Vegan Interrogated: Laura

Name: Laura
Location: Texas
Website/blog: www.gynxyarns.com

A little about yourself:
I've been a dietary vegan for 3 years, but before that I became a vegetarian when I was 4 years old. I love knitting and working out.

Favorite meal to make:
I really love sushi, and even though it's not hard to make, a lot of times I'm lazy and put all of the ingredients in a bowl instead of a roll. My favorite stuffing for sushi is the spicy tempeh from Veganomicon. So simple, but so incredibly delicious.

Favorite restaurant & why
Spiral Diner and Bakery. There's one in both Fort Worth and Dallas, and their food is incredible. I love them so much I even had them do my wedding desserts! I love Spiral because I can take people who have never eaten vegan food before there and they'll come out talking about how vegan food is actually tasty. I love a lot of the dishes there, but I've been stuck on the Spiral burger with a nut patty and cheese for a while. Oh, and a side of potato salad, of course.

Dumbest question someone asked you about being vegan.
The dumbest question actually came from my husband the very first time I met him. He asked me if I got a cut on my finger and put my finger in my mouth, would that be vegan since I'd technically be consuming blood. He didn't really make a good first impression, haha.

What was the reaction from your friends/family?
I'm sure my friends thought it was weird, but for the most part they didn't bug me about it. There was more of an adjustment period for my family since they'd often cook for me, but everyone's used to it now and no one tries to feed me things with butter in them.

What is the biggest misconception people have about you being vegan?
A lot of people seem to be confused as to what all is restricted in a vegan diet, especially with all the other different allergies and diets out there. People seem confused all the time that I'm eating gluten, something with sugar in it, grains, or really anything that isn't a vegetable. A lot of people see a vegan diet as extremely restrictive, and think we can't eat anything. Most people don't believe me when I tell them I started eating a much greater variety of foods when I became vegan, but it's true!

Vegan, Interrogated: Mary

Name: Mary
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Website/blog: http://gothcupcake.blogspot.com/

A little about yourself: I have been vegan for over 5 years, I love hiking, horror movies, baking vegan goodies and all things artsy!

What made you decide to go vegan? I was inspired by my friend Scott who was Vegan and his "V" Vegan baseball hat. I had always been interested in being vegetarian and always had a love for animals, it just made sense.

What was the reaction from your friends/family? When I first became vegan I don't think most of my friends and family knew what to think of it. My friends didn't say anything outright, but after I had been vegan for a year, one of my closest friends told me they were all betting it would last 3 months. My family went through different phases of indifference, annoyance, and finally acceptance. Offering to buy my own groceries when I became vegan was a big step. Now my family is extremely supportive and even swap out their meat meals for veggie burgers and ask me for recipes.

What is the biggest misconception people have about being vegan? That vegans don't eat anything but vegetables or tofu! Don't get me wrong, veggies and tofu are awesome! However, vegans eat way more! There is a whole world of flavors and foods to explore that people never open their minds (and their mouths) to. I enjoy Indian food such as samosas or aloo gobi and I like to munch on kale chips and my latest vegan cookie recipe, I can still eat pizza and burgers, I just have daiya cheese and veggie burgers instead.

Do you have any advice for people toying with the idea of becoming a vegan? If it's something you want to try, or something you believe in, go for it. Read everything you can, reach out on-line or in your community to other vegetarians/vegans and find out ways to get the nutrition you need to maintain a healthy vegan diet. Salad for every meal is not the way to go! You can do it! I believe in you!

Do you think your veganism has an impact on something greater than yourself? Definitely! Just being able to talk about our veganism and help others explore new foods and try new things, even in the smallest of ways we are broadening minds and inspiring positive change. I have friends who will text me or go out of their way to let me know when they've eaten a vegan meal. Everyone has heard the Ghandi quote "Be the change you wish to see in the world." I truly believe that by being vegan we are already inspiring change in those around us, which can lead to amazing things.