Shreya turned vegan 5 years ago due to a medical reason which later became a lifestyle choice. Since then, there was no looking back.
Meatless Movement recently had a chat with her. She told Meatless Movement that it required a great degree of sacrifice, will power and perseverance and still does.
Tell us more about yourself, please
My name is Shreya Mohta. I am an equity analyst and an educationalist by profession. I belong to the City of Joy, Kolkata, India.
In a serious relationship with my plant-based diet
Shreya Kumari Mohta
I turned vegan at the age of 17. I still remember the day I was diagnosed with Stage 3 acne. I was battling the pressure of Class 12 examinations amidst my personal acne struggles. No amount of prescriptions, over-the -counter treatments, home remedies or advice from a zillion people had benefited me. I was scared to look at my face in the mirror and had lost all my confidence – “my superpower”. I come from a family where consuming dairy products, especially milk, yoghurt and cottage cheese is a must! – they say it’s good for “healthy bones” and is needed by the body to prevent weakness – this is the typical Indian mentality.
Eat your greens but always look like a candy
Shreya Kumari Mohta
After changing a dozen dermatologists, I came across one who asked me to give up on all dairy products. He told me, “I will make you look like a model, if you follow my advice to the T”. Ready to make any changes for the better, I decided to sacrifice all dairy and dairy derived products, a mammoth task for a person so used to them.
Believe it or not, I saw tremendous results in just 2 weeks! Since then, it has been 6 years and no looking back. Later in 2021, I went for a food allergy test(FAT) IN Goa and came back with a proofed document showing that I have severe allergy to dairy. I suggest everyone to get their FAT done asap to know yourself better – it gives you the answers to many questions.
I am proud to be a vegan since I know I am making a difference to my climate even if it’s just one person – me. My bit towards the protection of Mother Earth is being done in one way at least for sure.
I choose to be the most beautiful version of myself, inside out
Shreya Kumari Mohta
I feel I have never been so disciplined about/committed to anything like this before. My diet/lifestyle is of ultimate importance to me. It can bring magnificent changes in the way I behave, my mood patterns, productivity, sleep patterns and overall quotient of happiness.
In the initial years, controlling my temptations, and my urge to eat non-vegan food were a challenge, especially when I went out to eat with friends or family. I used to feel like the odd one out, awkward, ordering much simpler. food preparations in comparison to my peers. Also, finding vegan food/ vegan restaurants in my city, Kolkata, was such a pain! I was only able to find 2-3 options in the menu – Thai curry – green/red, salads and soups, noodles/padthai. I was honestly sick of eating out . Instead of being spoiled for choice, I had a lack of choice.
Gradually as the years passed by, I started doing more in depth research in finding the appropriate places in advance and going through their menus beforehand.
Also,I wasn’t extra fussy when I had the options. In 2021, I started cooking vegan plant-based whole foods and then it became a habit. Every morning, I would make an effort to get up and make breakfast, gradually developing into making other meals, cooking for parties, friends – all out of love and passion.
My cooking was very well appreciated and the positive response further created the drive to make a career out of it. By then, all my friends and family members knew that I was a vegan and I was very serious about it. For my sake, they began to check on various food options, whenever we went out together.
I am proud that I was able to adhere strongly to my belief and would not get swayed easily.
I have been asked this question a zillion times by people of all ages
Shreya Kumari Mohta
No better platform to break this myth:
- You don’t consume enough protein being. a vegan –
The average man should aim to get 56 grams of protein per day and the average woman should target 46 grams each day. It is possible to gain muscle following a vegan diet, but it requires more dietary diligence. Vegan gets enough protein from nuts, soya bean, tofu, tempeh, all legumes, green peas, spirulina powder, chickpeas, quinoa, oats, spinach, green leafy vegetables, mushrooms and fruits such as avocados, kiwis, bananas, apricots, papayas and peaches. There is no need to consume excess protein in your diet. only 5-10% of your total calories need to come from protein.
- Being vegan is expensive:
Absolutely not! Consuming animal protein is far more costlier than consuming simple plant based diet comprising plant protein. It’s the packaged food, the processed vegan food such a soya snacks, vegan chips, vegan cookies – all vegan junk that makes it expensive. Stick to your roots – pun intended, consume simple, tasteful raw food, plan your meals well in advance of a week, make batches of food in advance if necessary. Do all this and you will reduce your raw material costs for sure!
- Being vegan is restrictive:
This is the funniest thing I have ever heard! For most people, it may seem restrictive to forego all animal products, including meat, cheese, eggs, and fish. Instead of focusing on what you can’t have, focus on what you can eat—you may be surprised at the variety that veganism has to offer. In fact, veganism can open your mind to so many more food options, possibilities, flavours and a variety of cooking methods! Try. to cook vegan food at home in less/no oil instead of eating fancy vegan junk outside and not knowing the ingredients involved!
‘You are what you eat’ and the food you eat reflects your personality too. So, you can imagine that that I’m quite a homely person.
Shreya Kumari Mohta
All items. suggested here are from my blog: (Instagram username: shreyakumarimohta)
Breakfast: Breakast foods are my favourite type of foods
MY FAVOURITE MEAL OF THE DAY:
- Breakfast Pizza
Garden Granola Bowl
Lunch: “Good food, Good mood”
NEVER MISS YOUR LUNCHEON
- Beetroot Pesto Penne
- Buritto Bowl
- Lemon Rice with Coconut Stew
Dinner: Dinner is better when we eat together
Remember this is your lightest meal in the day
- Penne in Sweet Potato Sauce
- A Balanced Indian Meal – Salad, chutney, 2 vegetables, daal, rice/roti
- https://www.instagram.com/p/CWGa_mogBzI/
Dessert: Desserts are the fairy tales. of the kitchen – a happily-ever-after to supper
Is there anything like too much (vegan) chocolate?
- Chocolate Avocado Mousse(Vegan)
- Fresh Blueberry Mousse(Vegan)
I have never felt so good before, I have never felt so light and energetic before.
Shreya Kumari Mohta
I totally believe in the concept of “Let food be thy medicine”I feel on top of the world!! I have never felt so lean, slim, free and good from inside out. It gives you a liberated sense of freedom – I am very active now. I know for sure that it lowers my risk of heart disease or developing any such disease for which I would have to take a pill haha. I have more energy and I sleep better. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables and raw food has cleared up my skin for good. It has in fact helped me manage extreme fatigue and reverse inflammation.
In November 2021, I came across a beautifully designed plant-based certificate course curated by the T.Colin Campbell Centre of Nutrition Studies in association with E-Cornell, the online certificate programme wing of the very reputed IV League Cornell University. I learnt about the importance of nutrition at every stage of life, how protein consumption is a topic of concern to athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike, the science behind a well-planned and balanced plant-based diet, the role of nutrition in solving chronic diseases including lethal heart diseases such s cancer and how being a vegan has busted so many myths associated with it.
Go ahead and try it out even for all you non-vegans out there
Shreya Kumari Mohta
Go with the flow and trust the process – be patient and read the ingredients of what you consume carefully. Go grocery shopping yourself – at least for what all you eat. Never doubt the lack of options or think that you are alone in this journey. Think creatively about the substitutes and you will start enjoy cooking your meals if you discover more. There is a world of recipes to choose from – do your own meal planning and you will see the difference after a few weeks.
I’m glad to have mastered the art of self love and knowing that it’s my own story that I have the power to rewrite.
Shreya Kumari Mohta
Think about making the world a better place to live in: Less meat – Less greenhouse gases and carbon emissions from food production – less climate change – better world for all of us.
Going meatless is a much more cost-effective approach than consuming meat (and other non-vegetarian foods). It also helps reduce hospitalisation costs since all chronic diseases are related to consumption of animal protein (diabetes, obesity, chronic heart disease, alzheimer, heart attack, cancer, you name it).
Shreya Kumari Mohta
Passionate Cook
An illustrative record of my favourite dishes….
Vegan Enthusiast🥝🥑
Cultivating happiness through food making & sharing….
all images courtesy of Shreya Kumari Mohta