I’m really excited to finally be able to share my passion to improve other’s health on my platform Naturallie Plant-Based

Allie is a 28 year old plant-based lifestyle enthusiast who loves eating well and feeling great! Her journey with eating whole plant foods started 5 years ago. Originally she focused on veganism specifically but has drifted towards a lifestyle focus of eating nourishing, whole, plant-based foods with lots of micronutrients that make her FEEL GOOD. Meatless Movement recently had a chat with her.

Allie told Meatless Movement she is always ready to share her secrets with people on how to begin the journey of plant-based life and feeling their best!
www.naturallieplantbased.com

Please tell us more about yourself

I will teach you how to easily incorporate a plant-based diet into your lifestyle
Allie plant-based lifestyle

I am 28-year old plant-based enthusiast originally from a small town in Wisconsin, USA. I moved to Austin, TX over 2 years ago. Back in my hometown in Wisconsin, there are sadly not a lot of vegetarian/vegan options. The main food staples include cheese, brats/sausages, and beer. But when you are passionate about a plant-based lifestyle, you learn ways to adapt to the culture around you. I learned how to cook plant-based with my now fiancé and found restaurants with options to fit my needs.

Plant-based and Positive vibes
Allie plant-based lifestyle

I started out as a vegan about 5 years ago with the goal of improving my overall health and the planet. Dr. Michael Greger was my inspiration, and still is. He opened my eyes to the amazing health benefits of eating plants. Today, I identify myself as plant-based. I think the term “plant-based” better describes my purpose of this lifestyle- to focus on eating wholesome foods to fuel my body and save the planet. I want to inspire others to think about what they put in their body and realize what we eat daily affects us life-long.

People are going to judge you. It’s human nature. We judge.
Allie plant-based lifestyle

The biggest challenges when eating vegan/vegetarian food are unexpected social gatherings at non-veg restaurants. How many times have I eaten random vegetables and french fries? Too many to count. But you just have to laugh at it and not care what people think. Those moments are not about what you’re eating, but the dedication to your lifestyle- your health, the planet, and the animals.

Most of the time I’m able to prepare for these moments. I would recommend always looking up the restaurant’s menu before, possibly even calling to see if they have veg options. I also search online popular restaurants near me with veg options and read reviews about veg people who have eaten there. It’s never a bad idea to throw in a granola bar with you just in case.

What has changed after I started a plant based diet
Allie plant-based lifestyle

I am extremely happy to be plant-based and the joy it has brought me over the years. It has improved many health issues like bloating, GI upset, acne, mood, exercise endurance and more. It has made my fiancé and I closer because we spend a lot of evenings together cooking fun new recipes. This is not a diet; it’s a lifestyle.

Are you AFRAID to try a plant-based, vegetarian, or vegan diet ? 🌱
Allie plant-based lifestyle

I think it’s really important to ask them questions before throwing advice at them. I’ll ask questions like: What meals do you generally like? Do you have goals to eat healthier? Have you tried anything vegan/vegetarian before and what did you think? This helps guide the discussion to give recommendations. I love encouraging trial of different meat substitutes in meals – like beefless crumbles instead of beef, tofu scramble instead of eggs, lentil meatballs instead of beef meatballs. I find that generally people are open to trying something new at least once. Small changes are much more sustainable that drastic ones.

VEGAN BUFFALO WINGS!
It still amazes me how much these looks like real wings.

Look GREAT and feel EVEN BETTER when you fill your body with whole plant-based foods.
Allie plant-based lifestyle

If you ever come to Austin, TX you NEED to go to Bouldin Creek Cafe for brunch. Not only are the staff amazing and kind, but their food is incredible. They are known for their Tofu Renedict (a play on the Eggs Benedict) and it is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.

The dish that has appeased MANY meat eaters if the peanut tofu stir fry. I think I’ve truly made it 20 times, it is that good. It is important to get the tofu crispy- I love air frying instead of frying in a bunch of oil. Always double sauce…don’t doubt me on this one…you will love it.

My favorite pizza place is Big Nonna’s NY style pizza (see picture). It is all vegan pizza that is to DIE for! Get the Meat Out pizza; the beet pepperoni is so delicious.

Ready to debunk some myths for you 😏🌱

I think there are a lot of misconceptions about eating vegetarian/vegan/plant-based
Allie plant-based lifestyle

I’ve battled misconceptions, stereotypes, judgements- whatever you want to call it- since I made the decision to be plant-based 5 years ago. The most common misconceptions include (but not limited to): protein deficiency, crazy dieter who only eats greens/salad, eating disorder, and that I’m trying to be ‘difficult’ and ‘picky’. I think you have to choose when it’s right to educate, and when it’s not worth your time. Obviously trolls on the internet will disagree with every word you say, but when I’m with friends and family, I don’t want to give a lengthy TED talk about why I’m not protein deficient. I like to keep explanations concise and if they want to know more later, I’ll be happy to explain.

Eat more plants and feel great🌱☀️
Allie plant-based lifestyle

I think it’s really funny to look back to the moments when I started out vegan/vegetarian and didn’t know how to cook with substitutes. I didn’t do enough research and would try out a random substitute for eggs or dairy that would lead to a total flop. During my first year, I think I ruined 5 pans of brownies, Valentine’s Day sugar cookies, pumpkin pie, and veggie ‘meatloaf’. I would suggest reading the hundreds to thousands of blogs that have great advice on cooking/baking with vegan ingredients so you don’t end up like me! (haha) I still make mistakes, but you learn from each failure and make it better next time.

If you need some recipe ideas check out my page!
Allie plant-based lifestyle

I’m really excited to finally be able to share my passion to improve other’s health on my platform Naturallie Plant-Based. It’s something I’ve dreamt of for some time and never got the opportunity to put it into action. When they say “the hardest part is just starting”, they are not lying. Now that I’ve opened that door, I have a drive to keep creating, keep sharing my love for this lifestyle, and keep changing lives.

My goal is to help someone eat a little more plant-based every day- whether it’s choosing to eat a delicious bowl of oats instead of eggs, a quinoa salad instead of a meat sandwich, or simply swapping out their dairy milk for soy. I want to coach others on how to easily incorporate plant-based foods into their lifestyle at some point. Today, I’m happy to share daily recipes and tips for the diet that changed my life.