Meet Chantelle, a passionate animal lover from Hong Kong, who made the decision to go vegan almost three years ago after realizing that her actions didn’t align with her words. Despite being a self-proclaimed foodie, Chantelle found that the transition to a vegan diet was easier than she thought, thanks in part to her open-minded family who supported her decision.
As a dedicated vegan food blogger with the handle @veganfoodiiehk, Chantelle enjoys sharing her delicious and nutritious plant-based recipes with others.
Meatless Movement recently had a chat with her.
Please tell us more about yourself
Going vegan was the best decision I ever made, not just for the animals, but for myself too
°•. Vegan Foodie ✿ Plant Based .•°
I’m Chantelle (@veganfoodiiehk) from Hong Kong, been vegan for almost 3 years, and was pescatarian for a year. I went vegan because I have been a self-proclaimed animal lover but the more I thought about it, the more I felt that my actions don’t align with my words.
I’m very lucky to have very open minded family members who didn’t shut down my decision, and were happy to have vegan dinners at home. Even my meat-lover partner has turned vegan after I made the change.
I’m also very lucky to have friends who are willing to try vegan food whenever we meet up, and have even made me a vegan birthday cake (@hangry._b !!). As someone with a science background, I enjoy getting into the cellular effects of eating meat vs plant based, so I really welcome my friends’ or acquaintances’ questions and doubts about my diet as I get to really explain it down to the details.
I’ve been able to convince some about the benefits of a vegan diet this way and have recommended great books for their reference, such as How not to Die by Michael Greger and Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis & Vesanto Melina.
Going meatless is a win-win situation for both your health and the planet. So why not give it a try?
°•. Vegan Foodie ✿ Plant Based .•°
If you haven’t adopted a vegetarian diet yet, it’s easy to try going meatless a few meals a week now that there are so many affordable vegan options. Download HappyCow to look for vegan options near you.
Think of it as doing your health a favor by eating more whole plant foods if you are not too involved with how it affects the environment/animals. I’d say that the environmental aspect is actually really relevant to us too, as we really can’t afford to keep polluting the planet and encouraging the spread of zoonotic diseases.
The misconceptions about veganism are just that – misconceptions. With a little research and an open mind, you’ll find that a plant-based diet can be both nutritious and delicious.
°•. Vegan Foodie ✿ Plant Based .•°
There are many misconceptions on veganism as a healthy diet. (I see it as a way of living, but as for the food aspect:) Many think we lack protein when there are many plant-based foods that contain all 9 essential amino acids we need. (Soy, quinoa, chia seeds…) , or that it’s very restrictive (I’ve tried so many more types of foods since going vegan, like nutritional yeast, tempeh, red algae…), or that we are not nutritionally balanced (same could be said for meat-eaters, just because you eat meat doesn’t mean you get all the nutrients your body needs!)
Going vegan doesn’t have to be complicated. Just focus on your motivation. Your body and the animals will thank you!
°•. Vegan Foodie ✿ Plant Based .•°
If you’re just starting out as a vegan, I think it’s most important to know your reason/motivation. Then figure out the grams of protein you need daily and obtain it from a variety of sources (different beans, tofu, seeds…). Get a Vit B12 supplement (it’s actually even recommended for meat eaters above 50 to take this supplement as they may not be able to absorb enough from their food!)
Grab a copy of Becoming Vegan so that you are equipped with the knowledge of which vitamins, minerals etc to get and from where. It’s such a great book as it includes chapters on veganism for the pregnant, the elderly, the athletic, and more.
I’ve found that it also helps to study the content carefully for your own benefit, and also for when your friends and family question your nutritional needs, that you are able to respond clearly that they won’t need to worry about your health. It’ll also help your journey by following people like Earthling Ed to learn more about the reality of animal agriculture, to really help reinforce your decision.
I’d love to meet more fellow vegans on this platform. Thank you to the Meatless Movement for allowing me to share my story!!
°•. Vegan Foodie ✿ Plant Based .•°
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all images courtesy of °•. Vegan Foodie ✿ Plant Based .•°