The pivotal moment came when Alexa plunged into comprehensive research, unearthing the stark realities of animal agriculture’s environmental footprint. Armed with this newfound awareness, her commitment took a resolute turn.

Guided by the conviction that her choices could influence a broader positive change, she embarked on a transformative journey, making conscientious choices that resonated far beyond her own plate.

Please tell us more about yourself

My name is Alexa, I am 21 years old and I grew up in Romania, but now I live in The Hague, the Netherlands (vegan heaven !!)

I was never a big fan of meat, so ever since I was a kid I avoided it in all the dishes which drove my family crazy. I found eating meat cruel but I also thought that I could never go vegan and that there were too many food groups that I would need to cut out (I was wrong).

As I grew up, I started doing more of my own research and found out the massive negative impact of animal agriculture on the environment.

These findings were what drove me a step further and begin switching to veganism. I did this in small steps and this is what I recommend to everyone because completely cutting out meat, dairy, eggs, fish all at the same time can be daunting. I started with meat and then dairy and lastly eggs.

I’ve been vegan for about 3 years now but I am not so strict about it as it is human nature to make mistakes.

I connected with a lot of fascinating people because we had veganism in common and I also got to find out about a lot of fun foodie events because of this!

What difficulties do you encounter when searching for vegan/vegetarian food?

I think it depends on where you live but most big cities have at least a few vegan options on the menu or at the supermarket nowadays, you just have to try and look.

What I still struggle with is when I eat out with non-vegan people and they start listing all their unwanted concerns about my diet… (these kinds of people also don’t usually know much about nutrition so their comments are not even accurate).

How might you encourage someone who isn’t vegan/vegetarian to give meatless food a try?

I would suggest they try a dish that’s not specifically advertised as vegetarian/ vegan (like a good chickpea curry or some bean tacos) and then see whether they really missed the meat in that.

In Bucharest, Romania: Rio Juice for the best açaí bowls ever

In The Hague, The Netherlands: Plenty for warm cinnamon rolls

Vegan pizza bar for delicious pizza

In Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Saint-Jean for insane cruffins and other pastries

Vegan Junk Food bar: burgers and loaded fries

In London, UK: Royal Albert Hall for a fancy vegan afternoon tea

For those who are just starting their journey into meatless eating, what guidance would you offer?

Start gradually, cut meat out for a few days a week. Do not start making completely different meals that you are not familiar with, but try make what you usually would and replace the meat with chickpeas/ beans or meat replacements (they’re so realistic these days !)

Becoming vegan or vegetarian is not something that can happen in one day, overnight. Be kind to yourself, it’s okay if you make a mistake and take it step by step!