The world needs peace, and we as human beings need to learn a bit about compassion to our fellow humans and other sentient beings

Veganlove queen is from London. She enjoys sharing good and amazing vegan recipes on Instagram. Colourful, balanced and, most importantly, delicious meals always make her happy 😋 and uplifted. Meatless Movement recently had the opportunity to chat with her.

She told Meatless Movement that one good way to brighten up days is making cooking/making something for the first time.

Tell us more about yourself, please

58 but forever young
veganlove queen

I have lived in England since 2002 and I am British. Originally from Venezuela, I also fell in love with England when I previously came to do a PhD in 1995. A few years ago my husband and I moved to London from Reading, both working 9 to 5.

This me in a community garden with a rescued hen.

I have been vegan for 5 years and now I think, Why not before? All of it started with discussions about plant based food and the suffering of the animals with my grown up children. It followed with me researching about it, reading to know more about veganism, animal abuse, speciesism, nutrition, and health. And also I had had some spells of eating only plants due to undiagnosed allergy reactions to food from animal sources from time to time. In the meantime I also got a level 2 certificate in Nutrition Studies, which was very useful to be aware of my nutritional intake and understanding nutrition labels.

I found it really exciting to discover some foods I didn’t know before, like nutritional yeast, jackfruit or banana blossoms. I have always liked to cook and get creative while cooking, not following recipes exactly and trying new food stuff, and after starting being vegan I have expanded the amount of ingredients and vegetables I eat and how they are cooked. It led then on taking pics and publishing on Instagram. I was amazed for the wonderful vegan community I found on that platform.

I really hope the future will be vegan
veganlove queen

Initially, eating out with friends was scary because they are non-vegans. Omnivores tend to think that food based on plants is just a sad salad. They do not realise that plant food has been with us for ages and always ask what we eat. And it is difficult to get them to an all vegan restaurant for these reasons.

I do not preach about veganism but when people ask about why I am vegan I notice that they feel uncomfortable when I mention I care about the animal exploitation, probably because it is something they know but decided not to think about it, since everyone loves animals and feels it is not fair to kill them and use them for our pleasure.

The topic hurts sensibilities and some kind of guilt is felt around it, so immediately some excuses arise (about protein, nutrition, culture, being that way for ages, etc) and the theme is changed.

Nowadays I try to research the menu beforehand, write to the restaurant asking for options, and sometimes I eat something substantial before going there and then eat the only vegan item they have in the restaurant.

Fortunately at work my colleagues are younger and care about diets, allergies, etc before booking a restaurant or catering for food in some events; and recently a couple of vegans have joined the team.For travelling I recommend you do your research about vegan places, naturally typical vegan dishes, supermarkets, and always travel with vegan snacks.

I have even travelled with baked beans and vegan oatmeal sachets that include dried plant based milk, so you only need to add boiling water! Handy for hotel rooms.

Loving the amazing benefits of living a vegan lifestyle
veganlove queen

I feel great being a vegan. At first, it can be challenging. But after a while you can’t believe there was ever a time when you weren’t vegan. The food is yummy, I feel healthier, and most importantly I am not contributing to animal suffering. Also, there are a lot of facts about the good things of being vegan: it saves a lot of water, reduces deforestation, cuts down air pollution and climate change, reduces world hunger, saves the ocean.

If you cook from scratch you can visit a lot of webpages with great recipes to try. For people who find difficult to go vegan straight away just try once or twice a week, look for veganised versions of food that you enjoy. If you like to eat out, research about the best vegan restaurants in your area, and go there to explore and try their dishes. When you feel adventurous, cook something new based on a recipe that have many positive reviews. Follow plant based/vegan accounts on your social media where you can expand your resources.

Being Vegan in London

I am very lucky to live in London, where you can find a good amount of vegan restaurants and other non-vegan restaurants that now include a variety of vegan dishes. I will mention just a few, the ones I really really love:

Café Van Gogh @cafevangoghldn, lovely and cosy place with wonderful 100% vegan food. The decoration with sunflowers and the starry night ceiling gives you a very special ambience.

The Vurger Co @thevurgerco has the best vegan burgers in town! And I was one of the first 20 people to visit them when they open in 2018!

Ethiopiques, @ethiopiques vegan Ethiopian food is something amazing, beautiful, with a lot of wonderful spices and healthy food that tastes like heaven

Miranda Café @mirandacafe has delicious breakfasts to die for and some special dinner nights showcasing food from different parts of the world (veganised)

Maloko @malokocam is a vegetarian place with delicious galettes. The batter is vegan and gluten free, made of buckwheat and chickpea flour, and the available vegan fillings are so tasty.

Hakata Ramen + Bar @hakata.ramen.bar is an authentic Japanese ramen restaurant. It is an omni restaurant but has a separate vegan menu with a lot to choose from! And I have to say the ramen there is divine!

And I have visited some wonderful places in other countries but probably it will take days to get all the pictures and comment about them. But when going around use the HappyCow app for places to eat. Do all the research you can (for me it is fun!). I also like to explore the food (particularly street food) that is naturally vegan in different countries, like panelle in Sicily, for instance.

The Power of Plants

Probably there are many common misconceptions about a vegan, as not getting enough protein or being preaching. I only explain things if I am asked for, and prefer to send links to peer-reviewed publications as I have been an academic and it is better to rely on science. I am not a person for a debate. My Instagram account @veganlove_queen shows my recipes and I would like to reach people that way.

We should also care for our health and the future of the next generations
veganlove queen

The best thing to think about becoming vegan is that you are not abandoning some food you liked but you are welcoming a whole world of new dishes, improving your creativity with cooking, expanding your knowledge, probably improving your health with the addition of more varied vegetables and fruits, and most importantly helping to avoid killing or abusing sentient beings.

At the same time it is the best individual action to save the world from climate change. One important thing: don’t expect veganised food to taste identical to the original non-vegan dish; instead open your mind and taste buds to embrace new flavours and versions. You can discover that you like the vegan versions much more!