Hi, my name is Julie and I am The Simple Veganista. I love creating healthy, affordable, easy vegan recipes that everyone will love! I began a vegan lifestyle in the early part of 2011 and haven’t looked back. Since then, I’ve become passionate about creating healthy vegan dishes, some 100% raw, and sharing in hopes to inspire others.
I adopted a vegan lifestyle for health reasons, but soon found out about the practices of factory farming and have simply changed my perception about our use of animals, sentient beings they are, for a multitude of things. I LOVE eating a plant based diet and it has grown into what you see here. I started this blog in July of 2012 as a way to share my celebration of foods that are clean, nutrient dense as possible and cruelty free, taking the focus off of animal products and processed foods.
In essence, I share with you all the simple, beautiful plant foods there are to eat and the different ways to put them together that taste great. Eating a plant based diet has truly become a joy. Vegan food is not boring, complicated or expensive. There is a vast array of foods we can choose every day that is good for the whole.
Eating vegan is not about restrictions, it’s about creating new habits, healthy habits that encompass the world around us making it a better place for all.
I prefer to eat my foods in as natural a state as possible, but do love cooked dishes as well. All of my dishes are put together with as much organic produce/products as possible as I believe our food should be clean of pesticides and GMO’s. I will be making my own creations as well as re-creating, or veganizing, recipes I find appealing. I am no chef but I know what I like, and am learning & expanding all the time.
Join me in this lifelong adventure as we learn to eat for health, animal rights (everything is better when its cruelty free) and environmental sustainability. Veganism is liberation, not just for animals, but for all life!
What Kind Of Recipes Will I Find Here?
You’ll find all types of recipes, from fan-favorite meals to tasty desserts, made mostly simple, with everyday ingredients that are easy to find!
Nourish yourself and your family with some of these readers favorite recipes:
- The Ultimate Vegetable Lentil Loaf
- Vegetable Vegan Lasagna
- Spinach and ‘Ricotta’ Stuffed Shells
- Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup
- Vegan Banana Bread
- ‘Chickpea Of The Sea’ Tuna Salad Sandwich
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
What Else Will I Find On TSV?
You’ll find plenty of categories to click through, which can be found in the menu at the top of each page.
Here’s a few popular categories:
- Oil-Free Vegan Recipes
- Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes
- Budget Friendly Vegan Recipes
- Vegan Comfort Food
- Well-Balanced Vegan Recipes
- 30 Minutes Or Less
If you’re new to eating a vegan, plant-based diet, you should definitely take a look at My Vegan Pantry & Kitchen Essentials. It’s a great list to get you started. And if you’ve been eating a plant-based diet for awhile, you may still learn something new!
Commonly Asked Questions
Will I Get Enough Nutrition On A Vegan Diet?
Yes! By eating a wide variety of wholesome foods, you can get all the nutrients your body needs. Beans, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits are packed with nutrients. In fact, you will find complete nutrition labels on every recipe, showing you just how nutritionally beneficial a plant based diet is!
Vitamin B12 is the only vitamin not found in plant foods, but it can be found in fortified plant milks, cereals, and other foods, such as nutritional yeast. Try to be conscientious about taking in the recommended dietary allowance (RDA), you may even want to take a suppliment.
Will I Get Enough Protein On A Plant-Based Diet?
Absolutely! For some reason we’ve been taught that meat is protein and beans, nuts and seeds aren’t held to the same “all-star” status. When in reality almost all foods except for oils have protein!
This means you can get protein from your fruit (i.e. an avocado) or from quinoa, black beans, tofu and even broccoli! In fact, as long as you’re eating enough calories, getting enough protein shouldn’t be an issue!
Is Vegan Food More Expensive?
Plant foods are some of the most inexpensive foods in the world (rice, beans, legumes, bananas, etc.). Adapting to a whole-foods way of eating – opposed to a diet rich in processed foods – will no doubt result in savings.
Eat seasonally and focus on purchasing dry bulk items that you can prepare from scratch rather than precooked or prepackaged items (did you know you pay a premium for the package wrapped around processed foods?). Buy frozen produce and opt for canned beans as a main protein source.
Stay In Touch
If you haven’t done so yet, be sure to sign up for the free Newsletter, where you’ll get the newest recipes, tips, and other delicious updates directly to your inbox. Or catch me on Instagram or Facebook.
If you’d like to contact me via email, please fill out this contact form (or shoot an email to julie@simple-veganista.com).
Thank you for stopping by, may you and all that surrounds you be healthy & well!
Serving nothing but love from my kitchen to yours,
xo Julie