Before I came to live and study in Morocco, I was scared that I would starve as a vegan. People told me horror stories of their hair falling out, meat-only options, or a year of only bread. While Morocco may not be the typical “vegan travel spot”, I actually think its an amazing place to be vegan, especially if you follow a more “whole foods” diet. You won’t find the Impossible Burger here, but the fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes that are so common in the diet are fulfilling. Where to start?

It is easy to get the impression that a vegan diet is expensive, especially given all the high-priced vegan products on the shelves of grocery stores in America. But the reality is that the cost of a vegan diet depends a lot on your preference and shopping list. Ultimately, the true cost of a vegan lifestyle depends heavily on your personal shopping decision.

Mr. Almond Latte A few years ago, I remember sitting at a coffee shop in Brooklyn sipping on an almond latte served in a tiny shot glass. This was part of their vegan champion taster set – almond, coconut, oat, rice, and cashew mini lattes, sat on a wooden paddle looking ultra-instagrammable. I don’t usually drink coffee (which still comes as a shock to my Brazilian mother) so I wasn’t particularly loving the experience, but my friends seemed to be enjoying it. Standing at the cash register forced to dish out a painful $12, I asked the owner what inspired the vegan champion taster set. “One day everyone will be drinking almond lattes and dairy will die off”, he said. I don’t recall what my exact response was, but probably a smile, nod, head tilt combo.

If you are interested in trending foods, Latin-American cuisine or just like to try something new, chances are you have heard of “Tamales”. Pretty much every country in Latin America has their own version of Tamales, Hallacas or Humitas, a corn based steamed dough with a filling. The singular form is Tamal and not as often erroneously referred to as Tamale.

Growing up in a with a Peruvian Mother, going vegan was not exactly the natural direction to be heading towards. I grew up eating and enjoying all sorts of foods. Just like any child that finds out that “meat” is actually an animaI, I went vegetarian for a few hours. It wasn’t until about 7 years ago when my sister spoke to me about something she had learnt. We spoke about the usual topics surrounding vegetarianism and decided that we wanted to reduce our meat consumption.

My first months of being vegan Initially, I started my vegan journey with a detox diet. Since early childhood, I felt too big and constantly wanted to lose weight, although I always had an optimum BMI. Losing weight wasn't easy though, as I naturally have a lot of muscles and my body just isn't built to be thin.

The world we live in is undergoing major transformations on so many different levels. We are not only experiencing an environmental awakening, but also a social emergence. Part of this global phenomenon is that we are becoming more aware of how our actions impact the environment and this includes what we eat, particularly when it comes to meat and other animal products. In 2018, the United Nations declared that meat, rather than transportation and industry, is the "world’s most urgent problem."

I actually did it. I had been saying for a long time, “Oh, I wish I could be vegan, but…cheese is so good…yogurt goes well with everything…but I love scrambled eggs…”

So, you’ve probably come across a ton of different vegan pancake recipes – some of them great, some not so much! This one is super tasty and super easy! I came across a recipe years ago (on Instagram, I think!) and tweaked it a bit. It’s a super simple recipe that allows for variety! I have created so many wonderfully delicious types of pancakes (I’ll add some optional add-ons below) with this recipe and they’ve all been hits!

Making the choice to go vegan can be a beautiful thing, but it can also be a little tough to start. Once you begin, one of your first questions are, “what do I cook?” or “where do I begin?”. Don’t worry love I got you! Follow me on throughout this mini series to get started and learn how to make some quick and easy vegan meals.

As a kid I hated beans because I was under the impression that all beans tasted like a can of baked beans without actually trying any other bean products. I was one of those baked beans haters and to be honest I still find that I have to add sausage and cheese to canned baked beans just to stomach the idea of eating them. This being said after living with vegans and vegetarians and eating food that can be eaten by all in the household I discovered a love for beans. While I am not vegan or veggie it’s still good to have those cooking skills to cater for your vegan or vegetarian guests and subsituting meat for other items like beans, mushrooms and pulses can be a great way to reduce your meat consumption for ethical reasons and can also save you money (meat can be expensive). These are my top 5 favourite beans for use in cooking.

Besides it being fun to say, Babka is one of the best things ever invented. Most people think of inventions from the 1800's and their mind goes to the cotton gin, or light bulbs. And while Eli Whitney and Thomas Edison do deserve their accolades, the true unsung hero of the 1800's-- the housewives!!