Wow, guys! It has been a long-ass time since I've shared a new Vegan Story! Well, I'm getting back to it and today, I have one of my favorite bloggers here to share her Vegan Story. The reason I started the My Vegan Story series, in case you're new here, is to help share inspiring voices with all of you because I know different voices resonate with different people. One voice I love is that of Amber St. Peter, the mastermind behind the successful blog, Fettle Vegan. In addition to having one of the most contagious smiles I've ever seen, Amber is vibrant, funny, and she writes exactly the way she speaks. As you'll see below her positive energy is just as contagious as her smile.
MY VEGAN STORY
WHAT FIRST INSPIRED YOU TO GO VEGAN?
-I was first inspired to go vegan after reading several Michael Pollan books and after a short foray into vegetarianism. I started becoming very aware of what we are putting into food, and what I was putting into my body, and after that it was hard NOT to go vegan.
DESCRIBE YOUR TRANSITION TO VEGANISM.
-I had gone vegetarian for about two weeks, but I’m lactose intolerant, so really I wasn’t eating much dairy anyway, and I just never liked eggs. I figured it wouldn't be too hard to fully commit, so I went vegan one day. And it’s been a really amazing change! I have lost about 30 lbs since then, have much clearer skin and shinier hair, and have way more balanced moods since I stopped eating animal products. While I know every body is different, I would recommend everyone giving the vegan lifestyle at least a shot. I grew up in a super carnivorous family and would never have dreamed I’d go meat-free, but I’m so glad I did!
WHAT RESOURCES HELPED YOU IN YOUR TRANSITION?
-While Michael Pollan doesn’t necessarily advocate a vegan diet, I think his books are thought-provoking and well-written and worth a read by anyone who eats food ( which is everyone. READ ‘EM!). I also recommend Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, and The China Study by T. Colin Campbell. For movies check out Forks Over Knives, Food Inc, and (if you can stomach it) Earthlings. I also recommend checking out helpful vegan blogs- there are THOUSANDS of great ones, and a handful of really fucking amazing ones. Read them all!
WERE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY SUPPORTIVE OF YOUR CHOICE TO GO VEGAN?
-My friends and family tend to be left-leaning liberals so they were all pretty cool with it. In fact, I have since then successfully fed most of them vegan food, and we’re still hanging out…so thats good, right? My Mom and Dad have been especially great at stocking their homes with vegan foods when I’m around and eating whatever I eat without complaint. Especially at holidays- I’m always well fed.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN VEGAN NOW?
-Nearly 6 years! My veg-iversary is in April.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT BEING VEGAN?
-I love how it makes me feel, the community I have become a part of because of it, and how it helped me realize how important sharing food with people is. Food = love.
HOW DO YOU TRY TO MAKE THE WORLD BETTER FOR ANIMALS?
-I try to live my life- in all aspects- cruelty free. This means vegan clothing + body care products, not supporting places like zoos and circuses where animals are held captive, and adopting a rescue animal to be a member of our family! Everyone makes mistakes, but always do what you can to make the world a better place.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VEGAN RECIPE?
My FAVORITE vegan recipe is for my homemade Spicy Chili, which I think is the best ever. It’s one of the first meals I learned to cook for myself after going vegan, it’s packed with protein, and its never met a mouth that didn’t love it. (http://www.fettlevegan.com/recipes/best-spicy-vegan-chili)
IF YOU COULD GIVE YOUR NEWLY VEGAN SELF ONE PIECE OF ADVICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
-RELAX, GIRL! As the teen queen Miley Cyrus once said, ‘Everybody makes mistakes, Everybody has those days!’
I used to be SUPER hard on myself if I accidentally had some butter or I used a spatula that had *possibly* come into contact with a burger. the truth is, mistakes are going to be made, you will get real milk in your Starbucks drink at least once a year, and you will want to murder a barista for it. But DON’T! The real goal of veganism goes far beyond one bite of buttered bread, so don’t freak, and don’t eat the breadsticks next time.
LINK LOVE
website: www.FettleVegan.com
facebook: www.facebook.com/fettlevegan
twitter: www.twitter.com/fettlevegan
instagram: www.instagram.com/fettlevegan
pinterest: www/pinterest.com/fettlevegan
Caitlin
yay! i love amber! such a great, down to earth interview.
KD Traegner @ Your Daily Vegan
I love stories of vegan evolution! This part spoke very loud to me because it is SO SO TRUE:
"I used to be SUPER hard on myself if I accidentally had some butter or I used a spatula that had *possibly* come into contact with a burger. the truth is, mistakes are going to be made, you will get real milk in your Starbucks drink at least once a year, and you will want to murder a barista for it. But DON’T! The real goal of veganism goes far beyond one bite of buttered bread, so don’t freak, and don’t eat the breadsticks next time."
Thank you for profiling Amber, it was a great read and the picture of the pup is really adorable!
Jackie of Vegan Yack Attack
Woohoo, Amber! I love her and Alex and am stoked to see them be part of this series. Awesome interview and good tips!
jane
Great interview. I love Amber at fettle vegan and her pit-pup! I especially love her strawberry ice cream recipe!
its great to hear how everyone realized that plant-based diet rocks!
JB
awesome post. I loved that Amber got to the point and she made it simple. I can empathize with the Starbucks issue, it has happened.... but I enjoyed the share and high five on the chili
Anna
love this!!! thanks for sharing your story Amber <3
https://aspoonfulofnature.wordpress.com/
Richa @ veganricha.com
Amber is so gorgeous and so is her pit pup! I love this series of how each one of us found our path to veganism
Marissa
I love Amber's blog! Thanks for sharing her vegan story on here. I especially love her last answer. Great advice!
Sharon Parshall
I just bought your book Homestyle Vegan after checking it out from my library. Nice book.
But I have a question about your recipe for Cottage Pie on page 106. It's the photo that accompanies the recipe. It looks like there is a sauce or gravy on the top of the dish in the photo, but there is nothing mentioned in the recipe about a sauce. It doesn't look like browned potatoes as the recipe states. Is something missing from the recipe?
keepinitkind
I did not write Homestyle Vegan. Amber St. Peter did. You should go to her website, Good Saint, and check in with her.